IMPORTANT DATES!
TERM 2 2020
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
I do hope the RGLPS community are coping well with the current restrictions. I was very privileged to meet a few of our students this week through the virtual space of Miss Buchanan’s classroom. Through their writing I was able to catch a glimpse of their interests and get a basic understanding of some of their fundamental skills. Each week the leadership team are supporting our teachers who come on-site to support the students who cannot learn from home. It is important to note that the teachers cannot respond to their virtual classrooms on the days when they are supervising students but we will still have someone available to ensure your child is supported through feedback.
Term 2 Cancellations
With the restrictions we have in place at the moment our normal activities cannot continue as normal. At this stage camps and excursions have been cancelled. Alterations may occur later in the year but we don’t want to plan any changes before we know when restrictions are to be lifted. Please keep your eyes peeled as we will communicate as soon as we know more.
Teacher Feedback on Student Work (Remote Learning) - Classroom Teachers
In this phase of remote learning we are finding that our own flexibility is being tested. We are learning as we go and some things have been quite fluid to ensure that our expectations are reasonable. To support our staff, we have needed to establish clear expectations around the frequency and amount of specific feedback teachers can realistically provide to students across the school week. As a school, we have determined that one piece of detailed feedback per child four times a week is appropriate. Other learning tasks submitted by students will be acknowledged and approved by the teacher with the ‘like’ feature but the teacher will only provide specific personalised feedback on one activity per day. Teachers will use their discretion around which task they feel the child would most benefit in receiving feedback on each day. Please note that teachers will not be providing student feedback on their team planning day as they will need to invest time in creating learning activities and resources for their class. Our specialist teachers will only be able to give feedback to a couple of classes per week as they teach hundreds of students across the school. Specialist teachers will advise the classes/year levels they are providing feedback to in their weekly videos and activities. Students in other classes will receive a ‘like’ acknowledgement until it is their week for feedback.
On-site Learning Requirements
As a school we are following all directions from the Department of Education to help slow the spread of COVID-19. One action we have taken has been to turn off our drink taps. Please note we do require students attending on-site to bring a drink bottle to make sure they can safely drink water. You may also have noticed that we have had to rope off our play equipment. As a community facility there are many external people accessing our facilities after hours and this measure is simply to remove that risk for our students, staff and families.
We have had a few students in attendance over the last two weeks and though it has been wonderful to get to know a few of our kids I can’t wait to be able to stand a little closer and make some more connections with the most important members of our community. Our students.
Remote and Flexible Learning
We do understand that it may be difficult for families to balance their own work commitments with the supervision of their children and wanted to remind everyone that though Victoria has commenced remote learning for term 2 we do consider that learning to be flexible. This means that a child does not have to log onto their computer at 9:00 for a regular school day. It is entirely up to each family how and when they will engage in the learning content. We do ask that you maintain communications with the school but understand that family dynamics vary and what is successful for one group will not work for others. Take this time to get to know what works for you and implement a program that is manageable. We are altering our practice each week as we learn more. We thank you for the feedback that allows us to improve.
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
CLASSROOM PARENTS REPS
You should have received communication from the school and your classroom teacher about being a classroom Parent Rep for 2020. Once a Parent Rep has been decided for a classroom, their contact details will be circulated to your child’s classroom via Seesaw and/or Compass email. Once you know who the Parent Rep is for your classroom, please contact them with your details (email and/or phone number) if you would like them circulated within your child’s class. The Parent Rep will then distribute this information to the families interested in participating. This is a good way for children and families to stay connected during remote learning.
SUSTAINABILITY
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Essential Learning Updates
The Leadership Team and Team leaders have made the decision that providing Essential Learning updates is too difficult in our current circumstances. We feel it is too difficult for teachers to accurately assess learning tasks submitted remotely. Students have varied access to devices; limited teacher instruction and modelling; may lack essential resources to complete tasks and; it is also uncertain the skills each child can perform independently. Due to these reasons, we have decided to postpone Essential Learning updates until all students are learning onsite again with their regular teacher.
Student Wellbeing
All classes have included wellbeing check ins and activities as part of their assigned weekly tasks on Seesaw. We believe it is important that teachers maintain a connection with their students during the COVID-19 crisis and provide support and a sense of safety where possible.
To help your child to adjust to the changes with remote learning, we strongly encourage the following:
- Develop a daily remote learning routine. Ensure children get up and go to bed at a regular time. Try to establish set times for completing remote learning tasks a and build in regular breaks. Create a remote learning station with necessary resources and good lighting.
- Ensure that children get daily exercise and fresh air, several times a day if possible.
- Provide regular time for free play. Time spent playing with pets is especially beneficial.
- Discourage excessive screen time – teachers are actively setting learning tasks that do not need to be completed on a device to support in this. Artwork, physical activity, playing an instrument and drama are all therapeutic and provide a creative outlet.
- Encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling and reassure them that the current measures are in place to keep everyone safe.
- Maintain regular contact with grandparents, friends and extended family through the phone or video chats. Children are no doubt missing their friends and close family members that they don’t live with.
Remember to reach out to your child’s teacher by email if you have further information that will help us to support your child.
Staff Wellbeing and Privacy
Our teachers are under a lot of pressure to transform their teaching to an online space and manage the workload that accompanies these changes. Please remember that any material produced by the school, must not be shared, reproduced or published in any other way, without the written consent from the school. Please consider our teachers in our current context. The learning activities, videos and resources developed is work that we have put a great deal of effort into. We do not post this work in the online environment for praise or public scrutiny – our only purpose is to educate your children. You can imagine how vulnerable and exposed our staff will feel if videos of themselves or screen grabs are shared (even if the intentions are to highlight how wonderful our lessons are.) Just as your professional documents and files are not for public display, neither are our teachers – please privilege them their privacy.
SCHOOL BANKING
Message from Commonwealth Bank
The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students.
In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education:
- Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework.
- The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.
CANTEEN
Dear Parents and Carers
Unfortunately we will not be able to run the canteen during this unusual period. If your child is attending school please ensure you have sent them with food for recess and lunch.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
Entertainment Books are available for sale, online only this year at www.entertainment.com.au . Please nominate Rosanna Golf Links Primary School in the Fundraiser section; 20% of each sale goes towards providing improved facilities at RGLPS.
OSHC NEWS
LUNCH TIME CLUBS
Due to the current circumstances, Lunch Time Clubs will be postponed until further notice.
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
