WELCOME TO TERM 4!

I hope you have all had a relaxing holiday period and were able to get outside in the magnificent weather and enjoy some quality family time. It is great to see everyone back, ready to finish off the year with another busy Term. 

In relation to the NSW DoE Term 4 Guidelines communicated through the school app and email on Monday, there are few changes to the current restrictions. Current reminders and changes are listed below in a separate article.

I want to thank you, our community, for your understanding and patience during the year so far. We understand it is difficult not being permitted on site, however, we appreciate all the measures you as families are making to help us ensure we adhere to the guidelines and create a safe environment for staff and students.

Mrs Green has extended her leave and I (Jono Coombes) will continue in the role as Relieving Principal. Mrs Kelly Singh will be relieving as Deputy Principal and Miss O'Key will be teaching KKS. Mrs Sun will relieve as Assistant Principal and supervisor of Year 2.

NEW WEBSITE

Our current website has been migrated by the Department to a new platform and will go live next week. The new site has all the same information, and includes widgets to access our information posted through the Schoolzine app.

YEAR 6 FAREWELL - FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER

Great news for Year 6 students! With the ease of restrictions, we are in the process of planning a COVID safe event to celebrate the end of the students primary education. Further details of this event will be communicated to Year 6 families during the term. 

Thanks in advance to the Year 5 parent committee and Mr Sherley for all the work they are doing to adhere to the guidelines and plan a fun celebration for our amazing kids.

ARRIVING LATE

After everyone relaxed and spent a week getting used to Daylight Savings, there still seems to be a number of families adjusting to the change. Can I please stress and remind you about the importance of students arriving at school on time. Arriving late has a significant impact on student learning and wellbeing. The first part of the school day is settling into class and preparing students for the day. Arriving late impedes this, and can also have an impact on the student as they often feel embarrassed and confused when starting learning for the day. 

The school playground is supervised from 8:25am and students move to their classrooms at 8:55am.

DROPPING OFF ITEMS

We understand at times children forget to bring an item to school. Sometimes this item is imperative to the child's day and can be dropped at the office for delivery. However, often the item can be left at home for the day and the child will survive. Please as parents, be aware that a constant flow of adults dropping off items in the morning is difficult in the current times with restrictions on visitors to the school. An email or notification through the school app can be easy to pass on a message to a teacher for your child.

Jono Coombes

Relieving Principal

The Department of Education has updated Term 4 advice on school operations in responding to COVID-19.

Please see key information below to keep you updated.

NSW Health Website

Information on the current COVID-19 situation is available from the NSW Health Website. www.health.nsw.gov.au

All students should be learning onsite unless they are unwell or have a medical certificate to support their absence.

Students Sick or Unwell

Students must not come to school if they are unwell. Even with very mild symptoms.

Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of taste, and loss of smell. Find more information about COVID-19 symptoms.

If a student has been absent due to flu-like illness or develops flu-like symptoms while at school, they are not to return to school until they have a negative COVID-19 test and are symptom-free.

The negative COVID-19 test result must be sighted and received by the school for both students and staff members before their return to school.

School Site Visitors

Non-essential adults are still not permitted on school grounds or at school events. This includes parent and carers except for meetings that are essential.

Any parent or visitor to the school site is required to proceed to the office.

If you are required to attend a meeting or an appointment, you will be asked to complete the visitor acknowledgement form. 

Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures

The drop off and pick up procedures for students remain the same as the end of last term.

At drop off and pick up times, parents are expected to maintain physical distance from one another and from staff.

Importantly please respect each other and staff by adhering to this 1.5m guideline.

Drink Bottles

Students are advised to bring a water bottle.

Kindergarten Orientation Program 2021  

The Department of Education has developed a guide to support schools in planning orientation programs for students entering Kindergarten in 2021.

These guidelines are currently being reviewed so that a localised plan can be developed to support students starting Kindergarten in 2021.

Information will be communicated to families in coming weeks.

Music Programs

Our Band and String groups will resume rehearslas. All reharsal spaces and systems are within the updated current guidelines.

The following website has further information to assist families.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school via phone or througth the school email artarmon-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

During Term Three K-6 students had a focus the important skill of speaking publicly and developing speeches that are engaging, informative and effective. We thank you as parents for helping with many of the homework tasks and allowing your children time to practice and develop their confidence for speaking in front of their peers. But mostly we thank the students for putting in the effort and developing their skills.

