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Dear Parents and Carers of Good Samaritan,The second week of remote learning is well underway and we are recognising many successes of the children each day. These successes continue to be built upon with the daily organisation by the teachers of the remote learning plans.
The school has had to pivot with the adjustments of the restrictions including the wearing of face masks by all staff whilst on the school site and when in close contact with others. I was reminded by this picture that the wearing of face masks during a pandemic has always been part of pandemic safety in Australia. May Gibbs made this public health poster in 1919, to encourage people to mask up against the Spanish flu pandemic. I wonder how we will be remembered in decades to come when people reflect back on the current pandemic.
Last week I asked the staff to put some words down as to how they would describe the students throughout the week. This was their response.
It was great to see that staff felt students were generally calm and engaged throughout the week. This was also reflected in the Zoom class meetings that I have been able to attend this week. Parents at this week’s P&F meeting were appreciative of the Zoom meetings and the connection being made between students and teachers at all levels across the school. This included the daily messages that our Kindergarten and Year 1 teachers publish.
It is also very pleasing to note that the students’ Zoom etiquette has also been very good given that they have not had a lot of experience with Zoom for learning. This reflects your support as parents in reinforcing this message at home.
Being fortunate enough to enter the Zoom meetings I have been able to observe some great teaching moments. The teachers are allowing for open ended discussions that support student skills in speaking, listening and reasoning. These are also developing independence in thinking and responding. Teachers never cease to amaze me at their capacity to engage students with their explicit instructions and scaffolding of learning.
An activity as simple as ‘Talk Time’ is aiming to build students’ skills of sharing ideas and effectively engaging in group discussions.
As we continue over the next week with remote learning students will continue to be engaged by their teachers through Zoom and other platforms such as video recordings and lesson explanations. These will all occur at different rates across the school based on the student needs within each class.
On behalf of the staff of Good Samaritan I thank you for your continued support of our school in this difficult time. I encourage you to reach out if you feel there is any way the school can support you or your family. We offer this prayer for all of us as we continue to work remotely together.
Loving God,
You fill all things with a fullness and hope that we can never comprehend.
Thank you for leading us into a time where more of reality is being unveiled for us all to see. We pray that you will take away our natural temptation for cynicism, denial, fear and despair.
Help us have the courage to awaken to greater truth, greater humility, and greater care for one another.
May we place our hope in what matters and what lasts, trusting in your eternal presence and love.
Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healing of our suffering world.
Knowing, good God, you are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in all the holy names of God.
Amen.
As we journey together, with Jesus,
Toni Sillis
Principal
Remote Learning Continues until at least Friday 30 July
Thank you to all parents who continue to follow the government guidelines regarding COVID-19 restrictions during this lockdown. Learning will continue remotely until at least Friday 30 July.
It needs to be emphasised that, during this time, only those families who have no other option should be sending their children to school. It is critical that we follow the stay at home orders and reduce mobility across the community.
Some children are arriving at school and telling other students and staff that they have a choice of staying at home or coming to school. Without prompting, some children are also disclosing that parents are ‘just at home’. Unfortunately, no one has a choice in a pandemic situation.
The school will remain open for those families where it is essential that their child/ren attend. We rest on the good faith of all parents that everyone is doing their best to keep to the restrictions and to keep all within the community safe.
Thank you for your support in this.
Teacher Professional Planning Time (PPT):
This week teachers will be offline on Friday 23 July from 1pm-3pm in order to take their Professional Planning Time.
Professional Planning Time (PPT) is the provision of time issued to teachers under the Enterprise Agreement 2017 NEW SOUTH WALES & AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY SCHOOLS. This provision is to support teachers in achieving learning outcomes for students, for example by planning, programming and carrying out related administrative duties. Good Samaritan teachers take this time as one 2 hour block each week.
How can you support your kids...
Whilst the teachers are observing that the majority of students are calm and relaxed there may be times when your child becomes anxious. If you observe this, there are ways of helping them through it. Some ideas for helping to break the cycle of anxiety include:
- Check in with your own levels of stress, anxiety and over-protectiveness. Children will feel much safer in the presence of a calm and collected caregiver
- Slow things down. Gentle, deep breathing can help to take the edge off a moment of anxiety.
- Provide a safe space to talk about the worries. Give your child the opportunity to open up about any fears in a comfortable environment
- Seek professional support. If you feel your child’s experience of anxiety is frequent or begins to impact daily life, talk to a mental health professional.
Head to Health: A Department of Health Resource
Head to Health brings together a range of resources, many of which are free, from some of Australia’s most trusted mental health organisations.
Lockdown may feel like we are disconnected but we are not unconnected. There are many services that we can access to take care of ourselves and our families.
Jump Rope for Heart:
This term we will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart. Please see below for further information about the program.
