TERM 1, Week 11 Bilpin Public School 7 th April 2020 NEWSLETTER 2517 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin NSW 2758 Phone: 4567 1154 Fax: 4567 1388 Email: [email protected]Webpage: www.bilpin-p.schools.nsw.gov.au ** All newsletter attachments / notes will also be available for printing from the school webpage ** PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Firstly, I would like to congratulate the students for their excellent efforts in adjusting so quickly to ‘Learning from Home’, particularly with learning online. I would also like to thank our families for supporting the school through this transition to ‘Learning from Home’ and for your fantastic efforts in supporting your children through this incredibly difficult and ever evolving time. We continue to follow the instructions of the Department of Education, based on the latest NSW Department of Health’s advice. For the wellbeing of students, staff, families and the broader community, we need to be to protect everyone by minimizing contact as much as possible and the best way to do this is by staying at home wherever possible. However, our school remains open for those families who need access due to essential services work. We know that these past few weeks have been incredibly challenging for everyone. Your child's mental health and wellbeing, as well as your own, is incredibly important. Particularly on the back of the trauma already faced by our community in the last 6 months, the most important thing to focus on is wellbeing. For children to be ready to learn they need stability and a positive mindset. Learning will occur when there is balance. As your family adjusts to this temporary new way of living and learning, remember that it is important to be kind to yourselves and minimise the pressure on your family by remembering that you are not expected to replace the teacher, but facilitate your child’s learning by supporting them through the courses assigned by their class teachers. We will continue to support your family in whatever capacity we can. During this time of social isolation, enjoy this family time and get back to basics. There are some tips and guidelines for remote learning further in the newsletter. At this time, most staff are on duty during the school day, either working from home or physically at school. Staff will continue to connect with the students to check on their wellbeing. They will be spending this week engaging in online training and preparing for the term ahead so that we can fine tune the delivery of online learning and get the balance correct to reduce stress and increase engagement. Students will spend the week undertaking work in their Boomerang Boxes. We hope that this week you are able to have fun with the activities, but also have the opportunity to do some real life learning with your family such as; cooking, gardening, building, bush walking or whatever else takes your fancy! If you would also like to make an Easter hat to post photos of on the last day of school, that would be great! I would like to wholeheartedly thank our magnificent staff. Everyone has worked tirelessly to compile packages of work for the students, assign online learning and undertake professional learning to upskill in various platforms to support student learning. A lot of work had to occur in a short space of time and the teachers and non-teaching staff have gone above and beyond to ensure this transition was as smooth as possible. Once we have further information from the Department of Education and had the chance to prepare for next term, we will provide you all with a clear outline of what learning from home will look like moving forward. We appreciate your patience, ongoing support and kind words during what has been an extremely difficult time. We would also like to thank you for making every effort to do your best at home. We know that Bilpinites are a special breed and that whilst tough times are ahead, we will all get through this together.
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TERM 1, Week 11 Bilpin Public School 7 th April 2020
NEWSLETTER 2517 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin NSW 2758 Phone: 4567 1154 Fax: 4567 1388
** All newsletter attachments / notes will also be available for printing from the school webpage **
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Firstly, I would like to congratulate the students for their excellent efforts in adjusting so quickly to ‘Learning from Home’, particularly with learning online. I would also like to thank our families for supporting the school through this transition to ‘Learning from Home’ and for your fantastic efforts in supporting your children through this incredibly difficult and ever evolving time.
We continue to follow the instructions of the Department of Education, based on the latest NSW Department of Health’s advice. For the wellbeing of students, staff, families and the broader community, we need to be to protect everyone by minimizing contact as much as possible and the best way to do this is by staying at home wherever possible. However, our school remains open for those families who need access due to essential services work.
We know that these past few weeks have been incredibly challenging for everyone. Your child's mental health and wellbeing, as well as your own, is incredibly important. Particularly on the back of the trauma already faced by our community in the last 6 months, the most important thing to focus on is wellbeing. For children to be ready to learn they need stability and a positive mindset. Learning will occur when there is balance. As your family adjusts to this temporary new way of living and learning, remember that it is important to be kind to yourselves and minimise the pressure on your family by remembering that you are not expected to replace the teacher, but facilitate your child’s learning by supporting them through the courses assigned by their class teachers. We will continue to support your family in whatever capacity we can. During this time of social isolation, enjoy this family time and get back to basics. There are some tips and guidelines for remote learning further in the newsletter.
