Dear Parents,
COVID-Smart measures for school settings
This week we have seen many changes to how our school is operating. We have moved back to some pre-COVID school operations for our school community. In saying this we are still mindful that the COVID pandemic is with us and we are ensuring we are following all protocols with regards to safe distancing, hand sanitising, ventilation requirements and room populations. Staff have continued to wear masks this week and all staff and students who wish to continue wearing masks from Monday 7 March will be supported to do so.
Parents and carers were welcomed back onto the school site this week and I am pleased to see so many adults social distancing. We will continue to offer masks at the school gates. If you wish to wear one, please take one.
RAT kits have been distributed for the rest of the term. These are to be used when students are feeling unwell, or symptoms have developed. Any student with flu or cold like symptoms should stay home, take a rapid antigen test (RAT) and get well before returning to school. Please let the school know that your child is home sick, through a phone call, an email or through the Skoolbag App.
It is part of the Public Health Order to let our school know if a student tests positive to COVID-19. They must also record the result via the Services NSW App if the test is done via a rapid antigen test (RAT). Register a positive rapid antigen test (RAT) result | NSW Government
Students Isolating at Home
Like all schools across the country, we will have some of our students isolating at home as there is a positive COVID case in their household. Even if a student tests negative using the RAT kit, they need to stay in isolation and monitor for symptoms. Your child will need to do schoolwork while they are at home and will be marked flexible. This is not an absence from school as it is unavoidable and they are not allowed to attend, even if they are well.
Your child can continue with learning through the Department of Education’s Digital Learning packs. Click here and then find your child’s grade. Click on the grade and start by using the Kangaroo unit first. There are videos to explain what to do and lists of resources that your child will need to be able to complete the days activities. The units are designed so that parents and carers are able to assist their children with the learning.
Check-in Assessment and NAPLAN
Very soon our students in Years 4 and 6 will complete the annual Check-in Assessments. These assessments are carried out using school laptops and the results are viewed by teachers to plan next stages of learning.
Years 3 and 5 will participate in practice NAPLAN tests in the next few weeks in preparation for NAPLAN in Term 2. The link below provides parents with further information of what to expect with NAPLAN for your children. The school will hold an information kiosk for NAPLAN in the coming weeks.
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support/
Canley Vale Staff Non-Teaching
I would like to introduce you to our school non-teaching teams in this newsletter. Without these groups of people, the school would not run as smoothly and as efficiently. We are so very lucky to have fantastic SAS staff made up of Office Administration, General Assistants, Community Liaison Officers, Technical Support Officer, School Learning Support Officers and our School as Community Centre Facilitator.
Office Admin – Mrs Kinniburgh (SAM – School Administration Manager), Ms Burrell (SAO – School Administration Officer), Mrs Haynes (SAO), Mrs De Biasi (SAO), Ms Garcia (SAO), Mrs Connolly (SAO)
General Assistants (GA) – Mr De Biasi, Mr McHugh, Mr Phil
Community Liaison Officers (CLO) – Mrs Mai (Vietnamese), Mrs Xian (Chinese), Mrs Son (Khmer), Mrs Ly (Khmer)
Technical Support Officer – Miss Kenny
School Learning Support Officers – Mrs Hunt (Preschool), Ms Thai (Preschool), Ms Essa (Preschool), Ms Fedrigo, Ms Cheng, Ms Quan, Ms Lui, Ms Le Phan, Miss Del Principe, Ms Ibraheem
SaCC Facilitator – Mr Quang Tran
Student Leaders for 2022
Our student leaders for 2022 were presented with special certificates from Guy Zangari on Friday at their first stage assembly. Next Wednesday, weather permitting, we will have our first whole school assembly at 8:50am at Wali. Wali is our Kindergarten area and our whole school usually fit underneath the covered area. Parents/Carers are welcome to stand at the back during these assemblies. At next week’s assembly we will acknowledge the 2022 SRC members for each class.
Expensive Watches
It is preferable that students do not wear expensive watches to school, like an Apple watch. The school will take no responsibility for lost or damaged personal items. Watches worn by students should not have the functions of videoing or the ability to make phone calls.
Swimming Carnival
Thank you to Ms Piniros, Ms Trieu and Mr Chand for all your organisation for our school swimming carnival. Congratulations to Ava, Diana, Ristone, Dominic, Chloe, Jayden, Luca, Chhorvann, Raiden, Liam, Evelyn, Miranda, Lucy, Eithan, Tue, Mannix, Erika, Joseph, and Ethan who went on to compete at the Lansdowne Zone Swimming carnival this week. We are still waiting on the results of which students will be invited to the Regional carnival.
P&C Meeting
The P&C Executive met and dates for our meetings have been planned. Some of the dates may change after our first meeting of the year, once discussion is held about days and times of the meetings. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Friday 25 March at 9am in the school hall. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Student Lunches
Please make sure that your child/children have enough food for the school day. If parents want their child to have a hot lunch, then they should order from the canteen or send their food in a thermos. Teachers will not heat student lunches in microwaves as this is a WHS issue. Please do not ask them to do this for your child. During hot weather you should include an ice brick in lunch bags to keep children’s lunches cool for the day. Teachers cannot put lunch boxes in fridges at school.
Students arriving before 8:30am
Unfortunately, we have a number of students arriving before our 8:30am bell every day. Teacher supervision starts from 8:30am. I understand parents and carers need to get to their workplaces, however, your children need to be supervised. There are available places at our Before and After School care (OSHClub), located in the school hall, for a small fee. At the moment there are special vouchers to assist families in costs of childcare. To find out how to apply click here.
It is parents and carers responsibility to ensure their children are safe and supervised before the 8:30am bell when our teachers are then on duty. You may have family or friends that are also attending Canley Vale Public School and your children could walk to school with them, rather than being dropped off at school before 8:30am. There are always options that you can explore.
Afternoon Dismissal
Now we have returned to a 2:50pm end of school day and parents are allowed to come onto the school grounds, and not stay just between the flags, it is a timely reminder to everyone about good afternoon pick-up arrangements.
Please have a discussion with your child and plan with who, where and how your child will be collected from school. Make sure your child knows exactly who is picking them up, the location of where they will be collected and if they are walking home or going by car.
With our younger students in Kindergarten and Year 1 it is advisable that a parent or carer comes into the school to collect them. If there is an older sibling and they are responsible, then make sure your children know the plan for the older sibling to collect the younger sibling and then meet the parents/carers at a gate or are walking home or need to be picked up at Kiss and Drop in Pevensey Street.
Students in Years 2-6, who are being collected from the Kiss and Drop area in Pevensey Street will be dismissed by the classroom teacher at the 2:50pm bell and they need to make their way immediately to the back gate at Pevensey Street. We have three staff members monitoring the gates to ensure students are collected by parents and carers. Students not collected by 3pm are then taken by the teachers to the office, where we will make a call to the family.
Adverse Weather
We are experiencing extreme weather at the moment. Please ensure your children have an umbrella and/or raincoat with them each day and a plastic bag. An extra pair of socks in the school bag is a good idea at the moment.
Selective High School 2023 Assessments
Some of our Year 6 students will be participating in some assessments next week. To participate in these assessments to be considered for a Selective High School in 2023 parents and carers had to apply last year while their child was in Year 5.
Expression of Interest High School Forms 2023
Next week the Year 6 teachers will distribute information about High Schools for 2023. Please wait for this information before asking questions. Once you have read the information and still have questions please address them to the classroom teacher or Mr Nicolussi, the Stage 3 Assistant Principal.
Kind regards,
Margaret Creagh
Principal
