Edition 5, April 24th, 2020

Welcome To Our Day Our morning check in circles have changed shape. While we miss everyone sitting in the circle for the first few moments of the day, we are seeing some positive and enthusiastic check-ins from around the Heywood area. We’ve met cats, dogs and cows as students have welcomed us into their day. We’ve “joined” our students at kitchen tables, student desks and even in the paddock, as students adjust to our new routines. These check-ins are important for students to remain connected to school and to their teachers. At the moment, school attendance is recorded based on engagement and connection. The morning check in, submission of work online or asking questions online are the two key contributors to recording “attendance”. Check-in at HeyCon can also be done via text to the school mobile 0417 271 297 or by phoning the school (03) 5527 1200. Check-in should be done each morning.

Heywood & District Secondary College

PO Box 180

Heywood VIC 3304

Ph: 5527 1303

Email: heywood.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au

www. heywoodsc.vic.edu.au

School Council President: Kathy Gray

Heywood Consolidated School

PO Box 21

Heywood VIC 3304

Ph: 5527 1200

Email: heywood.cs@edumail.vic.gov.au

www.heywoodconsolidated.vic.edu.au

School Council President: Anja Croft

The fortnightly combined newsletter of Heywood Consolidated School and Heywood & District Secondary College

We have begun our learning in a new and exciting format and I thank you for your commitment and patience while we work through the challenges of remote learning.

All of our teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that all students receive the same instruction either through online learning or hard copy. We have implemented four key actions to ensure students can maintain their learning. 1. Using Seesaw in all classes to record introduction

lessons and explanation. 2. Contacting students by phone or email several

times per week. 3. Supporting families who, under Stage 3

restrictions, are essential workers. 4. Consideration of internet connectivity issues when

preparing lessons and using hard copy support materials.

We do not wish to burden our parents with the teaching of curriculum but rather the supervision of completing our worksheets. Please do not complete the work for your child. If they have a question or are not sure what to do, then please make contact with their teacher via Seesaw, phone or email during school hours. There are four staff members on site each day, with two staff allocated the care and supervision of our on-site students. We will make every effort to return your call or email but sometimes it may take us a little longer than normal. Congratulations to Ann Hawker who has taken up the position of Acting Principal at Dartmoor Primary School. And welcome back to Kristen Cram as our Year 6 teacher. I wish you all a safe learning fortnight and I am looking forward to getting back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible. Jodi May, Principal, HeyCon

I would like to start with a big thank you to our families for embracing Remote Learning and working through issues you are having. Staff, teachers and support staff have been working very hard, at the end of last Term, over the holidays and on our return to school ensuring that our students have resources, support and work that they can complete at home. On-line Learning Our staff are using a mixture of Google Classrooms and WebEx to communicate with their students. Both of these are supported by the Education Department and are safe for your children to use. It is always important that you check on what your children are using, what they are opening up on the web and who they are talking to! Work can be shared between the student and teachers through these platforms as well. If you are unable to access the internet, due to connectivity or technology issues, please let the school know. Ebony, Marg and Linda are printing work packages for students to complete. Staff Contact Your child’s Home Group leader and teachers will be in touch with you and your children on a regular basis. Home Group leaders will start by contacting you to gain permission to speak to your child, they will tell you what they will chat about and can also speak with you on a regular basis if you wish. If your child needs to contact their teacher they can do so through XUNO or by calling the school. We will then email the teacher asking them to contact you. Please remember that staff have been asked to turn off their personal phone ID. It will therefore come up as “No Caller ID” when they ring. For wellbeing concerns please contact Tania on 0408 115 100. Where to get information and support We have our new website up and running. Under the ‘Our Curriculum’ tab there is a remote learning tab with lots of information for families and students. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram for updates also. Kelly Webster, Principal, HDSC

From The Principals

Child Safety

Heywood and District Secondary College and Heywood Consolidated School consider the safety of children as being of paramount importance.

Both schools have zero tolerance of child abuse.

