Pelican Flat Public School Newsletter

Congratulations on making it to the end of Term 3! What unprecedented times we are in. I would like to thank each and every one of you, students and families, for your support and hard work through the lockdown period and congratulate students on their resilience and perseverance.

We are continuing to operate under Level 4 COVID-Safe School Operations until the end of this term and potentially into Term 4, depending on the NSW Government and NSW Health recommendations at the time. We look forward to seeing students begin to return to face to face learning from Week 4, 25th October, under the staged return to school (Level 3 Plus) plans, unless restrictions are eased in the meantime. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page and the Skoolbag App for any updates over the holidays.

We know Learning from Home has not been easy, thank you for the kind words and support you have given to our staff during this time. Just like many of you, the majority of staff are working from home and supporting their own children with their education as they also engage in Learning from Home.  I wish you all a very safe and relaxing holiday and encourage everyone to remain COVID Safe during this period.

Thank you to everyone who collected their learning from home packs and returned last weeks' pack. If you are unable to collect your pack on a Friday, please make contact with your child's teacher to organise collection.

Term 4, Week 1 packs will be available on Friday to pick up. There will be no spelling in the packs as we do not usually do spelling the first week of Term. Also, the Monday will be a Public Holiday, so no work will be sent home for that day.

Teachers are able to support student learning through Class Dojo, as well as Zoom each day. Zoom sessions are:

9:00am - 11:00am

11:30am - 1:30pm

2:00pm - 3:00pm

https://nsweducation.zoom.us/

Please click on the red box that says 'Account'

Students use their computer log on and password to log in

Meeting ID: 631 2872 7749

Passcode: 141813

We would like to thank everyone who was and is able to keep their children at home and support them to engage in learning from home. We understand that some parents are essential workers and we are open to support students who need to attend school.

As mentioned, we have been advised to have minimal staff onsite to reduce the possibility of contact between people, and lower the possibility of a COVID case and need to monitor which students will be onsite.

If you are an essential worker and your child needs to attend school, please send their teacher a Class Dojo message, explaining the day your child/children need to attend so that we can keep a database of numbers for each day. We appreciate all that you are doing to keep your children at home during this time.

Each day, during learning from home, the Department of Education NSW presents a live stream at 10am each morning. Students are encouraged to dial in to these each day.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/learning-from-home/learning-at-home

We have been advised to have as minimal amount of staff on site as possible. The adhere to this, all our administrative staff will be working from home. Our school phone is being diverted to Mrs Fairleigh or Mrs Howell. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher through Class Dojo. If they are on Zoom they will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you need to speak to the staff onsite, please call the library on (02) 4972 1758.

Children can start Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5, on or before 31 July that year. By law, all children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday. Remember Kindergarten is designed for children who are 5 years of age.

When your child starts school is an individual decision. You may wish to discuss this with your child's preschool teacher, carer, doctor or our school staff. Our teachers are trained to work with your child regardless of their age or level of development.

Children develop at different rates and learn skills in different ways. Your school will respond to the needs, learning styles and rates of progress of individual students. Schools also plan learning experiences based on the skills students bring with them to school.

We are now taking enrolments for Kindergarten 2022. To complete your online enrolment please visit our school website at https://pelicanflt-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ and click on the ENROLMENT button at the top of the page. Please phone the school on 49711543 if you have any questions. Thank you. If you know of someone who has a child enrolling in 2022, please ask them to enrol online.

Please note: These dates may change. We will advise of any changes through the newsletter.

TERM 3

ALL EVENTS ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD.

• 14/9 School Counsellor in

TERM 4

• 4/10 Labour Day Public Holiday
• 5/10 Students and Staff return
• 5-6/10 Stage 2 camp
• 12/10 School Counsellor in
• 18/10 Lake Macquarie East Public Speaking - Stage 3 [Biddabah PS] (to be confirmed)
• 19/10 Stage 3 Debating competition [Swansea PS]
• 19/10 Lake Macquarie East Public Speaking - Stage 1 [Wiripaang PS] (to be confirmed)
• Hunter Primary Drama Festival
• 20/10 Lake Macquarie East Public Speaking - Early Stage 1 [Garden Suburb PS] (to be confirmed)
• 21/10 Lake Macquarie East Public Speaking - Stage 2 [Eleebana PS] (to be confirmed)
• 26/10 School Counsellor in
• 29/10 World Teacher's Day
• 2/11 Biodiversity workshops K-6
• 9/11 Stage 3 Debating competition [Marks Point PS]
• 9/11 School Counsellor in
• 11/11 Remembrance Day
• 15-19/11 Intensive Swimming
• 22-26/11 Intensive Swimming
• 23/11 School Counsellor in
• 3/12 Presentation Day
• 6/12 Swimming Carnival (to be confirmed)
• 13-15/12 Stage 3 Canberra excursion
• 15/12 Students last day (Term 4)
• 17/12 Staff last day (Term 4)

CHECKING IN/OUT AND PARTICIPATION IN LEARNING FROM HOME/FLEXIBLE LEARNING (CODE: F)

The student is participating in a flexible timetable and not present because they are not required to be at school.

A student may be counted as attending school if there is reasonable evidence of participation in learning from home.

Minimum standards of attendance should be considered in terms of engagement with learning activities provided by the school while students are learning from home. Reasonable evidence should include things such as:

• student completion of specific work during a set time period allocated by the school e.g. worksheets, activities and online tasks that are submitted to the teacher through Class Dojo.

CHECKING IN/OUT, BUT NO WORK UPLOADED TO CLASS DOJO (CODE: A)

In relation to students who are required to learn from home and are not meeting participation requirements set by the school according to age and stage and relevant to the program of work being taught, the department’s response is that these are unjustified absences.

NO WORK UPLOADED TO CLASS DOJO AND THE STUDENT IS SICK (CODE: S)

The student’s absence is due to sickness or as the result of a medical or paramedical appointment.

Principals may request a medical certificate in addition to the explanation if the explanation is doubted, or the student has a history of unsatisfactory attendance.

Just a reminder that payments to the school; bookpack and subscription fee, excursions and sporting costs or anything to do with school activities, are paid into the school account, which can be accessed on the Skoolbag app or on the school website (https://pelicanflt-p.schools.nsw.gov.au). Uniform purchases are paid into the P&C Account (please see below for details).

President: Rickie Wilson

Vice President: Renate Heinzel, Madi Vassella

Secretary: Hollie Ritchie

Treasurer: Katrina O'Neill

Uniform co-ordinators: Rickie Wilson and Katrina Mackel

Canteen co-ordinator: Katrina Mackel

The P&C meeting on Monday 6th September has been cancelled.

Our next P&C meeting will be on Monday 1st November at 6pm in the 5/6 classroom. Tea, coffee and nibbles will be supplied. All welcome. If you would like to become a member of the P&C, there is a $2 membership fee and a membership form to complete. Membership forms are available from the front office.

Bank details

Account Name: Pelican Flat Public School P&C

BSB: 032510

Account Number: 253979

Email address

pelicanpnc@gmail.com

The uniform shop is currently closed.

Size 12 school shirts have arrived and will be available for purchase when students return to learning at school.