Trundle Central School Newsletter · Ajax’s Weekly Woof Woof Woof Awards: 500 happy barks to all...
Transcript of Trundle Central School Newsletter · Ajax’s Weekly Woof Woof Woof Awards: 500 happy barks to all...
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
25th May 2020 Term 2 Week 5
Trundle Central School Newsletter A school that provides a
professional, stimulating and challenging learning
environment
Principal Mr John Southon
Head Teacher Secondary Mr Gerry Capell
Assistant Principal Mrs Fiona Sanderson
Reminders
P&C President
Vacant
Secretary Vacant
Treasurer Vacant
GUITARS—TERM 2
Guitars will resume
from tomorrow.
Due to the COVID-19
restrictions that are in
place, please ensure that
you bring your allocated
guitar.
If you forget your guitar,
you will remain in your
normal class instead of
attending the guitar
lesson.
Mr Chris Orr
Guitar Teacher
School’s back!
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 2 Term 2 Week 5
Principal’s
Message
WE ARE BACK!! At times I thought this day would
not come this term which would have been a
disaster in my opinion. However, it has arrived with
considerable excitement for both staff and most
students. All students, except those ill, should have
returned to school today for face-to-face classes.
Normal school operations have re-commenced,
including the enforcement of attendance on
campus.
Now face-to-face learning has returned, parents can
have a little lie down, maybe a few crushed grapes,
or the fermented barley and hops that China does
not want because Australia asked for an enquiry
into a worldwide pandemic, how rude of us. Always
consume in moderation of course. Come on, you
deserve it and owe it to Australian farmers to try
and take up the shortfall in sales in these times of
crisis! Reflect on the past five weeks of
achievements and challenges and pray this hideous
virus does not affect schools again. I thank our
wonderful parents for their support and patience
over these unprecedented times. It is because of
your cooperation, schools can return earlier than
was first expected. If the second expected wave does come, schools are very well prepared.
There is always an extremely small, but real chance
that some schools will have to close for deep
cleaning if a case of COVID-19 is in the school
community. This is more problematic in country
schools because communication can be difficult to
some families, if closure needs to happen quickly. If
this school is affected, we will follow the
procedures and directions of the Department of
Education Safety and Security directorate. In a
school such as ours, it will be a closure for a day
for deep cleaning and contact tracing to determine
who the person has been in contact with. Wow, it
is almost worth faking a case of COVID-19 in some
teenager’s room, forcing deep cleaning. I am sure
tracing the origins of a few items thrown in the
corners or under beds would be a difficult task.
Imagine human contact tracing in Summer Bay with
all the drama in that place. It would not be a
problem in country towns, or would it???
The Department of Education has set guidelines for
the return to face-to-face teaching. They include
that students who are sick with flu like symptoms
are not to attend school. These include but are not
limited to a sore throat, cough, runny nose and
headache. If students present to school with or
develop these symptoms they will be isolated at
school and parents need to collect them and take
them home.
The drought and other factors have reduced our numbers from 70 two years ago in primary to 53 at
present. High School is slightly healthier but
numbers are lower than expected. Unless new
families come to Trundle there will be job loses
next year across the school. I have no idea why
some principals hide the truth on these matters
from the school community. If this school loses
staff, considerable money will leave the town
because my staff live locally and support the town.
This school is an economic and social hub for the
town and as a result when this school declines in
numbers, the town is on some form of life support.
Think about the street or agricultural area you live
in. Just do a count of how many vacant houses or
dwellings that have one or two people living in
them, without children, and you will understand
what I mean. We are blessed with two outstanding
schools in this town, but we are both competing
for students in a diminishing market. This is not
sustainable. History and culture and the desire for
choice is great but young families need to come to
town to sustain two schools. The drought has
eased, there are quality houses for sale and the
supermarket is re-opening. Now every person
needs to be an advertisement for living in this
community to attract new families.
Last week, yet again, I saw on Facebook people
posting country people are tough and resilient in a response to a story on Channel 10. This is true in
varied degrees across any country community.
