Scarborough Primary School Newsletter - The Link

Welcome

Welcome to 2022 at Scarborough Primary School everybody! We have had a wonderful first two weeks back with students and teachers enjoying getting to know their new classrooms and each other. Our school community has continued to grow and we have started the year with around 250 students. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families and students, especially those joining us in our Kindy groups to start their educational journey. Equally, I would like to extend our best wishes to those who have moved on this year and thank them for their contributions to our community over their time with us.

Please read on below for specific updates, and make sure you have a look at our Term Planner for important events that will be happening throughout the term.

As always, if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone, email (sarah.dawson@education.wa.edu.au) or in person.

Staffing

I would like to welcome back Katelyn Meade who will be joining us this year and will be having the Year 3/4 class in Room 14. Katelyn was at Alkimos PS in 2021 and we are thrilled to have her back at Scarborough!

Attendance

Attendance levels will continue to be a focus at Scarborough Primary School this year. Over the last two years approximately 75% of our students have been attending school at an appropriate level of over 90% of the time. We would like to lift that level of student attendance this year.

At Scarborough PS, we want your child to achieve their very best. To get the best education, they need to attend school every day. Developing a habit of going to school every day is vitally important so your child does not miss out on important ideas and skills they need for future learning.

At Scarborough we monitor attendance by reviewing attendance levels of individuals over 3 week periods. Where a child has fallen below 90% attendance in consecutive attendance periods without a reasonable cause (see below) the school is required to notify parents via a letter. In some instances, this is just information to alert parents to the fact their child’s attendance has dropped. In others, where persistent low attendance is evident, the school may ask for a meeting with parents to find a solution and lift attendance levels.

It is important, especially at the moment, that children stay home when they are unwell. Our monitoring system takes this into consideration, as it only targets students whose attendance is low over consecutive 3 week blocks. Hence, if your child misses a week’s school with an illness in one monitoring period but their attendance is at acceptable levels in others, then it would not be cause for alarm.

The Department of Education provides the following guidance and information on attendance:

Why is going to school so important for my child?

• At school, many concepts including literacy and numeracy are taught in a sequence. Missing school means missing out on learning – which can often make it difficult to catch up later. This is particularly important when essential foundation skills are being taught.
• Going to school every day helps children learn the important life skill of ‘showing up’ – at school, at work, to sport and other commitments.
• Research from the Western Australian Telethon Kids Institute shows that every day at school counts towards a student’s learning. Students who attend more, generally do better at school and in life.

When is it OK to not go to school?

An OK reason is one that prevents your child from getting to school. This could include:

• when your child is sick or unwell
• attending cultural or religious observances such as sorry time and funerals
• an unavoidable natural event such as flood waters or a cyclone
• an unavoidable medical appointment

It’s NOT OK to miss school if your child:

• is celebrating a birthday
• is going on a family holiday
• is visiting family and friends
• has slept in or had a big weekend
• is looking after other children
• has sport or other recreational activities that have not been approved by the  school
• has appointments such as haircuts and minor check ups

COVID information

We have started the year with several developments in regards to COVID in our state and with regulations in regards to education and schools in general. Please ensure that you have the Skoolbag App downloaded, as this is the best spot for you to find out about any changes or developments that may occur. Some important things to make note of are outlined below, but please appreciate that they may be updated in a very short time frame.

Some things immediately impacted by the current conditions include:

• Parent information sessions: These have been cancelled as directed by the Department. A Powerpoint will be emailed home by class teachers on Thursday 17 February, and will also be posted on the website.
• Choir and Drumming: will be postponed whilst we consider alternative ways to deliver these programs within regulation requirements.
• Parent Meetings: Parent teacher meetings should be conducted over the phone unless there are unavoidable circumstances.

The information below has been provided by the Department of Education on the advice of the Chief Health Officer.

