NEWSLETTER TERM 1 WEEK 11: TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2020

1463 Kyogle Road, Uki, NSW, 2484 Email: uki-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Ph: 02 6679 5128 Fax: 02 6679 5448 Website: www.uki-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

I hope this newsletter finds all our families well, happy and settling into a new routine. It has certainly been a massive adjustment for everyone in our school community, our country and, in fact, around the whole world. Foremost in my mind today is the need to take care of our wellbeing. Whilst many of our families are letting us know that they are staying positive and relaxed, school staff are acutely aware of the strain this situation may be creating for some families. If your child is struggling in any way with their learning at home, a call or email to the school may help. A teacher or School Learning Support Officer can offer advice, or even speak to your child on the phone. The teachers are making phone contact with each child in their class this week, so if there is an issue, please don’t hesitate to mention it, and we’ll see what we can do. Support is also available from organisations such as Parent Helpline (phone 1300 1300 52).

Update about Term 2 Late last week, the Department of Education announced that current procedures will stay in place for at least most of Term 2, and possibly all of the term. Whilst no-one is sure when or how things will change, the current Public Health, government and Department of Education directive is that students should remain at home unless there is no supervision for them at home. Please take a moment to visit the new Department of Education website where you’ll find a range of advice and resources, including official policy announcements, health advice, tips for learning at home and ways to stay connected. The ‘Learning from Home’ tab has some great ideas for things to do at home, and even includes some great ideas for holiday activities. https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

Another resource that has been shared with the school is the Art Gallery of NSW’s remote learning resource, called ‘Together in Art’. There is a lovely video of celebrated artist Ben Quilty and his daughter showing how to draw a face. You can find the resource on the art gallery’s website https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artboards/together-in-art/

Learning materials Thank you so much to the many families who booked a time to come and collect the next pack of learning

materials for their children. If you have not yet collected your packs or booked a time, please do this immediately. We want all packs to be collected by Thursday of this week, so that students have work ready for the first two weeks of Term 2 (Monday 27 April – Friday 8 May).

Teachers are working hard now to prepare work for weeks 3 & 4 of next term (Monday 11 May – Friday 22 May). This will continue to be a combination of physical packs and resources distributed via Seesaw (for K-2 students) and Google Classroom (for students in Years 3 – 6). We will provide very clear instructions about how to access work on Seesaw or Google Classroom next term. We will be in touch with families who indicated that they have unreliable internet or no devices to make alternative arrangements. We are committed to providing the same level of quality learning to everyone no matter what your situation is at home.

Reminder about cyber safety and social media Just a quick word to remind parents and carers that there are guidelines for children’s use of social media platforms. These guidelines can be found on the eSafety Commissioner’s website; https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/are-they-old-enough With children at home now, it might be time to have a conversation with them to remind them about staying safe on-line, and whether they are old enough to have accounts to social media platforms.

And that’s it for Term 1! Staff will be at school until the end of the school day on Thursday 9 April. Then they will not be on-site or contactable until Term 2 starts, which is Monday 27 April. On behalf of all the staff, I hope you and your families have a peaceful Easter break, and a relaxing couple of weeks. We miss you all very much and will be in touch with you very early next term. Like everyone, we are looking forward to the day when this will all be behind us, and we’ll all be together again in our lovely little school. Until then, we send our kindest regards. On the next page you will find a few pictures of scenes from the school this week….… Rachel Watkins Principal

Above left: Mr Williams teaching Anna all about Google Classroom.

Above right: Say goodbye to the soft-fall rubber underneath the old playground. By the time you come back, we’ll have lovely new soft-fall...yay!

Left: Chloe starting to get the next folder of work home for someone

Right: Ms Watkins planning the next book to read (have you seen the videos on our Uki Public School Facebook page?)

Centre: Nicole and Mrs Spiller sorting out more photos for the 125 year anniversary archives Right: Mrs Trevaskis ready to hand out the next learning pack (come and get yours if you haven’t already!) Below: Mrs Kendrick and Mrs Mills calling home. Below right: Mrs Crump on her way to return some library books.

esafety.gov.au/parents

There is a lot of conflicting advice and emerging research around screen time. But, the right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. It can be easy to focus only on the clock and how long your child is spending in front of the screen, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement are just as important.

Consider your child’s screen use in the context of their overall health and wellbeing – for example, is online time getting in the way of their sleep and exercise? Is it impacting on their face-to-face connections with family and friends? The answers to these questions will guide you and help strike the right balance of online and offline activities for your child.

1. Be involved

Sharing screen time and online activities like gaming with your child helps you gauge the appropriateness of what they are doing and manage potential risks. It’s also a great way to start conversations with your child about their online experiences.

2. Work with your child to set boundaries for screen use

If you decide that setting screen time limits is right for you and your child, discuss these new rules with your child. Older children are more likely to cooperate if they have been part of the decision-making process. Colourful pictures or charts of daily limits and other important activities is a fun way to get younger children on board.

3. Be clear about the consequences of not switching off

Part of our role as parents is to set clear limitations and boundaries. The same applies to technology limitations so, being clear and consistent about the consequences for your child if they do not stick to these rules is paramount. The Raising Children Network provides some useful tools and advice.

Screen time for your child – 7 tips

esafety.gov.au/parents

4. Set device-free zones and times at home

Device-free zones can help you manage your family’s digital use. Here are some ideas for setting digital boundaries within your home:

• no devices in the bedroom for younger children

• all screens off in bedrooms after a certain time for older children

• all screens off at least one hour before planned bedtime

• all family members switch off at dinner time

• charge devices overnight in a place your child

cannot access

5. Ask your child to explain their screen use

Get your child in the habit of explaining why they want to be in front of a screen or online. It’s a great way to get them thinking about their own digital habits and balancing screen time with other activities.

6. Use tech tools to help manage access

There are robust products and device functions which allow you to see which apps are being used in your home and for how long. But try not to use these tools to secretly monitor your child. Instead, be open about the process and check the whole family’s usage, including your own. Start with Google Family Link for Android devices or parental controls and Screen Time for iPhone/iPad.

7. Lead by example

Your behaviour is one of the most effective ways to help your child develop a positive digital mindset. Show your child you can put down your device too.

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