However, I wonder if this resilience and how we
portray ourselves has reduced our ability to attract
and maintain services. If we accept second best or
systematic neglect of country areas because we are
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 3 Term 2 Week 5
used to adapting and making do, maybe
governments overlook our community in favour of
those that are more politically active and vocal. I
was pleased to see an officer at the station last
week for full shifts and I hope this continues. I am
writing to Phillip Donato, the State Member to try
and gain some answers about the lack of a
permanent officer at the station this year. I do not
believe reactionary policing is the most effective
method in country towns and as a citizen and
school Principal, I want answers to why our
policing model has changed from community
policing to reactionary.
Some people have expressed that my proactive stance on encouraging Trundle to be in the public
forum is at times portraying the community in a
negative light. I can understand this viewpoint and
again it is about different perspectives. I also
believe a small percentage of people want the town
to be quiet and slowly die because it reduces
expectations on themselves. However, what I
know is, when Whitlam was in government in 1973
Trundle had more retail outlets and population
than now but the Australian population has
doubled. This indicates to me we need to be more
vocal in asking / demanding support and services.
When walking on a wire across a pond of
crocodiles, balance is the answer. Thirty years in
education has also taught me that it is the same in
terms of fostering resilience in children. I want
emotionally strong, proactive, community focused
students to graduate from this school. The type of
young people that are willing to work hard to
overcome adversity, have the confidence to
innovate, adapt and accept failure as a challenge for
improvement rather than an excuse for giving up.
However, I also want students that are willing to
say they are struggling emotionally at times or
demand governments and people to listen to their
needs. The balance is that you do not want
students who try to overcome without support to
the stage that they eventually break, or students
who give up because they are not emotionally willing to accept a challenge. I once had a student
who demanded the other students slowdown in
touch football because he could not tip them and
he would be telling his mom. He was mortified
when I said you need to be quicker. He was used
to an environment where giving up was accepted
and justified rather than challenges offered.
Education is a hard game and parenting even
harder.
Some parents have expressed to me that their
children are finding transition back to school
difficult. This is because they are out of routine.
Teaching routine and responsibility to children is
important because in the workforce employers
expect you to turn up on time, regularly and work
hard. The mutual obligation is, you get paid. Mutual
obligation is a concept that I believe is fundamental
to developing young people who contribute to this
great country. Some parents may think it is overkill
to instil this concept in the early years of school but I passionately believe young people need to
understand that they have a responsibility to
contribute and their effort is rewarded.
Miss Aleisha Ward left us last week to take up a
full time contract at Parkes High School. I would
have loved to be in a position to offer Miss Ward
five days per week but our present numbers do
not justify a full time position. I wish her the best
of luck and believe she is on a journey to become
an excellent teacher. Mr Mitchell Flavel will be
replacing Miss Ward.
Visiting teachers and Home School Liaison Officers
will start to visit the school from today. I
passionately believe, it is time we returned to as
close to normal as possible. This is rare for me
because one thing I have fought against my whole
career, is the normal.
Get well soon to Annabelle Cotter who broke her
wrist at school last week. Annabelle is a pleasure
to have at school and I hope she is feeling better
soon. Active kids sometimes have accidents. We
do not like it but it is a risk we have to accept
because I want students to be active in the
playground.
John Southon
Principal
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 4 Term 2 Week 5
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Page 5 Term 2 Week 5
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Page 6 Term 2 Week 5
Ajax’s
Weekly Woof
Woof Woof Awards: 500 happy barks to all the smiling faces that
returned today. I am bred as a retriever so I will be
going out to round up those who did not return by the end of the week.
5000 happy barks to the students who spoke on
Channel 9’s the Today Show with very short notice.
The reporter got the names wrong in a few places
but that is a minor issue in the big picture.
5000 happy barks to the Trundle Progress
Committee for continuing to raise money for the
skate park. Many people talk a good game but you
people are actually having a go.
500 happy barks to Parkes Police for having an
officer on duty at the station last week. Trundle is a
very safe community but we are entitled to a police
officer so we should have one.
