IMPORTANT DATES!
TERM 4 2020
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Usually at this time of the year we tend to be winding down but this week at Golf Links we commenced our 2020 school review. We hope that by the end of year we can present the review report but it may be an early 2021 scenario with the final day being hosted on the 30th of November it is doubtful our reviewer will be able to complete the report in time for our final newsletter. Our students were extremely excited to display their learning during the classroom observation component and our Year 6 leaders had an extremely impressive dialogue with the panel about their experiences of learning as an RGLPS student. It is a very daunting experience to communicate openly with your principal, assistant principal and leaders from the Department of Education but our young leaders carried themselves in an incredible fashion.
CSEF Guidelines
The Minister of Education has recently confirmed that some guidelines regarding the allocation of CSEF have been relaxed for this COVID year. Credits can now be allocated to other outstanding charges including Essential Education Items. As is always the case, CSEF may be allocated by schools to items deemed appropriate. Optional Items eg Instrumental Music are excluded. In light of this new information CSEF credits on accounts where amounts remain outstanding will be allocated accordingly.
Please contact Susan Gorham our Business Manager if you require any further information.
Easing of COVID Restrictions
Each week we seem to be getting a new set of guidelines for our COVID safe planning. The following outlines the changes applied this week.
Statewide Orientation Day
Provided Victoria reaches the Last Step on the roadmap for reopening on Sunday 22 November, Orientation Day events can go ahead in an adapted form — subject to public health advice. (Please note this is for students transitioning to Year 7 in 2021)
Programs must be adapted, with all arrangements — subject to updated public health advice.
- Students must be allocated into a single class-size group for the day (maximum of 30 people, including two staff).
- There are no limits to the total number of groups on site at each school. However, students from different school groups must not mix.
- All students attending Orientation Day are required to wear face masks (some exceptions may apply). This will be a new experience for Grade 6 students, who are not required to wear face masks in primary school.
- Peer support or ‘buddy’ programs are not permitted. Students from other year levels are not permitted to take part in Orientation Day programs.
- Schools may hold transition activities in line with this advice on other days — in addition to, or instead of, the statewide Transition Day — provided these activities occur after Victoria has reached the Last Step in the roadmap for reopening, and in line with public health advice.
Schools will be advised if there are any changes to these arrangements after Sunday 22 November 2020.
RGLPS will hold their own transition in line with this day on the 8th of December. At this stage the restrictions around 2021 Prep enrolments have not altered however, we do hope that this changes after the weekend announcements.
The following alterations have been put in place for our instrumental music program. We are very pleased to announce these changes.
Use of woodwind instruments and singing and voice projection does entail risk of potential spread of aerosols and droplets.
Only individual tuition and small ensemble groups can be conducted. There is an indoor cap of five people (per space) and an outdoor cap of 10 people. There should be two metres between performers. Bring on indoor music lessons!
At this stage graduation ceremonies are still limited but if we can change this with future advice we have made provisions for parent attendance if changes do occur. Unfortunately I am unable to give you news regarding this at this time.
Take care
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Child Safety Standards
Over the next few weeks we will be exploring the Child Safe Standards. This week we will provide an overview of the reasons they were introduced and a brief outline of the standards.
The following information was taken directly from https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/child-safe-standards
The Child Safe Standards (Standards) were introduced via amendment to the Child Safety and Wellbeing Act 2005 and are compulsory for all Victorian organisations that provide services or facilities for children. Compliance with the Standards is regulated and monitored by the Commission for Children and Young People. As a provider of services to children, the department has a legal obligation to comply with the Standards.
There are seven Standards to be met. The Standards aim to drive cultural change so that protecting children from harm and abuse is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of leaders, staff and volunteers.
The seven Standards are as follows:
Standard 1: Strategies to embed a culture of child safety through effective leadership arrangements
Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing staff
Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
In applying each standard, organisations must reflect and embed the following three key principles:
promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal children
promoting the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
promoting the safety of children with a disability.
The principles recognise that while all children are vulnerable, some children face additional risk of harm. These include Aboriginal children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children with disabilities. Organisations are required to consider the increased risks for these children, and to take action to promote safety.
