IMPORTANT DATES!
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
As I write we are very close to getting everyone back on board. Just a long weekend away from our full return. Today there are just a few housekeeping pieces of information to make sure we continue to safely return our students to on site learning. Please familiarise yourself with the arrangements around pick up and extra safety measures in place for our return.
Return to On-site Learning
The earlier return of students to full-time onsite learning is great news for our school community and families.
From Wednesday 3 November, a range of school activities will be able to take place so schools reflect the new community settings.
This means that from Wednesday 3 November camps, interschool sport, excursions, school assemblies, music, singing and performances will be able to take place (in line with the community settings and vaccination requirements).
From Wednesday 3 November, face masks will no longer be required outdoors by teachers or secondary school students but will remain an important part of our classrooms, and in the community.
Safety Precautions
We have taken a number of steps to support onsite learning, including staff vaccination, ventilation, physical distancing for staff and students, staggered finish times, bubbled break times, and mask wearing.
Drop Off and Pick Up
Please note the following arrangements for drop off and pick up. As a key safety recommendation from DET has been to stagger drop off and pick up we will continue to run this as has been done during past returns to school. Drop off will still be 9:00am for all students as we have noticed 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.
In order to ensure that no student misses any learning time we have shortened lunch time by 10 minutes.
Students whose surname commences with an A – M will finish school at 3:20pm. 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.
Take care,
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT
Reminder – Performing Arts Payment $35
Each year, Term Three has been our Performing Arts term where students participate in either the whole school production or our school social dance and other activities such as the Auslan performances and the Writer’s Festival. It has been unfortunate that this year we have had to cancel our whole school production however, we are committed to fulfil our contract with Footsteps, the dance company we engaged to choreograph the school production. Footsteps have provided us with online dance lessons that can be followed at any time of the week that best suits your child’s class timetable. This means that teachers can schedule these 30-minute sessions around their literacy, numeracy, wellbeing and specialist sessions.
We’re pleased that students will still be able to learn professionally choreographed dances as part of our aim to reengage students in a fun, healthy and social activity upon their return to school. While there will not be an end of year performance, students will participate in dance lessons starting from 8th November.
As the amount of this event on Compass originally included the dance lessons and additional costs for the school production such as buses to rehearsals, stage manager, make-up and props, we have now developed a plan to use these additional funds to further engage students back to school and celebrate successfully navigating the difficulty of a Covid impacted year. We will celebrate by having a whole school Wellbeing Day in the last week of the school year. Date to be confirmed.
The Wellbeing Day will consist of show rides and a special lunch. More details to follow.
Thank you to the many parents who have already paid. If you are yet to pay, you can do so via Compass by Thursday 4th November for your child to participate in the dance lessons, access the rides and receive a special lunch.
Reminder - World Teacher's Day Drawing Competition
A reminder that at RGLPS we will now be celebrating this day on Wednesday 3rd November when all students and staff return to school.
As a way to get students involved in celebrating World Teachers’ Day, we invite students to activate their creativity to draw or paint a picture of themselves with their teacher/s, or how their teacher makes them feel, what their teacher does for them or what they enjoy doing at school, etc. Students could look online for inspiration and ideas.
Winners will be chosen from each year level and awarded a small prize along with having their drawing in the school newsletter.
What a great way for students to spend some time away from their screens and enjoy a mindfulness activity.
Entries due to classroom teachers by Friday 5th of November.
Please ensure your child writes their name on the back of their drawing.
The Student Leadership Process is Underway
This week our Year 5 students have been going through the numerous leadership positions available to them for 2022. Students have been learning about the responsibilities and expectations of each role and have received a Student Leadership Application form should they wish to apply for any of the leadership positions. The form should be completed at home with the support of parents. At this stage all speeches will be presented via Webex however, we will advise later in the term if this were to change.
The following positions are available:
- – 2x School Captains
- – 2x Vice-School Captains
- – 2x Junior School Council Leaders
- – 2x Deaf Facility Captains
- – 2x House Captains (for each house)
- – 2x House Vice Captains (for each house)
- – 2x Environment Captains
- – 1x Science Captain
- – 1x Art Captain
- – 1x Auslan Captain
- – 2x Band Leaders
Pyjama Day
A reminder that next Wednesday 3rd November will be our official return to school date for all staff and students. Students are invited to come to school dressed in their favourite/comfiest pyjamas.
Luke Franklin & Denisse Lobos
Assistant Principals
TEACHING AND LEARNING
We are so excited to have all our RGLPS students back onsite full time from next Wednesday 3rd November. A reminder that teachers are undertaking a day of professional learning for our Curriculum Day on Monday 1st November.
Semester Two 2021 Reports
The school has now received guidance from DET about reporting requirements for Semester Two 2021.
Schools are required to provide progression points (dots) for all the strands of English and Mathematics and either provide a progression point or a comment for all other areas of the curriculum taught during Semester Two. The school has elected to make a brief comment on all other curriculum areas taught as our teachers feel they have inadequate data to make accurate judgments around a progression point for these curriculum areas.
Our RGLPS Semester Two reports will include the following:
- Overview of Learning – Teachers will outline the learning taught during Term Three and Four, including content taught during the period of remote and flexible learning.
