UNANDERRA PUBLIC Principal's MessageDear Parents/Carers, Incredibly we have reached Week 3 of Term 3 already. The students, staff and whole school community have been remarkable in their perseverance, patience and hard work during this lockdown period. We continue to see the great pieces of work uploaded on Seesaw as evidence of learning which shows that the children are working hard with the adults who are at home supporting them. The photos shared have been exciting to see and a wonderful way to celebrate those special learning moments. The teachers and I have spoken with some families who feel that they are not always able to complete each set task with their child/ren each day. It is important that parents/carers do not feel that all tasks need to be completed by that morning or day. You are all doing a great job! Here are some online parenting resources worth bookmarking; Parents and carers toolkit (PDF 1.51 MB) We understand that parents/carers are at times experiencing challenges working from home while at the same time supporting their children to complete their own learning tasks. Being kind to yourself and one another and just do the best you can each day to keep safe, calm and positively connected to your children. COVID resources.pdf Current NSW Health and NSW Department of Education Advice Given the recent numbers of infectious cases continue to be high please remember that we are at home to stay well and stop the spread of this very serious and contagious virus. Encourage your child to tune into the daily NSW Education livestream. For more ideas check out the NSW DoE list of activities for early learners and children in primary school. “Parents and carers in Greater Sydney must keep children – across primary and secondary school – at home unless they need to be at school.” (NSW DoE, 20 July 2021) All staff, including early childhood education and care staff, are required to wear masks or face coverings in all indoor and outdoor settings while at school. (NSW DoE, 20 July 2021) Parents and carers must follow their school’s advice regarding changes to student drop off and pick up. This includes staying in the car when dropping off and picking up children if it is safe to do so. This does not apply to drop off and pick up from OOSHC as sign in and out procedures are required. (NSW DoE, 20 July 2021) Minimum staff on-site to oversee one unit of learning for students attending school site, noting that flexible syllabus requirements are in place. (NSW DoE, 20 July 2021) Education week Education Week is an annual celebration of NSW public education and the achievements of our schools, students and education system. This year Education Week will run from Monday 26 to Friday 30 July 2021 celebrating the theme ‘Lifelong learners’ Continuous learning is critical for success throughout life and everyone can be a lifelong learner. Learning can look different for individual students and often takes place beyond the classroom. At UPS we aim to celebrate all types of learning both individual and collective achievements. Learning through Country- Wednesday 28 July on demand from 11am Join the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. (AECG) in learning through Country with stories shared about places of cultural significance. Connecting to this year's NAIDOC theme 'Heal Country', the video stories will demonstrate learning through Country as a lifelong process. Education LIVE- 27 - 30 July, 10am and on demand Education LIVE continues during Education Week featuring special guests. Digital learning opportunities Explore virtual excursions, tours and digital resources available from the department and external providers for teachers and students. Find out more on the Learning from home hub. Tokyo Olympics The official opening of the Tokyo Olympics last Friday night provided a positive light on human resilience, strength and perseverance. I have included the link to the DoE website highlighting the number of current Olympians who are former public education students including some from the Illawarra. This is a great opportunity to share some time with your children watching our athletes and having rich conversations and possibly debates about the sports now included in the Olympics such as skateboarding and surfing. Brisbane were also successful in hosting the 2032 Olympic Games which is also a great conversation to have with your children about personal growth, hope and future goals. An Olympic games resource pack will be shared with the children (K-6) during for them to work on in week 5. https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/alumni-s-olympian-efforts-an-inspiration NAIDOC Week- Heal Country NAIDOC Week is a time to reflect and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of First Nation Peoples – recognising them as the Traditional Owners of the land. Unanderra Public School decided to celebrate this important celebration during Education Week prior to the lockdown announcement at the end of last term. Activities have been shared with the children to work on throughout this week. Staffing update for Term 3
ICAS My recent advice from ICAS is that they will decide how these assessments will be administered in the days to come and, advise the school accordingly. It appears that at this stage they do not allow for the tests to be administered from home. The following link provides parents/carers with the opportunity to contact ICAS if needed. We will provide parents/carers with updated details as they come to hand. Learn more about ICAS here: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas Opportunity Class- Advice from NSW DoE The Opportunity Class Placement Test for entry in 2021 has been rescheduled to November to give schools time to comply with the latest NSW Health advice to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. “Under the health advice, mixing students from many schools into test centres across NSW is not permitted which means that, for government school students, tests will be administered in the students’ own school and high schools won’t be used as test centres this year.” There will be reasonable adjustments made for students with disability. Only students whose parents have received a confirmation email from the High Performing Students Team are eligible to sit the test on the new date of 18 November. The application portal will not be re-opened for new applications. Check the latest information Please utilise the resources offered to provide additional support which is what matters the most during this very uncertain time. Parents/carers are always welcome to contact the school via phone 4272 8730 or email [email protected] for further information. Once again, my heartfelt thanks to our remarkable UPS community, staff and of course the students! Stay safe and stay connected, Kind Regards, Anissa Rajendra On Tuesday 15th June, 2021 the students in Stage 1 went on an excursion to Shoalhaven Zoo. The purpose of the day was to provide a common experience for the students to recount in their writing. The children saw many animals, including some sleepy lions and a stinky buffalo. However, many students recalled their favourite part of the excursion was inside the the kangaroo enclosure, where they could pat and feed the kangaroos. Last term in 1SC we learnt about constellations throughout our Science unit. We studied a well-known Aboriginal Astronomical constellation that's called The Emu In The Sky. It is outlined by dark areas of the night sky, not the stars. We learnt that According to Aboriginal legend, emus were creator spirits that used to fly and look over the land. To spot the emu, look south to the Southern Cross; the dark cloud between the stars is the head, while the neck, body and legs are formed from dust lanes stretching across the Milky Way. Everyone in 1SC enjoyed recreating an emu in the sky by flicking paint onto black cardboard and dot painting the outline of the emu. 100 Days of LearningOur K-2 students celebrated ‘100 Days of Learning’ while engaging in home learning on Friday. We are very proud of all our hard working learners during Week 1 of lockdown. Keep up the great work UPS! Premier's Spelling BeeThe Premier's Spelling Bee has been postponed to Term 4 to support efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and maintain the safety and wellbeing of students and staff. A new date will be communicated shortly and it will give the students of UPS a chance to compete in the school competition when we return back to face to face learning. The Fathering ProjectSupporting family wellbeing during isolation In this week of wellbeing and mental health month, Dr Bruce Robinson shares tips for parents who are in isolation to help manage wellbeing and family spirits. Tips for dads’ wellbeing in isolation
If you are struggling, call Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. If children are struggling, they can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or Youth Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
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Unanderra Public School
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