Week 2 Term 4 Newsletter 2021
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
We've had a great start to Term 3. It didn't take long for everyone to get back into routine and for students and staff to reconnect with everyone. It's been wonderful to hear the sounds of learning and laughter coming from classrooms and seeing the children running around in the playground enjoying each other's company.
Year 3 Check in assessment will begin this week followed by the rest of primary over the coming weeks until Week 5. The tests are conducted online and will assess reading and numeracy in two short tests over two consecutive days. The school usually receives results within a week and they will be compared with similar tests conducted earlier in the year (for Year 4 and 6 only) and the results will also be compare to other students in the state. The information will very valuable in assessing the impact of the lockdown and assertaining areas for teachers and students to focus on for the rest of the year.
The school has purchased new sandpit equipment for Level 1 and 3.The new equipment will be distributed today and there is also a PBL Booster lesson which will be delivered to students. It's a reminder about how to be safe, respectful and responsible in the sandpit. Our PBL expectations have been revistied in the past week in order to remind students of our school wide expectations.
Early in Term 3 Mrs Howard gave birth to little baby Charlotte who decided to enter the world earlier than expected. With a quick trip to Orange and then Canberra and lockdown imminent it was remiss of me not to congratulate Kristy and Brad on this very special occasion all those weeks ago. I'm pleased to report that everyone is doing very well and baby Charlotte is thriving, we're looking forward to a visit from Mrs Howard and Charlotte very soon.
Kind regards
Sharon Hawker
Charlotte Howard - 3 months old yesterday
If students could please return all laptops and any other borrowed equipment to the school at the earliest convenience this would be greatly appreciated. This will enable us to use these devices now we are back in the classroom.
Latest COVID-19 Advice
Level 3 Restrictions - return to face to face learning
All students are expected to be at school unless they have even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.
Under the current health orders, there is nothing to restrict students and staff who must attend school from moving between two areas with different levels of restrictions. Students and staff should reduce traveling to geographical areas with higher levels of COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Students and staff can continue to travel to and from school as per the public health advice.
Vaccination requirements in all schools from 8 November
Under the NSW Public Health Orders (PHO) (PDF 216KB)External link, all people working at a school or early education and care facility must be fully vaccinated by 8 November 2021. According to the PHO, relevant work includes:
any work undertaken at a government school or non-government school (this includes work by teachers, support staff, corporate employees, contractors, volunteers and students on student placement)
any work at an early education and care facility (this includes work by employees, contractors, volunteers and students on student placement). This covers centre-based child care facilities, family day care and school-based child care (after-school or vacation care)
providing disability support services to a child with a disability at a school or early education and care facility where the person is required to hold a WWCC. This includes disability support services provided under the Assisted School Travel Program, even where part of the service occurs away from school sites
NESA authorised officers undertaking activities in relation to home schooling
NESA staff working at HSC exam sites.
Work includes:
work done under a contract of service or a contract for service
work done as a volunteer or for a charitable organisation
work done by a student on student placement
work done temporarily, including while acting in or filling an office or other role because of a vacancy or absence.
Vaccination requirements do not apply to an education or care worker who carries out relevant work in an emergency. For example, an emergency includes paramedics responding to a medical emergency, firefighters responding to a fire or gas leak, and workers responding to a sewerage leak.
QR code sign-in process for all visitors
A single School Visitor Check-in system for every school across the state is coming from 18 October!
The Department of Education has partnered with Service NSW to provide a streamlined, digital school sign-in system for visitors and contractors at every NSW government school.
Benefits of the new system include:
Accelerating your check-ins to as fast as 20 seconds!
Linked to NSW Health’s COVID-19 contact tracing ensuring every school is compliant with the NSW COVID-19 mandate.External link
Giving every school greater access to streamlined NSW Government services.
Watch our short parent videoExternal link to see how it works for parents or our contractor videoExternal link.
Who can use School Visitor check-in
Visitors such as parents and carers, contractors, service providers and volunteers.
Students or visitors under the age of 18 are not required to use School Visitor Check-in.
School Visitor Check-in will be ready from 18 October at all NSW Government schools.
For more information visit School Visitor Check-in on the department website.
Class in Focus
Each week one of our classes will be the chosen to showcase the great learning that is happening in our school. This week it is:
On the first day back of school for Term 4, Year 4/5 made homemade ice cream in a bag. They mixed all of their ingredients together in a small ziplock bag and then added it into a bag of ice to freeze the ingredients. They then shook, shook, shook until their mixture was the consistency of ice cream. YUM!
Our school will operate under level 3 restrictions. We will be implementing separate play areas for stages during breaks to reduce mingling and our enhanced cleaning arrangements will remain in place. It is important that we are even more vigilant with our hygiene than ever before. It is imperative that we continue to practice good hygiene habits, continue to be tested if displaying even the mildest symptoms and stay at home until a negative result has been given.
Years 3 to 6 Check-in Assessment
ALL Primary students will be participating in a reading and numeracy Check-in assessment over the next 4 weeks.
Year 3 will sit the assessment in Week 2, Year 4 in Week 3, Year 5 in Week 4 and Year 6 in Week 5.
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 following the period of learning from home. The results of this assessment supplement existing school practices to identify how students are performing in literacy and numeracy. The data obtained from these assessments will help teachers tailor teaching more specifically to student needs.
Students will need to bring headphones or earbuds that plug into a computer to enable them to hear the audio during the assessment.
Musica Viva K-2
K-2 Infants Incursion
Students in K-2 will be rewarded for all their hard work during "learning from home" by participating in the Water Water Everywhere concert on Friday 22nd October at 10:30am.
Musica Viva In Schools (MVIS) hosted by Canowindra Baroquefest were booked in to come Canowindra to perform live, however due to COVID-19 they are doing a virtual performance. The school will fund this experience at no cost to students and we thank the Canowindra Baroquefest and Musica Viva for continuing to support student cultural experiences at our school.
We look forward to all students in K-2 participating and learning about music by exploring percussion instruments in water with a focus on sustainability. This will allow students to appreciate the impact water has on our lives.
PBL/ PAX News - C.P.S. Wellbeing Programs
Kindergarten 2022 Orientation
Kindergarten Orientation will be able to proceed under the current restrictions. There is a very excited bunch of preschoolers who are looking forward to this very important experience. All parents will need to sign in and stay for only 10 mins. Enrolment forms will need to be completed by the first day of orientation. The hall on Level 3 with be the desiganated drop off and pick up point. Students and parents must not attend unless they are free of COVID-19 symtoms. More information will be sent to parents next week. Please see dates and flyer below:
Thursday 21 October
Thursday 28 October
Thursday 4 November
Thursday 11 November
Term 4 - The Hub Menu & Daily Specials
Healthy Snippets
Each week we will provide healthy living "Snippets" from NSW Health covering a range of topics including; healthy eating, lunchbox ideas, drinking water and food budgeting.
P&C News
Community News
Please find the following events happening in our community:
