COVID UPDATE

Last week the NSW Government and Department of Education outlined a 'road map' back to face to face teaching for the students of NSW. Our executive staff are currently working through what this looks like for our students, teachers and school community.

The dates included in the 'road map' listed below are subject to reaching State wide vaccination targets, and have been determined based on current infectious rates in specific LGAs.

• From 25 October – Kindergarten and Year 1
• From 1 November – Year 2 and 6
• From 8 November – Year 3, 4 and 5

When preparing for the return of students to school and face to face learning, the school executive and teachers will be considering all aspects of how we can best:

• Keep students, staff, and the community safe through minimised contact and effective hygiene practices.
• Assess students in literacy and numeracy to target specific learning.
• Utilise support staff to target specific learning.
• Timetable effective delivery of the curriculum to focus on literacy and numeracy skills across all grades.
• Communicate effectively to our community to support you through this transition.

For students this will include staggered start and finish times, specific pick up and drop off locations and split recess and lunch times.

As you can imagine there is a significant amount of organisation, consideration and planning that needs to happen to manage this for over 1200 students. Please be assured that we will clearly communicate all this information to you prior to the students returning and allow you time to plan and prepare as a family. 

For the remaining two and a half weeks of Term 3, keep doing what you are doing! Keep praising your children for their efforts and staying positive. Keep praising yourself and know that what you are doing is outstanding!

We will get through this, students will be back learning face to face at school and our community will thrive again.

Stay positive, stay connected.  

Last week we celebrated books and Australian children's authors and illustrators through the annual Book Week. Thank you to the students, parents and teachers for their incredible efforts to continue to celebrate Book Week through lockdown.

We trust that you will continue to enjoy our virtual celebration of Book Weeek 2021 as you watch the videos below.

Enjoy creating a colourful mushroom with the entire family with this art activity from Ms Simms. Don't forget to send in some images of your family creations for us to share.

As we continue in lockdown and learning from home we need to continue to keep the wellbeing and the safety of our children and families at the forefront of our thoughts. 

Below are some more articles and resources to support all familes during this period.

Dear Strings Parents, 

It has been great to see a high level of participation from Strings and Orchestra students in the online rehearsals and music tutorials. Many thanks to the parents and student. Well done everyone. We hope you and your family are continuing to stay safe.

Please note that all music rehearsals, whether it is with the tutor or ensemble rehearsals, these will all continue to be online until further notice.

Here’s this week’s tip regarding sight reading for students to practice.

5. Observe the tempo and dynamic markings

Look at the tempo and dynamic markings as this gives you an idea of the style, speed and phrasing of the passage,

This week’s joke.

Q: Why did the fish make such a good musician?

A: He knew his scales.

If students would like to send in a music joke, please do to strings.artarmonpandc@gmail.com

Music Camp and Term 3 String event updates

Due to the extended COVID019 lockdown in Sydney, the following events have been cancelled for Term 3:

• Eisteddfod
• Music Camp (refunds are currently being processed)
• Track down studios recording session
• Concourse concert

New Music

During Term 3, Strings students will be learning new music pieces.

If you are not receiving emails from the Strings Committee, you need to log into your parent portal and update your contact details immediately. A lot of information goes out via email that is not included in Newsflash.

If you have trouble logging into the parent portal, email your group coordinator or the strings address below.

Please let your strings coordinator know if you have not received an email link to attend ensemble rehearsals for Training Strings, Junior Strings, Concert Strings, Senior Strings via Zoom run by Mr Mansukhani. Please check that these invites are not in your spam/junk/promotions folder.

Payment Reminders

Please ensure payment to tutors.

Please check your email/junk mail for invoice and payment details. Thanks for your understanding.

If you have any questions related to an invoice or payment, email stringstreasurer@gmail.com

Ensemble rehearsals: Currently on ZOOM         

If your child is sick and/or unable to attend a rehearsal, please notify your corresponding Strings Coordinator.

Informative videos to help with string instruments.

If your instrument is out of tune, do not forget to have a look at these informative videos to help with string instruments. These videos will assist with how to tune and take care of the violin. These have been most helpful to ensure the violin is in tune during practice. Please watch with your child. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOP1ht4mHt0bLr-boSTZ9ig/featured

Volunteers needed.

We still need to fill the following volunteer roles to assist with Strings in 2021/2022:

• STRINGS CO-CONVENOR:  Assists Convenor with insurances, instrument purchases, newsflash writeups, replies to email queries, updates MSM portal, event planning, liaises with Strings committee, uniform shop, school, and Mr Mansukhani. Takes over the reins of Convenor for a minimum 2-year term. Requires work in your own home.  Approximately 2 hours a week.

By volunteering you will be making a valuable contribution to the running of the String program and your child(ren) will love to see you get involved. If you are interested in volunteering for one of these roles or would like more information, please email strings.artarmonpandc@gmail.com

Got a question?

If it is about your hired instrument or instrumental tutorial, please contact your tutor at first instance.

Alternatively contact our instrument coordinator or strings coordinator if required. For anything else please contact your Strings Convenor.

Tutorials:

If you have a question regarding your child’s tutorial, please email your Tutor in the first instance. Alternatively, email Jane at tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au

THANK YOU!

2021 Strings Committee

Dear Band & Orchestra Parents,

We hope you and your families are continuing to stay safe.