Zones of Regulation: A Tool To Help You Check-in With Your Child
I hope all parents have had some time to themselves this week to check in on their own wellbeing. The teachers are all very aware of the enormity of the task you undertake with supervising remote learning for your children and are so appreciative of your support.
For those children who sometimes struggle to talk about how they feel you might find this tool helpful and your child or children will be familiar with the language that it uses as it is a common tool that is used in our classrooms.
The Four Zones: Our ‘Feelings & States’ Determine Our Zone
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A child may be experiencing elation or anger when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A child may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
All of the zones are natural to experience, but the poster focuses on teaching students how to recognize and manage their Zone based on the environment and its demands and the people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, students are often experiencing a heightened internal state such as silliness or excitement and are in the Yellow Zone, but it may not need to be managed. However, if the environment is changed to the library where there are different expectations than the playground, students may still be in the Yellow Zone but have to manage it differently so their behavior meets the expectations of the library setting.
The poster above shows some of the strategies and language we use at Good Samaritan to talk about our feelings, what zone we are in, how do we know and what can we do to get back to the green zone to be “ready to learn”.
If your child is struggling this week to maintain a learning focus when it is time to learn tr using this. Hopefully it will help.
Listen to Leo explain why he is in the Green zone
Beanies & Scarves Day:
Friday 23 July was to be our Beanies and Scarves Day at school. Our plan was to wear our beanies and scarves and donate a gold coin for the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. Unfortunately, we will have to postpone this now, but we are encouraging all students to wear their beanies and scarves on Friday, either at home zooming or at school.
Together we pray:
Please, put your arms around children and families in extreme poverty so they feel comfort and hope; meet their needs both physically and spiritually. And, Lord, guide me so I can be your hands and feet pursuing justice for the poor and upholding the cause of the needy.
Year 3
Thank you to Year 3 for their writing. From the comments on Seesaw we can tell that your Teachers are very proud of the effort and imagination that you have put into your work.
Amaroo
Amaroo students have also been completing some fabulous writing this week. Well done boys
Canteen News:
Canteen is currently closed until further notice
The Uniform Shop will be Closed for Appointminents until further notice
In order to manage the physical distancing requirements, parents will continue to make appointments at the uniform shop to purchase uniforms.
This can be done through the Compass Portal.
If you would like to place an order with the uniform shop an order form has been added to the school website under parents/uniform.
Please complete the form and return with the correct money to the school office.
These orders will be filled on uniform shop days.
Tuesday mornings 8.30am to 9.30am
Thursday afternoons 2pm to 3.15pm
Love of LearningHow Can We Build & Maintain Esteem in Our Community?
- Showing care for myself like wearing my uniform correctly
- Showing an in interest in what others are thinking and doing
- Using positive and encouraging words towards everyone I meet
- Using positive self talk like - ‘I can do this!’
- Performing random acts of kindness - like carrying someone’s telling someone how good their work is
- use a growth mindset and just giving new things a go
- looking, smiling and saying hello
These are just some of the ways that we can build and maintain esteem while developing a Love of Learning.
From the School Handbook:
STAGES OF HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
- If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour.
- Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are asked to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.
- All academic and behaviour concerns made to the office will be directed to the classroom teacher in the first instance. This may be followed up by support from the Middle Leader responsible for the stage/grade.
Middle Leaders 2021
|
Stage/Grade |
Middle Leader |
|
Early Stage 1: Kindergarten |
Mrs Patricia Foster |
|
Amaroo & Learning Support Centre |
Mrs Sharon Smithers |
|
Stage 1: Year 1 Year 2 |
Mrs Sarah O’Donnell |
|
Stage 2: Year 3 Year 4 |
Mrs Christine Nunes |
|
Stage 3: Year 5 Year 6 |
Mrs Natalie Shelley |
The Middle Leader represented in bold will be your first port of call beyond the classroom teacher.
TERM 3 DATES:
July:
- Friday 23 July- Knit4Need Scarves & Beanie Day
AUGUST:
- Tuesday 3 August Sth Coast Region Athletics TBC
- Thursday -Friday 5-6 August Year 6 Camp TBC
- Monday 8 August Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
- Mon-Fri 23-27 August Book Week TBC
- Thursday 26 August Book Week Parade TBC
SEPTEMBER:
- Friday 3 september - Father’s Day Breakfast/Prayer & Stall TBC
- Monday 6 September Students return to wearing Summer Uniforms
- Tuesday 7 September Staff Spirituality Day - PUPIL FREE DAY
- Wednesday-Thursday 8-9 September Assistant Principal Overnight Retreat
- Thursday-Friday 9-10 September Basketball Gala Days (Junior & Senior) TBC
- Monday 13 September MacKillop Athletics Carnival TBC
- Friday 17 September Term 3 Concludes
October:
- Friday 15 October Grandparents Day