Lidcombe Public School Mills Street Phone: 9649 7576 Lidcombe 2141

The

Email:lidcombe-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website:www.lidcombe-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

“A dynamic innovative school always moving forward”.

Issue 6/2020 7 May 2020

DATES TO REMEMBER

TERM 2

27 & 28..04.20 Staff Development Days

29.04.20 First day for students / Online Learning

11.5.20 Online learning day for all students

12.5.20 1 day a week return for Tuesday allocated students – online learning for all others

13.5.20 1 day a week return for Wednesday allocated students – online learning for all others

14.5.20 1 day a week return for Thursday allocated students – online learning for all others

15.05.20 Online learning day for all students

ADVANCED NOTICE

8.06.20 Queen’s Birthday Holiday (Monday Week 7)

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Be Safe – Stay at Home I want to re-iterate what I said in my video on Facebook over the last weekend, which in fact, re-iterates the NSW Government’s position at this very point in time. The safest place for your child(ren) to be is at home. If you are a parent, or one of the parents is able to be at home, that is where your child should be. This week, those restrictions have been in place, yet we saw 87 students on Monday, 106 on Tuesday, 100 on Wednesday and 100 today (Thursday). As the leader of this school community, I ask – Are we being safe enough ? I suppose what people aren’t considering at the moment is the safety of all people in our community, especially grandparents, rather thinking, “Oh it is hard for me, so I will send my kids to school”. The fact

is despite what level of restrictions we are at, if someone within our school community has contracted Coronavirus, the whole school shuts down for days or weeks, and then no-one will be able to come to school at all. Yes, there are children attending now, but I know at least 30 of those students have parents working in priority jobs – the school is open for families in this situation. But if you are able to stay at home, you should keep your kids there too. The below picture explains it well (Included in much bigger fashion later in the newsletter), and I presented this picture in my video on the weekend, but in a nutshell: *We are currently in Phase 0 – keep your children at home if you are at home

*Starting next week, we will enter Phase 1 – children attend school 1 day a week, and if a parent is at home, they should stay at home for 4 days. *Soon after, we will enter Phase 2 – children attend school 2 days a week, and stay at home 3 days, if a parent is at home. *Eventually we will get to Phase 3, every child comes to school 5 days a week – no external people will be allowed onto the school grounds. *And finally, Phase 4 – back to normal.

Next week presents unusual challenges for our school, in that each student can come to school for one day. Social distancing at this time tells us we can only have a third of a class at a time, which is why we are sending out a roster, detailing what day your child can come to school. Of course though, that should mean that your child(ren) should stay at home from next week for 4 days. In all honesty, no-one wants everything to return to normal more than I do. I want our students to be back enjoying school life and interacting with their friends and teachers – that’s happy days for me – but in the meantime, we must be sensible and do things in a safe way, and that means abiding by the rules set down by the NSW Government. Last thing we want is a death within our community to Coronavirus. Please consider your position on this issue. As for reports, we still haven’t received further advice about this yet. For now, as a school, we will continue our very good work with online learning and provide our students with the very best of learning experiences and look forward to doing some instructional type activities when the students start coming one day a week next week (Week 3). We will also keep you all very informed as information comes to hand. I recognise your sacrifices and appreciate everything you are doing. Like I said in the last newsletter in Term 1 - Let’s consider this……this moment we are all part of, it’s living history. Our children are all part of this, and

it will be talked about for generations to come, maybe in the same breath as the Great Depression. Schools are offering minimal face to face teaching or are closing, sports and concerts are cancelled, people are quarantined……on a GLOBAL level. I think the best thing your children can do is to keep a journal over the next 5-10 weeks. Handwritten, typed, in photographs or drawings….record events, day to day activities, fears and feelings. Let them make a video journal if that’s the media they prefer. As parents, let them interview you, be part of it. When it’s all over, save or store it in a safe place for them. They then may want to keep it to show their children or grandchildren. Help them create a tangible, primary source of their own history. #Togetherwe’llgetthroughthis

Attendance The Department of Education provided further information about attendance this week.

All children are expected to complete learning activities set by their teacher. If work is completed as set by their teacher, students will be recorded as having completed work using the F (flexible timetable) mark.

For students returning hard copies of work, the time delay is taken into account when marking the roll. If after 7 calendar days there has been no advice from the parents, these absences should be recorded as an unexplained absence using the A (unjustified-unexplained) mark.

If a student does not participate in any learning activities set by their teacher and the parent/carer does not provide an explanation, absences will be recorded with an A mark.

If your child cannot complete work due to sickness please notify the school. The absences should be recorded using the S (sick) mark.

General information for parents How should I talk to my child about COVID-19?

You can help your child by remaining calm and reassuring them. Listen to your child and answer their questions as honestly as possible and correct any misunderstandings. This will help them feel informed and understand what is happening.

Stay up to date with the facts from reliable sources so you can keep conversations calm, considered, and constructive. Provide information in words that are appropriate to the age of your child.

Children can be distressed by hearing repeated stories so monitor how much your child is being exposed to

television and social media and encourage them to talk to you about what they are seeing and hearing.

