We continue to do our best in these strange times and wonder what the coming weeks and months will look like. Confusing and conflicting messages through the media only add to the uncertainty. I can provide you with some certainties in what I have written below.
Home Learning
Teachers have provided work and suggested schedules for parents and students to follow through the Home Learning Portal. Please remember that, if you are having difficulties managing your children’s learning, you can modify the program to suit your household. Call a break whenever required. Declare a learning free day or half-day (see note about attendance below). If technology is an issue, request a learning pack from your child’s teacher. Be kind to yourself and your children. We are all operating in a stressful environment at the moment.
Attendance Records
We are still required to keep attendance records of students whether they are working at home or at school. We will mark every student present unless notified by parents through PAM that their children will not be doing school work because of illness or other reason on that day.
Onsite Supervision
Numbers of students requiring onsite supervision have crept up this week. Please remember that we can only offer supervision to children whose parents cannot provide this at home due to work requirements or exceptional cases. If your child needs to be supervised at school, please register them by calling the school office, giving at least 2 days notice so that adequate supervision can be arranged. Children attending school are doing the same work as they would be doing at home under the supervision of school staff (teachers and/or Learning Support Officers). If we are required to roster on more staff, it means those teachers are not available for contact with their students on those days. I thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Child Safety
With the increased use of online platforms during the current crisis, it is important that we monitor our children’s engagement with technology. As part of meeting the Child Safe Standards, I direct parents to the eSafety Commissioner’s website where there is advice for parents on how to navigate this ever-changing environment.
Code of Conduct
Also, as part of meeting the Child Safe Standards, we have had to modify the Code of Conduct that staff are required to abide by. This is due to staff having to make contact with students using various means of communication. This new Code of Conduct is available on our school website under Child Safety.
Enrolments 2021
The period for accepting enrolments for our 2021 Foundation classes is Monday 1st June to Friday 19th June. At this stage we have planned to have a Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 26th May at 7.30pm. This is dependent on restrictions on gatherings being lifted. We will confirm this once we know the situation. Information will be forwarded to families of children attending Port Fairy Community Services Centre through Storypark.
May Race Day Holiday
Moyne Shire have requested that the May Race Day Holiday set down for Thursday 7th May be changed to Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 3rd November. It is likely that this will be approved so the school will be open next Thursday.
Kind regards,
Peter Sanderson
Principal
