Curtin Primary School Newsletter

We at Curtin Primary acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, past, present and future.

We would like to thank the traditional custodians for nurturing this precious land where we live, learn and play.

We promise to protect plants, animals, earth, water and sky and care for everyone in our community.

It has been great to see our students up to Year 4 back at school and we are looking forward to seeing our year 5 and 6 students again next week.

Whilst we don’t have to social distance with the students, we do need to maintain the 1.5m with adults. This includes between parents when dropping off and picking up their children.

We have several teachers who are in the highly vulnerable category and who are at school ensuring our students get the best learning possible. In order to maintain their health and safety we respectfully ask that parents do not enter the school building for any reason, including before and after school. The exception to this is if you are picking up a sick child and the front office have rung you.

If students are late to school please drop them in the front drive through and they can walk through the front office to wash their hands, put their bags away and enter their classroom. Sami and Janelle are noting these students on the rolls, so you do not have to sign them in or out.

We are also respectfully asking that no siblings play on the playgrounds before or after school. The playgrounds are open to school students after they have followed the morning process. The playgrounds are closed to everyone in the afternoons.

Whilst this is a trying time, we are asking parents to please say goodbye to their children at the gates and to leave quickly to avoid congestion. This is also a fantastic time for the students to learn independence and resilience, and to know that they are able to accomplish something even if they are anxious.

It has been fantastic to see the development of some of our more anxious students who are now able to come in without parental assistance, follow the process and find friends before school.

It is fantastic to see so many parents utilising the pick up drive through in the afternoons. Please remember the bell doesn’t go until 3pm and if your child is in K-2 then they won’t be out the front and ready to go till at least 3:05pm.

Therefore, we are kindly asking parents to not start lining up until 3pm at the earliest. If your child is not ready you will be asked to do a loop. This means to go out of the gate, up around the roundabout and then rejoin the queue. Please remember the road rules and that it is illegal to stop in a roundabout. See image below.

Please note that if your child is the last one in the junior playground, they will be brought to the pick up area when I move there for that duty. This is generally about 3:10pm. So please drive through as your child will be waiting there.

If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please email them and they can set up a quick video conference with you at a mutually agreeable time.

If your child loses clothing at school and it is clearly labelled it will be given back to them. Your child can go to Lost Property to look for lost items. However, once again we ask that parents do not enter the building. An email to your child’s teacher is a good way for them to know something is missing and to prompt your child to go and look for it.

I understand that these are huge changes to the way we operate but we all need to work together to ensure the health and well-being of everyone so that we can continue to provide your children with the best education possible.

Kind regards,

Maryanne

Tips from senior psychologists

Most children  experience  anxious moments or have fearful thoughts and feelings from time to time, about certain events. These thoughts and feelings prompt them to proceed with caution and this caution can be helpful in many situations. However, when an individual  experiences higher levels of anxiety and fear, disproportionate to the situation/s, it can be difficult for them to move past this to something else. Some children will have difficulty managing worries and anxious feelings which can impact on how easy it is for them to cope in certain situations. 

Anxiety is a normal part of life and can be managed, but it takes time to learn the skills that help one to manage their anxiety. When adults around a child stay calm, think clearly and model confident coping, this is likely to reduce a child’s anxiety.   

Here are some hints on how to support an anxious child.

Calm is created through your words, voice and facial expression. When children become anxious, help them recognise what’s happening. Some kids get angry, some become upset and others withdraw. Work out the pattern for your child and help them recognise when they are anxious.

Accept your child’s anxious feelings. Your child needs to trust that you are with them, and then they will be more willing to let you help them cope. It’s hard sometimes to differentiate between what may be a bad case of negative thinking and true anxiety.

Is a child being negative when she doesn’t want to join a new club because she thinks no one will like her, or is there something more going on? Try to confirm whether there is any validity in their fears. If not, point out diplomatically, that they may be catastrophising. If you feel there is reason for concern, help them to overcome their anxiety.

 Challenge the validity of your child’s fears and anxiety, using logic and rational thinking. But this must be done in a kind and compassionate way, so as to not invalidate their worries.  Get them to generate their own alternatives.  A method from the Cool Kids program is to use “Detective Thinking”.

Encourage your child to overcome their anxiety through action.

Anxiety is normal, and part of everyday life however there are times when children may need support to manage their anxiety.  Strategies for managing anxiety can take time for children  to learn, but it is a  valuable life skill that parents/teachers and health professionals can teach children. If you are worried about your child’s anxiety or would like support with strategies to help them manage you may want to speak with your school psychologist or General Practitioner for professional advice. 

Due to the redeployment of Registered Nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic response and the closure of schools, the 2020 physical component of the Kindergarten Health Check has been cancelled. 

The Academic Unit of General Practice questionnaire data, completed by parents at the beginning of the 2020 school year, has been collected as usual. The results of the questionnaire will be sent to the GP if consent has been given to do so.

If parents have concerns regarding the physical check we recommend they see their GP for assessment. For more information please contact the School Health Team on 5124 1585.