Year 7 Humanities During Term 1 our class has been learning about the field of Archaeology and how important their role is in the study of ancient history. Towards the end of Term 1, the students were given the task of writing a journal entry to recount, on a fictitious day, work on an archaeological dig site. At right is an archaeological dig site from Pompei. Below are extracts of the reflections of two of our students. “Just got back home from a hard-working day at the dig site. The Archaeologist team is excavating a city that was destroyed in a war. I’m feeling very tired, but excited of my day’s work. At work I used the brush and trowels to uncover objects. We use a brush and trowel so that we don’t break anything delicate. Today we discovered a range of objects that are thought to be either tools or bones.” Written by Saige Bell “Today all I did was cart dirt out of a hole. Once I finished the others could dig further down. We were hoping to find old parts of a building, glass, coins, guns and lots more. Once the dirt had been removed, a person began sifting through it to see if there was anything else. I can’t wait for tomorrow to see what else we can find. My back feels like it’s snapped in half!“ Written by Malakai Walsh-Bannam Mr Prevett

Literacy at Home Learning at home has many challenges. All students at Heywood Consolidated School can read. It just depends on what you refer to as reading. Some students will be about to read the words one by one, others will read the words using expression, others will read with phrasing (grouping the words into parts), some students will be reading by retelling the story based on the pictures, some will be finding letters on the page that they know the names or sounds for, etc. This proves that we are all at different stages of reading, let alone all the different readings that there are possible. However, the main purpose for reading is understanding. We need to be making sure that all our students read, but are also understanding what they read. If your child is retelling the story, ask them what their favourite part was and get them to tell you why. If you are reading the story to them, get them to tell you what a character was feeling.

If they are reading by themselves, get them to summarise the reading that they have just read in 4 sentences only (this is a good way of highlighting the main parts of the story). You could also try getting them to write a prediction about what may happen next (if your child is not writing, they could tell you what will happen next or what would happen in a different story about the same character). They could be making connections between the reading and themselves, their world knowledge or other books they have read. Junior students may wish to draw a picture about what happened in the story and you scribe the labels to explain what happened. It doesn’t matter what we do with reading, just as long as you are supporting reading. Remember we do it every day without even noticing, and it helps you learn in all areas of life. Ann Hawker, Learning Specialist, HeyCon

Assistant Principal Report Welcome back to a very different looking Term Two. I’m sure we will all be able to navigate through it, as we work together to support our students in providing the best possible remote learning program. I would also like to echo Kelly’s remarks in saying how wonderful it has been to hear the support from families and how students are engaging in learning. Attendance and engagement in learning Not being physically present at school is an unfortunate side effect of current circumstances. However, during this time there is an even greater emphasis that students engage in learning. With the transition to remote learning it is essential that students are up on time and ready to join classes either through remote learning, completing learning packs and or discussions with their teacher via email, phone calls or virtually. In line with Departmental guidelines, Heywood and District Secondary College is monitoring the attendance of all students by checking in with students on a daily basis. We encourage all students who are able to log in to contact their Period One teachers either by email, online or through XUNO messaging. Staff will also be contacting students on an ongoing basis to ensure students can access the work and to see if there are any concerns. We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students developing good learning habits – habits that are necessary to make sure remote learning is successful. Please continue to support your child by having those important ongoing discussions about their learning. Some tips for setting good learning habits • Get up early, exercise, get dressed and have breakfast before 8.30am each day . • Set up a space in the house (outside of your bedroom if possible) that is quiet. • Have a drink bottle, note pad, headphones ready for online learning. • Reduce distractions, turn off your mobile phone or place it on silent and out of reach. • Take breaks, stretch, exercise, call a friend (it’s important to stay connected). • Move around, get some fresh air. • Have healthy snacks available, this helps keep your brain energised. Avoid high sugar and unhealthy snacks. Exercise Ideas Some simple exercise ideas are: go for a walk or run, stretch, do pilates, yoga, weights, skipping, star jumps, sit ups, push ups or squats. Remember, every day is an opportunity! Brenton Schintler, Assistant Principal, HDSC

Premiers’ Reading Challenge

“Everybody. Reading. Everyday” HeyCon students are all registered to participate and you should all have your usernames and passwords to log onto the website. Go to: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/prc/Pages/getregistered.aspx and you will find all sorts of information. If you are having some trouble logging on, there are some instructions with pictures on our SkoolBag App. Click on the box at the top right of the page, where the arrow is and it says Premiers’ Reading Challenge. This will take you to the login page. Log in your books and have a great time reading. If you have read through all the books that you have in your home then you might want to check out some online versions. Remember if you need any help email me: Jacqueline.Fox@education.vic.gov.au. Happy reading! Jacqui Fox

