UNANDERRA PUBLIC Principal's MessageDear Parents and Carers, Welcome to the middle of the term where so much has already been gained with so many more exciting things ahead to achieve. It has been amazing to have nearly everyone back on site and our school site buzzing with excitement. The children have settled in school routines remarkably well and have already made great gains in their social interactions and classroom learning. As announced by the Minister, from 8 November all NSW schools will move to updated Level 3 settings that bring school operations more in line with what is allowed in the community. I would like to update you on the key changes that will be in place at our school from Monday 8 November and for the rest of Term 4. Term 4 roadmap (PDF 118KB) a guide to the key COVID-safe settings on school sites from 8 November. Keeping us all safe on school grounds A combination of layered COVID-safe plans and measures will allow us to prioritise student and staff safety and keep our school open. To do this, the following guidelines will be in place:
Our school will operate on updated Level 3 settings for the rest of Term 4 2021, with the following activities allowed in a COVID-safe manner:
Parents and carers on site to support school operations Fully vaccinated parents and carers will be allowed on-site to support curriculum delivery, student wellbeing activities and school operations (for example reading support, canteens and uniform shops). Parents and carers must check in using the school check-in and show proof of vaccination on entry to the school site. Care and connect during COVID-19 Tools to support parents and students, including how to have a conversation around mental health and managing anxiety.
Student Attendance at School All students are expected to be at school unless they are unwell. Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell, even with mild symptoms. Parents and carers are encouraged to get their child tested for COVID-19 and follow NSW Health directions. All NSW DoE schools have been advised that any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home and not return to school unless:
Anyone who is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms is strongly encouraged to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Find your local testing clinics.External link Self-isolation periods and testing requirements differ for close contacts based on their exposure and vaccination status. If you are identified as a close contact, an authorised contact tracer from NSW Health or from the department's Health and Safety directorate will contact you and let you what you need to do. For more information, refer to the NSW Health fact sheet on close contacts. We understand that the information is changing rapidly so your understanding and patience is appreciated. Thank you again for your continued support during this school term. School Zone Safety While we are all very excited to welcome all of our students back to school it also means that the school drop off and pick up areas at the front of the school become heavily congested with traffic in the mornings and afternoons. The safety and wellbeing of all students at UPS is paramount and you will have noticed that teachers have continued with the direct supervision of all students as they depart the school grounds each afternoon. All students are supervised by teachers when departing each school gate in a staggered arrangement to reduce congestion and mingling. For those students waiting to be collected by car in the drop zone a teacher will be providing supervision so that those who are caught in the traffic do not have to be concerned about their child waiting. It is important that parents wait patiently in their cars and collect their child when it is safe to do so in the safe stopping pick up zone. Please be assured that the supervising teachers will continue to follow these critical road safety rules and children will not be permitted to enter a car where it is unlawful or unsafe to do so. We respectfully ask that all parents and carers support our teachers and follow the road rules to keep everyone safe during these especially busy times of the day. This website from Wollongong City Council has this link to share with families detailing the importance of keeping safe in school areas. https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/my-community/safety/road-safety/accordions/school-zone-safety School Zone Safety | Wollongong City Council We've also put together a glove box guide you can keep in the car. Download your copy below: PDF, 1149.57 KB. Managing School Zone safety. Road safety issues around schools in the Wollongong area are managed by both Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and Wollongong City Council. wollongong.nsw.gov.au Useful websites Visit the websites below to learn more about safety around schools:
Staffing Update Mrs Lawler has been successful in gaining a new position at another school for the remainder of 2021.Please be assured that the decision to accept this position was not taken lightly by Mrs Lawler, however it is a specialised role and a unique opportunity to support Aboriginal children in an alternative learning centre. This specialised role is a temporary position with the possibility of extension in 2022. Mrs Lawler will begin her new position on Tuesday 9 November 2021 and will complete a thorough handover with Mr Paddy Le Breton who will be the class teacher for the remainder of 2021. Mr Le Breton has worked with the students in 2L throughout this year and is very familiar with the teaching and learning program and expectations for stage one. Mrs Lawler is extremely proud of the students in 2L and is very appreciative of the support she has received from the families of the children and looks forward to hearing of the great learning successes they each achieve as the year concludes. We wish Mrs Lawler all the very best and can’t wait to hear of her achievements in the months to come. Mr Jordan Dsoisa will be replacing Mr Le Breton as the RFF teacher and class teacher for 4W each Wednesday. Congratulations to Mrs Breasley who has been successful in gaining a position as Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction at Kemblawarra Public School permanently. The position of Assistant Principal K-6 at UPS will be advertised in the coming weeks and I will inform our school community of the outcome when I am able to. We thank Mrs Breasley for her contributions to Unanderra Public School wish her all the very best in her future endeavours. Enrolments for 2022. We have begun planning for 2022. If you are aware that your child will not be attending Unanderra Public School in 2022 can you please notify the school office as soon as possible. Alternatively, if you know of any child in our wonderful local area who is of kindergarten age and looking to enrol, please refer them to our school website and/or they can contact the school on 42728730 to obtain further information. Kind regards, Anissa Rajendra A short movie showcasing a snapshot of 1M’s year so far. It includes the easter parade, athletics carnival, Shoalhaven Zoo excursion, home learning, back to school and lots more. We hope you enjoy it! This term KL are focusing on two units 'Australian Animals' and 'Living Things'. The students have enjoyed learning about these areas as we continue to focus on how we can better care for the land and environment of the Wodi Wodi people. Each morning KL say hello to Grandfather and Grandmother Mountain