A smooth but busy start is how I would characterise Randwick's 2022 year to date.

Student numbers overall have been as expected and close to 1000 students (our CAP is 1007) with 8 Kinder, 7 Year 1, 6 Year 2, 6 Year 3, 5 Year 4, 4 Year 5 and 4 Year 6 making 40 classes in total.

I am very pleased with how classes have settled into productive and happy working units. Thank you teachers, for being so well prepared and parents for keeping your children organised and ready. It's not easy getting on schedule especially after two disrupted years, but research tells us that children thrive on clear structures (and probably adults too). TOP TIP: Pack bags the night before and lay out clothes for a peaceful morning start.

Public Schools

It is important to be aware that as a NSW Public School we are part of a very large system, in fact, the largest single system in the world and with 1.1 million staff and students, larger than many small cities as well as being geographically diverse and distanced. As a Public School we must support the Department and work within the rules and regulations set for us and stay focused on the common good.

School Performance

We can also be proud of belonging to our Public School system. Recent studies have shown that public schools perform on an equivalent basis to the independent sector on NAPLAN in Years 3-9 and HSC when adjusted for socioeconomic status. Randwick Public School in 2021 performed as the second highest school on both Reading and Numeracy in our network when adjusted for socioeconomic status.

COVID Update

From Monday 28 February, visitors can be allowed back on school sites regardless of their vaccination status. 

Our school will consider activities such as assemblies, parent-teacher meetings and other gatherings in the coming days. We will let you know if these can proceed with our school in a COVID-smart way. 

All visitors are asked to follow our usual sign-in and sign-out process. Masks MUST continue to be worn on school sites until 7th March.

From Monday 7 March, masks will no longer be mandatory for staff in primary schools. However, staff and students may choose to wear a mask and will be supported to do so.

Each child will bring home 8 x RAT kits soon. You are NOT required to use them or do surveillance testing. They are available for you to use if your child is showing symptoms.

Our school will continue to ensure our layered COVID-smart measures are in place, including vaccinations, maximising natural ventilation in learning spaces, continued good hand hygiene practices and enhanced cleaning.

Some Housekeeping:

School Times

The hours of 9am-3pm are the core instruction hours. In the mornings parents are asked to have their children on site from 8.30am (earlier for special programs). Catching up with friends from 8.30-8.45am is a way to avoid the rush and provide a calm start for your children

Traffic

Hoping to drop your child at 8.55am will be an almost impossible task given the traffic around the school. Some driver behaviour is horrendous and a hazard to our children. Police and Rangers have been notified and are currently doing a blitz!

Dropping Year 3-6 children further away or walking to and from school is a great strategy and a raincoat in the bag will cater for the rainy days.

Pick Up and Drop Off from Monday 28th February

Please continue to drop children at respective gates and allow them to walk into school independently and chat with friends. This has provided a much smoother and calmer start to the school day.

Afternoons

You may enter the grounds to pick up K, 1 and 2 students (in a mask until Mon, 7th March) as follows:

Kindergarten: Netball Courts (wet weather - Hall)

Year 1: Silver seats in the main playground (wet weather - AMS COLA)

Year 2: In front of Library (wet weather- Canteen COLA)

Gates will open at 3pm and be closed at 3.15pm (for the safety of OOSH students who use the playground).

Communication is a two way street!

I cannot stress enough the importance of staying up to date with communications: 

Schoolbag for fortnightly formal information, and whole school notices

Seesaw for the day to day class information, and 

Operoo for family/Healthcare details and permission notes for special activities. Sign these as soon as they appear on your phone and your child will not miss out. It will mean teachers can focus on learning and not following you up.

What's App Class Parent groups: sign up for informal and social communications

Student’s Mobile Devices

RPS supports the government and NSW Department of Education's direction on mobile communication devices (phone and smart watches) at school while understanding that due to students' independent travel arrangements parents may wish older students to have these. Any device brought to school is:

• the family's responsibility for safe keeping (or can be handed in at the office);
• must not be used on the school grounds (messages may be sent by parents via the school office); and 
• should have internet, recording and notifications turned off at all times.

Thanks to our generous P&C,  all students have access to school devices for learning.

School Activities

Thank you for the support for a great swimming carnival last week and the appreciation of the efforts the school and staff are making to remove barriers to normal student activities. We expect that most student activities will occur including excursions. Please be aware that decisions in a school must be made on the basis of common good. If a parent is more risk averse, they do have the option of providing an alternate activity for their child.

Susan Allen, Principal

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