Definitions 

Close contact in a high caseload environment includes: 

• A household member or intimate partner of a person with COVID-19 who has had contact with them during their infectious period; or 
• Someone who has had close contact with a person in their infectious period, including: 
• face-to-face contact for 15 minutes or more with an infectious person, where a mask was not worn by the exposed person or the person with COVID-19; 
• sharing a small indoor space or a classroom environment for more than two hours with an infectious person, where masks have been removed for this period; or 
• someone who is directed by WA Health that they are a close contact. 

Vaccination requirement 

All staff working at a school site and visitors on a regular basis are required to meet the vaccination requirement. 

Public school attendance 

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) encourages all students and staff who are well to attend school, including those with health conditions. 

School activities  

• School activities must promote and practise good hygiene principles.  
• Schools should limit in-school gatherings of students and staff to class groups or small groups within a year level.  
• The following additional measures are to be applied where practicable: 
• Cohorting to limit mingling of groups. 

School canteens 

School canteens can open, and parents and community volunteers can continue to assist in school canteens.  

 Health and hygiene 

Arrangements to continue to reduce direct contact, enhance personal hygiene practices, and strengthen cleaning regimes in schools are to be encouraged.  

Each person has a responsibility to protect themselves and others. This is achieved through the ongoing promotion of the following good hygiene principles and practices: 

• staff, students and parents must stay home when sick; 
• adults maintain physical distancing from other adults, where practicable; 
• avoiding unnecessary physical contact and physical greetings (e.g. handshakes, hugs); 
• covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, using a flexed elbow or tissue; 
• disposing of tissues appropriately; 
• washing hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitise, including prior to meal breaks; 
• supplies of soap and other cleaning agents are available for all schools. The Department will continue to support any school that experiences supply issues; and 
• posters and visible messaging regarding handwashing and cough-sneeze hygiene should be displayed in schools.   

Masks 

Staff and secondary students must wear a mask at all times in regions where mandated unless: 

• the person has a physical, developmental or mental illness, condition or disability which makes wearing a face covering inappropriate; 
• communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing and visibility of the mouth is essential for communication; 
• the person is engaged in physical activity, including physical education classes and organised sport; 
• the person is consuming a drink or medicine provided, they do not need to be seated; and/or 
• staff are providing teaching or instructions to students; however staff are encouraged to wear masks even when teaching, where practicable. 

The mask mandate will apply to Years 3 and above in the future, with masks recommended for Kindergarten to Year 2 upon advice from the Chief Health Officer. 

• Adults, including parents and carers, must wear a mask on school sites in regions where a mask mandate is in place, even when outdoors unless physical distancing can be maintained.  Exemptions and exceptions continue to apply.  

Visitors on school site 

Must comply with the health and hygiene conditions previously outlined for staff. In addition: 

• Parents/carers are allowed on school sites for the purpose of drop-off/pick outside only and to volunteer in roles outside of the classroom that are essential for the operations of the school, including the canteen and uniform shop. 
• Gatherings of parents/carers on schools sites should be avoided. 
• Parents/carers and others are not allowed in classrooms. 
• Parent-teacher interviews are restricted to telephone or online only. 
• Display appropriate signage regarding expectations and restrictions for all visitors at school sites. 
• There is a mandatory requirement that all public education facilities confirm and record non-employees (such as contractors) compliance of COVID-19 vaccination. 
• All visitors will sign in, as per the Visitors and Intruders on Public School Premises policy. 
• Maintain a contact register for all visitors and are encouraged to use the ServiceWA/SafeWA app. 
• Follow mask wearing requirements, outlined above. 

If you have any spare ice-cream containers or old towels you no longer require, the school would be very grateful for any donations.

Please bring these to the front office. 

Hello SPS families!

The 2022 school year has kicked off and is in full swing. This also means that the Scarborough Primary School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) will start meeting and fundraising again.

As we are approaching the end of this year’s P&C committee, we are calling out to all the parents and caregivers of Scarborough Primary School to please consider joining the P&C in 2022.

