25 March 2020

Newsletter Articles

BREAKING NEWS

As this newsletter goes out, the Department of Education have indicated several significant changes to schooling. This will be communicated via email to all Parent/Carers when we are clear about the instructions

Dates to Remember

Please refer to the side panel “School Calendar” section for the “live” calendar of events for information

Principal’s Introduction

Newborough Leads the Way

Our school is a safe, learning environment that is caring and responsive to the latest most up to date information from the Department of Education and Health Department. Panic and fear act only as a distraction. We continually monitor and make responsible decisions and communicate these. We live in difficult times that requires trust, understanding and strong leadership.

I would like to sincerely thank Parents and Carers who have shown so much appreciation for the changing situations we currently face. We have received so many emails and contacts supporting staff and wishing us well as we cater for the students who are still attending school and for the safety and well-being of the staff.

As always, we would like every student at school every day. Of course, we respect parents/carers and staff decisions around attendance and care for their own family circumstance. If you choose to keep your child at home then you are responsible to be their teacher, to follow the curriculum and teaching that we are providing at school. We will support families with this. The Department of Education is designing packages and we are putting together guidelines and work packages. This is a work in progress and we will get these to families as soon as we can.

It is important that we continually reflect on our deepest principles when we make decisions. This is Our Vision, Our Purpose and they are underpinned by our Values. When I make decisions, particularly difficult ones, I go back and remind myself what we are about. My staff do this as well. I encourage all our school community to do the same as we weather these most difficult and challenging times.

At Newborough Primary School this means:

• Learning and teaching is our focus
• We value life-long learning and the development of the whole young person (and all our community)
• Every student is important
• Every student is unique
• Health, wellbeing and safety of everyone is important
• We lead the way

This is not the time for self- interest, thoughtless criticism or extravagance. This is the time for the Newborough Way to shine. Let’s do it together, Newborough!

Newborough Primary School has a broad range of extra curricula and traditional activities that makes our school highly engaging, quite special and highly sought after. Our staff and very supportive parents put in a lot of extra time and effort and really enjoy doing this for the children.

Schools are not required to do these. Extra activities include Camps, Assemblies, Excursions, Incursions, before and after School play, have parents in classrooms before school, run Choirs, Graduations and Graduation dinners, present Awards, run Sports Carnivals and Interschool events, sustainability activities, Awards, Merit Certificates, have a P&C, a Chaplain, Canteen, Uniform Shop, and much more. What a boring place school would be. These are bonuses designed to enhance student’s learning, experiences, community engagement and growth.

John Worthy
Principal

Newborough Primary School is remaining alert, but not alarmed.

Hygiene

The school has increased the measures taken to reinforce good hygiene habits with students including daily instruction to all students on:

• Frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand gel
• Refraining from touching mouth and nose
• If coughing or sneezing, covering your nose and mouth with a paper tissue or flexed elbow.
• Dispose of the tissue immediately after use.
• Constant reminder of no physical contact between people

To support these messages, last week we initiated increased inspections of all toilets on the school site, to ensure they are being kept clean with ample supplies of soap and disposable paper hand towel and hand dryers. High contact items and surfaces are being prioritised in the cleaning process, and include, but are not limited to, door handles, door frames, light switches, remote controls, tables, desks, cupboard doors, counters, hand rails, and plastic chair armrests and shoulders. Also included are soap and hand towel dispensers, taps and drink troughs/fountains.

In toilet areas and shower blocks/washrooms all touchable surfaces especially door handles and push plates, door locks, door frames, cisterns/flush buttons, taps, washbasins and soap and towel dispensers are being disinfected daily.

Mass Gatherings and Events

The following school events and activities have been cancelled or suspended:

School Visitors, Before and After School Play and Parents in classrooms.

We have asked that all non-essential school visitors cease visiting the school for the remainder of the term. This includes classroom parent volunteers, Ripper Reader volunteers, mentors and tutors. We have also requested that parents avoid unnecessary visits into the classrooms and this includes pick up and drop off times. We fully understand that this may cause concern for some families and the school will help support you with this. If you have concerns with how your child will react to this decision, then please discuss with your teacher.

As of Tuesday 24th March, all before and after school play is cancelled until further notice.

From tomorrow students are only to come to school at 8.30am where they will go straight into class. In order to limit contact and overcrowding in the classrooms, we are asking that only one parent of Kindergarten to Year 1 students drop their child off at the door of the classroom and leave the premises immediately. Parents of Years 2 – 6 students are asked to drop their child at the gate, and not come on to the school grounds.

Please do not send students to school early to sit on the benches and wait for classes to open.

We are also asking all parents and students to leave the premises as soon as the siren sounds at 2.55pm each day and 2.30pm on Tuesdays until further notice. Gates will be locked at 3.15pm each day and 2.45pm on Tuesdays.

We appreciate everyone’s’ cooperation with this.

Home Learning Packages

Newborough Primary is very aware that many families are now choosing to self-isolate. In order to provide support to families, the Department of Education have made available home learning packages and resources. The link for this is:

Teachers will be collating the main concepts of what they will be teaching in literacy and numeracy over the next few days and we will email this out to parents. Hopefully by late Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. We prefer not to send home work books at this stage until we get more direction about what education may look like going in to Term Two.

We ask that parents mark work as they go. The best feedback is immediate, and we will not be able to mark work done at home via email or upon students’ return to school.

For early childhood students, play and the development of social skills should be encouraged – e.g. cooking activities, gardening etc. It is encouraged that children at this age are read to and/or share a story with families every day. Basic mental calculations and writing activities should be encouraged to continue.

