IMPORTANT DATES!
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
It certainly has been an information packed few days. We welcome back all of our students and can’t wait for some face to face learning.
COVID Safe Practices
As you will be aware we are adapting a few things to ensure the safe return of our students to face to face learning. Hand hygiene is extremely important. All staff will be reminding students to wash their hands when they get to school, before and after eating, returning from outside play and of course after they use the bathroom. It would be wonderful if you could also remind students that they must practice hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer will be available in every space within the school for all students.
All incursions and excursions have been postponed at this stage including interschool sport.
The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. I strongly encourage all staff and students who feel unwell to follow this suggestion.
I would also like to add that as a school community we are now well versed in COVID safe practices. Our staff are diligent and our students are very mindful of others safety. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Drop Off and Pick Up
To reduce the foot traffic inside the school and to ensure that non-essential visitors are not onsite, entry to the school grounds will be restricted. As with our last return, access to the school site is restricted to staff and students who attend RGLPS. We appreciate your support to reduce the spread and look forward to a time when the community can again access our facilities. Please note the following arrangements for drop off and pick up. Drop off will still be 9:00am for all students we did notice that foot traffic is reduced due to varied drop off times anyway. As per usual students will be able to be supervised inside the school from 8:45am with the bell to commence learning, ringing at 9:00am.
Students whose surname commences with an A – M will finish school at 3:25pm. Those commencing with an A – F will exit via the front gate and those commencing with a G – M will exit from the back gate. Older siblings are encouraged to pick up younger siblings from the basketball court to avoid adults waiting for multiple students. We continue to encourage families to arrange a meeting point if your child/ren is independent and allow them to walk and meet you away from the congested gate area. As per the arrangement last time around, students who are walking to school may exit through any gate.
Students whose surname commences with an N – Z will finish school at 3:30pm. Those commencing with an N – S will exit from the front gate and those commencing with a T – Z will exit from the back gate. Please note that we will be flexible with this arrangement and adapt as necessary. To avoid confusion for your child/ren please use the same gate at am drop off as you use for pm pick up. Please give particular attention to reducing the risks associated with congregation at school gates and take steps to contribute to physical distancing within the school.
Please note there are QR codes located around the outside of the school. These should be used if you are waiting in a group for a period of time.
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Remote Learning
Well done to all of our families for your wonderful support during the last lockdown and remote learning period. I understand as a father of two children in primary school how difficult it can be to juggle work and support your child’s learning. Our school felt wonderfully supported by all of the hard-working parents and carers at home and for this we are truly thankful.
Return of Borrowed Technology
If you borrowed a device from the school, could you please return these as promptly as possible? These computers are required to support our students in the classroom. All machines can be returned to the office.
Mens' Health Week
Held from Monday 14th June to Sunday 20th June, the week provides the opportunity to learn about men’s health issues and take action to help improve health outcomes for men.
Men are typically at higher risk of serious health outcomes, many of which are preventable with early intervention and diagnosis. The risk increases for men in marginalised populations, including men living in rural areas and socially disadvantaged men.
We would like to help to change the narrative around men accessing support proactively and reducing stigma associated with asking for help by:
- modelling good health and wellbeing behaviour
- encouraging men to undertake regular health checks, listen to their bodies, seek psychological support and feel comfortable talking about health issues
- reminding men that seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness and is just a general part of maintaining good health and wellbeing
- highlighting the importance of men’s health.
For more support and resources access the following resources:
- the Healthy Malewebsite, for resources, tools and information about men’s health
- the Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre
- the Head to Health: Supporting yourself – menwebsite
- Beyond Blue, for information on depression and anxiety, advice for new dads and taking action to make positive changes
- the Better Health Channelwebsite
- MensLine Australia, a free online counselling service and forum for men available by phone: 1300 78 99 78 or online chat. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Dads in Distress, a peer support network for separated dads. Available Monday to Saturday, 8:30am to 5pm by phone: 1300 853 437
- SANE Australia, providing support for people living with a mental illness. Available 10am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, by phone: 1800 187 263 or live chat
- Australian Men’s Shed Association, providing a support network for men. Phone: 1300 550 009 to find a local chapter.
Luke Franklin
Assistant Principal
TEACHING AND LEARNING
ICAS 2021
ICAS assessments will be offered to students on the dates below. Please note that participation in ICAS is optional and at parent expense (each ICAS costs $17.05).
