IMPORTANT DATES!
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Welcome back to all members of the school community as we commence another school year. The past few days has seen our students regrouping with old friends, forming new relationships and displaying excellent learning behaviours. All students have been adhering to the school values and have demonstrated great support to the various new members of staff. We also welcome many new faces and I have been lucky enough to have spent some of the first few days checking in with our many new students.
During my journeys around the school I have been witness to the wonderful supports and learning tasks that we offer and I have been extremely pleased to note that our staff are working hard to ensure that all of our students are thriving in an environment that values and celebrates learning and encourages gratitude and self-esteem.I look forward to a very rewarding and successful year for our parents, staff and most importantly our students.
At RGLPS we truly value the partnership that parents have with the school. We consider your input to be a valuable tool that assists us to support your child with their educational and social experiences. Please be sure to communicate with your child’s classroom teacher any suggestions, supports or concerns, as together we can ensure that your child has a happy and productive school experience. Do remember that the Team Leader of your child’s Learning Area is also a great point of call to assist you and our leadership team of Luke Franklin, Denisse Lobos, Kate Haysom, Thom Jackson, Sarah McLellan and Kerron Worsdell and myself are also just a phone call away. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss any matter concerning your child’s education.
COVID Safety Updates
Additional rapid antigen tests will be available from Monday the 14th of February. These will be sent home with students and we continue to strongly encourage their use twice a week. The use of the RA tests has already supported us to reduce the transmission of COVID – 19 in our school and assist us to keep our school community safe and our school open so that students can access both the educational and social programs that they so desperately need as we navigate through these challenging times.
If your child returns a positive result using an RA test, your child has COVID-19. Please follow the following steps with all positive cases.
- – You must quarantine your child for seven days
- – You must advise the school about the positive result. Please call to ensure that the result is known to the school.
- – Your child must stay home until their symptoms have resolved and they are well
- – Everyone in your household is a close contact and must isolate for 7 days.
Reporting your child’s positive test
If your child was at school when they were infectious you need to report the positive case through the Student COVID-19 Test Portal or you can notify the school in writing or by phone. You must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398.
Our students and staff are very grateful to be able to welcome parents back onto our site. Numbers of people on site during drop off and pick up is quite large and we do ask that you wear a mask during these times.
Tutor Learning Initiative
As you already know, the Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) will continue to run in 2022. RGLPS will be running a program that is designed to support students whose learning has been disrupted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We have spent considerable time assessing our students to identify those who are eligible for the additional support and are now finalising these assessments with a plan to commence the program by the 14th of February. Our school will again adopt a collaborative, co-teaching approach that is delivered in a manner to support and accelerate student learning. This will result in explicit and targeted small group sessions. The program is not designed to support students with a 1:1 tutoring session but rather give students the opportunity to accelerate their learning through a focused and comprehensive small group forum. Further information will be available should your child/ren be eligible for the program. As we will run the program through the year, some students may receive tutoring later in the year.
Meet the Teacher Evening
Please save the date as there will be a meet the teacher evening on the 21st of February from 3.30 – 6:30. Other sessions will be available throughout the week so do keep an eye on Compass as booking will be open soon. This is an opportunity for you to have a brief chat with your Childs’ new teacher. These will be 10 minute sessions held to ensure that our classroom teachers have all the information they need to support your children.
Instrumental Band Program
Information regarding band rehearsals and piano and instrumental lessons will be available on Compass today. All bands and lessons will commence on Monday the 7th of February. We aim to give every band an opportunity to perform as soon as possible as it really has been too long between performances.
Privacy
This is just a quick reminder that access to the Department of Education and Training (DET) Schools’ Privacy Policy is available through the following link. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx#link6
This policy is updated regularly and is of great assistance as we support our students to navigate through an ever changing technological world. Please refer to the policy as needed.
I am looking forward to a really productive and hopefully uninterrupted year.
Take care,
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT
Welfare News
We are very lucky this year to be starting a new project in the welfare space. We will have Zoe Bloore, a Provisional Psychologist studying at Melbourne University working with us 2 days a week. As many of you know we had One-On-One Engage working alongside us before the 2020 lockdowns. They were supporting students eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan with counseling. This year we will have Zoe working with individuals and small groups when the need arises.
I anticipate that this service will be popular and we will again need to look at individual needs and urgency to prioritise Zoe’s time.
Zoe will be doing general classroom observations for the next few weeks and we will then develop a schedule for more individualized sessions.
From Zoe
My name is Zoe Bloore and I am a provisional psychologist, currently in my last year of study at Melbourne University. I will be working at RGLPS until the end of term 2, as part of the wellbeing/welfare team. My work will involve supporting children to build strength and resilience and to develop strong social connections. I am very passionate about providing students with the most inclusive and supportive environment so they can engage in the learning process, to thrive and become the best versions of themselves.
I am the parent of a beautiful 10-year-old daughter, so I understand some of the challenges faced by primary school students, in the current environment. I’m not studying or spending time with my family, including my two adorable whippets, I’m a keen road cyclist; my idea of a great day is doing a 100km ride through the hills.