For middle and upper primary school students, basic mental facts, literacy and numeracy is vitally important.

If you have not yet updated your contact details, please do so immediately via email to newborough.ps@education.wa.edu.au so we can ensure you are informed in a timely manner of any changes. (This includes address, contacts, contact phone numbers and email addresses please.)

School Absences

If your family has made the decision to keep your children home in self-isolation because of COVID-19, can you please notify the front office of this reason. These students will be marked as R for Reasonable cause. If it is for another reason such as normal sickness, medical appointments or cultural reasons, please also let us know. We are collecting data on absence reasons to help in school decision making. Please email Newborough.PS.absentee@education.wa.edu.au and include your class room teacher in the email please. In the interests of limiting contact, please email the absentee email address, rather than come to the front office in person to advise of your child’s absence.

International and Domestic Travel

Now that WA has closed its borders, if any student or staff member travels from or transits from another state in Australia from Tuesday at 1.30pm. Students and staff must self-isolate for 14 days. This does not apply to family members living in the house with people self-isolating without a positive test. Obviously all students and staff returning from overseas must also self-isolate for 14 days.

Information

Further information on the virus and its symptoms is available at the below website or the health direct helpline on 1800 020 080.

Communication

If you have any questions regarding the school’s response to COVID 19 or would like to raise issue with any item in this update, then please feel free to email John Worthy personally.

Email – John.worthy@education.wa.edu.au

Term Dates for 2020

School Directory

Absentees

Just a friendly reminder that if your child will be absent, please contact the School directly either by:

Please include only the student’s name and room number, reason for absence and the date in any messages – the use of apostrophes, a colon or emoji results in the school receiving a blank message, and we are unable to accurately update your child’s record.

For Example: “John Doe Room 13 absent 1/2/2017 sick with flu”.

Thank You
Administration Staff

Music News

Harmony Day

On Friday the 20th March, Newborough Primary School celebrated Harmony Day. With a little shuffling and changing of format we still managed to celebrate our diversity performing Wanjoo and the Count Us In 2019 song – We Are, The refrain “We’re not alone, just let the music take you home” rings very true during these very challenging times with some of our community members in self-isolation.

Our Newborough students and teachers showed great team work and the song was a great success.

Well done to our Music Captains who ran their first event with great professionalism.

Watch this space for individual class Harmony Day performances!

Choir

The Senior Choir received a booklet with a password to the WAMCF website last week. As we are unsure if the event has been cancelled or not, all choir members should start learning the songs. We could also possibly use the songs at events in Term 2 and 3.

Good luck and hopefully we can start choir next term again! Watch Class Dojo for any updates and which songs should take priority.

STUDENT SERVICES

As we move though these unprecedented times and put into place restrictions that may affect families and students’ ability to attend school we would like to make you aware of some resources that are available to you from the links below. We would also like to welcome Ali Dee, our School Chaplain back from her Long Service Leave. Ali continues to work on a Tuesday and Friday. YouthCARE chaplains are there to listen, and provide a supportive place to talk. Ali offers confidential, non-judgmental pastoral care based on respect, compassion and service. Should you be home schooling your child due to Covid-19 restrictions, please be aware that Ali is available, should you or your child require her services please contact Mr Stenhouse at Nick.Stenhouse@education.wa.edu.au to discuss the best method of delivering support for your situation.

Useful Links

A great resource as a one stop shop for a range of areas:

P&C News

Uniform Shop

New Opening Hours 2020

Starting Tuesday 4th February, we will be open Tuesday afternoons from 2:15pm to 3:00pm.

Exciting News!!!

The Uniform Shop has now made the move to complete ONLINE ORDERING AND PAYMENT via Quickcliq - the system we use for online Canteen orders. On the link below It's quick and simple. And you can either request for your order to be sent direct to your child's class (usually on the next Wednesday) or you can still collect on a Tuesday afternoon when the shop will be open for collection, trying sizes, size exchange etc.

All available stock and sizes can be viewed online, then ordered and payed for in one go. This will cut down on double handling, checking that bank transfers have been made and will result in getting your items more quickly. Newborough is now a cashless school so cash will no longer be accepted at the uniform shop.

Quickcliq is easy to use, you just need to register, enter details for your child(ren), add credit onto your account and then select "Uniforms" from the menu bar. Or use the canteen feature of course for lunch!

If you have any difficulty or questions you can contact Fiona and Miriam by email: newboroughuniforms@gmail.com or visit the uniform shop Open on Tuesday afternoons 2:15-3pm

Thanks!

Miriam Lopes and Fiona McCallum
Uniform Shop Co-ordinators
newboroughuniforms@gmail.com

Canteen News

Menu

Even with the current shopping restrictions, we are endeavouring not to make changes to our Canteen Menu. However, if restrictions do get tighter, we may have to make some changes. Please be assured that we will continue to focus on fresh and nutritious food.

Health

We wish to reassure you that food safety is our priority and we will continue to follow the safe practices as outlined by the WA Canteen Association.

Volunteers

General - To maintain the output of the Canteen, and to keep the menu fresh and interesting we really need the support of volunteers. Even if it is not your year group's turn to volunteer, and you have time spare (even as a one off), we encourage you to please put your name down on the roster or just pop in when you can.

Regards
Amanda Meyer
Canteen Manager

DoE Security

Keep an eagle eye on our school!

School Watch encourages the school community to report any suspicious activity in and around school grounds, after hours and on weekends, as well as during school holidays.

Telephone 1800 177 777 (freecall) or 13 14 44 (WA Police).

Please do not approach any individuals, just contact security and they will investigate the situation or contact the Police. Working together will help protect our school.