At this time, most staff are on duty during the school day, either working from home or physically at school. Staff will continue to connect with the students to check on their wellbeing. They will be spending this week engaging in online training and preparing for the term ahead so that we can fine tune the delivery of online learning and get the balance correct to reduce stress and increase engagement.
Students will spend the week undertaking work in their Boomerang Boxes. We hope that this week you are able to have fun with the activities, but also have the opportunity to do some real life learning with your family such as; cooking, gardening, building, bush walking or whatever else takes your fancy! If you would also like to make an Easter hat to post photos of on the last day of school, that would be great!
I would like to wholeheartedly thank our magnificent staff. Everyone has worked tirelessly to compile packages of work for the students, assign online learning and undertake professional learning to upskill in various platforms to support student learning. A lot of work had to occur in a short space of time and the teachers and non-teaching staff have gone above and beyond to ensure this transition was as smooth as possible.
Once we have further information from the Department of Education and had the chance to prepare for next term, we will provide you all with a clear outline of what learning from home will look like moving forward.
We appreciate your patience, ongoing support and kind words during what has been an extremely difficult time. We would also like to thank you for making every effort to do your best at home. We know that Bilpinites are a special breed and that whilst tough times are ahead, we will all get through this together.
We are aware that this will be an extremely difficult time financially for many of you. It is also going to be a time where anxiety is going to be increased. We will still have phone access to counsellors on Wednesdays odd weeks (this week is an odd week) and Fridays even weeks.
If you need to call us, please do. A separate document outlining other support for children and parents is available and will be put up on the website tomorrow.
Zoom and Microsoft Teams Permission
The Department of Education is supporting online learning through the following platforms, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. As of last week, the Department has negotiated a contract with Zoom and has also activated the camera facility in Microsoft Teams. For students to engage in video conferencing, a permission note is required. Please complete by Wednesday 8th April.
A note has been attached to Class Dojo with the permission. Please provide permission ON Class Dojo by writing either:
1. I consent to my child using Microsoft Teams allowing for their camera being turned on during thesession.
OR 2. I consent to my child using Microsoft Teams but request their camera is turned off during the session.
AND
1. I consent to my child using Zoom allowing for their camera being turned on during the session.
OR
2. I consent to my child using Zoom but request their camera is turned off during the session.
Boomerang Boxes
Don’t forget Boomerang Boxes are due back by Thursday 9th April at 3pm so that we have them ready for restocking during the holidays!
Learning Online Parent Survey
A survey will be posted to Class Dojo this afternoon regarding Learning Online. Please complete by Wednesday 8th April 3pm as we will be using the information from this survey to fine tune how we will be delivering learning to the students in Term 2 as we spend this week planning and undertaking training.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN testing is not proceeding in 2020. This will help principals, teachers and school staff focus on student learning during the outbreak of COVID-19.
The nation’s Education Ministers met on 20 March deciding to cancel NAPLAN for 2020. The decision was made to provide teachers and principals with as much time as possible to focus on the continuation of their students’ education.
School Photos
School photo day has been postponed and will be rescheduled to Monday 24th August, in Term 3.
Dance2bfit Lessons
Postponed classes will be made up in later in the year.
In the meantime, students can keep up with the Dance2bfit programs at home. https://www.facebook.com/dancd2bfitaus
A VIP has let us know that they will be visiting Bilpin on Thursday and we have been asked to do a special delivery for them. Stay tuned on Class Dojo on Thursday for further information!
Happy Birthday
We wish the following students a very happy birthday for this month, Leander (11 years old), Keira (10 years old), Sophie (6 years old), Lexie (10 years old).
Department of Education – Learning from Home – Advice to Parents and Carers
A new department hub is now live, to find all information in relation to COVID-19.