Remote Learning in 4/5L Remote learning is providing us all with some unique challenges at the moment. It’s different, and not at all what we are used to; but despite our nerves and a little apprehension I must say that we have adjusted our thinking to what learning looks, feels and sounds like very well. There has been universal support from our school community, which has enabled our school to provide learning opportunities for our students. Of course there have been some teething problems, but they are nothing that can’t be solved or addressed by having a conversation with us here at school. I know in 4/5L we are becoming familiar with the idea of asking questions, and it has changed the shape of what our remote learning looks, feels and sounds like. In the week that we have been working remotely there are some issues that have been raised among several families concerning the degree of difficulty of the work and that children have been refusing to do the work. As a parent, you are not expected to be the teacher. Please remember that your child’s teachers are teaching every day of the week and are used to adapting work on the spot. Of course, assist your child where possible, but if more support is needed then contact your child’s teacher and they will help. Children will sometimes pull the emotional card and refuse to do the work. Again, direct them to their classroom teacher, whether it be by message or email, request a call and your child’s teacher will talk and support the student. It is also worth keeping in mind that when things get tough (and they will occasionally) for both student and parent, that it is ok to take a break and walk away for a little bit. Take some time, step back and re-visit the learning later on. Above: Mia's home learning space reflects the school values. Nick Lipscombe, 4/5L Classroom Teacher

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Home Front I don’t know about you, but yesterday I did not feel like I was parenting well. In fact, I didn’t feel like I was doing anything well – all of the roles I fulfil in my life, and that of my family and friends, felt like they’d been blended together like one of those old spiral-bound flip books that have pictures of animals, split into three and I’d come out with a crocodile head, gorilla middle and chicken legs! I was not recognisable in any logical or purposeful and productive way. Living and working on a farm means we are incredibly blessed with beautiful space…in fact we have so much to be thankful for…which is why I feel so torn and guilty when I sometimes feel like our house has got smaller as we share our living area for school work (fulfilling my responsibility to keep my children safe online – devices out of the bedrooms!); when I am unable to do the work on the farm I normally do so my husband has to find ways of doing jobs single-handed, which takes longer (less family time) and is sometimes not as safe; when I feel that I am chained to indoors, even as I often unsuccessfully try to get ‘indoor jobs’ done whilst supporting my children’s learning; when I can’t express my care and love in practical ways to a dying friend with young kids; when I feel inadequate to deal with my children’s strain and stress as it sometimes overflows into behaviours and attitudes not previously ‘like them’. A lot of the things I find hard are indeed ‘first-world-problems’ and a good a dose of perspective sometimes assists with this BUT, we are all traversing unknown paths in many ways and our fears and anxieties need to be acknowledged and shared. The complicating factor is our usual fall-back position of sharing with friends or family in a natural, flowing, collective kind of manner has been upended. I would encourage everyone, parents, teachers, students – to make that connection a priority. Take care of each other. Anja Croft (HeyCon School Council President)

HeyCon Frequently Asked Questions

My child says the work is too hard Teachers are setting work that provides for a broad range of skills. If you find your child consistently saying the work is too hard there are several things you can try: 1. Allow them time to try to work it out – not all answers come immediately, 2. Have a go. 3. Talk to the teacher. Your child should communicate the issue to the teacher via

Seesaw, email or phone.

My child refuses to do the work when asked Learning at Home sets new dynamics within the family. Suddenly, parents are setting the guidelines and the classroom rules for learning. We should expect that some children will struggle with this for a while. If your child refuses to do the work, don’t lock into a battle. Give them a “brain break” – walk away, play a game, distract with another activity. Then try again. If they still refuse, send a message to the teacher or put a note against the work they won’t attempt. There is too much work For students in Foundation to Year 2, the focus should be on literacy, numeracy, play-based learning and physical activity. (literacy 45-60 mins; 45 mins for the other areas – these may include specialist topics) For students in Years 3-6, the focus is on literacy and numeracy with a broadening of understanding. (literacy 60 mins; numeracy 45 min; PE 30 min; other learning areas such as art, humanities etc 90 mins) If all the work is not completed don’t stress. Just let the teacher know when you return the work. Communication Most issues will be resolved by talking with the teachers using Seesaw, email or phone. A quick question might resolve hours of frustration. Also remember that one learning strategy does not always work for everyone. Avoid using social media to get answers on how to tackle a learning issue. Teachers are better placed to advise on how to get the best out of students. While class teachers can be contacted Mon-Fri between 9am-3.20pm, our specialist teachers are part time and only available some days. If you need to contact them please be patient – they will get back to you on their next day at school. Our specialist teachers are available: Art (Mrs Hodges) – Tuesday and Wednesday PE (Miss Siddall) – Wednesday and Thursday Music (Mrs Colliver) – Wednesday and Thursday Indonesian (Bu Shearwood) – Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday and Thursday

Laptops from Lions Do you have a laptop or iPad which you longer need? If so, you can donate it to Laptops from Lions. Take it to the Heywood Post Office during normal business hours where it will be cleared of data and refurbished then given to a local student in need. Any enquiries to Graeme Bond on 0417 106 707 or laptopsforlions@gmail.com.