in our Acknowledgement. This week we went out to see Grandfather Mountain and learn more about some of the native flora around our school. We shared local knowledge from Aunty Sharron's visit in 2020 and Mrs Talbott. We looked at some of the paperbark tree's and spoke about different uses of paperbark - as a vessel, for storage, for warmth and shelter. We also explored some of the different Eucalyptus trees around our school and discussed how these provide food and shelter to Australian animals such as Koalas, Possums and Sugar Gliders. Each student from KL collected bark and leaves to use at our fine motor table during literacy groups. KL is looking forward to continuing learning this term with Mrs Talbott as she is going to come in to teach us some Dharawal animals names and show us some animal track symbols so that we can create some sand drawings and artwork. P & CLooking for a creative activity to do with the kids? Have you considered a Gingerbread Folk House ready for Christmas celebrations? They come in yummy flavours:- Original Gingerbread Chocolate OR Gluten-free Gingerbread All orders are despatched upon receipt of payment and have a long shelf life into 2022. Don't delay and order yours today on the following link to support your P&C! https://3g766mppei4.typeform.com/to/Dsc5RDhz#school=UPS%20P%26C Check in AssessmentDear Parents and Carers, Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students will participate in a reading and numeracy Check-in assessment. The Check-in assessment is a NSW Department of Education online reading and numeracy assessment available to support schools to assess and monitor student learning. The assessments can supplement existing school practices to identify how students are performing and to help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs.
Students will be asked to bring headphones or earbuds that plug into a computer to enable them to hear audio during the assessment. Earbuds used for mobile phones or other portable devices may be suitable for use during the assessment. The type of computer connection needed is a jack or USB. If your child already has headphones at school they can use those. If your child needs earbuds provided by the school, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
0 Comments
UNANDERRA PUBLIC Principal's MessageDear Parents/carers, It certainly has been a busy start to the term. As I have mentioned recently I am extremely proud of the way in which our amazing community responded when our school became non-operational and how supportive everyone was under such difficult circumstances. The entire school was deep cleaned and we were fortunate to become operational the very next day. It was absolutely wonderful to see many of kindergarten and year one students return to school yesterday. The teachers were super excited and children settled in seamlessly. It is certainly a credit to our families and teachers at UPS on their positive start in returning face to face. The smiles from the children and their parents and carers as they entered the school gates was certainly the best! Next week we will welcome back our years 2-6 students and we can’t wait! Helpful tips for primary students returning to school (PDF 89.2 KB) Our COVID-safe return to school plan is NSW Health approved and includes numerous effective practices to support the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. These practices include vaccinations, mask wearing, reduced mingling of student groups and staff, ventilation in classrooms and continued good hygiene and cleaning. Please see the recent communication sent to parents outlining further details on the safe return to school for all students and staff. The successful transition and safe return of all of our students and staff at Unanderra Public School is paramount and we will continue to abide by the guidelines set by the Department of Education and NSW Health. Please clink on the link below for current information as provided by NSW DoE this afternoon. Roadmap for parents and carers (PDF 1,550KB) The staff at Unanderra Public School are very excited to welcome our students back on-site next week. Unfortunately, we are not yet permitted to hold the following activities onsite;
A friendly reminder for all families Students are expected to attend school from their designation return to school date unless they are unwell or have even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home and not return to school unless:
Anyone who is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms is strongly encouraged to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Kindergarten 2022 The Department of Education has released a new enrolment procedure, meaning that families can now enrol their child at any time. Once enrolled, it is my understanding that your child will then qualify for Active Kids and Creative Kids vouchers. Please note that when you complete the online enrolment application, you will receive an email stating that the school will call you to book an appointment for you to come in with your required paperwork. Please ignore this email, it is automatically generated by the system. Once you have all of your documentation, simply drop in and we will complete the process with you. Enrolment link: https://enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/#/?schoolCode=3308 Active Kids Voucher: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher Creative Kids Voucher: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher Shared Spaces Shared spaces, such as the library, school hall and other communal areas, may only be used by one cohort at a time, with adherence to strict personal hygiene protocols and physical distancing requirements. The teachers will be following a booking system when planning to teach lessons outside (weather permitting). Canteen Our canteen will be open with appropriate hygiene measures are in place for orders only starting the week 25 October each Thursday and Friday only. In partnership with the school they will ensure that they are accessed by one cohort at a time and physical distancing is in place. The canteen staff follow normal COVID-safe protocols around vaccinations and testing. Dance2Bfit Teachers will be preparing and teaching our students dance routines for our school concert in line with COVID-safe practices, that at this stage will be held online. Our students, will learn a professionally choreographed dance routine suitable for their age and ability and will rehearse this item during the program. This has been entirely funded by South32 for which Unanderra Public School is very grateful for. AP C&I Position A new, permanent and dedicated Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction role will be recruited in public schools. As we are in Phase 1, this position will start at UPS at the start of 2022. Pending the appeal period of ten days I would like to share with you all that Khaled Elhage has accepted this full-time position. We are all looking forward to working alongside him and learning lots along the way. PBL and Busters Bees The PBL team are creating a positive reward system for all students across the school. Further details will be shared with families in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to enjoying a positive start to face to face learning. Resources to answer parent and carer questions NSW Health has prepared a range of factsheets to answer questions about self-isolation and what to do if you, or your child, is named as a close or casual contact.
