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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Hello Swan Reach,
Despite the staggered start and the uncertainty due to COVID, it was wonderful to see and hear a buzz of excitement from the students returning to classroom and at-home learning on Wednesday morning. A fresh year presents fresh opportunity for learning, wellbeing and social growth.
Staff are looking forward to facilitating genuine learning opportunities and 2022 presents another opportunity for SRAS staff to further implement and embed the department’s ambitious plans to ensure growth for every learner in every class. Whilst ALL areas of ALL subjects are important, SRAS is confident in our specific and highly focussed goals of improving students’:
- Writing - emphasis on providing explicit scaffolding for secondary students
- Numeracy – focus on raising understanding of Place Value for year 3 -6s
- Reading – with emphasis on Phonics Instructional Routines for the R-2s
- Oral language – extending children’s use of sophisticated language and sentences in Preschool
We look forward to communicating with the community about teaching and learning cycles because what we are targeting isn’t a secret. Our Site Improvement Plan (SIP) and Preschool Quality Improvement Plan (P-QIP) details our plan and strategies for the goals listed above. Once finalised, they will be available for your information on our website.
Mr John Robertson
Principal
WELCOME
We warmly welcome our new pre-schoolers and reception students and their families. We also welcome the following students and their families to SRAS:
- Tyron and Cooper, who join our year 7/8 cohort
- Arkaea who joins the 3-6 class
- Apollo who is joining in with the R-2s
We welcome back Mrs Sarah Bolt from leave. Mrs Mary Ann Humphris joins our classroom SSO team along with Miss Fran Newman, who joins our secondary teaching team. Otherwise, we have retained most staff from 2021 for 2022.
Home Group teachers are:
- Preschool – Mrs Trish Horstmann
- R-2s – Mrs Ashleigh Thomas
- 3-6s – Mrs Roxy Rosenzweig
- 7-10s – Mr Greg Griffiths
- 11/12s – Mr Jayden Coleman
Other subject teachers are:
- Secondary Maths – Mr Coleman & Mrs Bolt
- Secondary English, Research Project, 9/10 History, 10 PLP – Miss Newman
- Home Ec, Pedal Prix, Tech Studies, Ag & Horticulture – Mr Griffiths
- 7-10 Music & Stage 1 Music & Individual Music Lessons – Mr Peter Jesser
- Secondary PE – Mr Coleman & Mr Cowland
- Japanese, 7/8 Science & 11 Food & Hospitality – Mrs Endersby
- 9/10 Science – Mr Coleman
- 7/8 HASS – Mrs Bolt
COMMUNICATION
Term 1 is traditionally hectic with athletics, new timetables and new routines. The need for on-going and positive communication, between school and home and visa-versa, will enable the best positive start for ALL. Many will have noticed that our newsletter is later than normal this year – usually we sent one home in week 1. However, with so much COVID news from SRAS, we have changed newsletter distribution to even weeks for 2022.
Thank you for making time to keep in contact with staff and share information that is affecting, or may affect your child’s education. There are a number of ways to communicate with teachers—phone, texts, email, diaries, meetings and communication folders are the most effective means. Taking 5 mins to check diaries and communication folders is a quick way to keep in touch - even with older students! Let’s remain connected through timely communication as your child(ren) and our students deserve our ongoing collaboration .
Circumstances such as address, telephone numbers and students’ needs often change over the holidays. If so, thank you for updating details with our office staff.
