ENewsletter

Dates for your diary

28 July OC Testing

29 July Spelling Bee

1 August RSS Choir practice

2 August Incursion - Aboriginal Education

4 August Open Afternoon

10 August Athletics Carnival Dunbar Park

We enjoyed a day of sunshine yesterday which lifted all our spirits. However the wet weather is back today. It has been most frustrating to have so many events affected by wet weather, such as the Athletics Carnival last week and many of Friday's PSSA games. We will endeavour to hold the Athletics Carnival again on Wednesday 10 August, weather permitting.

Our students have been wonderful dealing with changing conditions. Even when sunny, the grounds are damp and muddy. We understand the frustrations of not being able to play on the oval and we can't help the mud that collects on shoes and clothes, when students accidently fall over. School uniforms are expected to get dirty, thus saving home clothes for home.

Covid Update

Covid continues to affect the school across all years. We have been advised that members of the school community have recently tested positive to COVID-19.

While testing and isolation is no longer mandatory for being exposed to someone with COVID-19 in school settings, NSW Health has provided advice on testing and isolation requirements for our school communities following exposure to COVID-19 that should be considered when making decisions for your child and family if this situation arises.

You are reminded that students and staff cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis (eye infection).

If symptoms occur at any time, your child should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. If the rapid antigen test is positive, your child should isolate as someone who has tested positive to COVID19.

If you cannot access a rapid antigen test, you can attend a PCR (nose and throat swab) testing clinic. You must register any positive test on the Service NSW website or Service NSW app so that you can be linked to important health care support and advice.

The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff are paramount at all times. As such, we will continue to ensure that all necessary health advice is closely followed.

Learning From Home

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/learning-from-home/learning-at-home/2022-digital-learning-packs/primary

This link will take you to the Leanring From Home packages for Kindergarten to Year 6. If your child is sick, the priority is that they rest and recover. If your child is well but in isolation they may like to participate in the department's Learning From Home activities.

Education Week

Education Week 2022 will be held from 1-5 August (Week 3, Term 3). This year’s theme is ‘creating futures – education changes lives’ and celebrates the quality education we provide and the opportunities available to everyone in NSW public education.

From the first days in child care to post-school pathways, our education system is preparing young people to be agile thinkers and lifelong learners. We celebrate all types of learning that occurs at all levels across our education system and we have a shared responsibility in helping to shape the lives and create the future of today’s learners.

Public education can change the lives of not just our students, but also the lives of our teachers, staff, families and communities.

Open Afternoon

To celebrate Education Week next week, we invite families into classrooms to enjoy a learning session with the class.

When : Thursday 4 August

Time: from 1.30 - 3.00pm

From 1.30pm you are welcome to spend time in the playground playing with your child and having fun with friends. You are welcome to enjoy an afternoon snack with your child.

From 2.00pm students will welcome you into their classrooms to share learning with you. This time will be an oppportunity to work with your child and participate in learning activities both inside and around the school.

To keep all students, staff and family members safe and well during covid, we encourage visitors to wear a mask inside school buildings and please stay home if you have any flu/cold symptoms.

Incursion - Aboriginal Education

Next Tuesday 2 August our school will participate in a cultural day to experience and learn about aboriginal cultures. This cultural learning forms part of cross curricula activities and supports the knowledge and understanding in the geography curriculum. This incursion will be for all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 and we be faciliated by presenters from the company Bush to Bowl. Bush to Bowl will facilitate workshops for all students as we aim to bring greater awareness to our traditional bushfoods, share culture and acknowledge the importance in moving forward to a brighter future for all.

During the day students will learn more about bushfoods and our natural environment. The aim is to inspire and provide first hand experience in learning about Australian native plants.

Students will also participate in traditional dance, weaving workshops, and art activities. The day will commence with a smoking ceremony as we welcome the presenters from Bush to Bowl to our school.

This day of cultural immersion has been made possible by the generous donation from PAYCE Developments. We thank PAYCE for their community support and importantly valuing the importance of learning about Aboriginal culture. There is no cost to families for this event.

https://www.bushtobowl.com/schoolandcorporateworkshops

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews will be conducted next week. Thank you to the many parents who successfully booked an interview time and thank you to the families who contacted the office for help and patiently waited for a response. A special thank you for our office staff who resolved issues quickly.

Interview times are still open. Parents seeking an interview with their child's teacher may do so using the Sentral Parent Portal App. The link is;

https://melrosepk-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/parent-portal.html

Learner Qualities

The Learner Qualities program is based on research around visible learning, growth mindset and learning dispositions. The initiative is designed to empower our students to be successful learners by drawing on a range of dispositions, especially when confronted with challenging learning situations.

Learner Qualities is adopted across all classes and students are encouraged to refer to them throughout the learning process. We strongly believe Learner Qualities will empower all students to be successful and lifelong learners equipped with skills to persevere and problem solve.

At Melrose Park PS, staff decided on the following qualities to strengthen learning and engagement in students. These are courage, optimism, curiosity, problem solving, perservence and reflection. During term 3 we will focus on one special quality through discussion, literature and actions and share our reflections in the newsletter. Together we aim to build knowledge, make meaning and apply our understandings of our wonderful learning culture.

Spelling Bee

This Friday students at Melrose Park will be taking part in the 2022 NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee. Students have been practising in their classrooms with selected students to compete for the privilege of representing the school at the regional level.

Spelling Bee is a fun and educational way for students to engage with and improve their spelling. The format is the same as the regional and state finals. The overall Stage 2 winner and Stage 3 winner will then progress to regional finals.

For more information about the NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee please visit - artsunit.nsw.edu.au/program/nswpremiers-spelling-bee

Mrs Malone, coordinator