Welcome to Week 9. As I shared with you in our last COVID-19 update on Friday schools are gradually returning to a more regular routine with the pending re-introduction of a range of school based activities such as sport, assemblies, camps and excursions from the beginning of Term 3. I can also share with you that our Playgroup will recommence on Monday 27th July (Week 2) from 9-11am. It is wonderful to again be able to offer these events as I’m sure the children have been missing the opportunity to do the extra ‘fun’ things and engage in a different set of activities to stimulate their minds and bodies in different ways.
We are also very hopeful that there will not be a second wave of the virus that hits in Australia as we head through the winter months. It is critical at this time that where possible we all remain vigilant and still observe our social distancing rules, keep our hygiene practices to the highest level possible and stay at home when we are unwell. It is important that if your child experiences flu like symptoms or stomach related illnesses, that you keep them home for at least 24hrs before returning to school. A visit to the doctor is always recommended. These responses will certainly help lower the risk of a new wave of infection.
Teachers are very busy putting the final touches on Semester One reports, which will be ready for distribution on Thursday 2nd July. We have had to delay them slightly to allow our staff to finalise assessments as teaching practices were a little bit different at the end of Term One and in the early stages of Term Two. I encourage you to take the time to read the report and talk to your children about it, highlighting their achievements and discussing with them how they might make any improvement for the second half of the year. Grades are an important aspect of the reports but there is so much more you can focus on, particularly your child’s effort level and the teacher comments which give a great insight as to where the children’s strength and challenges are. Once you have read the report you are welcome to make a time early in Term Three to discuss the content with the class teacher in more detail if you wish. Please do this by way of mutual agreement.
As the term draws to a close I want to say thank you to all our families for your enthusiasm and commitment in maintaining a balanced approach to daily routines and structures to keep as much normality as possible in the school life for our children. These times have presented new challenges but also provided new opportunities for which we can still be grateful for. In amidst every challenge there is often a rainbow and I hope that you’ve found at least one reason for celebration at some stage during these last few months.
Please note that school finishes on Friday 3rd July at 12:30pm (OSHC is available until 6pm) and resumes on Monday 20th July at 8:55am. I wish you and your family a restful and relaxing holiday and we look forward to Term Three with enthusiasm as we journey together.
James Meiksans
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