Kind regards,
Zoe Bloore I Provisional Psychologist
Technology in Schools
Coming back from the holidays I have noticed many students wearing smartwatches. Some of these watches are not allowed to be worn or used during school hours as they can access the internet, make calls, and send messages. The Department of Education has a very strict policy on personal technologies in schools. This policy can be found here: RGLPS Student Mobile Phone and Personal Device Policy
If these devices have parent modes that can only be changed by a parent outside of school times the device will be allowed. However many of these devices settings can be changed by the user at school deeming them needing to be securely stored in the office.
Luke Franklin & Denisse Lobos
Assistant Principals
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching and Learning
It has been wonderful to see the happy faces of our children (and parents) as they returned to school this week. RGLPS classrooms and the playground have been very calm and settled as students enjoy reconnecting with old friends and forging new friendships.
Starting back right with 'Start Up'
RGLPS classes are currently teaching their ‘2022 Start Up’ programs, which will last for around three weeks. During this time, teachers focus on re-engaging students in learning, setting up class routines, outlining expectations and working through wellbeing tasks. Teachers also use this time to conduct academic assessments to determine skills, attitudes to learning and any misconceptions. It is imperative that teachers quickly gain an understanding of each child as a learner so we can best target our teaching to meet their individual learning needs. Assessments include things such as collecting a baseline writing sample for closer analysis; reading 1:1 with students and discussing their reading habits and preferences; and doing maths assessments to identify understandings and any learning gaps. ‘Start Up’ a very important phase of the school year not only to establish the classroom community, build relationships and set the tone but also to determine teaching areas we need to prioritise. At the end of ‘Start Up’, teachers will be holding our ‘Meet the Teacher’ online interviews via Webex. These are designed as an opportunity for parents and the classroom teacher/s to both build a relationship and also to share any relevant information that will help us across the school year. We will discuss topics such as your child’s interests and hobbies, their attitudes to learning and homework and any wellbeing or other concerns you might have. Please keep an eye on Compass for information about how to book a ‘Meet the Teacher’ appointment during the week of February 21st 2022.
Homework
Teachers will be slowly introducing homework over the ‘Start Up’ period and outlining their expectations around this.
The Policy and Wellbeing Sub Committee on School Council updated our school Homework Policy in June last year. This, along with all our school policies, can be found on Compass -> Community Icon -> School Documentation –> School Policies or on the school website under the Community icon.
The updated RGLPS Homework Policy states:
For Prep – Year Two, homework will consist mainly of:
- Reading activities to parents/carers, with parents/carers and by parents/carers.
- Simple extension tasks associated with classroom activities.
- Gathering of additional information or materials.
Homework will generally not take more than 30 minutes per day and will not be set on weekends or during holiday periods.
For Years Three – Six, homework will consist mainly of:
- Independent reading, on a daily basis, for a minimum of 15-20 min.
- Tasks such as continuation of classroom work, projects and assignments, essays and research.
- Gathering of additional information or materials.
Homework will generally not take more than 45 minutes per day and may be set during weekends and school holidays. As students’ progress through school toward Year 6, homework may increase in intensity and complexity to better enable transition towards Year 7.
High Ability Learner Program (HALP)
Within the first week of the 2022 school year, we already have seven students in Year 6 participating in a High Ability Learner Program with Virtual Schools Victoria. Three students are doing the mathematics program on a Thursday morning and four students will participate in the English program from next Tuesday. Students are invited to participate in these HALPs by the Department of Education and are identified by their strong academic results on their school reports each semester. Students will participate in a ten-week course for one hour per week via Webex, under school supervision.
An aim of the program is to help high ability students connect with their similarly high achieving students at local schools, as well as extend and challenge their learning academically. Good luck to all the students participating in a HALP
Kerron Worsdell
Learning Specialist
PRIVACY COLLECTION NOTICE
Information for students, parents and carers
The Department of Education and Training (the Department) values your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal and health information that schools collect.
All school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law and the Schools’ Privacy Policy. This notice explains how the Department, including Victorian government schools (schools), handles personal and health information. On occasion, specific consent will be sought for the collection and use of information, for example, for a student to receive a health service. Our schools are also required by legislation, such as the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, to collect some of this information.
Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, student support service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners, and all other employees, contractors, volunteers and service providers of the school and the Department.
On enrolment, and during the ordinary course of a student’s attendance at a school, schools will collect information about students and their families for the following purposes:
- educating students
- supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing, and health
- fulfilling legal obligations, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law
- communicating and engaging with parents
- student administration
- school management
- supporting policy in relation to student education and wellbeing.
If this information is not collected, schools may be unable to provide optimal education or support to students or fulfil legal obligations.
For example, our schools rely on parents to provide health information about any medical condition or disability that their child has, medication their child may take while at school, any known allergies and contact details of their child’s doctor. If parents do not provide all relevant health information, this may put their child’s health at risk.
Our schools also require current, relevant information about all parents and carers so that schools can take account of safety concerns that affect their children. Parents should provide schools with copies of all current parenting plans and court orders about or that affect their children and provide updated copies when they change.
