Kewdale Primary Schoolkewdaleps.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/08.04.2020-News… · It may be that work is finished very quickly. That is OK. It would be a good idea to have

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.