Andrew Watt – Principal

Welcome back

On Monday, we will be warmly welcoming back students from Kindergarten, Years 1 and 2 (half the cohort each day) and Year 12.  By the end of the following week, each Year group will have enjoyed some time at school, with approximately 55 – 60% of students attending each day, as we ease back towards full attendance. Siblings of students attending school on their assigned day(s) can join the children of essential services workers in our MPH, by registering in advance. We are very much looking forward to a return to normal school services. In the meantime, we can protect each other by following our prescribed protocols for drop off, collection, maintaining physical distancing (where practicable) and not sending your child to school if they have  any signs or symptoms. For our part, we will maintain a rigorous, daily (and during the day) cleaning regime, take temperatures as students and staff arrive at the School, and establish hand washing and hand sanitising routines.

Reflecting on the silver linings of home isolation

The COVID-19 pandemic followed fast on the heels of a nightmare bushfire season and we suddenly found our movements restricted, as we entered home isolation. Whilst we have faced significant financial and health problems, it has not been all ‘gloom and doom’. As we gradually emerge from our homes and back to school, there is much to be learned from our common experience. I have shared my reflections on the positive aspects of a sustained period of time at home below:

1. Having more time on our hands can help us to slow down and ‘smell the roses’ – providing a break from our often-frenetic pace of life. Sleep-ins, reading and relaxing all reduce the pace of our life and do wonders for our stress levels;
2. Engaging with our families at a more intimate level becomes possible, as we live closely together during both day and night. Families have been creative in organising board games, jigsaws, exercise or sport in the back garden and cooking. Doing things together, sharing the spaces and experiences, can result in special moments together;
3. Pets have thrived, enjoying the round-the-clock attention, as families fuss over them at home and/or incorporate them into their exercise regime;
4. New entertainments have emerged, with home videos going viral.  Tik-Tok and virtual fitness regimes have been especially popular;
5. Long-abandoned hobbies, such as playing a musical instrument, arts and crafts or completing home improvement projects, have come to the fore and our homes and gardens have never looked better;
6. Cost savings have been significant, as we have eaten out less, travelled less and shopped less. These savings have become very important for those families who are experiencing the financial stress of underemployment or unemployment; and
7. For some, friendships and relationships with extended family have been valued more highly and pursued on a more frequent level, as we have slowed down and reflected on what is important to us. For some, staying in touch virtually has been more convenient and time effective.

Go with the flow (GWFT) procedures 

Go With The Flow (GWTF) procedures will not change with the return of students in Week 4. We would however like to remind you of a few important aspects of GWTF that will ensure the smooth and successful running of this part of the school day:

• All Primary students will be collected using the GWTF system unless they are taking the bus.
  • Parents are asked to remain off-campus for the first phase of our return. 
• Parents can collect their children by walking to school and being at GWTF in person or by driving to GWTF.
  • If walking: please remain at the designated area by the Avoca Street gate.
  • If driving: Please remain in your car while waiting in the queue on Avoca Street.
• When you enter the Parental Pick Up Zone staff members will be waiting to call out your child’s name/family name via radio to the supervising staff inside the gate where your child will be waiting.
  • So that the staff know who you are collecting please help by:
    • Displaying your school issued GWTF card, showing your family name/child’s name on your windscreen (cards were issued by the School to those families if you have used this system in the past). 
    • If you have not been issued a GWTF card, please create your own by writing your child/ren’s full names in large, bold letters on a piece of paper.
  • Again, please remain in your car during this time to ensure everyone’s safety and a consistent flow of traffic and people.
• Once your child has been called he/she will make their way to your vehicle and will be assisted by the staff as needed.
  • Children will be encouraged to quickly and safely get into your vehicle and put their seatbelts on.
  • Please be mindful that you may need to move down in the queue while your child makes his/her way to your vehicle so that we can keep the flow going.
• Once your child is safely in your vehicle please depart the queue as to not disrupt the flow.
• We have increased the number of staff involved to support the students using GWTF at the end of each school day during Weeks 4 – 6.

COVID-19

A reminder to parents that if anyone in the family tests positive to COVID-19 (coronavirus), all members of the family should stay home until cleared. Parents are also asked to keep their children at home if they have any symptoms. Students presenting at school with any symptoms of illness will be sent home as a precaution at this stage.

Festival of Shavu’ot

Shavu’ot will be celebrated on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 May this year. The day before Shavu’ot, we would usually take time out of class to celebrate together as one community. This year, as our students are not all together, we look forward to celebrating and learning about the Festival in our Jewish Studies and Hebrew classes (onsite or via Zoom sessions).  

Given that students are coming to school for a limited amount of time, we would prefer not to change the schedule for the day. In keeping with our policy of ending school activities an hour before Shabbat or a festival, school will close at 2.50 pm on Thursday 28 May.

Mother’s Day video

Instead of our usual Mother’s Day breakfast, together with the Parents and Friends we collected photos from parents celebrating the day with their children. Thank you to Kira Friedman from our Marketing and Communications Department who crafted a gorgeous video from them.  To view click here.

Mazal tov

Year 10 students, Benjamin Cohen, Jesse Herdan, Joshua Moses and Jarah Weinstein, are taking part in the Push-up Challenge to raise money for Headspace, an organisation which focuses on mental health and wellbeing of young Australians. The boys have committed to each completing 3,046 push-ups for the 3,046 lives lost in Australia in 2018 due to mental health issues. If you would like to support their fundraising efforts, visit their donations page. I look forward to hearing of their progress.

Quote of the week

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai