Castle Hill Public School

NEWSLETTER Les Shore Place, Castle Hill NSW 2154 Phone: 9634 3777 Fax: 9899 6845

Email: castlehill-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Webpage: castlehill-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

April 08, 2020

Without doubt, Term 1 2020 has been an extraordinary one. I trust that you and your families continue to be healthy and safe as you are reading this message.

I want to again acknowledge our teaching and administrative staff who have worked collaboratively so incredibly hard to try and ensure that the impact of COVID-19 on our students’ learning is minimised.

Thank you to the many families (over 550 in total) who responded to the survey regarding our implementation of on-line learning. We have considered the issues raised and are in the process of modifying the delivery of some of our content to best suit our families. We will send a response to all parents regarding the feedback that we have received via the class parent network, and Seesaw, tomorrow.

You will start to notice some changes in our delivery of on-line learning in the first week of next term.

A reminder that we have produced a ‘CHPS Tips and Tricks’ presentation that we hope will support parents and students in completing learning tasks via Seesaw. You can access this presentation by following either of the following links:

https://tinyurl.com/te2x7zo

https://sway.office.com/5q2pbwhhkjA3aJj1?ref=Link

As well as setting tasks and providing feedback to students, teachers are also marking class rolls each day. As previously communicated, where students are engaged in their learning via Seesaw on a given day, they are granted flexible leave. If the teacher cannot see that your child has engaged with their learning tasks on any given day, without a parent explanation, they will be marked as absent. If your child is unwell, we do not expect them to attempt tasks. Please contact the school via Skoolbag to inform us if your child is unwell and they will be granted sick leave.

For your information, the Department has made a range of resources available to parents to assist with on-line learning from home. Visit

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-from-home/advice-to-parents-and-carers for further details.

Term 1 concludes tomorrow (Thursday 9 April) and will re-commence for students on Tuesday 28 April. Our on-line learning programs will continue on this date and although we have no direct advice as yet, I expect that we will continue to deliver lessons in this way for at least the majority, if not the entirety, of Term 2.

Wednesday April 08 P&C Meeting 7.00pm TONIGHT Via Zoom castlehillpublicschool@pandcaffilate.org.au

Thursday April 9 Anzac Day Ceremony CANCELLED

Last Day Term 1

Assemblies are cancelled. We will notify you of any changes when they occur.

WHAT’S ON

SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

PBL Fortnightly Expectation Focus

Term 1 Weeks 9, 10 & 11 Respect

Take pride in yourself and your school.

Thank you again for your support and co-operation during this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher, Mrs Kohary, Miss Machuca or myself if we can be of assistance. Please take care and look after yourself and your family over the holiday break.

Staff News

Congratulations to Miss Brown and Mrs Allen who have both been appointed to Castle Hill Public School as permanent teachers following recent merit selection processes.

Craig Oliver – Principal Craig.oliver@det.nsw.edu.au

Skoolbag – Have you changed your subscription settings?

With the new year beginning and changes to the school year, many families are often worried about not receiving important messages now that their child is in a new grade.

Follow the steps below to ensure you don’t miss out on key dates and information.

Once you have opened the app, select the tab marked GROUPS and select your child’s grade.

If you are new to our school, you can download the free app by following these steps:

Mrs Alex Kohary and Miss Danielle Machuca

Deputy Principals

News from School Counsellors This week we are including some information that has been provided to us by the Dept of Education School Counselling Team.

This is a list of different apps which are resources that you can use to support you while everyone is learning at home.

There are places you can call if you need support and to talk to someone, some apps that children can use to help them stay calm, other apps if you need information.

Information given includes websites and contact details.

Also remember, if you wish to speak with one of the School Counsellors, just contact the school office and they will help you.

We will be in touch next term.

Best wishes

Pat Young and Hannah Johnson

Resources for Families During Remote

Learning

If you or your child needs to talk to someone…

Name About Phone Online

Kids Help Line

For anyone 25 or under

Kids Helpline is a free, private and confidential 24/7 phone

and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Webchat 24/7 https://kidshelpline.com.a

u/get-help/webchat- counselling

1800 55 1800

24/7

Lifeline

For all ages - 24-hour crisis support telephone service. Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis

support and suicide prevention services.

CALL: 13 11 14 24/7

TEXT: 0477 131114

6:00PM - Midnight

Crisis Support Chat 7:00PM – Midnight

https://www.lifeline.org.au

/get-help/online- services/crisis-chat

Suicide Call Back Service

A nationwide service that provides 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people who are affected by suicide,

experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide

1300 659 467

24/7

Online Chat 24/7 Video Chat 24/7

https://www.suicidecallba ckservice.org.au/

Youth Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible

mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.

Chat Online 3:00PM - Midnight

https://www.youthbeyond blue.com/

1300 22 4636

24/7

SANE Australia

SANE Australia supports people living with complex

mental health issues and the people that care about them

1800 187 263

10:00AM – 10:00PM

Webchat

10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

https://www.sane.org/abo ut-sane

Headspace

eheadspace provides free online and telephone

support and counselling to young people 12 - 25 and their families and friends.