In preparing to return to school families are encouraged to discuss these new routines with their children and try to keep updated with any new school procedures via Seesaw, Sentral and the school website. Remember to allow some extra time in the mornings to prepare for school so that everyone is calm on arrival to school. Re- establishing routines will begin to provide certainty and increase feelings of security as each new school day arrives. Please inform your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns relating to your child that may impact their transition back to school. This will allow for them to work with you to plan and put in place appropriate support strategies. Navigating our way through this world-wide pandemic is, and has been at times, quite challenging for our students, staff and whole school community. However, I continue to feel proud and humbled by the flexibility, understanding and generosity of those around me and wish to thank the school community for the ongoing support to make our public school a remarkable place to teach and learn. Stay safe and have a great fortnight ahead. Kind regards, Anissa Rajendra 3A All The Way! 3A have done an outstanding job learning from home in Term 3 and 4. During home learning this term, 3A have been starting to focus on writing imaginative texts, consolidating our maths skills and exploring how cool forces are. We love to catch up each week on zoom and share exciting things that we have been doing at home, but most of all we love to DANCE! During Semester 2, 5/6LA have been focusing on the impact that Colonial Australia has had on First Nations people and the land. We utilised the text ‘Young Dark Emu - A Truer History’ by Bruce Pascoe as the main resource supported by other sources to identify and understand Australian History from a First Nations perspective. 5/6LA also gathered great insight about Aboriginal languages when we celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day during in Term 3. P&C FundraiserGingerbread Folk despatch the wonderfully gift boxed Original or Chocolate or Gluten-free Gingerbread House upon receipt of every order by express mail. No need to wait until December to get creative. Look at what some of our community have already received! Multicultural Public Speaking CompetitionOn Monday the 18th October, Milica, from Stage 3, represented Unanderra Public School at the regional Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. She delivered her school and district winning speech "Stronger Together" and completed an impromptu speech on the topic "How Strange" with a focus on how it is strange that pollution still exists when we know that it is bad for the environment. The competition was tough, she made it to the final 110 students in the state, and while her progression through the Public Speaking competition stops today this, I am certain that this is just the beginning of her Public Speaking Competition journey. PBL Term 4Now that we are back at school, we are excited to restart our Positive Behaviours for Learning system, so that we can celebrate the outstanding students we have at Unanderra Public School. As we have had to make a few tweaks to our system, in light of Covid 19 restrictions, we would like to share what we will be doing this term. Firstly, our school system of earning bees, blueys and PBs (personal best awards) will continue as normal, so that children can continue earning their Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. In addition to this, every Friday, teachers will hand out 2 Merit Awards per class to recognise children who have achieved personal and educational goals in the classroom. One Student of the Week Award will also be issued per class to celebrate students who have demonstrated the School Values of being Safe, Responsible, and Respectful. Photos of these awards will be posted to Seesaw. This year, our end of term reward will be a class movie. To achieve this, students will be working together as a whole class. Each week the class will have a behaviour goal for example, whole class sitting in lines outside classroom, whole class in a ready to learn position at their desk and/or on the mat. Whenever the whole class demonstrates this behaviour, they will have a box checked. For every five bees earnt as a class, they will earn a new level of class reward. It starts with a movie and progresses to a Movie, cushion and snack pack reward. We have attached the class system for you to see. We look forward to recognising and celebrating our student's achievements, over the coming weeks. The PBL Team Wellbeing WednesdayThe Fathering ProjectHelping your child with feelings of anxietyHello Unanderra parents and carers, Many of us have probably felt anxious at some point in our lives, and we need to remember that our children can feel anxious too. Whether it's nerves for a speech they have to do in front of the whole class, an upcoming test, or, perhaps anxiety is something that they feel on a daily basis, which may impact their day to day life. Feelings of anxiety can be tough and confusing for children. As fathers we need to be there to help support them. This week's top tips: 1. Maintain a routine. Anxious children like routine, and a calm and structured environment. 