- General Comment – Teachers will comment on your child ‘as a learner’. This will include a comment on your child’s engagement during remote learning and their transition back to learning onsite.
- Integrated Studies and Digital Technologies – Teachers will report on your child’s achievement from a lesson or series of lessons when we are back onsite at school. This will be aligned to the Victorian Curriculum Achievement Standards, reflecting the curriculum areas covered.
- Progression Points – Progression Points (dot grid) will be provided for all strands of English (Reading and Viewing, Writing, Speaking and Listening) and Mathematics (Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability).
- Behaviour and Effort – The classroom teacher will rate your child’s Behaviour and Effort on the Five-Point scale.
- Attendance data (Semester Two)
- Specialist Reports – Specialist teachers will provide an Overview of Learning taught for the semester and a comment on your child’s performance in their specialist content area. This comment will reflect their achievement during a lesson or short series of lessons aligned to the Victorian Curriculum when we are back onsite at school. Each specialist teacher will also rate your child’s Behaviour and Effort on the Five-Point scale.
Please note that our Semester Two 2021 reports have needed to be significantly modified due to this extended period of remote and flexible learning. We look forward to resuming our normal RGLPS reporting processes again in 2022. This will again include the regular sharing of annotated portfolio learning samples via Seesaw throughout the year. Reports will be released to families via Compass on Wednesday
ICAS 2021
The remaining ICAS tests have been scheduled for the following dates:
ICAS registered Year 3/4 students attending Camp will sit any missed ICAS tests on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th November, 2021.
Maths Olympiad
Next week I will announce the results from the 2021 Maths Olympiad. Certificates and prizes will be presented to students in their classrooms at the end of next week.
I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and the opportunity to move outside metro Melbourne. Fingers crossed the weather is kind to us.
Kerron Worsdell
Learning Specialist
DEAF FACILITY NEWS
With the current restrictions and both adults and students wearing masks, it can be challenging to hear for both deaf or hard of hearing people, as well as people with typical hearing. We are fortunate that throughout all our classrooms and specialist rooms, we have teacher and student microphones, and classroom speakers. This means, we can support listening for all students and adults during this challenging time. I would encourage all families to use the graphic to facilitate conversations at home to support listening needs during this time.
STATE SCHOOLS RELIEF
State Schools Relief
We have received information from State Schools Relief offering assistance to any family who is
doing it a bit tough this year.
Listed below are some items which are available.
• General uniform items including hats;
• Underwear, socks and singlets;
• Sunscreen;
• Plain black face masks;
• Plain maroon school bags.
These items are free of charge for families who are needing some financial assistance.
IMPORTANT UPDATE
Due to the prolonged lockdown in Term 3, 2021 State Schools Relief have extended the 2021
Prep CSEF uniform package until the end of Term 4, 2021. This is for families where a parent
holds a health care card. The package includes uniform items and shoes.
Please contact Kaylene in the office – phone 9457 4178 or email
kaylene.ingham@education.vic.gov.au – if you would like an order placed on your behalf
SPORTS NEWS
SSV are Looking for Student Leaders
School Sport Victoria (SSV) is on the hunt for students to join SSV’s inaugural Student Leaders Group.
The aim of the Student Leaders Program will be to provide feedback and advice to School Sport Victoria to help guide and shape the future of school sport.
Topics covered by the group may include:
- – The design and development of new physical activity initiatives and programs in school sport
- – Making the school sport experience enjoyable and welcoming for all students
- – Knocking down the barriers to sport that are often experienced by students
- – Showing us how and telling us why Victorian students want to be engaged in school sport
- – Ensuring that a safe and enjoyable environment is provided for all students to participate in school sport regardless of their fitness, experience, or skill level.
The SSV Student Leaders Group will involve a 12-month commitment (throughout the 2022 school year) with twice a term, virtual group discussions led by two facilitators who have a background in Australian sport. The program will give students the opportunity to get to know a pair of Australian sporting personalities and also build the confidence to speak, lead and provide feedback within an encouraging and welcoming environment.
SSV will select a group of up to 20 students ranging years 5 to 12, with students of all backgrounds, abilities, genders, and schools encouraged to apply.
Visit https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/Pages/StudentLeaders.aspx for further information and send an email to darren.peters@education.vic.gov.au
MATHS QUIZ
Maths Riddle:
Well done to everyone who solved the problem from last week. The answer to the Treasure Challenge is 91 coins.
See if you can solve this week’s riddle below. I’ll share the answer in the newsletter next week.
Baseball Balance Challenge:
HINT: You don’t need to use all of the balls on the scale at one time. Draw pictures and think of different results that might occur.
Extra challenge: Would you be able to solve which is the lighter ball in different sized collections using only two chances to weigh the balls? Try exploring this idea.
If you’d like to share, please send your solutions and challenges to sarah.mclellan@education.vic.gov.au
Sarah McLellan
Learning Specialist
CANTEEN
Welcome Back to Canteen,
Please use the menu on Flexischools, as we will be including some winter and some summer items this term.
If you are using a paper bag order, please put a second choice on, in case we have run out of an item.
Canteen Helpers; sorry you can’t come in at the moment. Looking forward to seeing you all again one day.
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