The P&C is an association which is run by volunteers from the school community. Through voluntary contributions and fund-raising activities, the P&C enhances the facilities and learning environment of the school. It’s also a great way to connect with fellow parents and caregivers at our school and in our community.

However, the P&C needs 4 Office Bearers and 3 Committee Coordinators in order to organise the fundraisers. Without these Office Bearers and Coordinators, the P&C will cease to exist. ‘So what’ you ask? Well, without the P&C there will be no more canteen, the uniform prices will increase significantly and the cost for certain excursions and programs used by our children in the school will have to be paid for by the parents and caregivers.

All positions will be available for nomination at the AGM in 2022; so please reach out if you’re keen to get involved!

We have been advised that the following positions are being vacated:

Office Bearers

• President
• Treasurer

It is imperative that these roles are filled to continue as a P&C in 2022.

Committee Coordinators

• Canteen
• Uniform

We need to fill the above roles to continue to provide the invaluable services of the P&C. Each role takes about an hour per week of your time and the P&C meets once every 4-6 weeks.

Besides these positions we always love having more parents involved, as P&C members, to help come up with great fundraising ideas and implement them.

To find out more about our P&C and the available positions and to download a nomination form, please visit the school website - (http://scarboroughps.wa.edu.au/p-c/). 

Any questions, please email us - scarboroughprimarypc@gmail.com

UNIFORM SHOP

The Uniform Shop is stocked so come and pay us a visit on Wednesday mornings for all your uniform requirements from 8.45am to 9.15am.

Order forms can be downloaded from the school website at http://scarboroughps.wa.edu.au/p-c/uniform-shop/.  Emailed orders will be delivered to your child’s classroom.

Contact Sarah via scarboroughprimarypcuniform@gmail.com

CANTEEN

We are always looking for canteen volunteers. So, if you have any Friday mornings available, Laura would love some assistance in the SPS canteen.

Email us at the P&C or speak to Laura on Fridays in the canteen if you are keen to help.

A special reminder to all Kindy group 2 parents and caregivers; you can also order lunch and recess from canteen every Friday. Don’t bother making yet another lunch; order before Friday 8.30am via Quickcliq.com.au and we will deliver it your child’s classroom.

Please also note that all canteen orders need to be placed via QuickCliq prior to 8.30am on Friday. Cash is not accepted.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

We continue to fundraise through the Entertainment Book. When you purchase the Entertainment Book, a portion will go to the P&C.

Buy your Entertainment Membership, and get access to EXCLUSIVE limited-time Member offers (see website) and go into the draw to WIN a staycation for two* thanks to TFE Hotels. Plus one lucky winner will also receive the ultimate pamper package*, with goodies from Endota Spa, Edible Blooms, Interhampers, The Petals Network & Event Cinemas.

This is a limited time offer!

Order your membership here https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/86y129

CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE

We will continue to fundraise through the Containers for Change initiative. The Containers for Change bins can be found at the school entry at Hinderwell Street near the Room 9 Heritage Building. Keep on bringing those empty cans and bottles to support the P&C!

Please note that these bins are not for rubbish but for eligible empty drink containers only, thank you!

Alternatively, if you wish to donate at a refund point of your choosing you can quote our Scheme ID C10240685. If you prefer to attend a Reverse Vending Machine location please use the barcode at the top of the P&C news. This may be your preference if you have a larger donation and be rest assured that the money goes back to the P&C.

NEXT MEETING

Our next Annual General Meeting will be held Monday 21st February 2022 at 6.30pm in the school library.

If you have questions and/or suggestions please don’t hesitate to email us scarboroughprimarypc@gmail.com

And make sure you follow us on Facebook!  

https://www.facebook.com/ScarboroughPrimaryPandC

Address: 60 Hinderwell Street, Scarborough WA 

Phone: 08) 9222 9200   

Email: scarborough.ps@education.wa.edu.au

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