When parents enrol their child in primary school, they will be asked to provide personal and health information in several ways, including via the Enrolment Form, the School Entrance Health Questionnaire (SEHQ) and the Early Childhood Intervention Service (ECIS) Transition Form.
The Enrolment Form is used to collect information that is essential for the purposes listed above, and requests information such as:
- Emergency contacts – Individuals parents nominate for a school to contact during an emergency. Parents should ensure that their nominated emergency contact agrees to their contact details being provided to the school and that they understand their details may be disclosed by the Department if lawful, e.g. in the case of emergency communications relating to bush fires or floods.
- Student background information – Information about country of birth, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, language spoken at home and parent occupation. This information enables the Department to allocate appropriate resources to schools. The Department also uses this information to plan for future educational needs in Victoria and shares some information with the Commonwealth government to monitor, plan and allocate resources.
- Immunisation status – This assists schools to manage health risks and legal obligations. The Department may also provide this information to the Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to assess immunisation rates in Victoria, but not in a way which identifies students.
- Visa status – This is required to process a student’s enrolment.
All schools may use departmental systems and online tools such as apps and other software to effectively collect and manage information about students and families for the purposes listed above.
When schools use these online tools, they take steps to ensure that student information is secure. If parents or carers have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact the school.
School staff will only share student and family information with other school staff who need to know to enable them to educate or support the student as described above. Information will only be shared outside the school (and outside the Department) as required or authorised by law, including where sharing is required to meet duty of care, anti-discrimination, occupational health and safety, and child wellbeing and safety obligations. The information collected will not be disclosed beyond the school and Department without parent consent unless such disclosure is lawful.
When a student transfers to another school (including Catholic, independent and interstate), personal and/or health information about that student may be transferred to the next school. Transferring this information is in the best interests of the student and assists the next school to provide the best possible education and support to the student. For further detail about how and what level of information is provided to the next school, refer to the: Enrolment: Student transfers between schools
Schools only provide school reports and ordinary school communications to students, parents, carers or others who have a legal right to that information. Requests for access to other student information or by others must be made by lodging a Freedom of Information (FOI) application.
To update student or family information, parents should contact their school.
For more information about how schools and the Department collect and manage personal and health information, or how to access personal and health information held by a school about you or your child, refer to the: Schools’ Privacy Policy
MATHS NEWS
Welcome back!
It’s been great to welcome everyone back to school after what I hope has been a restful break for all. As we begin a new year, classes have been buzzing with excitement. Everyone has been working through Start Up programs, where relationships are built and routines are developed.
As part of these programs, teachers will be working with students on developing positive mindsets towards all areas of learning, including Mathematics.
Families can further support students at home by discussing the importance of a Growth Mindset. Those with a Growth Mindset persist when things become challenging and understand that there is always opportunity for growth. When engaging in tasks involving maths at home with your child, try to remember to model a positive attitude and willingness to give everything a go. Your influence will play an integral role in developing your child’s own attitude towards mathematics.
If you’d like to learn more about some key points on Mathematical Mindsets, you may like to view, reflect on and discuss some of the themes from this video with your child. The video is most suited to middle primary students and above, however is just as informative for adults.
Maths Riddle
The engagement shown by students last year in regards to our weekly Maths Riddle was overwhelming. I look forward to hearing all your responses again as we continue with our riddles this year.
In celebration of our return to school, this week’s challenge is all about new classmates! See if you can solve the problem below. I’ll share answers with you in next week’s newsletter.
Back to School Challenge
Mr Smith teaches grade 1/2 and has just received his new class list… 28 students!! How will Mr Smith manage to get to know everyone so quickly? To help him speed up the process, he decides to separate the students into equal groups.
What are all the possible combinations Mr Smith might split the class into?
Hint: Try drawing pictures or using 28 materials to play out the scenario.
Extra challenge: How many combinations can be made using the number of students in your own class? What if the groups do not have to be equal in size?
If you were a teacher who loved being able to split their class into equal groups, what would be your ideal class size? Why?
If you’d like to share your response or have your working out featured in our newsletter, please send your solutions to sarah.mclellan@education.vic.gov.au
Sarah McLellan
Learning Specialist
CROSSING GAURD NEWS
The Crossing Gaurds have asked us to remind parents that they should always use the crossing in either Finnlayson Street or Brassey Avenue to cross the road safely.
It is important to teach your children safe road crossing procedures and to set an example for them by using the crossings where they are available.
Thank you to all the generous families who donated to the Banyule Children’s Gift Appeal this year.
SCIENCE NEWS
Frog Pond
There has been some activity at the frog pond over the weekend, with about five lots of eggs laid!!
SPORT NEWS
CRICKET
Lachlan and James Black recently represented the Diamond Valley Cricket Association in the Under 12 Keith Mitchell Shield rep competition played in the first couple of weeks in January. They won 5 out of 6 of the preliminary games and then lost the semi final to the eventual winners. In this photo James and Lachlan (James is facing) are batting together in the semi. The boys played well and really enjoyed the experience.
NETBALL
Congratulations to Molly for successfully making the Banyule and District Netball Association Representative squad.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
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