N/A

Group Chat 24/7 1 on 1 Chat 9AM -

1AM

https://headspace.org.au/ eheadspace/

QLife QLife provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and

referral for people wanting to talking about sexuality,

identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships

1800 184 527

3PM - Midnight

Webchat 3PM – Midnight

https://www.qlife.org.au/re sources/chat

1800RESPECT

Confidential information, counselling and support

service, open 24 hours to support people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse

1800 737 732

24/7

Interpreter: 13 14 50

Online Chat 24/7 https://chat.1800respect.o

rg.au/#/welcome

Carers NSW

Carer Line offer emotional support, referrals and

distribute carer specific resources and information to

carers and community members

1800 242 636

9AM – 5PM

Monday - Friday

http://www.carersnsw.org. au/how-we-

help/support/carer-line/

A mental health professional will answer

Mental Health Line

your call about mental health concerns for you or someone

you are concerned about, including children,

1800 011 511 24/7

https://www.health.nsw.go v.au/mentalhealth/Pages/ Mental-Health-Line.aspx

teens, adults and older people

Child Protection Helpline

13 21 11

https://reporter.childstory.

nsw.gov.au/s/mrg

If you are looking for an app to support you or your child…

Name About Website

Calm Harm

Calm Harm provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can add your own

tasks too and it's completely private and password protected.

Free

App Store Google Play

Clear Fear

The fear of threat, or anxiety, is like a strong gust of wind. It drags you in and makes you want to fight it or

run away.

Instead, face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat

as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions.

Free

App Store Google Play

ReachOut Worry Time

ReachOut WorryTime interrupts repetitive thinking by setting aside your worries until later, so you don't get caught up in them and can get on with your day. This means you can deal with worries once a day, rather

than carrying them around with you 24/7

Free

App Store

ReachOut Breathe

ReachOut Breathe helps you reduce the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety by slowing down your

breathing and your heart rate with your iPhone

Free

App Store

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a meditation app for young people. It has been developed by a team of psychologists and

uses mindfulness to boost calmness, contentment and clarity. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to help

manage stress, resilience, anxiety, depression and improve general health and wellbeing.

Free

App Store Google Play

WellMind

WellMind is designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression. The app includes advice, tips and tools

to improve your mental health and boost your wellbeing.

Free

App Store Google Play

If you are seeking additional information…

Name About Website

ReachOut

Our mission is to deliver innovative e-mental health services that enable young people to take control of

their mental health and wellbeing.

https://au.reachout.com/

Black Dog Institute

Primary areas of mental health research and treatment include: depression, bipolar disorder, post- traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, workplace mental health, adolescents and young people, suicide prevention, e-mental health, and positive psychology and wellbeing.

https://www.blackdoginstit

ute.org.au/

If you are looking for online support…

Name About Website

The BRAVE Program

BRAVE-ONLINE is an evidence- based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

available online to help children (8-12) and teenagers (13-

17) cope with anxiety

https://www.brave-online.com/

Smiling Mind

Online and app-based program to

improve wellbeing of young people through mindfulness meditation.

https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

We hope you have enjoyed receiving information about different activities you can do at home this term.

Keep looking back in this spot next term for more exciting activities you might like to join in on while at home.

If you’d like some puzzles for over the holiday break, check out www.brainbashers.com

Week 11 Solution:

-r-g = frog -o-t-i-e = tortoise -n-k- = snake -e-t = newt -i-a-d = lizard -r-c-d-l- = crocodile -a-a-a-d-r = salamander -u-t-e = turtle -k-n- = skink a-l-g-t-r = alligator

Badgers rarely eat any more. The initial letters of the words spell BREAM, a fish. The other sentences all spell birds.

SWAN - Sam wanted another newt. EAGLE - Every artistic giraffe likes elephants. * BREAM - Badgers rapidly excavate a mound. WREN - Wild rabbits enjoy nature. DUCK - Dale understood cute kittens. CRANE - Casual restless aardvarks need exercise.

Amanda Hobbs Coordinator

Websites and Apps to Help Students with Reading and Writing their School Tasks

For Support with Reading and Writing:

For with help reading: Try the free app: Speechify. Use it to have the text or your internet pages read to you. Speechify: Turns anything into an audio file for free: https://www.getspeechify.com/

For help with writing/editing: Use the computer and a Word document so that you can use the spelling and grammar checker under ‘Review’. Also try the ‘Read Aloud’ button to have your writing read back to you to see if it makes sense.

For help translating written information: Use Microsoft Translator App. This will allow parents and students to take a photo of assignments or school letters and immediately and accurately translate them to dozens of languages:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-translator/id1018949559

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.translator&hl=en

For Support with Mathematics:

For help with mathematical definitions, problem solving strategies and mathematical explanations visit Photomath at https://photomath.net/en/plus

Operation Art

Thank you to all of those Operation Art students who have already returned their notes and artworks. I understand that there are some students who have still not brought in their artworks to school, due to concerns about COVID-19. If those students would still like to be involved with Operation Art, their artworks may be dropped off to the front office by TOMORROW Thursday April 9.

The normal whole school selection process is no longer available as our annual school Operation Art gallery can no longer go ahead as planned. There will be more information to come on how the 4 artworks will be chosen and when the artworks can be displayed for our school.

The 4 chosen artworks will now be displayed in an online exhibition for the 2020 Operation Art Exhibition.

Thank you for your cooperation and my apologies for the changes.

Miss Halford

For help understanding your Mathletics tasks at https://login.mathletics.com/. When working on a Mathletics task, use the ‘i’ icon on the right-hand side of the screen to watch a video explaining the concept.

The Castle Hill Public School cross country carnival due to be held in Term 2 has been cancelled.

At the current time, the winter PSSA sport season has been postponed but not cancelled. We are awaiting further information from CHPSSA as to if and when the season will commence. Some suggestion has been there may be opportunity to have winter PSSA in Term 3, 2020. Of course, that is pending future developments around home schooling.

Please continue to read the newsletter for announcements about school sport over the coming months.

Troy Gibbs PSSA Sport Coordinator

Canteen Information

As instructed by the Department of Education the Canteen will be closed until further notice.

Online Ordering

The Uniform Shop will be open for online orders through flexischool, all orders will be filled when the Department of Education lifts restrictions.

Sharyn Haggar

Uniform Shop Manager