Welcome back to term 4. We are looking forward to a positive and busy term ahead, with many important activities and events occurring, including: transition days (for both yr 7s moving to high school and new reception students starting at our school next year), Book Week, yr 7 Graduation, end of year reports, SAPSASA sport, swimming lessons and our end of year celebration. Details for these events will be shared with the community once planning has been finalised.
Advice from the Department for Education continues to be that schools need to adhere to social distancing guidelines and therefore still request that parents and adults do not enter school grounds unless necessary and continue to carry out student pick up and drop off on the court or grassed areas. Whilst this expectation remains in place, we are looking at providing some additional opportunities for parents/carers to be involved in certain school events, starting with this week’s Book Week Parade and future assemblies. Information was sent home earlier this week regarding the arrangements for these activities is included in today’s newsletter. We understand that it has been a challenging three terms for everyone but appreciate the support and understanding from our school community and look forward to seeing an increased family presence at school this term.
Our Year 6 students returned home last Wednesday from their trip to Woodhouse Activity Centre and it was a fantastic experience for our students. The itinerary was very full and students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of fun and engaging activities. A special thanks to Michael Boere who coordinated the preparation of the camp and other staff members Danni Murphy, Luke Springer and Donna Nitschke for also assisting. Our parent helpers also provided fantastic support.
2021 Class Planning
From this term, our school will be starting the process of student placement in classrooms for 2021. If parents/caregivers believe they have information, based on educational needs, which will help in your child’s placement, please put this information in a letter addressed to the Principal, marked ‘Confidential’. All requests need to be received, in writing, by Thursday 29 October. Please be aware that this process is not about selecting teachers for your child but rather providing information for the school to consider. We cannot promise that every request will be met, however, all information will be taken into consideration. Alternatively, if your child will not be attending Henley Beach next year, please inform their teacher or the front office.
Pupil Free Day
Next Friday, 30 October, we have our final pupil free day for the year. Recently the Department for Education has released a range of curriculum resources which include scope and sequence documents, yearly plan overviews and units of work. On the day we will spend time examining these resources and identifying ways in which they can support current planning and programming practices. The second part of the day will be focused on a whole school review and involve staff reflecting on our progress toward the school’s strategic directions and an analysis of student achievement data.
Book Week and Assembly Planning.
This term we will be implementing a strategy for re-engaging with families in terms of their attendance at school events and activities. Based on advice from DfE, an RSVP system will be used to enable us to monitor the size of the gatherings to assist with meeting the necessary protocols around physical distancing.
Book Week Parade – ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds’
Thursday 22 October
R-2 Parade: 9.00 – 9.30am
Yr 3-7 Parade: 9.50 – 10.20am
For each parade:
For each parade:
· One parent/carer from each family is able to attend.
· Parents/carers can view the parade, which will be held on the Metcalfe Lawn, by standing behind the flagged areas that will be set up or from behind the school fence line. We request that all adults who attend maintain appropriate physical distancing. The parade will be moved indoors in the event of wet weather.
· At the completion of each parade we request that parents/carers who have attended, to leave the school grounds in a timely manner.
Photography:
A staff member will be taking photographs on the day and posted via Seesaw and Skoolbag. As per the school policy, please be aware of the following expectations for parents and carers around photography for the parade (the information below applies to all school events):
· Be mindful of the privacy of other families when taking photographs or recordings and ensure only your own child/children are in the image.
· Images of other children cannot be taken unless you have consent from their parent/carer.
· Do not post/share group photos on social media without prior consent.
Assemblies
Thursdays from 2.20pm held in the gym on Weeks 4, 6 and 8.
A message will be sent out via Skoolbag informing families which classes will be presenting. For each presenting class, a certain amount of reserved seating will be set aside. Parents will be able to make an RSVP booking via Eventbite (we request that only one parent make a booking to allow enough space for other families)
SAPSASA Sport
Yesterday we had a team of upper primary students represent the school in SAPSASA Basketball and next week we have 40 students who will be representing Henley Beach at the District SAPSASA Athletics carnival. This is a fantastic level of participation and we wish them all the best for their upcoming events.
Kindy Transition Visits
On weeks 2, 4 and 6 of this term the 2021 intake of reception of students will have the opportunity to participate in transition visits at Henley Beach. The purpose of the transition visits is to familiarise the children with our school environment and help them get a sense of school life. We look forward to them, and their families, joining our school community.
Materials and Services Information for 2021
Recently some correspondence was sent home to families regarding the proposed materials and services fees for next year. As a part of this process there is an opportunity for parents/carers to attend a meeting where school leadership and Governing Council representation will be present to discuss this proposal. Please note that the correct date for this meeting is Tuesday 27 October, at 6.30pm. In lieu of attendance at the meeting, parents/carers may express their views in writing to the chairperson of the school council prior to the meeting.
Please email: baker_t1@optusnet.com.au
Motions to be put to the regular Governing Council meeting following general discussions are as follows:
Motion 1: “That the Henley Beach Primary School Governing Council approve the Materials and Services (M&S) Charge for 2021 being set at $360.00”.
Motion 2: “That the Henley Beach Primary School Governing Council determine to conduct a poll of parents and carers seeking endorsement that the ‘prescribed sum’ (Total M&S fees) be legally recoverable”
End of Year Volunteer Award
Each year our school benefits greatly from volunteer assistance and as a way of recognising a person within our school community who has made a significant contribution in their support of students, class activities and school events, an annual award is presented. If you would like to nominate a volunteer for this award please do so in writing by Friday 13 November. In your nomination please include the following information:
· Your name and the name of the volunteer being nominated.
· A brief summary why this person is being nominated (1-2 paragraphs).
Nominations can be sent to the Front Office.
Facilities and Grounds Update
During the recent holiday break all yr 5-7 classrooms were internally painted which has given them a freshened look. In other facilities' news, the school will be engaging with DfE representatives to develop a master plan for the grounds of the school. This plan will identify areas of the school grounds that will be identified as a priority for development in the coming years.
In other news, the school has recently installed some new outdoor bins located on the court area opposite the gym. The bins are colour coded to ensure waste is disposed of appropriately.