Some practical advice

Some practical advice for your child includes reminding them to cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze (coughing into their elbow is a useful strategy), keep their hands clean by washing them regularly with soap and water, and avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth before washing their hands. These are easy habits for children to adopt, and should help them feel as though they're able to exert some control over their circumstances.

If your child must stay at home, it is important for your child to maintain a healthy lifestyle including proper diet, sleep, and social contact at home and by email and phone with family and friends.

Where can I get help?

Contact the school if you are concerned about your child's wellbeing to discuss the most appropriate support. You can also: call the National Coronavirus Health Information line (1800 020 080) go to the NSW Health COVID-19 website External link for the latest information and advice talk to your local GP or Community Health Centre.

Additional support services include: the school counselling service Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800 – www.kidshelpline.com.au Headspace - 1800 650 890 - headspace.org.au Parent Helpline - 1300 1300 52 Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636 Lifeline - 13 11 14.

Parent Information about Week 3 As you would be aware, I have sent an email to all parents on the newsletter email group, detailing the following information. Teachers have backed this up on SeeSaw and Google Classroom for their classes only, so your children know what’s going as well. Thank you to all of you that have adhered to the restrictions the NSW Government has put in place so far. We have been in Phase 0 - keeping your children home if a parent is at home, safest place to be. Next week, Week 3 (starting Monday 11 May), we will be starting Phase 1 - children will attend school one day a week - meaning the other 4 days, they are meant to be at home, the safest place to be. If you (both

parents) work a priority one job (like nursing, teaching, some construction etc) you can send your child(ren) to school, but if there is someone to look after them at home, they should stay at home for the other 4 days next week. The days to attend will be Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - see attached lists. Monday and Friday will be online learning days. To be fair, this model is hard to staff, so if your child has someone to look after them at home, they should stay at home for the other 4 days. It is simply not fair to everyone in our school community if you don't comply with the restrictions. If someone is diagnosed within our community with Coronavirus, I have to shut the whole school down. Then nobody can come to school. And it depends on how widespread the contact was that determines when we will re-open, that could be weeks. Then I have to think about the safety of: *Students and their families *Staff and their families *Extended family members of students and staff, especially older ones. Anyone over 70 is a 'high risk'. My Mum is in this bracket - can you see how widespread our school community can be ??? You all need to think about your actions carefully before you send your children to school. This is an early heads up so you are aware of what is happening for next week. Firstly, we have tried our best to accommodate families. Unfortunately, it was logistically impossible to arrange all our families so that siblings could attend on the same day. It was my decision and to make it work, we accommodated those families with 3 children or more. If you have 2 children, they may be coming on two separate days - that's just the way it has to be. Ordinarily, you would have to bring them to school every day, the difference is for the time being, you pack both kids into the car, drop one off one day, and the other off the next day. Sorry, but we tried our absolute best. Secondly, I attached the Class Lists to the parent email - it is an Excel document so locate the class tabs at the bottom of the document to locate your child's class, click on it to reveal the days in which those class members are invited to school. This will not change as there has been too much organisation that has gone into it to change it now. Plus it shouldn't matter what day it is as normally, they would have to come to school every day. DO NOT SHARE this information. I'm trusting you to look at this document to see when your child(ren) are coming to school. Quite frankly, it is none of your business when others are coming. *We have selected Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as the days the children will come. They will be coming

along with approximately one third of the class. We will be exercising social distancing at the same time. *Teachers will be sharing their own class list on Google Classroom and SeeSaw. Please get them to indicate they are aware of their day to the teacher so we don't have to spend time calling those who don't let us know. *Parents will still NOT be allowed to come into the school. To keep everyone as safe as possible, we will strictly adhere to the guidelines set down by the NSW Government and the NSW Department of Education. This will not be lifted until everything returns to normal in Phase 4. Pick up points will be as follows:

Kindergarten take their classes to the double gate near the office to dismiss them

Year 1 go to the pool gate entrance on Mills Street

Year 2 and Special Ed go to the pedestrian gate on Doodson Ave (near Basketball Court)

Years 3 to 6 will be OK to find their parents outside the school

*I have contacted our canteen ladies and they will be working half days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, so lunch is available for B1 only. Please support the canteen during this time, as a small business they have found this period very tough. *Lining Up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be:

Kindergarten, Stage 1 and K/6S under the new building COLA

Stage 2 and 3/6R under the Canteen COLA Stage 3 under the Sails Asphalt area K/6E - parents will drop them straight to the

classroom – see picture below (after B1 & B2 they'll join the K-2 area)

