Natanya Milner – Head of Primary

Health Department advice

As mentioned by Mr Watt, we continue to follow advice from the NSW Health Department in relation to COVID-19 related guidelines. Based upon this, it would be advisable not to travel to Victoria these holidays and in particular, not to visit any of the identified ‘outbreak areas’. At this stage, this includes Keilor Downs, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Maidstone, Hallam, Broadmeadows, Brunswick West, Faekner, Reservoir and Pakenham. We ask that you continue to check for any suburbs identified as we will continue to follow the Health Department advice.  

A request for assistance from The Indigenous Literacy Foundation

One of our good friends from Jilkminggan works for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). They are regularly sending books and resources to support Aboriginal students to learn to read and write. The ILF is looking to source containers such as plastic tubs, to store and send the books in. Currently they are using items from retail stores and are wondering if anyone in our community makes or has connections with a company that could assist them. The containers they are currently using are 35x25x15cm and 30x20x40cm.

Please feel free to email me if you may be able to assist.

A unique term in review

I’m not sure how to even begin to review this past term. It has been amongst the strangest of my professional life and has highlighted some important messages that I have valued the opportunity to notice and reflect upon. 

The staff has begun meeting to discuss what we have learnt over this time and what we would like to consider as areas for change. This may include things we would like to introduce, cancel or adjust – both smaller, logistical considerations as well as significant shifts in the way we work with our children. We are excited to make the most of this unusual learning opportunity and will communicate these with you in the coming months.

I thought I would share some of my general insights:

Adaptability: An overwhelming message from this experience is that people are incredibly adaptable. Rapid change can be confronting and exhausting as well as exhilarating and fulfilling. Whilst it isn’t the mode we would like to work in all day everyday, it has certainly taught us that when we dive in, commit and persevere, significant shifts are possible in short timeframes.

Independence building: I have been so impressed with how the children have managed the additional expectations in terms of independence and responsibility. Whether it was online learning or even GWTF, our students remained impressive in the way they approached tasks, tried their best and often attempted things that they would not normally do at their age. It has been a wonderful reminder that if we provide them with ‘safe stretches’ they will often make the largest leaps forward. 

Collaboration: This time has allowed me to see the power of collaboration and teamwork. Our teams have worked together extraordinarily well to ensure the smoothest possible transitions. Each step was too big to be taken by individuals alone yet in teams, our teachers, parents and students managed to achieve incredible results.

Connection: Whilst I thought that as a community, everyone managed incredibly well, this term has also highlighted the importance of connection. Our teachers could not wait to return to campus and work with the children in their classrooms. I suspect many of our parents couldn’t wait too! The joy that we have felt as we have returned to activities that we previously considered ‘standard’ or ‘normal’ has been heartwarming. I know that I have loved every minute of my teaching this term and it has reminded me how lucky we are to have the best jobs in the world!

Virtual Flash Mob

I would like to thank the amazing Virtual Flash Mob team for their collaborative effort to create the Flash Mob Masterpiece. Despite my inability to perform my role to the expected standard (it will become plainly obvious if you watch the clip…it is very hard to say no to our children and they kept making me re-shoot until I complied), everyone else was fantastic and has created a lovely memory of the time of home learning and returning to school.

A huge thank you to Renee Segal who has been the mastermind behind the project. She dreamt it up, pulled the team together and made it happen. She was ably assisted by Drishti Nanwani, our Innovation Leader, Stuart Taylor and Mat Rabenda, our PE teachers; Eamon Lukins, our Year 6 Leadership Mentor and Stacey Rosenfeld, helper in all things.

The amazing Year 6 student team included the IT Leaders, Madrichim and House Captains. Particular thanks goes to the IT leaders; Ezra Glover-Sanders, Lia McLellan, Noa Rosenzveig, Jacob Solomon, Ben Vernik, Noah Vexler and Dylan Vitek as well as some of the Madrichim and House Captains including; Jemma Adler, Joey Becker, Lia Brock, Emma Butt, Orlando Gien, Amelie Mueller, Gemma Odes, Charlie Roth, Toni Sher and Jessica Smith. Of course – thank you to all the families who contributed clips too!

Please see the student report later in this Ma Nishma and look out for an email with the final version. I’m sure you’ll be as impressed as I am.

Term 3 information

We look forward to welcoming students back to school for Term 3 on Tuesday 21 July 2020.

Timing: From this date, our school hours return to 8.20 am – 3.30 pm. We ask for all children to be dropped off by 8.15 am so they are able to be ready for an 8.20 am start. We also encourage families to continue to use GWTF in order to keep the traffic moving at these peak times.

School life and learning: We hope and look forward to a full term of learning on campus. We aim for next term to begin with almost all regular activities up and running, including extra-curricular offerings. At this stage, we are looking to schedule our Years 3 – 6 Athletics carnival for early next term as we believe that the ASISSA carnival is also likely to be rescheduled for Term 3 (27 August 2020). Based upon current advice, we intend for choirs and all ensembles to begin again. At this stage, we are still awaiting advice that allows for our usual assemblies and for parents to be able to come on campus, other than in exceptional circumstances. We will no longer be doing temperature checks each morning when people enter campus. Years 3-5 camp will be decided upon with the campsite operators at the beginning of next term. Preparation for the musical begins in Term 3 and we are planning as though this will be happening as expected in November. The limiting factor that will require assessment is the audience size based on physical distancing regulations at the time. Just a reminder that the musical is a compulsory school event that takes place out of school hours.

Please diarise: Sunday 15 November 2020 (4.00 pm show), Monday 16 November 2020 (6.00 pm show) and Tuesday 17 November 2020 (6.00 pm show) to ensure all Years K – 6 students are available at these times.

Uniform: Students will continue to wear winter uniform for Term 3. I would like to remind parents about some of our uniform rules that could do with a little tightening up. Students can wear either shorts or pants with grey socks and skirts/tunics with either black tights or white socks. Students are not to wear leggings and socks under their uniforms. Students are asked to wear products from our uniform shop. General maroon/grey clothing items from other stores are not a part of our uniform. Please look under the uniform tab on the parent portal for further information.

Holidays

I wish you all well for the upcoming holidays. Hopefully this will be a time for our children and families to ‘sharpen the saw’. Whether you are spending time with family and friends, exploring out and about or inside reading a book, we hope you are able to rejuvenate. Take care and stay safe.