Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to Week 7 and Book Week Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds! As we find ourselves in the third week of lockdown, we have tried to add a bit of fun and challenge to Week 7’s learning. The teachers have been working hard developing curriculum lessons that are both challenging for our students to enhance their ongoing learning and manageable for parents and carers to implement at home. Over the weekend I was having a peak at the returned booklets and you are all doing an amazing job! This week we had some Book Week activities from Mrs Brown and daily challenges from me – I hope you enjoy them! Parents and Carers can join in too and don’t forget to take photos and send to [email protected]so we can all stay connected to each other. Last week’s photo gallery has images from at home learning and learning at school. We are doing the same Learning from Home Packs at school as you are doing at home and the teachers are adding some fun things, like STEM challenges – Making a space craft or wrapping up a classmate in a roll of toilet paper without breaking the roll of paper! We also had a fun spin on Olympic challenges too! I know for the parents and carers I’ve spoken to in the last 2 weeks there is plenty of creative thinking at home, with cooking, cubby house making and rock hiding around town! There are 2 opportunities to dress up this week and we would love to see parents and carers join in too – on Wednesday dress up as your favourite book character for Book Week; and on Friday dress in your brightest colours for Dress Up Fun Friday. Please send photos in and we will create class collages to share in next week’s newsletter. Mrs Brown will also have prizes for the best costumes in the Book Week Dress Up. Maintaining our wellbeing through a sense of fun is our goal this week. Miss Riley has created a wonderful wellbeing slide show with Tawny and this will also be showcased this week. Keep a look out! The community spirit being generated by Clarence Town Public School Community is inspiring and a credit to all our staff, students, parents and carers – thank you! Some more good news, last week the Gore family welcomed a new arrival with mum and bub doing fine! I would like to acknowledge Grandma who has taken over Learning from Home and is doing a brilliant job! We also received a postcard from one of our families travelling Australia now, with Gus sharing all the fun they are having in the Northern Territory. Focusing on the positives and being kind and mindful will support us to get through this challenging time together. Mindful Monday Challenge: Practice kind thoughts by prompting your child to think of 5 people they’d like to send kind wishes to My kind thoughts are: I would like to send kind thoughts to my Aunty, who lives on her own and is getting a bit lonely and
Transcript
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Week 7 and Book Week
Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds!
As we find ourselves in the third week of lockdown, we have tried to add a bit of fun and challenge to
Week 7’s learning. The teachers have been working hard developing curriculum lessons that are both
challenging for our students to enhance their ongoing learning and manageable for parents and carers to
implement at home. Over the weekend I was having a peak at the returned booklets and you are all doing an
amazing job!
This week we had some Book Week activities from Mrs Brown and daily challenges from me – I hope you enjoy them! Parents and Carers can join in too and don’t forget to take photos and send to [email protected] so we can all stay connected to each other. Last week’s photo gallery has images from at home learning and learning at school. We are doing the same Learning from Home Packs at school as you are doing at home and the teachers are adding some fun things, like STEM challenges – Making a space craft or wrapping up a classmate in a roll of toilet paper without breaking the roll of paper! We also had a fun spin on Olympic challenges too! I know for the parents and carers I’ve spoken to in the last 2 weeks there is plenty of creative thinking at home, with cooking, cubby house making and rock hiding around town! There are 2 opportunities to dress up this week and we would love to see parents and carers join in too – on
Wednesday dress up as your favourite book character for Book Week; and on Friday dress in your brightest
colours for Dress Up Fun Friday. Please send photos in and we will create class collages to share in next
week’s newsletter. Mrs Brown will also have prizes for the best costumes in the Book Week Dress Up.
Maintaining our wellbeing through a sense of fun is our goal this week. Miss Riley has created a wonderful
wellbeing slide show with Tawny and this will also be showcased this week. Keep a look out!
The community spirit being generated by Clarence Town Public School Community is inspiring and a credit to
all our staff, students, parents and carers – thank you! Some more good news, last week the Gore family
welcomed a new arrival with mum and bub doing fine! I would like to acknowledge Grandma who has taken
over Learning from Home and is doing a brilliant job! We also received a postcard from one of our families
travelling Australia now, with Gus sharing all the fun they are having in the Northern Territory.
Focusing on the positives and being kind and mindful will support us to get through this challenging time
together.