COVID-19 UPDATE
Most COVID-19 restrictions and site operation matters affecting SRAS was communicated in 2 previous communication letters sent prior to school starting. Below is a summary of the key matters SRAS needs to adhere to for the first 4 weeks of this term:
The following services and activities will STOP:
- Parents on-site (for necessary actions, thank you for phoning the school and making appropriate arrangements prior to entering site)
- Volunteer programs
- Occasional Care, PCMG and Playgroup
- Assemblies, Camps and Excursions
- Combined class activities
- Community Library – service is available after school hours
- Face-to-face staff meetings
- Site-based beginning of year events (SWIMMING CARNIVAL is postponed until term 4)
COVID Safe practices at SRAS are:
- Masks required for all adults when indoors (except if impeding with teaching)
- Masks required for all secondary students when indoors and on buses (unless medically exempt)
- Masks strongly encouraged for year 3-6s
- Masks made available to all (smaller masks will be issued by DfE)
- Sanitiser made available in every learning space
- Social distancing when possible
- QR code checking is required for schools and preschools
- Staff and students to stay home if presenting with symptoms
- Staff and students to go home if symptoms present during the day
REMOTE LEARNING ICT ASSISTANCE
The department recently released the Parent Hotline 1800 271 211. This is available to students/parents & carers that are having issues with remote learning when attempting to connect from home. Thank you for using this as an option if assistance from SRAS ICT is unavailable. The hotline may be able to resolve the issue and keep students operational.
SCHOOL CAPTAINS & SRC
SRAS is changing how we appoint School Captains for 2022. Due to COVID-19 the new process is delayed and the same applies with our SRC nominations and elections. With the 11 & 12s back onsite the process for nominating and appointing captains has begun. However, SRC nominations and elections won’t occur until all 3-6 and secondary students are back on site.
BUSHFIRE PROCEDURES ON CATASTROPHIC DAYS
On days where a Catastrophic Fire Danger rating is forecasted:
- All school bus routes travelling through any affected Fire Ban District(s) will be cancelled
- School will still be open and lessons will run as normal
- If the Fire Ban rating changes to ‘Catastrophic’ during the day, school buses will operate as normal, unless advised otherwise by authorised Emergency Services personnel
If a bushfire is reported in the area during the day:
- Affected bus runs will not to leave the school until the roads are declared safe by emergency services authorities
- Parents will be notified and students will be supervised at school, until buses can run, or until parents are able to collect their children
BUS ROUTES
The Purnong Bus looks different due to temporary arrangements in place with DfE and bus contractors. The usual contractor, Link SA, is unable to provide drivers due to COVID-19 vaccination mandates. The smaller bus is contracted through Murray Mallee Bus Service and will be running until the 14th February. SRAS will communicate any further changes as soon as the information is made available. If you have any queries/messages for the bus/driver contact the school on 85702053 or 0439 833 424.
GOVERNING COUNCIL (GC) AGM
You are invited to our online GC AGM on Mon 28th March at 6:00pm via ZOOM. The ZOOM link will be sent out with the next newsletter and made available through DayMap and our FaceBook page. If restrictions ease before this date, we’ll revert back to face-to-face meeting in the school library. The 2021 GC did a magnificent job with governance and representing the school community with strong and enthusiastic voice and action to improve SRAS.
There are 7 Parent / Carer positions and 2 community member positions needing to be filled. Being on GC is an important and great way to support your child(ren) and our school. You may choose to self-nominate or nominate a Parent or Carer who has a child(ren) attending SRAS. Once members are elected then office bearer positions will be nominated and elected for 2021.
- 4 x 1-year tenures
- 3 x 2-year tenures
- 2 x community members with a 1-year tenure
Nomination forms are with this newsletter and need to be returned to the front office by 4pm on Monday 21st February.
Note Well – under new DfE mandate, ALL GC members must be vaccinated and required to undertake Responding to Risk, Harm and Abuse training for volunteers, facilitated by SRAS.
Mr John Robertson
Principal
Test -to Stay’ TRIAL
Our school will be taking part in a trial of rapid antigen ‘test to stay’ for children who are classroom contacts of someone with COVID-19 from week 3.
At the moment, if your child is in a classroom with someone who tests positive to COVID-19, you will be notified that they are a classroom contact and encouraged to keep sending your child to school, while monitoring for symptoms and limiting some activities.
As part of the trial, you will have the option to receive a 7-day supply of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for your child if they are a classroom contact. The RATs should be used to test your child before school for 7 days following their exposure to COVID-19.
The trial is optional – you do not have to take part. If your family chooses not to take part , your child can continue attending school under the classroom contact rules.
If your child becomes a classroom contact, we will let you know what to do and what is required if you would like to take part in the trial.