It has been great to see a high level of participation from Band & Orchestra students in online rehearsals and music tutorials. Thank you to all the students and parents for their participation and cooperation. Well done everyone!  

If you have a question regarding online music tutorials, please contact your tutor directly.  

For any general enquiries, please email your Band Coordinator or alternatively email band@artarmonpandc.org.au

Sydney Eisteddfod Update:

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Sydney Eisteddfod during Term 2. We recently received great news regarding the results:

Senior Band – First Place

Orchestra – First Place

Concert band – Second place

Jazz Band – Third Place

Junior Band didn’t receive an award but were playing one level higher than their age group. A great achievement.

Across all the Primary School sections, Artarmon Public along with Oakhill Public were the only schools to receive an award in every section we entered.

Well done everyone and a big thank you to our tutors and Band Director, Mr Walmsley!

Music Camp & Term 3 Band Event update

Unfortunately, due to the extended COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, confirming the following events have been cancelled:

• Ryde Eisteddfod
• Music Camp – refunds are currently being processed
• Track down studios recording session
• Concourse concert

Music Camp – Update and Refunds

Confirming music camp has been cancelled for this year (2021).  

This week, the processing of refunds will commence, via the Try Booking system, for all the parents that have paid for the camp. Please note that you will receive the refund minus the booking fee. We appreciate your patience as this is a very manual and time-consuming task.

Whilst disappointing that our children will not be able to attend the Music Camp this year, safety of our children and families always comes first.

Many thanks for your understanding and patience.

Band & Orchestra Online (Zoom) Rehearsal Times:

Confirming all band & orchestra rehearsals will continue online (via Zoom) until further notice. All rehearsal Zoom links sent via email on the 18^th of July, will remain valid until the week ending Friday 3^rd of September.

Any future transition back to in-person rehearsals will be in accordance with APS (Artarmon Public School) and the Department of Education COVID-19 guidelines.

Please find following online (Zoom) timetable for all Band and Orchestra ensemble groups:

• Training Band: Fridays 8am to 8:40am
• Junior Concert Band: Tuesdays 4pm to 4:40pm and Thursdays 8am to 8:40am
• Concert Band: Mondays 8am to 8:40am and Wednesdays 4pm to 4:40pm
• Senior Concert Band: Tuesdays 8am to 8:40am and Fridays 4pm to 4:40pm
• Orchestra: Wednesdays from 8am to 8:40am
• Jazz Band: Thursdays from 3pm to 3:40pm

Zoom links for rehearsals were emailed to all Band & Orchestra parents on the 18^th of July. Please check your email and junk mail folder if you have not received. Alternatively email band@artarmonpandc.org.au

If your child is sick and/or unable to attend a rehearsal, please notify your Band Coordinator.

New Music:

During Term 3, Band and Orchestra students will be learning some new and interesting music pieces.

Emails have been sent to Band and Orchestra parents with links to the new music. If you have not received, please check your email/junk mail.

Tutorials:

Confirming we have moved to online individual/group tutorials for Band students.

If you have a question regarding your child’s tutorial, please email your Tutor directly in the first instance. Alternatively email Jane at tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au

Band Committee 2021

A big thank you to all these parents who have volunteered to help with the running of band this year. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

We still need to fill the following volunteer roles to assist with the running of Band in 2021/2022:

• Band Convenor 2022 (Co-convenor 2021) – WANTED
• Band Secretary 2021

Serena and Kali finish their volunteer Convenor/Assistant Convenor roles at the end of Term 4 (2021).  

We need a new Band Convenor and Band Co-Convenor for 2022 and would ideally like someone to start in the Convenor/Co-convenor role(s) before the end of Term 3 (2021). This will allow time for handover/training and involvement in end of year Band activities.

If you are interested in helping with the Band Convenor role, email  band@artarmonpandc.org.au.

Many of the band committee roles & responsibilities are very flexible, can be performed from home with a laptop/computer and internet connection and fitted in around other work and/or family commitments.  

By volunteering you will be making a valuable contribution to the APS Community and the Band & Orchestra Program. Your child(ren) will love to see you get involved and it’s a great way to help with the local school community and to support the running of the APS Music program!

If you are interested in getting involved in the music program as a parent volunteer or would like more information about volunteer roles available email band@artarmonpandc.org.au

THANK YOU!

This Term, our school will be participating in the Partners in Learning parent survey, another part of the Tell Them From Me suite of surveys (student, teacher and parent surveys) on student engagement. The survey asks parents and carers questions about different factors that are known to impact on student wellbeing and engagement.

Running this survey will help our school understand parents’ and carers’ perspectives on their child’s experience at school. These include: communication between parents/carers and staff, activities and practices at home and parent/carer views on the school's support of learning and behaviour. This valuable feedback will help our school make practical improvements. 

The survey is conducted entirely online on smartphones, iPads, tablets, laptops or computers. The survey will typically take 15 minutes or less to complete and is completely confidential. The parent survey will be conducted over Term 3 and early Term 4. Although participating in the survey is entirely voluntary, your responses are very much appreciated.

More information about the survey is available at: education.nsw.gov.au/ttfm. To access the survey for our school go to: http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/bf9pq

The survey is available in 23 languages.

To read the above information in a different language. Please use the links below.

Arabic_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Chinese_Simplified_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Chinese_Traditional_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Korean_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Russian_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Tamil_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Thai_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf

Urdu_newsletter_text_parent_survey.pdf