Incredibly we are at the end of Term 2 and what a term it has been. I am constantly reminded of how resilient and courageous our students are, when each morning they come to school with a smile on their face and an enthusiastic approach to start their new day. It was great having our students back in classes with face-to-face learning. It was a challenging and demanding time for both parents and teachers. I am extremely proud of the dedicated team here at Kearns. I am always impressed with the quality of work produced by our students and the high expectations and standards our teachers have in order to provide the best opportunities for everyone.
Your support for the strict protocols we have in place is allowing the school gates to remain open while keeping everyone safe. The remainder of the year will still present us with changes, but we can be confident we will manage them well, given our experience during Semester One.
We wish you a wonderful break. Stay safe and well!
Ms Phillips
Staffing
Miss Draper has made the decision to take extended leave for the rest of this year as she is relocating to the South Coast area. Her decision did not come lightly, but it is one that is in the best interests of our students, Miss Draper and her family. Mrs Hogan will be the classroom teacher for 5D until the end of the year. She is looking forward to the opportunity to teach 5D and to work closely with our school community.
We thank Miss Draper for her contribution to Kearns Public School and her strong commitment to Public Education. We will miss her skills and expertise and we wish her the best of luck.
Attendance
Please ensure that all absences are justified with either a phone call, in writing and/or a medical certificate if required. It is a DoE requirement that all students attend school each day, arriving and leaving at the stipulated school times. Justified explanations are required for lateness, early leaving and/or absences. Thank you for your understanding and support.
COVID-19 Testing/ Health
If you or your child is tested for COVID-19 please notify the school office immediately. It is DoE policy to report all suspected student and staff cases to the incident hotline. Your child is able to return to school once you notify the office of your child’s negative results.
If your child is unwell or has flu like symptoms, please keep them at home.
Reports
Student reports will look a little different for Semester One. This report will provide a summative account of student progress and achievement on learning covered during this time, at school and at home. Reports will focus on the learning that has taken place so far this year and identify some future learning goals. Teachers have been working hard on producing student reports. They will be sent home in Week 1 - Term 3.
Photos
School Photograph Day is Week 1 - Term 3 - Thursday 23rd July. Order and Payment envelopes have been sent home with every student. Payments will only be accepted on the actual day. If you choose to order and pay on online, the order & payment envelopes will not need to be brought in. If you would like a Sibling Order & Payment envelope, please contact the school.
Please ensure your child/ren are in Full Winter Uniform including black shoes. Thank you for your support in promoting the wearing of our school uniform with pride.
Social Media
We are becoming increasingly aware that some students at our school are using the app TikTok. A recent investigation found children as young as eight were being groomed on TikTok - and young users were being bombarded by explicit messages. TikTok is used by kids mainly to create and share lip-synching and dancing videos to popular music but it also has a direct message feature and invites live streaming and public commenting. These safety risks to your children are very concerning and I would encourage you to research further if you are concerned that your child may be accessing this app. Most social media sites have an age restriction which I encourage all parents to uphold. I also urge you to upskill your children in being a responsible digital citizen. More information can be found at https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/parents-articles
Growth Mindset
In our classrooms we are working hard to support students in developing a growth mindset. We remind students that they can achieve great results with practice and effort. We welcome mistakes as opportunities to grow, encourage students to be resilient and to overcome their fear of failure. We also use the phrases ‘I can’t do it YET.’ 'You don't know it YET.' 'If you learn and practice you will know it.' Your brain is like a muscle. When you learn your brain grows. The feeling of things being hard is your brain growing!
You can support this at home too. It’s important to remember that helping children develop a growth mindset and a can-do attitude is a long process. Even if you feel like nothing is working for your child, keep planting those seeds by modelling a growth mindset and having casual conversations. Patience is key.
Some helpful phrases include: Mistakes help you improve. You can learn from mistakes. Learning something new can be hard. Let's see what other strategies you can try.
Some useful questions include: What did you do today that made you think hard? What did you try today that was hard? What new strategies did you try?
Health Care Plans
Inline with Departmental Policy, if you child has a medical condition documentation must be updated every 12 months. Requests for updated information has been sent home with flagged students. Could you please ensure this information is available at the beginning of Term 3.
Health update
As of next term some guidelines will be adjusted to reflect the current public health order. Hygiene and social distancing are still of the utmost importance. Non-essential school visitors will remain suspended until further notice. Standard precautions and strict infection control procedures remain in place. Both staff and students must stay at home if they have flu-like symptoms. Social distancing measures will be implemented in waiting areas and outside the gates during student drop off and pick up.
All external visitors to a school site are required to sign the External Visitors to the School Site form each time they visit the school site.
Celebrating Birthdays at School
Just a reminder only commercially made and single portion cakes to be sent to school for birthday celebrations due to current health restrictions.
Education Week - 2020
Words from Mark Scott (Secretary NSW, DoE)…. ‘Learning together’ is the theme for Education Week and reflects the incredible months of 2020 where our students continued to learn and achieve, despite fires, floods and a pandemic.
We know the best learning takes place in a partnership of students, teachers, parents and the community – and this year has really reinforced that understanding for us all.
Education Week will run from Monday, 3 August, to Friday, 7 August. It’s our annual week of celebration, held in NSW for more than 50 years to highlight the achievements of our students and staff and the role of public schools as the cornerstone of their communities. Our schools have experienced significant disruption but our staff, in partnership with parents, have worked tirelessly to ensure that high quality teaching and learning has continued for all students. As life slowly returns to normal, it’s time to reflect on our achievements and the resilience of our school communities.
The messages NSW DoE want to convey during Education Week are:
Schools are the cornerstone of communities: Parents and carers are our partners in learning. Schools and families benefit from strong, respectful relationships where responsibility for student learning is shared.
Change and resilience: Our teachers and students are lifelong learners, collaborating in a positive learning environment to achieve their best. Learning together makes us stronger and creates resilient communities.
Connect better and learn together: Our school staff are dedicated professionals who know, value and care for all students. Technology enables learning together anywhere, any time. I will provide details at a later date as to what exciting events we will be holding to recognise Education Week, 2020.
Celebrating Education Week at Kearns
Due to ongoing health restrictions, we invite parents to join our Education Week Celebrations in a different way. This year we are asking that you, our parents, tell us about your experience during remote learning by emailing a 20 second video. Please do not edit your video as a compilation video will be created and shared on our Facebook page. Students are also encouraged to create a 20 second video about their remote learning experience. Any videos you wish to share should be forwarded to the school email address by the end of week 1, Friday 24th July. Further information will be provided in regards to our Education Week Celebrations.
Kindergarten 2021
We are excited to announce that we are now taking Kindergarten Enrolments for 2021. Please share this information with any local family who may have a child starting Kindergarten in 2021. Please phone the school office for further details and arrange to collect the enrolment pack and arrange to meet with me, Ms Phillips. We are really looking forward to meeting you all.
Thank you once again for all that you do to support our fabulous school. Have a great fortnight ahead and please continue to take care and stay safe.
