Dear Community
The first two weeks of term two have been a bit of a roller coaster. We have thoroughly enjoyed the easing of restrictions that have allowed us to resume several activities that had been modified or on hold. It was great to be able to have the P&C Mother’s Day stall along with several Mother’s Day events in our Kindy and Pre-primary classes, and also to resume running club (starting next week) and have our choir finally able to rehearse all together and without masks. One of the biggest benefits has been that we can once again mix cohorts of students. This means that the library can now be open to all students each lunch time, and that classes can now resume ‘buddy class’ activities, where older students buddy up with younger ones for in-class activities.
Of course, the easing of restrictions has also led to a significant increase in COVID cases across the school. We currently have 24 students and staff who are positive. Whilst many of these return next week, it will be interesting to see how this number rises or fluctuates as COVID continues to pass through our community.
Below is a list of classrooms that have had COVID positive cases over the last few school days where the staff/students were possibly at school whilst infectious.
This information is just to give you the opportunity to monitor for symptoms and test where required.
Unless otherwise stated, the room concerned has had one or two cases, but not a significant cluster.
Room 6 (significant cluster: 3 staff and 7 students this term)
Room 2 (small cluster: 3 students this week)
Room 4 (small cluster: 3 students this week)
Room 11
Room 12
Room 14
K2
Thank you to everyone this week who has let the school know of cases in your families. Below are the processes that need to be followed to keep us all safe.
Below is a snapshot of things to do if your child becomes COVID positive or a close contact:
If your child tests positive
- Please notify the school by emailing either myself or the front office
- Your child must isolate for 7 days
- Any siblings of the positive child may still come to school in accordance with the close contact details below
If your child is a close contact
- Please notify the school by emailing either myself or the front office
- Your child may still attend school providing they;
* have no symptoms (regardless of any test result)
*have a negative RAT each day (we encourage this to be in the morning, before school, where possible)
- There is no requirement for close contact students of primary school age to wear masks, although they can if they choose to
- If your child becomes symptomatic during the day, you will be contacted to collect them
On a final note regarding COVID, the Department of Education has provided each child with 20 free RATs. These are now available for you to pick up from the front office between 8:30 and 3:30 each day.
NAPLAN
Over the next two weeks our Year 3 and 5 students will be participating in the 2022 NAPLAN Online assessments in writing, reading, spelling and language conventions and numeracy. Whilst we prepare our students for NAPLAN in the lead up, making sure they are exposed to the types of questions they may be asked, the format of the tests and the devices that they will be using (iPads with a plug in keyboard), we do so with a low key approach. In most cases, the students wouldn’t even identify what they are doing as ‘NAPLAN preparation’.
However, this low key approach is not one that is usually duplicated in the media, so over the next few weeks, please be aware of any other messages that your children may be getting. We want them to be relaxed about the testing, not stressed. The message we work hard to give them is that it is just like any other task and that all we ask of them is that they do their best on the day. If you could enforce this same message at home, that would be much appreciated! From parents, the main thing we ask is that you send them to school with a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast. That way we are setting them up with their best chances for success.
School Board
We have 2 Parent Representative vacancies on the School Board that have become available. Both tenures will run from now until the end of 2023. You will need to be a parent at Scarborough Primary School until the end of 2023 to be eligible.
The Board’s role is required to help the school deliver a quality education experience to our children by:
- establishing and reviewing the goals, priorities and policies of the school at a strategic level;
- supporting the development of our School Business Plan;
- planning for and endorsing school budgets;
- evaluating the performance of our school in achieving the goals set; and
- promoting our school within the community.
We would like to thank Carrie McIntosh and Claire Prenter for their contributions over the past year. Carrie is now dedicating her time to running our Uniform Shop for the P&C, something we are very grateful for. Claire’s family is relocating and we wish them all the best on their new adventure.
So, if the description above peaks your interest we would love you to consider nominating. If you are interested in nominating for a Parent Representative position, please email to Sarah.Dawson@education.wa.edu.au or express your interest in person to the front office. Nominations close at 3:00pm, Friday 13 May 2021.
Should there be more than two nomination, all parents will be offered the opportunity to vote. Candidates will then be asked to provide a 250 word brief and a portrait style photograph to include on the voting slip. New members of the Board will undertake training and will have a mentor allocated to assist with induction onto the Board.
More information on the Board can be found on our school website
Sarah Dawson
Principal
