WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

What a great return to school. One of the teachers commented that the first morning was full of joy. It definitely was.

Please remind children about the hygiene practices that will keep them safe.

THINGS THAT MAY LOOK DIFFERENT THIS YEAR:

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT reports will be slightly different this year. They will go out to families  on 15 December.

PRESENTATION DAYS - We are waiting for further guidance as we get closer to the end of term. Awards will be very different this year. The school will be consulting with the P&C on this issue.

YR 6 FAREWELL - this will go ahead in some form but will be students and teachers only onsite.

PICNIC DAY - this will be held at school

Please note: This does not apply to Year 6 students.

https://forms.office.com/r/wk2CgG4Anx

Dear Band & Orchestra Parents,

We hope you and your child(ren) are enjoying being back at school this week!

With students returning to school this week, there has been a change to the online rehearsal timetable. All band and orchestra rehearsals are now being held after school (via Zoom). Updated timetable below.

Individuals and group lessons are also continuing online and will now be held outside of school hours. Tutors will have contacted parents regarding updated lesson times. If you have a question regarding online music lessons, please contact your tutor directly.  

For the moment, we will continue with online rehearsals and lessons, however, are very much looking forward to returning to in-person band activities when allowed.

Thanks again to students and parents for their continuing cooperation and patience. We will continue to keep you updated regarding any future changes.

For absences or general enquiries, email your Band Coordinator.

Band & Orchestra Online (Zoom) Rehearsal Times:

Confirming all band & orchestra rehearsals will continue online (via Zoom) until further notice.

Updated online rehearsal timetable is following and will be in place until further notice:

• Training Band: Wednesday 3:45pm
• Junior Band: Mondays 3:45pm and Thursdays 3:45pm
• Concert Band: Tuesdays 3:45pm and Thursdays 4:45pm
• Senior Band: Tuesdays 4:45pm and Fridays 4:45pm
• Orchestra: Wednesdays 4:45pm
• Jazz Band: Fridays 3:45pm

Any future transition back to in-person rehearsals will be communicated to parents via email and updated in newsflash as soon as new information becomes available. This will be in accordance with APS (Artarmon Public School) and the Department of Education COVID-19 guidelines.

See Advice for families (nsw.gov.au)

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

Tutorials:

Confirming we are continuing with online individual & group tutorials for Band students.

With students returning to school this week your tutor will have contacted you to arrange an alternative lesson time (outside of school hours). If you have not already received, please look out for an email update from your tutor.

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

Band Convenor 2022 – POSITION VACANT!

We need a parent volunteer to be our Band Convenor in 2022 - Serena (Band Convenor) and Kali (Assistant Band Convenor) finish their volunteer roles at the end of this year (2021).

No prior band convenor knowledge or experience needed! This would suit someone with general organisational, communication and administrative skills.

To get started, all you need is a computer, internet connection and a phone. An interest in music education also an advantage. The Band Convenor role is flexible and can be performed from home with periodic visits to the school (COVID-19 guidelines permitting).

The band committee would ideally like someone to start in the Convenor role ASAP! This will allow time for handover, training, and involvement in end of year band activities. If you’re interested but cannot start in the Convenor role until 2022, we’d still love to hear from you.

Becoming a parent volunteer is a great way to contribute to your local school community, get to know other parents and have fun along the way.

Interested in volunteering to be our next Band Convenor? email band@artarmonpandc.org.au

Band Committee 2021

A big thank you to all the parents that have volunteered to help with the running of band in 2021. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Dear Strings Parents, 

How exciting to see all the children back at school. We hope that you are able to bear with us for the ensemble sessions and one on one tuition that will continue to be held online. 

Thankyou parents for your understanding with the tutors and working out a suitable time slot. We understand that it is at times a juggle and we hope this will only be for a short time.

Please be patient with your tutors as the new logistics mean that they are only able to organise one on one lessons outside of school hours. This can be difficult, particularly as the tutors often have existing family and other commitments during this time.

The ensemble sessions will run earlier in the morning with the exception of Senior Strings. Please note that the same zoom links are to be used. We understand that the time slots may not be perfect for everyone but if students can turn up when they can, this would be much appreciated.

Ensemble rehearsals times:             

Tuition information

It is important that students that partake in the Strings program to take note of the requirements.

All students who participate in the Strings program are expected to take tuition lessons (at school or externally) for the Violin, Cello and Double Bass. Only students who are in Years 3 to 6 and who are currently in the Strings program can be tutored at school (this is currently online), in the instrument they play in Strings Ensemble.

In addition to the tuition, the students also partake in ensemble sessions to play as a group with their peers and learn how to take cues from the conductor.

One month’s notice is to be given if group/individual lessons are to be discontinued or you will need to pay for lessons for this equivalent period.

Our Tutor Coordinator will advise you by email of your child's tutorial details and provide you with a copy of the Tutor Policy.

If you have any questions regarding tutorials, please refer to the Tutor Policy or contact our Tutor Coordinator via the email  tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au

Correspondence

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 convenor.

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.

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.

THANK YOU!

2021 Strings Committee

To help take some of the stress out of returning to school, here’s the NSW Department of Education’s Top Ten (plus one) help list:

1. Find school equipment and check uniforms and shoes still fit – your child may have grown. Give yourself enough time to organise replacements or a uniform alternative if needed.

2. Encourage your child to check their school timetable if needed, pack their school bag, and get their lunch box, drink bottle and uniform ready.

3. Plan ahead for making lunch boxes again. You can find some nutritious ideas on our site and at Healthy KidsExternal link.

4. Promote positive conversations. Let them know that school staff are looking forward to seeing them. If they feel nervous or worried, help them understand this is a normal reaction, and that you and their teachers are there to support them.

5. Remind your child that everyone at school is working hard to make sure that everyone is safe and that anyone who is unwell will stay home.

6. Look at the school website, Facebook page and newsletters to learn about new procedures that may have been introduced such as changes to parents’ access to the school grounds, drop off and pick up points as well as new rules such as wearing face masks or hygiene rules.

7. Allow more time than usual on the first morning back to calmly get ready. Take your child to school if that will help build a greater sense of security. Alternatively, encourage your child to meet up with a friend before school and travel in together.

8. Routines help provide certainty and increase feelings of security, so it will help to re-establish routines and plan for the return. After-school routines to review the day’s learning and complete homework tasks will also be important.

9. Provide opportunities for your child to play and relax at the end of the day. Returning to school can be a big deal especially after lockdown.

10. Remember your school is there to help – contact them with any concerns or issues you might have.