Why is this trial happening, and why in our school?
The intention of the trial is to increase overall safety at school by identifying positive COVID-19 cases before students come to school.
Experience in other states suggests practical challenges interfere with the effective use of RATs for daily student testing. To understand how this approach works in practice, SA Health is supporting the Department for Education to conduct this trial.
This option is being trialled in special schools, disability units, Centres for Deaf and Hearing Impaired, and schools in the Mid Murray District Council Local Government Area (LGA).
The Mid Murray LGA was selected as the area has one of the lowest vaccination rates in South Australia as of 7th February.
Evaluation of the trial will take place after 4 weeks. A decision about whether the trial will be continued or expanded will be made once the evaluation is completed.
This year we welcome 5 students into their final year of schooling. Harley, Ryan, Whyatte, Lina and Naomi will get out of this year what they are prepared to put into it. It is important to start the year of in a positive light and get the right learning structures and routines in place both at school and at home.
The beginning of year 12 has a different feel for every student. Most students can be categorised into 4 areas:
The grand planners – Those who know absolutely what they want to do.
The re-generators – Those who are pressured into doing what their parents feel they should.
The clueless crowd - Those that haven’t got a clue what they want to do and feel bad about it.
The moratorium mob – Those who haven’t got a clue what they want to do and feel fine about it.
Everyone is unique, what one person decides to do at the age of 17 may take another ten years to decide. There are essentially five main options to consider:
- Start Uni or TAFE
- Do a traineeship or apprenticeship
- Get a job
- Take a year off
- Return to school
In this day and age the average person will change careers 5-7 times. The only mantra that holds true is that you can get exactly where you want to be if you’re willing to work hard enough. Good luck.
Troy Cowland
Deputy Principal
This year the R-2s have had a busy start to the year, we have welcomed new students into the classroom and have been busy getting to know each other and getting back into our learning routine. The reception students have started learning sounds this week. The whole class has been having a blast revising sounds. We have even had a theme everyday in the classroom to help learn them. When we learnt the letter ‘t’ the students all got to enjoy a t….t…. tic…. toc…tiny…. teacup! These were a blast in the class, we then later went on to play teddy hide and seek. The students will be engaging in a game and activity each day to help remember their sounds. Here is to a fun year!
Due date for the next Newsletter is 10:00am, Wednesday February 24, 2022. The newsletter is distributed via the SZApp and school website. Printed copies are still available upon request.
Articles can be emailed to dl.0423.info@schools.sa.edu.au clearly marked in the subject box as Newsletter, faxed to 8570 2325 or delivered to the library/front office. Due to the way the Newsletter is now being set up, not all photos are included in the print copy, however there are several photo galleries included online and via the SZApp. Apple devices: open the App store and search and download SZapp, on Android devices open the Play store and search and download SZappa; select the Asia Pacific region and search for Swan Reach Area School. Follow the prompts to register using an email address and create a password to access the online newsletter. Contact the school should you require any assistance.
The Swan Reach Area School website is where you can find all the school information including the newsletter, forms and policies. Please visit https://swanrchas.sa.edu.au.
OPENING HOURS
The library now has a mobile phone for communication. Please let me know if you would like to be included on the message list to receive notifications, holiday and opening hours etc.
The number is: 0460 366 067
COVID-19 DIGITAL PASSPORTS
Can't access your digital passport or load on your phone? The Community Library can scan your paperwork and reduce to credit card size for your wallet or purse. No charge.
SWAN REACH PLAYGROUP & PARENT-CHILD MOTHER GOOSE
PLEASE NOTE COVID RESTRICTIONS WILL APPLY TO ALL
COMMUNITY EVENTS UNLESS ADVISED OTHERWISE.
Swan Reach Christian Women's Group invite you to join them for Bible study and fellowship each month. 11am, second Tuesday of the Month at the Swan Reach Lutheran Church Hall. BYO lunch. For more information please phone Taryn 0427 702 377 or Josie 0419 708 224. All welcome.
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22 MARCH | USE (Upper South East) Swimming |
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15 APRIL | Good Friday |