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Kewdale Primary School Est 1915
264 Kew St, Kewdale 6105 Phone: (08)9473 9500 Email: [email protected]
Website Address: www.kewdaleps.wa.edu.au/ http://www.facebook.com/kewdaleps
NEWSLETTER NO. 6 Term 1 - Week 10, 8 April 2020
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Term 2
The Education Department has informed us as to how
schools will run next term. Parents are encouraged to
keep their children at home. It is expected that the
majority of students will be taught on-line, although there
will be work packages for those students who do not have
access to the internet. A small number of students –
children of essential workers as well as vulnerable children
will be taught at school. Exactly how that will work we will
determine when we know how many students we will have
come next term. This is very different for our students,
for our teachers and for you as parents. It is all going
towards making us safe from the COVID-19 along with the
social distancing, and is expected to go for all of term 2.
What’s Happening?
Thank you for keeping your students at home this week.
This has enabled us to continue planning for next term.
We at school are very much learning as we go, and we
want to provide as best as we can for your children. I am
looking forward to working with my Maths group on
Connect over next term.
Impact on Students
I know some parents are concerned on the long term
impact on their children. I can assure parents that this will
not be an issue. It is not forever, and teachers here will be
looking at filling any gaps when students return. It will not
be a problem long term. There was an uplifting article in
the weekend papers about a lady from Bosnia who missed
4 years schooling due to the war situation there. She
caught up to the extent that she now has a university
degree. Your children will be fine.
Teaching From Home (Reprise + a bit)
Here are some survival tips for parents who are now going
to be home schooling their children.
First and foremost – don’t stress! Home is not going
to be able to replicate a classroom and you shouldn’t
expect it to. All you can do is the best that you can
and try to make it enjoyable for your children.
Find a well-lit place for your children to work,
preferably a spot where they can leave their gear.
Try to follow a normal routine – get up at the normal
time, eat breakfast and start work as per normal. Have
breaks at the usual times. Having a routine will be
essential as we expect to be doing this for all of term 2.
It may be that work is finished very quickly. That is
OK. It would be a good idea to have activities such as
jigsaws on hand.
As well as the regular school work, cooking is a great
activity. Children have to read a recipe and have to
measure ingredients. Reading and maths and it’s fun.
Helping with the cleaning up is important too.
Starting a vegie garden can be a good release, and your
children can watch their seedlings grow and then get to
eat the results.
Be prepared to be flexible – if something isn’t working,
take a break – go for a walk, give the kids a break and
come back to it later. It is not worth getting stressed
and having your children stressed, so it is important to
work together rather than in opposition.
Recognise that the COVIP-19 situation itself may be
impacting on how your children are feeling. The
reporting of the situation in Europe and the US is
horrific and can affect our children. It may pay to have
a news free zone every now and again.
Finally
As I said last week, this will finally end. Just when, we don’t
know but Australia doesn’t want to have the virus as
severely as some other countries, and so far we haven’t.
I wish all of our wonderful students a happy and safe
holiday and a wonderful Easter. We will have a different
form of schooling next term and hopefully be all back
together in Term 3.
Brian Simpson
Principal
www.facebook.com/
kewdaleps?ref=hl
10-26 April SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Monday
27 April
ANZAC Day Holiday
Tuesday
28 April
PUPIL FREE DAY
Wednesday
29 April
Students at home doing online
learning
Or
At school for children of essential
workers (see message above)
CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE TO FAMILIES
Hello everyone
Well here we are in a world which
has completely changed. We have
all been madly trying to adapt and
absorb all the adjustments we have to make. We are trying
to be calm and not let the panic and fear surface. It’s OK to
be afraid.
We are trying to look after our own – young and old –
many of whom are a long way away. The challenges are
new and different. I called it a small miracle when my mum,
who is 82 and in the country, finally learnt how to make a
video call on WhatsApp!
There is grief. There is grief because there is loss. As
someone said to me recently “I can talk to my grandma, I
can see her, but I can’t smell her grandma smell.” We want
to have that family get together, to go away for Easter or
the holidays, to hug our loved ones. But we can’t. It’s OK
to be sad.
There are questions ... so many questions. When is it all
going to go back to normal? What if I am unable to do all
the things I’m called upon to do now? How on earth are we
going to afford it all? It’s OK to be anxious.
But
There is hope. We may not be able to see the light at the
end of the tunnel but we know it is there. Focus on that
while taking one day at a time.
There is joy. Find things to celebrate. We don’t need to
have a big party to celebrate. Laugh – take in the funny,
quirky, things people are doing to keep themselves amused.
Find things to savour. Think of the little things that you
enjoy, like that first whiff of coffee, stepping into the
sunshine, stretching after exercise, a flower. Make a list and
keep adding to it.
There are opportunities
We are living through historic times. You each might want
to keep a journal that generations to come can pour over
and get some understanding.
Take a breather and let yourself do things the easy way for
a bit.
Connect with people. This one’s really important. Reach
out, spend a lot of time on the phone, and catch up with as
many family and friends as possible. Do fun things with each
other at home.
My most important message is, however, that I am here for
you. If, over the next few weeks (and that includes the
school holidays), you or any of the children want to talk to
me, I will arrange to do so. The way you organise this is by
sending an email to Ms Yavuz at
[email protected]. You will be hearing from
me within a few days of contacting her. I’m here to provide
all sorts of support and we can toss around some ideas.
Please reach out if you need some help. Everyone needs a
bit of help sometimes and now just might be the time. All
the best and I will be in touch again.
VICKI BANKS
CHAPLAIN
TRANSLATED GUIDES FOR PARENT FOR
CONNECT
If any of our parents are needing a translated Guide for
Parents for Connect, we have PDF documents saved in
the languages that best match our families (although,
unfortunately, there are many that there is no translation
for).
Please let your child’s teacher know via class dojo or
Connect, or you can email us at
[email protected], with your email
address, if you wish to receive a copy and in which
language.
Arabic
Burmese
Chinese
Dari
Farsi
Hindi
Indonesian
Tagalog
Urdu
Vietnamese
Other languages
available are:
Afrikaans
Dinka
Karen
Korean
Thai
FROM OUR LOCAL MEMBER FOR BELMONT
Cassie Rowe, MLA, Member for Belmont has a great idea
which may interest some of our parents.
She has devised this project to make sure those who are
isolated do not feel alone.
Please see details (below) on how to submit your
message.