Dear Parents/Carers
I have some great news to share!
As of Monday 30th November we are able to invite you onto the asphalt areas to collect your children from school! Parents are still not allowed in the classrooms or school buildings except to access the office using strict number guidelines and with approved face coverings.
Drop off will return to a ‘use any gate’ option but remains strictly at 8:45 am.
Pick up will return to 3:30 pm for all students.
You are welcome to collect from the asphalt area only. This does not include the decking.
Teachers will remain in their classrooms.
Parents are not allowed in the buildings except for the office space - see above
Drop and go/pick up and go is strongly recommended.
Please do not loiter in the school grounds longer than needed.
We are able to have the children together from Monday in a whole school assembly, but are not yet able to invite parents onsite for these. We are also able to have the kinder children join our whole school ‘Move Up’ day - which is just fantastic!
As the term progresses, I feel sure we will be able to further ease the restrictions at school and work towards establishing our ‘norm’ as we head into 2021.
STAFFING NEWS:
Our school staffing placements for 2021 will be:
Physical Education: Dean Sciacca
Art: Karin Moorhouse
Performing Arts: Carlie Eriksen
LOTE: Shuoyin Tu
Learning Support: Andrea Crane
F/1: Anne McGregor (team leader), Des Schlack and Bella Crowe
Y2/3: Lucy Renshaw (team leader), Bianca Bevilacqua and Nicole Arapoglou (graduate teacher)
Y4/5: Alex Davies, Liz O’Meara and Jamie Dimopoulos (graduate teacher)
Y6: Chris Logan and Sasha Guy
Sasha Guy continues to be on sick leave for term 1 2021 - her replacement is yet to be confirmed. It is important to note that staffing placements are always subject to change. Michelle Smith will lead the 4/5/6 team.
The children’s class placements will be released soon in time for our ‘Move Up’ day in December.
PARKHILL AWARDS ASSEMBLY:
This year our awards assembly will look a little different. After careful consideration, discussion and consultation with the students in our upper school we have made a few changes. This year we will be awarding the following awards through the school:
Academic Endeavour - one recipient per year level
Academic Excellence - one recipient per year level
LOTE - one recipient from the lower school (F-3) and one recipient from the upper school (4-6)
Visual Arts - one recipient from the lower school (F-3) and one recipient from the upper school (4-6)
Performing Arts - one recipient from the lower school (F-3) and one recipient from the upper school (4-6)
Phys Ed - one recipient from the lower school (F-3) and one recipient from the upper school (4-6)
Scientist of the Year - one recipient from the lower school (F-3) and one recipient from the upper school (4-6)
Citizenship Award - Y6 recipients
Young Writers - award recipients
There will also be an honourable mention to our 2020 School Captains.
The awards assembly will be recorded and a link will be sent to recipient families to enjoy.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING:
Belonging improves mental health, wellbeing and learning!
All children need to feel that school is a safe place where people will care about them, where their needs for support, respect and friendship will be met, and where they will be able to get help to work out problems. When these needs are met children develop a sense of belonging at school. Belonging is very important for children’s mental health and wellbeing. Children who feel that they belong at school are happier, more relaxed and have fewer behavioural problems than other students. They are also more motivated to learn and be more successful with their school work. Research into children’s mental health has found that a sense of belonging and connectedness at school helps to protect children against mental health difficulties and improves their learning.
A sense of belonging is crucial for adults too: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important
2020 PARENT PAYMENTS
You may have noticed that family statements weren’t sent out this year. With all the changes we went through with Covid-19, remote learning and lots of email correspondence, we decided not to send them. There are a number of families who may have forgotten to pay the 2020 parent payments. If you are not sure whether you still have any outstanding charges from 2020 on your account or you’d like to make a payment, please contact the office.
