Scotts Head Public School Newsletter

Hello, Giinagay, Hai

Selamat Datang – Welcome Back

Our natural desire to be social and enjoying each other’s company face-to-face, has been underlined by the joy evident as our students returned to school full time yesterday. The buzz and happiness of the conversations and interactions around the school in the breaks and in classrooms is infectious.

As we continue to negotiate this social re-emergence, congratulations to everyone’s contribution for the strong sense of community by staff, parents and families as we support each other at Scotts Head PS.

We have skipped to Phase 3 – with all students and staff back at school with no external visitors (including parents) allowed to enter the school grounds. This is not our decision, this is the Government’s mandate and we are merely following it.

Of course there are exceptions to this rule, as parents for various reasons need to drop off or pick up their children during the day. We know as a community as per normal we will have 100% support. If you gain a friendly reminder from me, please do not take offence. We have a brave and enthusiastic bunch of adults on this beautiful site that we need to look after as well as your beautiful precious children.

As school and classroom learning is now back approaching normal, we have been reflecting what we as teachers have learnt from the experience of providing the Learning@Home materials and how we can deliver better learning in the future, at school and at home as a result.

I wonder if our students have reduced their on-screen time since face-to-face learning has resumed. This aspect of Learning@Home could be hard to reduce, and it may well require conscious focus and monitoring. While technology has been our most valuable tool during this period, it is time for us to check whether our children’s use continues to be excessive. I would encourage parents to be proactive with this and put guidelines or even boundaries in place for your children.

This need is reinforced by the finding of the eSafety Commissioner that cyber bullying has increased by 50% since Covid-19 restrictions commenced.

This week again presents a set of new challenges when it comes to our parents socially distancing outside school. We have a new exit plan for the students moving out after school to be able to hopefully spread the parents out.

Changes in how students exit the school at 3.00pm.

• Walkers line up in the normal place. Two rows to be well spaced out.
• Bikes leave from the bottom gate below the office.
• Bus travellers are to line up outside the canteen area and will also leave by the bottom gate below the office.

This allows for the social distancing of the adults at pick up times. Please limit social interaction in crowds.

There will be a focus on regular attendance of all students at school, as it is essential for students to achieve quality life outcomes. Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. Let’s make it happen.

In summary:

Attendance

• All students are to attend school every day unless they are sick. On the third consecutive sick day, we require a medical certificate.
• If your child is not attending school you must contact the school.
• Families will be contacted daily for unexplained absences.
• If a student has an on-going medical condition preventing their attendance at school, a medical certificate is required.

Safety and hygiene

As the number of students and staff increases on our site there are some expectations that everyone needs to follow:

• Our normal code of student behaviour will be applied, especially concerning the health and safety of others.
• If a student is unwell they are to stay at home. Any student showing cold or flu like symptoms must be picked up from school. They will not be able to remain in our school sick bay.
• Students should engage in regular hand washing especially before eating at breaks.
• Every classroom has soap dispensers, paper towels and hand sanitiser for the students and teacher to use.
• Students should not share drinks and food.
• Students should bring their own drink bottle as bubblers are no longer accessible.

Uniform

• Students are expected to be in full school uniform.
• If assistance is required regarding uniform, please contact the school.

Canteen

• No Canteen until Term 3 at the earliest.

Library

• Library Day is Thursday. Students will be able to borrow each week once our refurb is finished.

Excursions

• There will be no excursions until further notice.

Please understand that school operations are still dependent upon Department of Health recommendations and that I will update our community as information becomes available.

Thank you again for continuing to work with us to ensure our school is a safe, happy place to work and learn. 

Thanks, yaarri yaraang, terima kasih.

Bu Gillian
Gillian Stuart - Principal

As part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) strategy we now have a permanent outdoor table tennis table.

What are the benefits of playing table tennis?

Table tennis happens to be the world's best brain sport.

Most people refer to it as Ping-Pong.

Table tennis is a better aerobic exercise than you might imagine, and it gives your brain one heck of a workout.

A fascinating brain imaging study from Japan found that just 10 minutes of table tennis increases activity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.

• It's like aerobic chess. It's great for hand-eye coordination and reflexes (cerebellum and parietal lobes).
• You have to focus (prefrontal cortex) so you can track the ball through space (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), figure out spins (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), and plan shots and strategies (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum).
• Then you have to follow through and execute those tactics successfully (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum).
• All the while, you have to stay calm so you don't get too nervous on game point (basal ganglia).
• And you can't dwell on the point you blew a few minutes ago (anterior cingulate gyrus) or blow your top when you make a mistake (temporal lobes).

Still not convinced?

Here’s what some top experts had to say about playing table tennis:

Dr Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at New York University, has said

“In ping pong, we have enhanced motor functions, enhanced strategy functions and enhanced long-term memory functions.”

While America’s best known psychiatrist, million-book-selling Dr Daniel Amen, has dubbed it:

“The world’s best brain sport”

Recently we had a request from Laura Peisley the Careers Advisor from Macksville High School.

Thanks to the talented Year 2/3/4 class for their impressive film they put together in response.

See below emails and check out the video!

Subject: Request from Macksville High Careers Team

Dear Employers,

As you know, this has and will continue to be an unusual year for the career development of our students with excursions, expos and work experience being cancelled or postponed. Coming up this month is National Careers Week and I am seeking a new initiative to enable student-employer connections. If you are in a position to do so, I am requesting a short video from your workplace. This could either be a virtual tour or 'meet the team' scenario or talking about what you expect from your employees as an employer. You could incorporate both! In 2020, I am pushing for an emphasis on soft skill/ transferable skill terminology e.g. teamwork, communication, problem solving. Even important aspects such as 'being punctual' and 'having a sense of humour' are things we want the students to hear about.

So please, only if you are able to, make your contribution to the students of Macksville High School by sending me a video clip or link during May to share with the students. Thank you for your ongoing support and I wish you all well.

Kind Regards,

Laura Peisley

Hi Laura

The kids at Scotts Head have made a video showing what it's like to be a primary school teacher. 

I hope it's what you were after. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7gwLOMZ_Go​

Kind regards

Chris Haynes and Scotts Head Public School Year 2/3/4 class

Hi Chris,

This is brilliant! 

I will be able to share this with my Year 10 class. 

Thank you so much for doing this, it is so appreciated. I can’t thank you enough!

Kind Regards,

Laura Peisley

Careers Adviser / VET Coordinator / Year 11 Adviser | Macksville High School

In 2020 Reconciliation Australia marks twenty years of  shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.

Much has happened since the early days of the people’s movement for reconciliation, including greater acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to land and sea; understanding of the impact of government policies and frontier conflicts; and an embracing of stories of Indigenous success and contribution.

2020 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the reconciliation walks of 2000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation and show their support for a more reconciled Australia.

As always, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and Australians now benefit from the efforts and contributions of people committed to reconciliation in the past.

Today we work together to further that national journey towards a fully reconciled country.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We strive towards a more just, equitable nation by championing unity and mutual respect as we come together and connect with one another.

On this journey, Australians are all In This Together; every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.