*Booklets should come in next week when they visit, so please ensure your child(ren) brings it in on their day. That way, with proof of work either online or in these booklets, we can mark your child as F for 'Flexible attendance' in the rolls. No evidence of work and they will be marked an A for 'Unexplained Absence'. You will also need to be aware that I have a few teachers on staff who are considered to be a "High Risk" when it comes to Coronavirus, and can't come back until it is safe to do so. Therefore, Mrs Hudson (KP), Mrs Kim (KD), Miss Polman (1W), Miss T Duong (2M), Mrs Ranasinghe (3B), Mrs Chau (4C), as well as Mrs Tokyurek (Turkish), Mrs Ebelt and Mrs Tarpis (Teacher's Aides), Mrs Corkery (Learning & Support and Mrs De Bono (Counsellor). The teachers of the classes will dial into the classrooms via Zoom to lead with the Instructional sessions we have planned on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Replacing those teachers physically at school on those days will be Mrs Peach (KP), Miss Jin (KD), Mrs Nam (1W), Miss J Duong 2M - happens to be our Miss T Duong's sister), Ms Morgan (3B and Mrs Robinson (4C). In fact, and because of this situation, Mrs Hudson won't be back on KP this year as she is heavily pregnant, so Mrs Olivia Peach will be KP's teacher for the remainder of the year. She comes from the Queensland Education system, where she was an Assistant Principal, so we are lucky to get someone so skilled. We wish Mrs Hudson all the best with the impending birth of her second child. I'm very worried about our numbers next week, particularly when it comes to the few parents who are ignoring the restrictions and my direction when it comes to the safest thing to do. There's a lot I can't predict what will happen, but hopefully, everyone will adhere to the restrictions and I will be less stressed. I need to add that the teachers and I are putting in a lot of hours in order to provide the learning and feedback for your children. Again, it is much more than other schools are doing, and I am in awe of what they have been able to achieve. During this time in Week 3, they will work even harder, teaching at school, whilst also accruing all the online work during that time and marking it. This is effectively double time for the teachers. Your support is valued and appreciated.

P&C Meeting We would like to hold a P&C Meeting but obviously, we can’t gather in a meeting, and current legislation suggests it is illegal to use Zoom to hold our meeting remotely. The Minister is looking into it, hoping to change this legislation, so fingers crossed we will be able to meet in some capacity soon. We miss you !

Wonderful gesture – let’s make it happen ! Young Stephani from Year 6 would like our students to show that we care about our community by writing a letter to our elderly people in Nursing Homes. At the moment, Nursing Home’s are in lockdown and what better way to brighten someone’s day, by writing them a positive letter, letting them know that there are people out there that care about them. It would be great if some of clever students could write their letter in their own language like Mandarin, Arabic, Turkish or Korean as some of the elderly residents at the Nursing Home don’t speak English. Stephani’s plea appears below (and later in the newsletter as a much bigger picture). We are so proud of you Stephani for thinking of this initiative. Let’s get onto it Lidcombe !!!

Fitness sessions I have been pleasantly surprised with how popular these fitness sessions are becoming whilst we are in lockdown. I’m seeing plenty of families get involved with these activities that certainly get the heart racing. The animal one last week proved to be a massive hit and apparently, the cause for a lot of

laughter as well. I will continue these videos but want to thank everyone out there, Mums and Dads included, for choosing to adopt a healthier lifestyle by participating with your children – it certainly makes it all a more powerful experience when we share it together !

Principal

SCHOOL TIMES

Students MUST NOT arrive at school before 8:30 am and must leave promptly at 3:00 pm

Parents are reminded that school supervision exists between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm. A Before and After School Care facility is provided on the school site for parents needing child minding. Contact 9749 2817 after school hours for further details.

Leaving students unsupervised on school grounds has legal implications for both the school and parents.

Access to the school is only possible via the pedestrian gate near the sandpit (Mills Street) during school hours. All visitors must report to the school office. Unauthorised persons on school premises are considered to be trespassing and will be reported to the police.

SMOKING IS PROHIBITED ON SCHOOL PREMISES

Did you know???

For the safety of all students, toddlers and adults, please do not bring dogs into the school grounds, even on leashes. Some children have a genuine fear and it can be quite distressing for them as well as for parents, particularly those with very young children. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Under the Companion Animals Act

1998 No 87 (14.1.e), dogs are

prohibited in school grounds,

(whether or not they are leashed

or otherwise controlled).

HOW CAN I ORDER WINTER STOCK? With children starting to come back to school 1 day a week from next week and the weather slowly turning cooler we realise that parents will be wanting to purchase winter items for their children. While the Uniform Shop will not be reopening to the general public on its usual days for the time being, we are happy to fill orders and send them home with the children on the days that they are at school. To make this a relatively easy process we ask that you send your orders in one of the following ways:

. email your order to lidcombe-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au (please put Uniform Shop in the subject line);

. via the Facebook thread on the school’s FB page

. ring the office and place an order; or

. send orders in with your child on the day they are at school and place in marked letterbox outside the office. We will collect all orders and fill those we have received on a Wednesday and send them home with your child the next day they are in at school. Orders will not be sent home unless payment has been received. We take cash or cheque (please make payable to Lidcombe Public School P & C Association). Please make sure that you send the correct money to school with your child in an envelope clearly marked with their name and class. If you have placed your order via email, phone or FB, money can still be dropped off by your child into the marked letterbox. Please clearly show that you ordered online or by phone on the front of the envelope. PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to fill orders on an individual basis so please do not just come in to the office and try to purchase on the spot. Thanks for your cooperation in this. I have attached a copy of the order form below for your information.