Mindful Monday Challenge: Practice kind thoughts by prompting your child to think of 5 people they’d like to send kind wishes to
My kind thoughts are:
I would like to send kind thoughts to my Aunty, who lives on her own and is getting a bit lonely and
missing contact with people during lockdown. She says that phone calls, emails and face time are great but
she misses seeing everyone face to face.
I would also like to send kind thoughts to my family in Queensland, my mum, big sisters and little brother
and their families as we haven’t seen each other for a long time now and its hard being apart from family.
To all the wonderful staff of Clarence Town Public School who are working so hard to ensure our students
have the best educational opportunities during lockdown.
To all our Clarence Town Public School Community – parents, carers and students – who are all doing it
tough and coping with Learning from Home and juggling their own work and family commitments in
lockdown. You guys are inspirational!
To the NSW team that present the news conference every day at 11am to give us updates – it must feel like
groundhog day to them and there are only so many ways you can make not so good news sound positive.
Stay Safe and well
Louise Blakemore
Classroom teachers will be making
contact this week with parents and
carers via email and phone calls.
Please note that if teachers are working from home, their phone numbers will display as ‘private’.
Notice:
A reminder to all essential working parents
to pack their child’s home school learning
pack on those days that your child will be
attending school this week.
Canteen Notice
Our school canteen will be closed until
further notice, due to Covid restrictions and
school home learning. For essential
working parents please ensure your child
has sufficient food and fruit packed for the
days they will be attending school this week
as well as a water bottle.
Learning from Home and School Week 6
COVID Updates
From the NSW DoE Website…
Level 4: Learning from home; schools are open for families who need it
While in indoor settings in schools, masks or face coverings are required for all staff, and all students in Year 7 and above.
Applies to all schools in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong) until 12:01 am 30 September.
Applies to all regional NSW schools (including the Central Coast and Shellharbour) until 12:01 am 28 August – replacing any existing orders in regional NSW.
Updated advice for families Last updated at 12:20 pm 20 August 2021 The NSW Premier announced that stay-at-home rules are extended for Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong) until at least 12:01 am 30 September. In addition to Greater Sydney, stay-at-home rules apply to all schools in regional NSW (including Central Coast and Shellharbour) to 12.01am , 28 August. This replaces any existing orders in regional NSW. Following updated health advice from the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing risk to the community, stay-at-home rules external link will apply to all people who live in these areas. Parents and carers in these LGAs must keep children – across primary and secondary school – at home unless they need to be at school. Schools (including outside of school hours care) are open for any child that needs it. Early childhood education and care services – including family day care residences and venues – may continue to operate. For specific advice on early childhood education, refer to COVID-19 and early childhood education and care. All families are encouraged to discuss the changes with their schools if needed. All families are encouraged to monitor the NSW Government’s latest COVID-19 news and updates External link for locations where there may have been exposure to COVID-19 and adhere to the advice as appropriate. NSW Health regularly updates its advice. We will provide additional updates as the current situation evolves.
During uncertain times it is usual to experiences feelings such as: • worry • fear
• Anxiety
• sadness. You may have worries about the health of people around you. You may feel disappointed about events that can’t take place or are very different such as birthday parties, camps and school formals. You may have concerns about what the future will be like. In times where things feel uncertain and unpredictable, it is useful to think about what you can control and focus on these things. Things you can’t control Pay less attention to these: • News reports including Facebook, Twitter and other social media posts. • How long this pandemic will last.
• Predicting what will happen in the future. • How other people are reacting.
• Other peoples fear and anxiety.
• If other people follow physical distancing rules and health guidelines. Things you can control Pay more attention to these: • Taking a media diet – take a break from the news and social media stories about Covid-19.
• Staying healthy – exercise, eat and sleep well. • Setting goals and planning some fun activities.
• Choosing to have a positive attitude – think about “what went well” each day. • Showing kindness and empathy to others.
• Following health guidelines, including handwashing and social distancing. • Talking to friends, family, carers and elders about your concerns and asking for help. Where to get help For support speak with a trusted friend, family member, carer or school staff member. School staff are available to listen to your concerns and provide you with assistance. • For primary school students, talking to your class teacher is a great place to start.
• For secondary school students, you can to speak to the year adviser or head teacher wellbeing. • School counsellors and school psychologists are available, ask at school for an appointment.
Kids Helpline: Phone: 1800 55 1800 Age group: 5 to 25 years About: A private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service. Link: kidshelpline WebChat CounsellingExternal link Chat online: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
