Dear Parents and Caregivers,
I would like to welcome everyone back to term two. We are extremely excited and happy to see so many of our students return back to school and are aiming for 100% attendance by the end of this week. We have been making contact with families on an individual basis to ensure that we continue to support the learning of all students and to also remind parents that it’s business as usual here at school.
I would like to take this opportunity to once again acknowledge the incredible work our teachers and SSOs have completed in preparing for a very different Term 2, and the shift to face to face. We are pleased to note the encouraging and positive news of the current COVID-19 situation, which is credit to everyone following SA Health’s advice. As a school, we will continue to follow our CE and SA Health’s directions to ensure the safety of all - students, staff and wider community.
I would also like to thank our families for your continuous support and understanding. We have had to put measures in place that have been challenging for all involved as they are not part of our normal practice. Here at Virginia PS, we pride ourselves on connecting and interacting with our families, however under the current circumstances we have needed to make some of these changes to ensure that the school is a safe place for everyone by abiding by the rules. Schools across the state are minimising adults entering school premises due to the adult-adult transmission as much as possible.
We are super proud of the resilience demonstrated by our students with the ‘kiss and drop off/pick up by the gate or school yard (for our young ones). We ask for everyone’s cooperation and ask that parents don’t congregate in the yard and adhere to the social/physical distancing guidelines from the government. We have put signs around the school as reminders to try and help. We truly appreciate everyone’s support and understanding around this matter as we usually welcome such positive interactions.
As a school, we will maintain the high levels of hygiene practices in place. Our playgrounds get cleaned on a daily basis before recess and lunch, including frequently touched surfaces around our school such as; light switches, door handles, handrails, benches and table tops. We also have plenty of tissues, hand soap and hand sanitiser in every classroom.
Apart from all the work invested with COVID-19, I would also like to share the work that our teachers undertook on our Pupil Free Day. We completed further training and development around One Plans. One Plans describe a child or young person's special educational, health and social care needs. They explain the extra help that will be given to meet those needs and how that help will support the child or young person to achieve what they want to in their life. Here at VPS, we work hard to differentiate and meet the needs of ALL our learners. Having these Pupil Free Days enable us to invest extra time to further improve and strengthen our work, so again, we appreciate your support.
Apologies for my lengthy report, however I want to continue to be transparent, especially during these extraordinary times.
I know I have said this before but feel it necessary to once again express my gratitude. The way our staff and community have followed the directions of our department and SA Health is very much appreciated.
Please don’t hesitate to make contact with us if you have any further questions as we are here to support in any way we can.
Thank you,
Voula Pounendis
