7 May 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

We are all very excited here at Manly Vale with the return of our students one day a week. Yesterday communication was sent home via the email on our staged return to school. The return to school plan is outlined below:

Monday - Years 5 and 6 (Gym make up lessons start Monday 18 May)
Tuesday - Kindergarten (Dance program begins 12 May)
Wednesday - Years 1 and 2 (Dance Program Begins 13 May)
Thursday – Years 3 and 4 (Gym program begins 14 May)
Friday - Essential Workers only, minimal supervision.

This phased return allows for every student to have their own teacher on the day they return (educational), reconnect with their friends (well-being), begins our whole school programs (including Band, Dance and Gym) and set up our students for the week’s online learning that follows. A detailed explanation of the model and the reasoning behind this decision was sent to all parents yesterday.

Remote and Online Learning

It has been a very challenging time for all parents and carers to implement the remote-learning strategy. Trying to juggle household tasks, toddlers at home, working from home whilst trying to teach your children is an enormous task. Please “do what you can, when you can.” Teachers themselves do not get every child engaging and learning for 4-6 hours a day. We have our productive days and not so productive days. Technology as a learning tool can be unreliable, frustrating and difficult to manage especially with our primary-aged students. Congratulations on the job you are doing. A great quote to be mindful of is from a great educator John Hattie:

“It is teachers who gave created positive teacher student relationships that are more likely to have the above average effects on student achievement.”

Do activities that generate positive relationships with in the household. Try and turn the activities into engaging and fun opportunities to share the learning as a family. This isolation is not forever and the benefits will be worth it if we all remain healthy and safe. Try to look at the positives and don’t put too much pressure on yourselves. Children will learn everyday whether in a classroom, at school, in a playground or in the backyard. Enjoy this time with your family.

Please see link below for resources for parents:

Here are some pictures of the Zoom meetings our older students are having daily with their teachers.

School Jumpers & Raincoats

As we are limiting the use of air conditioning and heating during this time, please ensure your child wears or brings a jumper daily to school. Raincoats also need to be included in school bags this term for inclement weather. No umbrellas please.

Canteen

The canteen will be open from next Monday 11 May. A revised menu will be sent out via Class Coordinators at the end of the week. All ordering is to be online. No cash will be accepted. Snacks and recess as well as a revised lunch menu will be available daily. Thank you Kerry, Robyn and Becky for managing the canteen during this time. Volunteers will not be working in the canteen until all students are back at school.

Band – starts Monday 11 May

The school band program will start one day a week as from next week. A letter was sent home to Band parents yesterday outlining the organisation.

Monday – Senior Band rehearsal
Thursday - Junior Band rehearsal

Gymnastics - Monday and Wednesdays

Years 3 and 4 will begin their 10-week gymnastic program starting this Thursday. Students from Years 3 and 4 will need to wear their sports uniform on their return to school day this term.

Years 5 and 6 will have their make-up days from last term starting from Monday 18 May (week 4) so will need to wear their sports uniforms from that day on their return to school.

Dance Program

Ms Vanessa will begin her Kindergarten, year 1 and 2 dance classes as from next week. The dance classes will be every week building up to a K-2 dance Concert in Term 3.

Years 3 and 4 will not do their Hip Hop program until Term 3, along with year 5 who will do a modified Dancesport Program including a school-based concert at the end of term 3. School fees will be changed and modified to reflect changes to the Dancesport program. Please refrain from paying for any of the excursions on the school fees until we are sure they are going ahead.

Building Works

The photos below reflect some of the new gardens and works completed at the school. ADCO have completed all sound and AV equipment in the hall, repainted the entranceways, rejuvenated our grass areas and will complete the modifications on the stairways at the end of this week, ready for the students return next week.

Congratulations Ms Phillips - (Mrs Orlando)

Ms Lisa Phillips decided to have a 5-person wedding last Sunday and married Mr Joe Orlando. Ms Phillips is still officially an Assistant Principal at Manly Vale Public School but has been seconded to do other roles within the Department. She is currently the Deputy Principal in the “middle-school trial” at Narrabeen Sports High School.

Last Sunday Ms Phillips (Mrs Orlando) celebrated her wedding with a walk along Dee Why beach. Congratulations was sent from all students, staff and parents at Manly Vale Public School to the happy couple.

Tina Lee - Principal

School Banking

Message from Commonwealth Bank

The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students.

In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education:

Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework.

The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.

Scholastic Book Club

In these unprecedented times we’re all being asked to change the way we work and live. Our tradition of putting books into the hands of kids isn’t going to change, but for Term 2, we're doing things a little differently. We ask that you continue to work with us to maintain our unique distribution partnership with schools. This means we can keep on putting traditional delivery costs back into offering the best prices and the best selection of books!

Dates for Your Diary

Community Notices

The Link Community Care ‘LUNCHBOX’

Need help with the kid’s lunches during school holidays or while schooling from home? What about your own lunch? Maybe an elderly relative or neighbour?

The Link is partnering with Pittwater Sport Centre and the businesses within the Centre, to help those in most need on the Northern Beaches during this challenging time. The program is called ‘LUNCHBOX’ and provides people with a sandwich, a drink, a piece of fruit and a snack. The ‘LUNCHBOX’ is provided free, although a gold coin donation would be appreciated but not essential.

The program is provided as a drive-through service to adhere to social distancing protocols and will be available Monday to Friday from 11.00am to 2.00pm. The ‘LUNCHBOX’ can be collected from Pittwater Sports Centre, 1525 Pittwater Road, North Narrabeen.

See our website for more details

Northern Beaches Council Covid-19 and shared paths

In these strange Covid-19 times, many more families than usual are using our shared paths. This is a very positive thing to do, for so many reasons; exercise, getting out of the house and mental health being some of those reasons. However, the extra people means that we have to take extra care with our etiquette on shared paths, so that we reduce the risk of injury to ourselves and others.

Please see this short Shared Path video, that is on the Northern Beaches Council YouTube channel.

Please note that everyone can still maintain the required 1.5 metres separation while keeping the Shared Path etiquette, such as walking single file in order to keep to the left and allow others to pass in both directions.