Public-facing hub
https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families ₋ Quick links to help people find the info they want including all the ECE stuff ₋ FAQs for parents and the community ₋ News updates ₋ Wider Government updates – via links
The following pages contain information regarding student wellbeing and tips for Learning Online.
Talking to children about coronavirus (COVID-19)
Children are hearing a lot about Coronavirus from the media, their family and their friends. Feelings like worry and confusion are to be expected right now.
As a parent/carer you are the key person your child looks to for accurate information and reassurance.
LISTEN • Listen to your child’s questions, concerns and give them accurate information.
• Younger children need reassurance more than facts. They need to know that the adults are looking after
them even when things are difficult.
• Use a calm, reassuring tone so they understand that the adults are coping with the situation.
• Younger children: “some people are getting sick with a virus. It makes them cough and feel unwell. If this
happens people are being looked after by doctors and hospitals.” It’s important we wash our hands and
cough into our elbows.
• Older children: Listen to what they have heard and give them accurate information. Give more detail about
how the virus is spread and help them see how they can be part of the solution “That’s why we wash our
hands for 20 seconds, cough into our elbow and practice social distancing. That’s how we can help protect
• Try to retain normal routines as much as possible and focus on other things – besides the coronavirus.
• If your child is at home think about setting up learning routines and a dedicated spot for learning.
• Give reassurance in other ways such as playing games, reading stories, taking walks (while maintaining social
distancing) so that children feel connected and safe.
• Communicate with your child’s school and read the advice they give. Parents and teachers working together
are a great source of confidence for your children.
SUPPORT
• Remind children to let you know if they are feeling unwell.
• Keep children out of school if they are feeling sick.
• Giving children guidance on what they can do to prevent infection will reduce their anxiety. Reinforce the
NSW Department of Health messages about hand washing, coughing into your elbow and social distancing.
• Model these behaviours yourself – children are very aware of what their parents/carers are doing.
• Limit exposure to media, especially for younger children as it can raise children’s anxiety. • Encourage your child to keep in contact with friends and loved ones through phone or other virtual formats
that are age appropriate.
Happy Easter
We would like to wish all our families the happiest Easter possible under these circumstances. We know it won’t be a typical one of camping or having a relaxing weekend away, so we hope you are able to have a quiet and serene Easter at home. Once again, we would like to thank you for your continued efforts with ‘Learning from Home’ and for the ongoing support and you have shown us during this time. Enjoy some quality family time, hug your babies tight and stay safe over the Easter/school holiday period.
Mrs Melanie Mackie
Principal
CLASS NEWS
CLASS K/1/2 - Ms Wheen & Mrs McCloy Thank you, parents and students, for your remarkable efforts over the last few weeks. Teaching remotely is definitely a new experience for both of us, and teaching to a small camera is quite overwhelming or underwhelming (depending on which way you look at it!). We truly appreciate the support we have been shown and will use the feedback you have given us to plan our program for Term 2. Please let us know what is working for your child and what you would like us to adjust. Wishing you all a Happy Easter and we hope the Easter Bunny leaves you lots of yummy eggs.
CLASS 3/4 – Ms Leer & Mrs Carroll
Hi everyone, we hope that you are all well. We have been very impressed with how well everyone has been working hard to complete the school work we have been posting online and also in the folders we sent home. Keep up the great work! Don’t worry if you cannot access something or find you are not getting through everything, just do what you can, we do understand that it is not always possible to complete everything and we want you all to not stress about this.
We have been missing seeing everyone and hope that you are all fit and well and enjoying your time together, that is one positive of this situation, the chance to spend lots of family time together. If you do have any problems don’t hesitate to message through Class Dojo or Google Classroom or ring the school. We hope that you all have a very happy Easter and holiday at home. Stay safe everyone. Thinking of you all and hoping to see you all soon. Mrs Carroll and Ms Leer.
CLASS 5/6 – Mrs Mackie & Mr Hynds Mr Hynds and I would like to congratulate our 5/6 students on their fabulous adjustments to online learning. They have wholeheartedly embraced learning remotely. We have greatly enjoyed being able to connect via Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams to see what the class are learning and how they are navigating their way through different platforms. We were extremely impressed with the quality of work sent through by students for Genius Hour. It was an excellent opportunity for us to see what students enjoy doing in their spare time and what they consider a strength/skill that they can teach others. We will continue to compile the videos and documents sent through for the rest of the class to try the activities out themselves. We would also like to thank the 5/6 parents for facilitating this by filming and assisting with uploading. Mr Hynds and I will be fine tuning the best way to upload and share work so it is less time consuming and clunky. We would like to wish you all a very Happy Easter. Don’t forget to get outside, get some fresh air and enjoy the time you have to explore nature and get creative! We are very proud of each and every one of you and we look forward to seeing you next term as soon as we can!
Your school should provide your child with a schedule or timetable for their learning. This will include regular breaks for activity, eating and drinking. In the activity breaks it is important that students get up and move around.
If you live in a private house, then it is safe for your child to go outside into the garden, balcony or courtyard.
Wellbeing
Beingconfinedtohomeforanextendedperiodoftimecancausestressandconflict.Tipsforlooking after your children during isolation include:
• talking to your whole family about the infection – understanding the situation will reduce anxiety
• helpingyourchildrentothinkabouthowtheyhavecopedwithdifficultsituationsinthe past and reassuring them that they will cope with this situation too
• reminding them that the isolation won’t last for long
• exercising regularly - exercise is a proven treatment for stress and depression.
• encouraging your children to keep in touch with family members and friends via telephone, email or social media (where appropriate).
CommunicatingCommunicating with your childWeencourageyoutostartandfinisheachdaywithafewsimplequestionsaboutyourchild’s learning to help them structure their day. Not all students thrive in a remote learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure and your questions will help keep them on track. Communicating with the school
Make sure that you know how the school and your child’s teachers will be communicating with you and check that channel regularly.
Make sure you know how to contact teachers for learning support and who to contact for technical support if your school chooses to use digital devices as part of their remote learning plan.
This situation will be new for most schools and families. Schools will be trying to engage in a cycleofcontinuousimprovementandrefinementbasedonfeedbacksotheymayaskyouandyour child for feedback on how the system is working.
Most schools already use some kind of platform to communicate with parents and students. These existing platforms should continue to be used whenever possible.
Communicating with teachers
Teachers may have set times where students can chat with them online, deliver video lessons or when digital options are not possible they may have set times for calling your child on the telephone.
It is important for you and your child to remember that teachers will be communicating with many other families, so your communications should be important and short. You may also need to remind your child to be patient when waiting for support or feedback.Supporting your child’s learning at home English - 2
Using technology
It is strongly advised that parents do not purchase software from third-party providers in responsetothissituationunlessspecificallyadvisedbytheschool.
Your school and the department already have a wide range of software and devices available andthesehavebeenspecificallychosentoprovideyourchildwiththesupporttheyneed.
• Google Apps for Education - Online Google apps. For student access go to: Students portal>Learning>G Suite.
• Students can also access additional free Adobe software for their devices from the students’ Bring your own device (BYOD) software website.
Accessing digital devices and the internetThe department’s policy regarding technology, devices and the Internet is available at the following link.
Student use of digital devices and online services policy
If your child will be using digital resources as part of their learning and they are unsure of how to do it they should contact their classroom teacher for support.
Managing screen time
There are limits as to the amount of time anyone should spend online, but the amounts and the rules for screen time vary by age.
Videoconferencing and social interactions using video do not count towards screen time.
The following recommended screen times (excluding video conferencing) are based on the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
• Age6andabove:nospecificscreentimelimits,butscreentimeshouldnotaffect physical activity and face-to-face interactions at home and school (where possible). It’s very important to be consistent with your screen time limits.
Make sure that non-school activities are limited in length.
Managing behaviourEven though your child is at home they still need to comply with their school’s behaviour management policy.
Collaboration, group work and peer feedback during remote learning will require students to communicate online and work together in digital spaces. The expectations of your child and required behaviour will be the same as a face to face lesson.
Telephone Interpreter ServiceIf you need further information please call your school principal. If you need an interpreter to assist you with your enquiry please call the Telephone Interpreter Service on 131450 and ask for an interpreter in your language. This service will be free of charge to youSupporting your child’s learning at home English-3