500 happy barks to Miss Aleisha Ward. Thank you
for your service to our school and we wish you
well.
500 happy barks to the company constructing the
solar farm. They have offered to conduct school
excursions of the facility and talk to students about
solar energy. Cattle dog Southo hit them up to
employ local youth but the facility will be handed
over to another company for maintenance and
operation. Never miss an opportunity.
500 angry barks to Channel 9 for calling me a comfort dog. I am a highly trained ‘Pets as Therapy
dog’ and a member of staff. Cats are for comfort
and nice on toast. Highly trained animals such as
myself provide therapy.
5000 angry barks to the poor internet and mobile
phone coverage that country people are expected
to put up with. Some former communist countries
in Eastern Europe have better internet coverage
than rural Australia. I was streaming a movie about
my idol Lassie on the weekend and all I got was the
wheel of death. Our students deserve more.
Coming back to school is not easy for all students,
but school is the safest and happiest place to be
during the day except the family home for most
students. I am a highly trained professional NOT a
comfort animal. Can you see any feathers, I am not
a budgie? I also realise school is much more than a
place of learning, you get to see your friends and
this is vitally important.
Until next week, Ajax
Bark with laughter
with Ajax:
What do you call a fake noodler? Impasta!
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 7
Primary
Term 2 Week 5
It is great to be back full time although
there will be restrictions to our usual
Term 2 events.
Please return all work packs to school as soon as
possible even if they haven’t been finished. Please
be reassured that over the next few weeks all
concepts will be revisited.
When returning to school students will be
encouraged to:
• Follow social distancing guidelines and wash
and sanitize their hands regularly throughout the day.
• Technology used in the classrooms
will be cleaned before and after use.
• Students will be given labelled
stationary packs and these will stay at
school.
• Students must bring their own water
bottles as the bubblers are still not in
use.
• Fruit will not be able to be cut during
fruit break so if your child prefers cut
fruit, please do this when packing
their lunch box.
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 8 Term 2 Week 5
Secondary
And finally, a real WELCOME BACK!!
We have re-commenced our normal timetable for
all students. This is Week A.
Today the students were issued with individual
wipes. These will be used to wipe down the area
they are using at the end of each lesson. The used
wipes will then be deposited into the rubbish on
the way out of the classroom and the students will
then wash their hands before their next class. If
they are using practical equipment, computers etc
during a class they will also wipe them down at the
end of use. Hopefully this will minimise any cross contamination occurring at school.
Next week we will publish how we will be
reporting on our Year 7-10 students for the first
semester. Our advice at present is that this should
occur in Term 3. They will be less formal due to
the disruption of the assessments schedule which
has occurred. We are extremely lucky here with
our class sizes and strong school community that
our teachers are very aware of our students’
capabilities and attributes and this will contribute
to the validity of our reports during this time.
Assessments which were taken to be done at
home need to be returned to school. Most
students have returned these and those who
haven’t will be supported in the usual fashion to
complete them.
Guitar lessons resume as normal this week.
Students must bring their own instruments or they
will not be participating in the lessons.
Our Stage 6 students have moved learning
platforms from Zoom back to our usual video
conferencing. All of our students should be
congratulated on the application they have shown
during this disruption.
As always if there are any questions in regards to
secondary matters please contact me at school.
Have a great week
Gerry Capell
Head Teacher Secondary Studies
GUITARS—TERM 2
Guitars will resume from tomorrow.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions
that are in place, please ensure that
you bring your allocated guitar.
If you forget your
guitar, you will
remain in your
normal class
instead of attending
the guitar lesson.
Mr Chris Orr
Guitar Teacher
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
Page 9 Term 2 Week 5
Telephone: (02) 68921303 Fax: (02) 68921184 Email: [email protected] School webpage – https://trundle-c.schools.nsw.gov.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/TrundleCentralSchool
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Community
Term 2 Week 5
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Page 11 Term 2 Week 5
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Page 12 Term 2 Week 5
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