ICAS registrations can be made through the Parent Payment Portal located at https://www.icasassessments.com/shop-parents/ Please use the school code MHT858. Registrations via the Parent Payment Portal will close on Sunday 25th July 2021.
Recall and Memory
I read an interesting article this week by science writer, Anne Murphy Paul. Murphy Paul outlined how gesturing, modelling, offloading and physical activity can help us to grasp difficult concepts and new information. She explained that our brains are not naturally good at high level processing and precise recall tasks for lengthy periods of time. Our brains need help to learn abstract concepts, remember precise details without making errors and to persist at cognitively demanding tasks. This is where gesturing, physical movement, modelling and offloading can help us to learn more effectively and efficiently.
Here are some strategies that will support learning:
- Spending time being active improves our executive functioning, self-control and replenishes a tired brain. Essentially, physical activity gives our brain a ‘rest’ from cognitively demanding tasks. After some physical activity, our brains are refreshed and ready for learning again.
- Hand gesturing has been proven to aid fluent thinking, more cohesive speaking and increased sophistication in our understanding. Gesturing dies this by anchoring another ‘hook’ into our brains. This makes new learning easier to remember as the gesturing prompts our brain’s neural pathways which aids our recall. A useful tip is to pair new words and concepts with a gesture to help these terms and ideas be more easily recalled.
- Offloading our thoughts by writing or drawing a picture on paper supports recall because it gets the thoughts out of our heads, thereby reducing our cognitive load. When we write or draw, we create mental maps which helps us process new ideas, stabilises concepts in our brains and makes it easier to remember new things. Personally, I know that if I write something down, it stops my brain going into (a sometimes exhausting!) overdrive trying to remember the information! Drawing, writing or creating a concept map also has another benefit – it reveals gaps in our understanding that may have remained hidden if everything just stayed in our heads.
- Modelling is another strategy that helps our build understanding and improve our memory. When we create a model of something, we need to break the process or concept down into micro-steps. When we master a step we not only gain confidence but also a better understanding of that ‘micro-step’. Making a model makes our brain summarise and sort for the most important information.
- Think Aloud is another useful learning strategy because it gives our brains another ‘hook’ to remember new information. By voicing what you are doing or learning, you add another sensory hook (sound) to the ideas being stored in your memory.
I encourage all our RGLPS parents/carers to try these strategies out with your children and see if they help them process and retain new learning.
Semester 1 Reports
Reports will be released to parents on Wednesday 23rd June 2021 at 4pm.
Three Way Conferences
2021 Three Way Conferences will be held between teachers, parents and students on Monday 26th July 2021 between 11am and 7pm. Teachers will schedule 15 min conferences with families and students between 9am and 6:45pm. At this point, we need to wait to learn if 3WCs are able to occur in person or need to take place via Webex. Please monitor Compass and the newsletter for updates around this. Further information about Three Way Conferences and bookings will be made available early next term.
Hope to see our students, staff and families back onsite again next week!
Kerron Worsdell
Learning Specialist
COMPASS CHANGES
CSEF – Applications Close 25th June 2021
This is a reminder to all parents who hold a Health Care Card that applications for 2021 CSEF will close on 25 June 2021. Please contact Kaylene or Susan in the office should you have any questions regarding your eligibility.
CSEF is government funding for students whose parents hold a Health Care Card. The funding is $125 per student and can be used for camps and excursions.
FUNDRAISING
Booking link: https://rosannagolflinks2021.eventbrite.com.au
NEW DATE : SUNDAY 20th JUNE 2021
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CANTEEN
Dear Parents,
Normal canteen operations will resume from Wednesday 16th June.
Regards
Margaret
THEIRCARE – BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
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
National Boys Choir of Australia Auditions for July 2021 and January 2022 intake
Notice for your School’s newsletter
AUDITIONS – NATIONAL BOYS CHOIR OF AUSTRALIA
The National Boys Choir of Australia is about to hold preliminary auditions for boys in Grades 1 and 2 to commence in July 2021 or January 2022 intake. Auditions will take place from June. Auditions are free, informal, and take only a few minutes. The most promising candidates will be invited to a second audition at the Choir studios in Ringwood.
For over 50 years, the National Boys Choir of Australia has performed extensively both nationally and internationally, and regularly with the Melbourne Symphony and Opera Australia. The choir is also recognised from the Qantas ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ advertisements and performances at Carols by Candlelight each year.
If you would like to arrange an appointment for your son, or know someone else who might be interested, please visit the Choir website at https://nationalboyschoir.com.au/events/2021-auditions/