IMPORTANT DATES!
TERM 3 2020
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Welcome to the term 3 week 3 addition of the RGLPS newsletter. A very big thankyou to all of the families who have taken the time to email or call in with some really encouraging feedback around the new approach to remote learning. Our teachers spent considerable time adjusting plans and developing protocols for engaging our students while ensuring that their learning does not suffer and it has been a truly welcome boost to morale for all to hear that it has been appreciated. On behalf of the staff here at RGLPS I would like to thank our community for your continued patience and understanding.
Specialist Classes Remote Program
As you may already be aware we have altered our processes slightly for our specialist team. Tasks are now to be uploaded on the night before the open classroom session. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions directly related to the task or complete the task in the open classroom with their teacher present to support.
As we are also trying to manage the number of staff who are attending onsite at any given time we have had to alter our timetable slightly from week 4. The only impact may be the specialist open learning hours. If your time has changed there will be a direct Seesaw post with the altered weekly timeslot.
On-Site Requirements
A reminder that arrangements for onsite attendance are as follow.
All students will be learning from home except for students in the following categories.
- Students enrolled in specialist schools (Students enrolled in our Deaf Facility are considered to be in this category)
- Children on days when they are not able to be supervised at home and no other arrangements can be made. This will be available for children of parents who cannot work from home and must attend a workplace
- Any student with a disability and vulnerable children
If your child meets one of these criteria you will need to complete the on-site attendance form by Thursday each week and email to the school or directly to Kirrily Lamers.
Students enrolled in our Deaf Facility will receive face to face learning at school but may opt to access remote learning.
All other students accessing learning on-site will be supervised to access their remote learning program.
Please note supervision cannot be provided before 8:45am and pick up is 3:30pm. This follows our usual practice.
Pick up will be outside of the front gate unless students are not onsite for a full day. If you do need to pick up a child earlier, please come through the front office.
Each morning students do need to enter through the front office where temperature checks are administered.
TheirCare
TheirCare will be running an afterschool care program for all students during the remote period. This is available for all students not just those who are attending on-site. Before school care is available to those who attend onsite only. Please book through TheirCare if you would like to take up this offer.
Until next week continue to stay safe.
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
DEAF FACILITY NEWS
Hearing Australia
Unfortunately with the current circumstances, we are unable to facilitate the next Hearing Australia visit due to restrictions. If you require any support from Hearing Australia, please contact them directly.
SUSTAINABILITY
STUDENT WELFARE
Each week we hope to be able to add some ideas to assist in the management of student welfare.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Remote and Flexible Learning
The school has received a great deal of positive feedback from parents and students about our recent move to live learning sessions. We are well aware that this has constituted yet another change and a barrage of information sent to parents. Thank-you to all parents and families for your flexibility and understanding during these ongoing adjustments. We particularly thank parents for appreciating that teachers are still learning how to deliver live lessons via WebEx and that this has been a significant change in their practice. The many emails, phone calls and messages of support for staff have been greatly appreciated.
Live learning sessions have enhanced our ability to connect with students and explicitly teach concepts remotely. Please remember that our live learning sessions provide an opportunity for each teacher to connect with their students. During live learning, the teacher is able to provide clear instructions, feedback and answer questions to support students with their learning. Small group sessions also enable teachers to differentiate instruction for each child’s specific learning needs. Hence, the live learning sessions are not a time for parents to ask their child’s teacher questions or seek a progress update. We ask that if you need to speak with your child’s teacher, you do so via email or make an appointment for a phone or WebEx meeting.
Student Workload and Wellbeing
RGLPS will provide a range of live and remote learning activities for your child to participate in each day.
The Department of Education’s ‘Operating Guidelines’ state that schools should prepare learning tasks for Prep – Year 2 that total 2 – 2.5 hours per day. This will include literacy activities (45 – 60 min), numeracy (30- 45 min) and additional learning areas, play-based learning and physical activity (about 30-45 minutes). Year 3-6 students should be allocated learning tasks for 3.5 hours per day. This will include literacy (45-60 min), numeracy (30-45 min), physical activities (30 min) and additional curriculum areas (90 min).
You will note that this is a shorter time allocation than regular daily schooling. Students are not expected to be working remotely from 9am – 3:30pm daily (or equivalent hours).
The school recognises that, as parents, you are best placed to identify how your child is coping with remote learning. Please don’t feel compelled for your child to complete all these set tasks and attend all live learning sessions if your child or family are not coping with the workload in our remote learning context. We respect your judgment as parents to act in the best interests of your child and family. If the amount of tasks scheduled each day is too much, it might be worth contacting your child’s teacher for advice on which activities to prioritise.
Classroom teachers will also continue to archive lessons weekly so that when students login to Seesaw at the start of a new week, they effectively have a ‘clean slate’ to start from.
Weekly Timetables and Organisational Skills
Each week, classroom teachers will post a weekly timetable to help students and families keep track of live learning sessions for the upcoming week. Please support your child to read their class timetable and develop organisational skills to get the most out of their learning. This includes simple things like being punctual to live learning and having all the necessary equipment ready for lessons. Teachers have limited units of time for live lessons and unfortunately can’t wait or delay if students are late or have to run around and locate supplies.
Seesaw Activities Released at 5pm the Night Prior
Each week, classroom teachers will post a weekly timetable to help students and families keep track of live learning sessions for the upcoming week. Please support your child to read their class timetable and develop organisational skills to get the most out of their learning. This includes simple things like being punctual to live learning and having all the necessary equipment ready for lessons. Teachers have limited units of time for live lessons and unfortunately can’t wait or delay if students are late or have to run around and locate supplies.
Specialist Remote Learning
Specialist teachers will be online in their WebEx room for an hour per year level as per the weekly schedule, if your child has a question, requires clarification or feedback on a task. Specialist lessons will also be released the night before the timetabled open classroom session for that subject and year level so that teachers are available as students start to work on their specialist activity.
Unlike classroom lessons, specialist lessons will be archived fortnightly. This is because students often need to refer back to previous tasks and instructions for each new lesson.
Teacher Online Privacy
Finally, several staff members have expressed unease about the potential for their image or a recording of them teaching during live learning to be captured on a device. Your child may be unaware that recording or photographing a person without permission is illegal. We ask you to ensure your child is aware of this so they can show respect for their teachers and meet the terms of the ‘RGLPS Acceptable Use Agreement.’
ICAS 2020
As mentioned last week, RGLPS has elected to administer the 2020 ICAS in the second sitting window in October. It is hoped that these ICAS can be administered onsite at school.
The new ICAS test dates are as follows:
Monday 12th October 2020 ICAS Science
Monday 12th October 2020 ICAS Digitech
Tuesday 13th October 2020 ICAS Mathematics
Friday 16th October 2020 ICAS Spelling Bee
Tuesday 20th October 2020 ICAS English
With the additional sitting window, ICAS have extended their registration date which will now close at midnight on August 2nd 2020. Each ICAS costs $15.95.
If you wish to register your child for ICAS, you can do this online and make an encrypted payment by credit card. Create an account and login at https://shop.unswglobal.com.au/pages/pps and use the school access code ASU788.
Have a great week everyone!
Kerron Worsdell
Teaching and Learning Coach
FUNDRAISING
BOOK CLUB
Scholastic Book Club, Issue 5 can be ordered on-line now!!
Due to the current restrictions we are unable to send out Book Club order forms. The good news is you can order on line at: scholastic.com.au .
CANTEEN
Due to current circumstances the canteen will be closed until further notice.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
OSHC NEWS
LUNCH TIME CLUBS
Unfortunately, we are unable to run lunch time clubs at this time.
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