2. Be involved in their life. Showing a real interest in their daily life helps them to feel secure, and also makes it easier for you to spot when they need more support. 3. Talk through their worries and fears. Talk calmly through their emotions and help them to understand what they're feeling and why. High School Placement FormsUNANDERRA PUBLIC Principal's MessageDear Parents/Carers, Welcome to term 4! I really hope that everyone enjoyed some time away from their devices and spent time in the sunshine and fresh air throughout the school holiday break. Everyone certainly worked really hard during term 3 and a relaxing and restful school holiday break was well deserved by all. Although there continues to be many changes in the safe return to school for all students across NSW, one thing that won’t change is the excitement felt by the staff knowing that our students will be learning onsite very soon. We are all particularly proud of our students and their families and extend our gratitude to each of you for the hard work that you have done to learn remotely and support our whole school community to stay safe. We all agree that the best learning environment for students is in the classroom and staff at UPS are looking forward to safely, welcoming back all of our students to school onsite in Term 4. A snapshot of the return to school settings has been created- Term 4 infographic (PDF 907.7 KB) While there will be excitement for our families and students for the impending return to school, there will also be some uncertainty about being back together on site each day. A summary roadmap guide for families has been created by NSW DoE and our school will continue to communicate the plans for a safe return to school in the coming days. NSW DoE and NSW Health have worked together on a COVID-safe plan to return to school sites and have put in place effective practices such as,
Staffing update for Term 4 Welcome back to Mrs White! Thank you to Mr Le Breton for supporting and encouraging 4W throughout term 3.
A huge thank you to our remarkable students and their families for your continued patience and flexibility. We are certainly happy to know that we will be seeing you all face to face in the near future. Enjoy the fortnight ahead. Kind Regards, Anissa Rajendra KB is the place to be! KB has done an amazing job learning from home in term 3.During home learning in term 3 KB have been focusing on writing fantastic Imaginative texts, extending their mathematics skills in position, length, graphing and time, exploring a range of different habitats and deepening their understanding of how to stay safe as a pedestrian and passenger. Our favourite time of the week is our whole class Zoom sessions where we are able to catch up and see each other's smiling faces and play lots of games. KB have completed lots of outstanding work and it is hard to believe they are only in Kindergarten! Ngumbi mudjingaals! (Hello friends!) 2L mudjingaals acknowledges our school is located on Dharawal Country between grandfather and grandmother mountains. In week 8 we celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day and acknowledged this year’s theme ‘Celebrating Stories and Languages’ by listening to a story read in Dharawal language. During our Zoom session Mrs Lawler shared the Dreaming story of Lake Illawarra (Juborsay) and the Black Swan and we learnt to sing ‘heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ in Dharawal language. Nundawinji! (See you later!) Wellbeing WednesdayKindergarten OrientationICAS AssessmentsPlease be advised of the following dates for those students who applied to do the ICAS Assessments 2021: Writing: Thursday October 14 – 9:30am (Week 2) Digital Technologies: Wednesday October 27 – 9:30am (Week 4) Science: Monday November 1 – 9:30am (Week 5) TBC English: Wednesday November 3 – 9:30am (Week 5) Spelling: Monday November 8 – 9:30am (Week 6) TBC Mathematics: Wednesday November 10 – 9:30am (Week 6) Should your child be absent on the day of the assessment, a follow-up date will be provided. If your child is not returning to school please contact Mrs White to make other arrangements. We have a large group of students participating this year and we wish them well in their endeavours! Mrs White and Mrs Jackson ICAS Coordinators The Fathering ProjectMental and emotional wellbeing in lockdownIt is natural during this time that we may all feel a range of emotions, such as stress, worry, anxiety, boredom, or low mood. Coming in and out of lock down over the last year has been difficult, and this can impact our mental and emotional wellbeing. By now, many people are also feeling distressed by the constant news and overwhelming amount of information about the pandemic. Kids will express their feelings not only through words but also through their expressions, actions and their behaviour. Sometimes they may act out their feelings in physical, inappropriate or problematic ways. Keep in mind that behind every behaviour is a feeling. For tips on your own and your child's mental health and wellbeing, click on the link below. Vaccination Clinics |
Unanderra Public School
|