Bullying. No Way!
Parents and other carers have a key role in preventing and responding to bullying.
Learn what bullying is and what it is not. This is the first step in talking about how to prevent or respond to bullying with your child. ‘Bullying’ is a word that is used for lots of things that are not actually bullying. These other behaviours may be just as serious, but may require different responses.
Schools can be much more effective when parents report bullying and support their efforts to deal with it.
If your child reports that bullying is occurring at school, or the bullying involves students from the school outside of school, you should let the school know the situation.
Schools will work with you to resolve the situation and will also work with the other student’s parents. Due to privacy laws, they will not be able to share information about any other students involved.
Luke Franklin
Assistant Principal
STUDENT OF THE WEEK
TEACHING AND LEARNING
High Impact Teaching Strategies - Structuring Lessons
Another of the High Impact Teaching Strategy is Structuring Lessons.
Structured and organised lessons reinforce routines, support the sequential development of learning and optimises time on task. A well planned sequence also stimulates and maintains learner engagement.
When planning a sequence of learning, the instructor should take time to review prior learning, introduce the learning intention and provide explicit teaching which is gradually reduced as the learner moves towards independence. The teacher should monitor understanding and provide clear feedback that supports learning of the new skill or knowledge. Research indicates that a purposeful and predictably structured lesson supports learning by minimising the amount of cognitive capacity used to adjust to a changing environment. This is the reason that anticipated routines are so valuable.
These principles around structuring lessons can also be applied outside of school. Supportive learning routines can be as simple as scheduling a regular time for practising a musical instrument and creating a quiet practice space with minimal distractions.
Parents can also help their child remember previous learning by asking them to recall steps in a process or verbalise lessons learnt from previous experiences. Parents can also plan a sequence of learning and adjust the level of support provided as the child gains understanding and confidence. Again much of this is intuitive for parents but has a solid research foundation.
Next week I will provide an overview of another one of the High Impact Teaching Strategies.
Semester Two Reporting
Semester Two reports will be made available to parents on Wednesday 16th December 2020. Progression points this semester will only be provided in English (Reading and Viewing, Writing, Speaking and Listening) and in Mathematics (Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability) as per Department of Education and Training requirements.
Essential Learnings
Essential Learning updates remain suspended for the remainder of 2020.
ICAS 2020
The 2020 ICAS results should be available in the next 2-3 weeks. A reminder that if parents prefer that their child’s 2020 ICAS results are not published in the school newsletter or announced at assembly, please advise me by email or via phone on 9457 4178. My email address is: Kerron.Worsdell@education.vic.gov.au
Kerron Worsdell
Teaching and Learning Coach
TRAFFIC CHANGES
We have added this section to the Newsletter in an attempt to keep parents informed of the traffic changes which are occurring near RGLPS. We can only supply information that is provided to us by North East Link.
Changes to right hand turn from Greensborough Road into Finlayson Street.
SUSTAINABILITY
Thanks to everyone who participated in the RGLPS Sustainability Tips competition.
Over the coming weeks, we will publish the entries here and put them up around school to remind us all how to be sustainable no matter where we are.
If everyone keeps making small changes with sustainability, it’ll add up to a big difference!
Thank you!
Ms Wheeler
SCIENCE NEWS
Science Competition Presentations
Miss Wheeler will bespeaking at assembly on Monday 23rd November to announce and present the Science Talent Search and the NATA NYSYA certificates.
Please join us via Webex if you would like to see these presentations.
RGLPS ART GALLERY
Prep Print Making Robots!
CANTEEN
The canteen will be open for ONLINE ORDERS via FLEXISCOOLS ONLY from Wednesday 14th October.
The canteen is available for recess and lunchtime orders on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Due to COVID restrictions we will NOT BE able to offer over the counter sales until further notice.
Please do not send your children to school with cash, as we cannot accept it and they will be disappointed.
Ice-creams, chips, dim sims etc. can be ordered through Flexischools for recess and lunch and can be collected by them at those breaks.
We will initially be using the Winter Menu shown below.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
OSHC NEWS
LUNCH TIME CLUBS
Unfortunately, we are unable to run lunch time clubs at this time.
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
