Palmerston Post

Hello everyone,

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday to all of our beautiful Mums, carers, grandmothers and significant others in the world of our students. I hope you get to do what you love, and that you have time with loved ones.

Well, we are now busily getting ready and planning for your child’s return to school. It will be really lovely to hear laughter around our school once more. We thank you for the way the whole Palmerston community has supported the requirements during this time.  Current ACT Health data has demonstrated that adherence to the measures undertaken by us all,  has been a significant factor in reducing the spread of the virus.  Hopefully with continued vigilance we may not see a spike in infections.

By now, you will have seen the transition from remote learning back into our school, it looks like this:

•             Monday 18 May – Preschool, Kindergarten, Yr 1, Yr 2, LSU and all Safe and Supervised site students ( currently at Amaroo School) will come back to Palmerston to commence face to face learning.

•             Monday 25 May, Yr 3 and 4 students will return.

•             Tuesday 2 June – our Yr 5 and 6 students join us.

The Directorate have provided us with Guidelines to undertake during this transition back to our site. There is an emphasis on cleaning and hygiene, social distancing for adult staff and reduced mass gatherings. We are starting to plan today and across next week and will you updated.

In the meantime, thank you for all the efforts you are undertaking at home with your children. Thanks for the positive stories that come to us via SeeSaw, the teachers have been sharing some of those with us, and it certainly keeps me buoyant to know of the ways our students are engaging with their learning.

A more detailed email will come soon with operational processes we will undertake, and the ways we need to have your cooperation to keep our site as safe as possible.

Kate Smith

If this current health crisis has taught me anything, it is that connections are important.  They matter.  They ensure we stay positive; we are supported, and we feel safe.  Having strong connections with others and the environment can help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and can improve our immune systems.  Without connections our mental and physical wellbeing can suffer.  It can mean we become more susceptible to depression, stress and anxiety.  Connections are important.  They matter.

There are many ways we can ensure we stay connected during this time of self-isolation and distance learning.  Many of these are technology based.  They provide a lifeline for those who cannot see family or friends, for those living alone or those that need to debrief or celebrate an event.  We can stay connected to the world in many ways as well, through newspapers, radio, Google and the television.  It can be a daunting sometimes, almost like it’s too much information.  We can meet with friends through apps like Zoom, we can message through social media, we can chat during online games and even join a virtual choir.  We can also write letters, call a friend or chat with the neighbour across the fence.  Connections are important.  They matter.  We can stay connected to the environment too.  We can sit in the backyard and watch the autumn leaves fall from trees, watch the clouds roll across the skies or watch the family pet run around the yard.  Connections are important.  They matter.

During this ever-changing time, it is extremely important to stay connected to the school community.

• Check your emails for new information
• Use the wellbeing hub to help support the social and emotional needs of your child
• Check in with our school Facebook page
• Contact a staff member (via email or phone call to the school)

During this ever-changing time, it is extremely important to stay connected to learning.  If possible, support your child to;

• Access the Google classroom
• Log in to the Google classroom – whole class and small group if needed
• Use hands on resources – including what is at home and what has been provided by the school
• Discuss concerns with the classroom teacher or the school

In saying all of this.  It is also a good idea take a break if you are feeling ‘over connected’.  It’s ok to move away from people, and life in general, for a length of time to focus on you – it’s a form of self-care.  Read a book, take a walk, lie down or close your eyes and breathe for a few minutes.   You should do whatever is needed to help get you through the next minute, hour or day. 

Since we have been learning remotely, I have connected with the land and environment, exploring places with my dog that I never new existed.  I have watched students connect with land, exploring nature reserves and making awesome discoveries, such as kangaroo skulls hidden in the long grass.  I have connected with animals that are a part of Palmerston families, including a lizard named Draco and Loki the dog.  I have connected with people on video chat platforms and have watched staff and students connect with each other on Google Meets.  I feel better seeing the faces of students, even if it is on a screen, and watching staff shine as they model learning and check in with students.  I feel proud, I feel inspired and I feel like I belong.  Thank you to our whole community for supporting each other, for your flexibility and for your passion!  We got this!  Connections are indeed important.  They matter.

Marijana Pasalic

This week we trialled sending out Mystery Bags of books to our P-2 students. We hope you are enjoying them. In the last week of term, we sent out a huge number of books so our shelves are starting to look a bit empty. If you have books you’d like to return, there is a trolley in the Executive Boardroom (just off the front foyer). Don’t forget all students can be borrowing books through the Sora app (as ACT Education students) either as E-books or Audio books.

In the Library we are catching up on our cataloguing so we’ll have plenty of lovely new books for you when you come back.

We are currently working on cataloguing and covering books about changing families (divorce, blended families), bilingual books, the new Children’s Book Council 2020 Short Listed books and some wonderful new novels for years 3-6 for classroom reading circles.

Book Week has been postponed and will now be in early Term 4, so you’ve got extra time to think up a great costume. This year’s theme is Curious Creatures, Wild Minds!

Kristina Collins

Teacher Librarian/SLC

All students in Years 3-6 have a weekly Japanese lesson to complete and can access the Japanese Google Site at  https://sites.google.com/ed.act.edu.au/japanese-pdps/home

Work should be submitted each week through SeeSaw and questions can be asked through our Japanese Google Classroom (the code to join is:  ltjuggr)

This week was Children’s Day in Japan, so our Week 1 Japanese activities focussed on this important celebration. On Tuesday 5 May Mr Phil hung our Koinobori outside school so we could join in the celebrations! I’ve loved seeing the things students have made to celebrate this occasion!

Kristina Collins

Japanese Teacher /SLC

Monday 18 May                               Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 1 & 2                                                             students return to school.

Monday 25 May                               Year 3 & 4 students return to school.

Monday  1 June                                 Reconciliation Day 

Tuesday 2 June                                  Year 5 & 6 students return to school.

Monday 8 June                                  Queens Birthday Public Holiday

Friday 3 July                                        Term 2 ends

Monday  20 July                                 Term 3 commences