Whilst we have experienced a slightly higher level of anxiety for some students, given the nature of what all of our families have had to endure, the impact on work and home life, the financial strains and the social challenges, I think we are coming through this time very well. Our teachers remain vigilant in supporting all our children and I encourage you to be in regular communication with your child’s teacher/s to ensure the best possible support structures for each and every student are in place. Please do not hesitate to call if there is something the school can do to help you in this time of transition.
With every challenge there comes some learning and some positives. The requirement for parents to drop the children at the school gate each day and not enter the school has required some planning and new strategies for families. All of a sudden we are expecting our children to become more independent, manage their belongings and take on self-responsibilities that previously were just left to Mum or Dad to manage. Well, I’m sure you would agree, our children have been extremely successful in taking on their self-management of tasks. We don’t know at this time how long restrictions will be in place for parents but my strong recommendation is that once the bans on entering the school have been lifted, don’t fall back into the mode of doing everything for your child. They can and will cope with this change and this can only lead to greater independence and build resilience for every child.
On a few occasions I have noted when the younger children are carrying their bags, how heavy they seem to be. I’m not sure why this would be the case, they really only need their food, their reader and for the older children, their device. Lugging huge numbers of books back and forth to school each day is unnecessary and there are storage places in every classroom for these items. In the self-management process I encourage you to check your child’s bag and talk to them about what they do and don’t need to carry each day. Keeping the bag light and only containing the essential items will be a much better way to help support this move to greater independence.
As you know, our calendar has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and many events have had to be cancelled or postponed. We will soon put out a revised calendar with new dates for school based activities. One date I can provide for you though is June 5th being a Pupil Free Day. This day was booked at the beginning of the year and set aside for staff professional learning. In amongst all the disruptions to regular teaching and learning it is still necessary for staff to access quality professional development and continue to experience new learning to support better student outcomes. This date is the Friday before the June long weekend and it may be a really great opportunity with restrictions lifted on regional travel for a short family getaway somewhere in country SA. I than kyou in advance for your support with this. We will be offering the OSHC program on this day for families who may need child care. Enjoy your week.
James Meiksans