This Term focus, ending in a competition is always a huge success and the growth teachers see in students throughout the term after providing individual feedback is exceptional. This year we were unable to hold grade assemblies to get an overall winner, so please see the list below of each class winner for 2020.

Congratulations students! A fantastic effort.

There have been some small changes to Department COVID guidelines regarding Kindergarten Orientations. This will mean that we can now have 2021 Kindergarten students on site for the Orientations coming up on Wednesday 11^th and Wednesday 18^th November 2020.

This is fantastic news for us and our prospective students and families. We are excited to welcome the students into our classrooms and get to know them better while also making sure they have experiences in their new school environment.

Unfortunately, guidelines have not changed regarding parents on site. Information videos will continue to be sent out in lieu of information presentations. More information will be communicated in the next few weeks about the drop off and pick up processes for the orientation dates to ensure we meet COVID safety plans.

If you are a prospective Kindergarten 2021 parent, please make sure you have downloaded our Schoolzine app. If you have already downloaded the app, please head into the ‘manage’ function and click on ‘Kindergarten 2021 group’ so that you receive the most up to date news on upcoming orientations.

If you know of any prospective Kindergarten 2021 parents or carers, please remind them to enrol at the school BEFORE the orientation dates.

Improving Learning Through Wellbeing: Sleep

Why sleep is important for children aged 5-11 years

When your child sleeps well, your child will be more settled, happy and ready for school the next day. Good-quality sleep helps your child concentrate, remember things, regulate emotions and behave well. This all helps your child learn well.

Getting enough sleep also strengthens your child’s immune system and reduces the risk of infection and illness.

Sleep: what children need

At 5-11 years, children need 9-11 hours sleep a night. For example, if your child wakes for school at 7 am and needs approximately 10 hours sleep per night, your child should be in bed before 9 pm.

How to help children sleep well

A good night’s sleep is about getting to sleep, staying asleep and getting enough good-quality sleep. Here are some ideas that can help your child get the sleep they need.

Bedtime routine
A bedtime routine is very important at this age. It helps your child wind down from the day.

For example, a child who normally goes to bed at 7.30 might have a bedtime routine that looks like this:

• 6.45 pm: put on pyjamas, brush teeth, go to the toilet.
• 7.15 pm: quiet time in the bedroom with a book and a bedtime story or quiet chat.
• 7.30 pm: goodnight and lights out.

Good sleep habits
Your child might sleep better at night if they:

• keep regular sleep and wake times, even on the weekend
• turn computers, tablets and TV off an hour before bedtime
• have a quiet and dimly lit place to sleep
• get plenty of natural light during the day, especially in the morning
• avoid caffeine in tea, coffee, sports drinks and chocolate, especially in the late afternoon and evening.

For more information please go to the source: https://raisingchildren.net.au/

Dear String parents 

I hope you all had a safe fun-filled school holidays and enjoyed the break. Ensemble rehearsals and tutorials have commenced this week and will continue to do so til the end of Term 4.

We are working through the audition process and will keep you informed with dates and Covid Safe methods as soon as we can.

I read that music practice is the utmost importance in developing any player. Jascha Heifetz, regarded as the 20^th Century’s most amazing violinist, sums it up perfectly. "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it."

It is surprising for something so crucial to musicians that many players resist practice. From experience, telling a child to practice can be like asking him to clean his room or do his homework. What’s so terrible about practicing?

Here’s a few helpful tips on ‘how to practice,’ which may help with the resistance.

How to Practice

We know that students understand the benefits and rewards of practice but sometimes don’t know exactly “how” to practice. This uses a start/focus/playtime routine which works well.

Start

Students to start with stretches and warm ups with long, clear tones, then scales and arpeggios and finally a warm up piece or exercise.

Focus

This is where the student works on new and challenging pieces, paying close attention to detail, correcting mistakes and also focussing on their strengths. Focus helps the player to make improvements and build confidence at the same time.

Playtime

Saving the best for last, is when you get to have fun, play your favourite Frozen/Disney movie tune. Play chopsticks. Record yourself, make up a tune, improvise your pieces, compose a piece, try and beat your mum at chromatic scales (this happens at my household). The fun ideas are endless.

Til the next newsletter.

Ellen Hird

(Strings Convenor 2020)

Ensemble rehearsals:          

Got a question?

If it is about your hired instrument or instrumental tutorial please contact your tutor firstly, then our instrument coordinator or strings coordinator if required. For anything else please contact your strings convenor.