Principal’s Report

As you are aware all students will be returning to school, full time, from Monday 25 May. We are all

looking forward to returning to our usual routines, with some modifications. Below is the document

emailed to all parents and carers on Wednesday is included on the next page for your easy access.

As I discussed with the P&C at this week’s meeting, while we have all found the online learning challenging,

both in terms of teaching and learning, as well as missing the social aspects of school, we have also learnt

much about this kind of education. We all understand that nothing can replace the enriching learning

environment of the actual classroom, with the supports provided by teachers and classmates, however but

we are also looking closely at what we can learn from this experience to inform our education practices.

The importance of interpersonal connections and relationships among staff and students has been

confirmed, but we also recognize that there is much we can do to make productive use of technology,

especially beyond the classroom, to support students’ learning. There is much for us to reflect upon, with

the assistance of students, to transform the complexities of these past months into a more positive

learning world for us all.

Watch this space!

I sincerely thank all parents, carers and students for your support and engagement throughout the past

months. I also give a huge thank you to teachers for their amazing effort in transforming teaching and

learning for our students. It has been a massive effort from everyone.

Elizabeth Diprose Principal

Newsletter 22 May 2020 Term 2 Week 4

WGHS P&C

Next P&C Meeting will be held vis ZOOM on Tuesday 16 June at 7pm

Please follow our Facebook page to stay informed of interesting things happening in the parent community. You don’t have to be a Facebook member to access the page

All parents are welcome at P&C meetings. These will be via Zoom until further notice. Please download Zoom before joining the meeting Any queries or matters to be raised can be raised via the Secretary at the above email address at any time

Facebook: Facebook.com/wghspandc

Email: secretary@wghspandc.org.au

P&C Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88920493400 Meeting ID: 889 2049 3400

One tap mobile: +61860156011,,88920493400# Australia +61370182005,,88920493400# Australia

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Return to School

The NSW Government has determined that schools are safe and open for full time face-to-face learning – commencing Monday 25 May 2020. All school activities and operations will be in line with Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and NSW Health guidelines as applicable. School students do not need to follow physical distancing guidelines, but should follow good hygiene practices like:

Regularly washing hands

Avoiding sharing drinks or food

Coughing or sneezing into your elbow, or a tissue which should be discarded immediately.

School attendance All students should be at school unless:

They have a medical certificate which states that they are unable to return to school due to an

ongoing medical condition

They are currently unwell.

Students who have a medical certificate to stay at home will be supported to learn from home in line with regular procedures if they are able to. These regular procedures are different to what was offered during the learning from home period – while some learning materials will be posted online, teachers will not be online during lessons. If you require work to be provided to your daughter whilst she is at home due to an underlying health condition, please contact the school. Please note, students who live with a family member in one of the categories identified as being at increased risk by the AHPPC, should attend school unless a medical practitioner advises otherwise in writing. If your daughter is unwell, do not send her to school. If she is unwell at school, you or your nominated emergency contact will need to collect her immediately. Please make sure your contact details are up to date.

If a student is absent without a medical reason for more than three days, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and followed up by the school. If you need any support to get your child back to school, please contact the school.

Reporting and assessment Your child has been assessed during the learning from home period and regular learning and assessment will continue when school resumes.

Year 7, Year 11 and Year 12 student progress reports will be available before the end of Term2. Year 8, 9 and 10 reports will be available by Week 5, Term 3. Junior reports will be a simplified version of our usual reports, with a focus on your daughter’s learning progress. We are not reporting A-E grades for Semester 1.

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School activities Teachers will continue to follow the same school curriculum with the exception of some activities that can’t go ahead for now. What students can do:

Use the school library for borrowing and returning books.

Engage in non-contact sporting activities

Year 11 and 12 students may attend classes/activities relating to subjects available on other

campuses

VET work placement for Year 12 students is able to proceed from 1 June 2020.

Year 10 and 11 work-placement is able to proceed from Term 3 2020.

What students can’t do:

School assemblies (unless for critical information)

School incursions and excursions including camps

Work experience

Inter-school activities (debating, inter-school sport)

In-school activities requiring parent or other volunteers

Drink from a water bubbler – bring a water bottle instead

Students cannot attend TAFE for study but may continue to learn online.

School cleaning and hygiene supplies Our school will receive additional cleaning in line with the AHPPC guidelines and advice from NSW Health.

Targeted areas include high-touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, lockers, light switches and

handrails in stairways and movement areas. There will also be additional cleaning of toilets and bubblers

and topping up of supplies like soap.

Our school has received supplies of soap, hand sanitiser, toilet paper, paper towels and disinfectant wipes. The school is able to order more as needed. School grounds There should be no visitors to school sites unless they are essential. Please call the school if you require guidance as to who is considered essential. Wherever possible, P&C and parent/carer/teacher meetings should be conducted virtually. The school canteen is operating as usual. Community use of school facilities will recommence only for uses that are necessary for continuation of education and with principal’s approval. Responding to COVID-19 cases There is a clear plan in place for schools to respond to any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our

schools. We are working closely with NSW Health and will communicate with parents if a situation was to

arise

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Coronavirus – The Transition Back

As lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted to varying degrees, we enter a time of transition and adjustment. The circumstances of this situation have significantly impacted us all. For some it has been an opportunity to reflect on what is important, whilst others have embraced the opportunity to learn new things. Many young people may be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted; others may feel mixed emotions. Reactions will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change. Keeping a check on your child’s mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to new routines, will be vitally important. There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, so focusing on the things you can control or enjoy doing or even value, can help establish predictability and familiarity for the whole family. Adult carers need to provide young people with reassurance by acknowledging any concerns and fears they may have at this time. Consider this to be a normal reaction, however it may be best to focus more on their feelings and emotions, rather than the practicalities at this stage. In this Special Report, we share a few ideas to help ease this time of transition and adjustment. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to your special report: https://willoughbg-h.schools.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus-transition-back

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Year 7 Vaccination Clinic

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Premier Reading Challenge 2020

It is not too late to sign up and begin reading for the PRC 2020. In this cold and wet weather now is the perfect time to self-isolate with a book.

All students participating in the PRC please check out the new rules listed on the PRC website https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html. These have been developed to assist students in completing the challenge this year.

School library books are available to borrow by “reserve and collect”. Reserve your books on the school library catalogue and then collect them from the library. Reference resources can be accessed online through EBSCO and Clickview.

Ms Parker Teacher Librarian

MAY - JUNE 2020 CALENDAR

Week 5A Monday 25 May

All years returning back to school

Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 May

No Calendar events

Week 6B Monday 01 –Friday 05 June

No Calendar events

Week 7A Monday 08

Public Holiday (Queen’s Birthday)

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COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD

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COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD