IMPORTANT DATES!
APRIL 2020
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Parent and Students,
This year, Term One didn’t end in the usual way and we all felt a little rushed. I especially felt that I didn’t get to send you all off on your holidays with our usual end of term gathering. Monday was a very bizarre day with a large number of students not at school, receiving constantly changing information, working through the usual-day to-day demands and processing that it was the last day of term. This through us all into a bit of a spin!
We are certainly living in some unprecedented times where we are experiencing a huge amount of change all at a very rapid pace. We need to ensure we work together, listen to Government and health authorities and adhere to the rules that have been put in place.
When our Premier, Daniel Andrews, addressed the State in relation to an early start to the term break, he said that these holidays are not going to be the usual holidays that you have experienced in the past. It is so important to follow the measures that have been put in place around social distancing. This may bring on some feelings that you have never experienced before and it’s important to keep connected to your family and friends via online platforms if necessary however, please remember to always consider your safety when online.
It is important to keep a positive attitude and keep calm as this will serve us well in these challenging times. As we learnt through our work with the Resilience Project, think about the people in your life who deserve the better version of you. Make the changes to practise gratitude, empathy and mindfulness daily and be in the present moment.
Here are some ways you can practise gratitude:
- Whenever you see something you’re grateful for, stop and be thankful – ‘how lucky are we to have this’. Stop, pay attention, be thankful. If you’re feeling anxious, think of three things you’re grateful for, this can calm your anxiety and bring you back in to the present moment.
- Ask the question ‘what are three things that went well for me today?’ -Pay attention to the small things.
- How lucky am I to have a take away coffee today.
- How lucky am I to have a job to go to today.
- How lucky am I to have fresh fruit in my fridge.
Also ask yourself ‘what am I looking forward to tomorrow?’ focus on the positives, no matter how small.
Parents, please check out this handy resource about dealing with worries Living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty
Further to this, below are services which are available to our families and can be accessed online and by phone:
- Parentline – call 13 22 89 for this telephone counselling service for Victorian parents and carers of children up to 18 years of age. The service is available from 8 am to 12 am, 7 days a week.
- Maternal and Child Health Advisory Line– call 13 22 29 for this free 24-hour telephone service for Victorian families with children from birth to school age.
- Raising Children Network– is an online parenting resource with advice about rearing children of all ages.
- Specialist services – speak to experts in child psychology and get advice on mental health issues affecting your child:
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Department of Human Services
- Royal Children’s Hospital Community Information team (formerly Safety Centre)
- Association for Children with a Disability call (03) 9818 2000 (or 1800 654 013 for rural callers)
- Australian Psychological Society, APS Psychologist Referral Service
- SANE Australia Helpline– call 1800 18 7263 for information about mental illness, treatments and support for you and your carer.
- Mensline Australia– call 1300 78 99 78 for telephone support, information and referrals for men dealing with relationship issues, or visit their website.
- Beyondblue– call 1300 22 4636 for telephone support, information and resources for people dealing with depression or anxiety, or visit their website.
- Carers Australia– call 1800 242 636 to find out about short-term counselling and support services for carers and their families in Victoria.
- MindSpot Clinic– call 1800 61 44 34 for a free assessment and treatment service for Australian adults with anxiety or depression.
- Support after Suicide– visit their website for resources, information, counselling and group support for people dealing with suicide.
- Black Dog Institute– visit their website for information on symptoms, treatment and prevention of bipolar disorder and depression.
- Mindhealthconnect – access mental health care services, resources and online programs.
- Poisons Information– call 131 126 for advice about poisonings, bites and medicine overdoses.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline– Call 1800 200 526 to talk to experienced family violence counsellors, 24 hours a day.
- Relationships Australia– call 1300 364 277 or visit the website for relationship support for individuals and families.
- Direct Line– call 1800 888 236 for Confidential alcohol and drug counselling and referral.
- At ease– an online suite of self help mental health tools by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Kids Help Line – call 1800 55 1800 for free counselling and advice for young people between the ages of five and 25.
- Youth Beyond Blue– call 1300 22 4636 for free telephone counselling or visit their website for information, resources and support for young people with depression or anxiety.
- ReachOut– visit their website for information, tools and support for young people with mental health issues.
Of course please feel free to contact Luke Franklin, Thom Jackson and myself should you have any questions or concerns.
Luke Franklin – franklin.luke.l@edumail.vic.gov.au
Thom Jackson – Jackson.thom.t@edumail.vic.gov.au
Denisse Lobos – lobos.denisse.d@edumail.vic.gov.au
As for term two, the first day is on Tuesday the 14th April however, this is a pupil free day and teacher will be working on going live with remote learning for Wednesday 15th April, should this be the case.
Have a safe and relaxing Easter. I will continue to communicate important information as soon as practical.
A few final reminders:
- A reminder to parents that next term our preppies are full time! Preps are full time
- Stay tuned for more information about our 2021 open days and school tours – these may be done virtually should we need to.
- Stay tuned for ANZAC Day celebration information.
Thank you!
- Thank you to all of our wonderful families who donated items for the Easter Raffle and bought raffle tickets.
Annual Privacy Reminder
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy
Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website https://www.rosanna-golflinks-ps.vic.edu.au/privacy-policy/
For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information also available in nine community languages.
Denisse Lobos
Acting Principal
PREP OPEN DAYS – POSTPONED
Unfortunately we have postponed our Prep Open Days which were scheduled for Monday evening and Wednesday morning next week. These Open Days will be rescheduled and the new dates will be communicated next term.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
HARMONY WEEK
Harmony Week in 1/2
DEAF FACILITY NEWS
ICED Conference : this conference has been postponed until 2021.
Hearing Australia visits have been suspended until we have further information.
SUSTAINABILITY
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Continuity of Learning in the event of a school closure
In the final weeks of term 1, teachers have invested significant time into planning for ‘continuity of learning’ in the event of a school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compass and Seesaw are the platforms the school will use to communicate information, instructions and learning tasks with students and families if a school closure eventuates. In the interim, we request that all parents ensure they have access to and are familiar with both Seesaw and Compass.
If the school is forced to move to ‘At Home Learning,’ teachers will share learning instructions in Seesaw using video, audio or text. Students may be directed to access an online resource such as Mathletics, play a game or complete an activity in a workbook.
As a school, we are very aware that some students will have limited access to devices and the internet for extended periods. Many children will need to share a device with siblings or their parents or have limited internet access in the home. Given this, teachers are planning teaching and learning that does not rely entirely on the use of technology. To support this, all parents have been requested to provide their child with a workbook and basic stationery items for children to complete written tasks in. This might include maths work, writing, spelling etc.
If the school is closed at any point during Term 2, teachers will be in daily communication with students and attempt to mirror as close to the school routine as possible. We are aware that many children will be anxious and unsettled by worldwide events and creating some normality will be critical to their overall wellbeing. Ongoing contact with their teacher/s and classmates and a regular routine will support students enormously during this challenging time.
We encourage all parents to celebrate and comment on your child’s learning via Seesaw and to maintain ongoing communication with teachers via email.
Current events necessitate significant changes and challenges for us all which we firmly believe we can conquer by working in partnership to support the children.
NAPLAN
As you would have heard last week, the Federal Government announced that NAPLAN for 2020 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. NAPLAN was scheduled for May 12 – 14th 2020.
Maths Olympiad Update
APSMO have advised that this week’s scheduled Maths Olympiad #1 (Wednesday 25/3/2020) has been amended to be a practice test because many Australian schools are currently closed. Maths Olympiad Team-members will only miss a practice Olympiad with the early end to Term 1 this week.
I will communicate any additional information from APSMO about future Maths Olympiad dates when it is received.
At this stage if schools are closed during Term 2 due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, I intend to assign Maths Olympiad practice tasks for the Maths Olympiad team to practice via Seesaw.
G.A.T.E.WAYS Programs
G.A.T.E.WAYS have advised that all extension and enrichment programs have been postponed. I make contact with parents of eligible students when these programs become available again.
Essential Learnings Parent Information Sessions (Monday 20th April at 3pm and 6pm) – postponed
Unfortunately the scheduled information session on accessing and interpreting Essential Learning updates on Compass Continuum will need to be cancelled due to the restrictions around group gatherings and social isolation rules. I will reschedule this session once these bans are lifted.
RGLPS School Policies
A reminder to parents that school policies are available on the school website and can also be accessed through Compass.
On the school website, click on the Community icon on the top menu. Scroll to the bottom of the page and see School Policies. Click ‘Additional School Policies’ on the side menu bar to locate the policy you need.
In Compass, click on the Community Icon -> School Documentation -> School Policies. Current school policies are listed in alphabetical order.
Term 2 2020 Team Newsletters
Team newsletters will be published on Compass by Friday at 2:30pm. To access these, please see:
Compass Community Icon -> School Documentation -> Year Level Newsletters -> 2020 -> Term 2 2020 Team Newsletters
Kerron Worsdell
Teaching and Learning Coach
FUNDRAISING
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the families who supported our Easter Raffle!!!
SPORT NEWS
CANTEEN
Dear All
Have a nice rest and take care.
Margaret Groves
Canteen
CANTEEN ROSTER
OSHC NEWS
LUNCH TIME CLUBS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Disclaimer: Rosanna Golf Links Primary School (RGLPS) does not endorse any product or service advertised in this newsletter. RGLPS takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements or the quality and reliability of products or services offered in the advertisements
