Dear Parents/Caregivers,
We are well and truly into the second half of the year now. You will notice that some weeks are extremely busy, especially week 5. Our information regarding COVID safe practices has not really changed and we are doing our best to minimise the impact of COVID and other illnesses on our students.
Staff Change
I need to tell you that our Well Being Leader, Naomi Pudney, has decided to be with her family more and has relinquished her position. Aaron Charlton has now been placed in the Well Being Leader role until the end of the year. Should you wish to contact him about any issues please do so via the front office. If you were emailing with Naomi could you now redirect your messages to Aaron? Aaron will be working as the Well Being Leader on Monday to Wednesday and as the PE/Science teacher on Thursdays and Fridays. Kimberley Chamberlain will pick up the PE/Science classes on Monday to Wednesday.
The Importance of Well Being
I was looking at some information about the importance of joy in enhancing learning, well-being and school connectedness when I came across the following statement that resonated with me.
“Children and young people develop coping skills through exposure to manageable amounts of stress. Overcoming small stresses helps them with all the challenges they’ll meet.”
We know that stress needs to be managed and with so much going on in the world at the moment adding to our collective stress levels that we sometimes need a reminder of the importance of the protective factors which we can develop.
“Examples of protective factors for children and young people faced with stress include: • a stable and warm home environment • a belief in themselves that they can manage based on past experiences • an optimistic outlook and hopefulness about the future • social and emotional skills, such as being able to recognise and talk about emotions • good communication skills • previous experiences of asking for and receiving support when they need it • strong relationships with family, peers and educators • a supportive environment in their early learning service or school • routines and consistency in their lives • achieving developmental milestones • play and participating in a range of interests (like reading, art, sport and music) • being in good physical health • having access to supports if required, such as a mentor or counsellor.”
The stress management fact sheet from BeYou can be found on the following link
https://beyou.edu.au/fact-sheets/wellbeing/stress-management I am sure that you have heard of the term “helicopter parent” but I recently came across the term “lawn mower parent”. It made me wonder if some of my best intentions with my own children made me guilty of either of these. It is so much easier to be a perfect parent in theory and hindsight.
Year 6 to 7 Transition 2023
In week 3 of term 3, enrolment offers for secondary school will be sent to the families of our year 6 students.
Most families will receive their offer by email on 10, 11 or 12 August.
If you think you have not received your enrolment offer from your secondary school, you need to check your junk folder for an email from education.noreply@sa.gov.au.
If you did not provide an email address on your registration of interest form, you will receive your enrolment offer in the mail or it will be handed to you by your child.
If your enrolment offer has not arrived by 15 August, please let the front office staff here at HCEPS know and we can follow up with the secondary school on your behalf.
If you need support to accept your enrolment offer visit https://www.education.sa.gov.au/parents-and-families/enrol-school-or-preschool/school-enrolment contact your allocated secondary school and they can step you through the process.
2023 Enrolments
If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling at HCEPS for 2023 please ask them to contact our front office as soon as possible as we have begun the process to staff classes for next year.
If your child is not in year 6 and you know that they will not be attending HCEPS in 2023 could you please inform us in writing at your earliest convenience? We also need to record where they will be enrolled.
Parent survey
You’re invited to complete the 2022 annual parent survey, which is now open.
In the week beginning Monday 1 August you should have received an email or SMS from the Parent Survey Team with a unique link to participate in the survey. If you did not receive an email or SMS with your unique survey link, contact education.ParentSurvey@sa.gov.au and include our school’s name in your email.
The survey takes less than 10 minutes and will help us understand:
· what we’re doing well
· where we can improve
· what’s important to you.
It has been coordinated centrally so that added administration workload isn't placed on the school. Your answers will not identify you or your child. Only collated feedback will be provided to our school.
Information collected will inform school improvement planning and activities at the school. The survey closes 5pm Sunday 28 August. For more information visit the department’s website.
Carpark and the Drop Zone
A friendly reminder that some parents and staff need to be able to access the carpark at all times of the day. This means that if you are in the driveway to the drop zone could you please be on the far right side and leave the carpark entrance accessible? Earlier this week one of our parents was blocked in.
With regards
Andrea Hayden
Principal
