Learn to Live Term 2, Week 2 (8th May, 2020)

Important Dates:

Please mark these dates on your calendar

Grose Road, Faulconbridge NSW 2776

PO Box 249, Springwood 2777 Phone: 4751 2208 Fax: 4751 3933

Website: http://www.faulconbri-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Email: http://faulconbri-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Access student portal: http://portal.det.nsw.edu.au

Principal: Mrs C Frith

Assistant Principal Stage 1: Mrs N Bridges

Assistant Principal Stage 2: Mrs K Jansons

Assistant Principal Stage 3: Mr P Earl

Enews Updates

Newsletter - 8th May

Adult Social Distancing - 4th May

3-6 Premier’s Reading Challenge Update - 30th April

Information for parents and carers - 28th April

Opportunity Class 2021 Applications - 28th April

Information update for parents and carers - 27th April

Information update for parents and carers - 24th April

Term 2 update - 21st April

End of Term update - 9th April

School Activities Update

Garden Classes - Term 2 Stage 2

Sport Days - Fridays

K-2 (9.55 - 10.55)

3-4 (12.25 - 1.25)

5-6 (1.55 - 2.55)

PE Days (sports uniform)

Tuesday: 2/3C, 3/4K, 3/4Z, 3/4S, 5/6P, 5/6S, 5/6T

Wednesday: KC, KB, K/1G, 1/2F, 1/2W

Thursday: 1/2H

Library Days

Tuesday: 3/4K, 3/4S, KB

Wednesday: 2/3C, 5/6P, KC

Thursday: 5/6S, K/1G, 5/6T

Friday: 1/2W, 3/4Z, 1/2F, 1/2H

Music

Monday: 3/4Z, 3/4K, 3/4S

Tuesday: KC, 5/6S

Wednesday: 2/3C, 5/6T, 5/6P

Thursday: 1/2H, 1/2F, K/1G, KB, 1/2W

Choir

3-6: Sopranos Tuesday 8:00am, Altos Thursday 8:00am in the Main Hall

K-2: 8:15am Thursdays in the Music Room

TERM 2 - MAY 2020

Mon 11 Families Aa-Cs (see info inside)

Tue 12 Families Cu - Hi (see info inside)

Wed 13 Families Ho - McI (see info inside)

Thu 14 Families McK - Si (see info inside)

Fri 15 Families Sm - Zo (see info inside)

Assembly Dates

Fridays commencing 2pm

TERM 2

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Phase 1 Starts next week, Monday May 11.

Students at school at least one day per week:at least one day per week.

We have established groupings to attend on each day, with a preference to group siblings/families together.

Families who need to send their child to school every day may continue to do so and no child will be turned away.

Learning from home continues 4 days per week, and students attending school will be completing the same work as those students working from home.

Teachers will be using the day that students attend to check in with each child and their wellbeing, to review online learning tasks already completed, and/or to pre-teach new skills or information required for an online task.

Classes are split across different learning spaces for lessons and at break times there will be allocated areas to play for K-2 and 3-6 next week.

There are no excursions, inter-school activities or additional events.

Enhanced cleaning and hygiene supply arrangements will continue.

You can now:

Send your child/children to school one day a week.

You are encouraged to keep your child at home for the rest of the week wherever possible.

Check with the table below to see which day of the week your child/children should attend. We have allocated days to attend school, based on alphabetical order, and we are attempting to ensure siblings are together on the same day, regardless of their surname.

Our preliminary plan is:

Thank you to those parents who contacted us last week to make adjustments to the plan around their work commitments. These changes have now been factored into our planning.

Paper copies of work will continue to be available for those who need it. Please message or phone your child’s teacher to make arrangements for paper copies.

You must continue to:

Follow the school’s advice regarding changes to drop off and pick up, including staying in your car when dropping off and picking up your child/children if safe to do so.

Maintain social distancing by avoiding gathering outside of school gates.

Make sure your child/children have access to lunch, snacks and a water bottle.

Support your child/children to continue learning at home on remote learning days.

Communicate with your school via email and phone wherever possible

Follow the health advice and keep your child/children at home if they are unwell.

Monday Families Aa-Cs

Tuesday Families Cu - Hi

Wednesday Families Ho - McI

Thursday Families McK - Si

Friday Families Sm - Zo

Principal’s Report cont’d

Principal’s Report cont’d

Frequently asked questions:

Why are we doing a phased approach?

Maintaining the health and wellbeing of our staff, students and school community is of utmost importance. A phased

approach will mean there are a smaller number of students at school each day, providing more space to spread out. It also

helps to balance the varied needs of students and staff, their families, personal circumstances and workplaces. The flexibility

of the approach means we can also respond quickly to any new spikes in the spread of COVID-19.

As the impact of the virus was evolving, many people in the community were concerned about their children attending

school, which resulted in the majority of children staying home. A staggered return is a sensible approach to take to build

confidence in the community that schools are a safe place to learn.

Does my child have to attend school in Week 3?

This is a decision for individual families to make based on your own circumstances. We understand that COVID-19 has

affected families in a variety of ways, especially if you have elderly family members or a family member in a high risk health

category living in your house. Children who continue to learn from home next week, rather than attending school on their

allocated day, will still be marked as attending in a flexible capacity. This will not affect their overall attendance.

Does my child have to attend on their scheduled day?

For the health and wellbeing of our students and staff, we ask that your child only attends school on their scheduled day. In

order to limit children on site in accordance with NSW Government recommendations, we have allocated specific days for

students while taking into account the large number of children of essential workers who have been attending school each

day. Our staffing each day is based on this plan.

Can my child attend on other days of the week?

Children at school will be learning the same content as those completing learning at home. The current advice continues that

children remain at home where possible. Children of essential workers may attend school as required.

What will my child be doing when they attend school?

The children will be learning online as they were at home. Class sizes will be smaller to allow for social distancing where

possible in the classroom. Teachers will assist them to engage with the online learning tasks. If there is not enough computers

available, students may complete a paper copy of the learning task. Students will engage in physical activity everyday.

Will my child have their own class teacher?

We are working in this ‘learning from home’ mode to limit adult to adult contact. This means that some teachers will also be

working from home to manage the online learning, while other teachers are at school supervising children’s learning. So, on

the day your child attends they may not have their class teacher, and they will be in a group of learners for their stage, but

not necessarily their class group.

What does my child wear to school?

Children will wear their school uniform or sports uniform to school.

What does my child bring to school?

Children should bring their recess, lunch, water bottle and school hat.

Principal’s Report cont’d

Where do I drop off and pick up my child?

Parents and members of the community are discouraged from entering the school grounds. In fact, the Department of

Education has requested that you stay in your cars at drop off and pick up. Please identify a place to meet your child/ren on

the school perimeter, near either the Grose Rd or Meeks Crescent gate. Please consider using the ‘No Parking’ zone near the

Meeks Crescent gate as a ‘Kiss and Drop’ zone. If you feel you must come into the school grounds, please do so at the Meeks

Crescent gate, and wait on the grass near the gate for your child to meet you. Teachers will be available to assist students as

required with drop off prior to the school bell in the morning or with pick up at the end of the day.

Parking restrictions in Meeks Crescent - NO PARKING

You must not stop for more than two minutes in a No Parking area. You must remain in or within 3 metres of the

vehicle. Hours of operations may apply to some signs. This means restrictions apply for those times only.

Mobility Parking Permit holders are allowed to park for up to 5 minutes in a No Parking area.

Can my child catch the bus?

Buses are still running for those students who require public transport and a teacher will be supervising bus lines each day as

per usual.

Please refer to the Department of Education webpage for further information:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

THANK YOU TO ALL

Thank you for your support and cooperation in implementing the Government and Department of Education approaches to

the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for keeping your children at home where possible. We know this situation has not been

easy and it will continue for a little while longer.

Thank you for supporting your children in the ‘learning from home’ environment.

Thank you for the support you have shown to our staff as we have been learning to deliver learning online. We have been

on a steep learning curve ourselves and we thank you for your patience as we adjust to this situation.

A huge Thank you to all the staff who have gone above and beyond during this time. This situation is a ‘once in teaching

lifetime’ event, and it has been unfamiliar territory. Staff have modelled a future focused learning approach by been

adaptable and flexible at short notice, and by problem solving and thinking creatively to ensure the best possible learning

experiences for students in this situation. They have done this with

a minimum of fuss on the surface, much like ducks, who look

serene on the surface of the water, but are paddling like mad

underneath to keep moving forward. Many of our staff are also

parents and have also been juggling the learning from home

environment for their own children. I am truly in awe of their skill,

their effort and their good humour in the stressful situation.

As always I will endeavour to keep everyone updated via the

School Enews app as new information comes to hand.

Carol Frith - Principal