21 May 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

This week will be the last week of remote learning as all the students return to school 5 days a week next week. Thank you to all the parents and caregivers for your cooperation in working with the school during this very challenging time to provide a safe learning environment for your children whilst teaching and supporting your children at home with remote learning.

The teachers are really looking forward to having their classes back and establishing their routines again. As the winter months come upon us it is important to keep our teachers and students healthy. Please be aware of the following health and hygiene guidelines that need to be adhered to for students to return to school:

1. All students are to be dropped off at the gate or flagpole area each day. Parents are not to enter the classroom areas at all this term.
2. Pick up will be staggered to allow the free flow of parents and students. Please do not gather, and observe the social distancing guidelines for adults (1.5metres). If approaching a teacher please leave a 1.5m distance between you and them.
3. There are changed parking conditions on Gibbs and Sunshine Streets. Please adhere to the new signage to allow for parent pick up and drop off of students. Do not leave your car if you are parking in the “No Parking” zone on Sunshine Street. Your child needs to come to you.
4. Kindergarten, and the siblings of Kindergarten students will be dismissed in the front playground at 2.50pm daily. Kindergarten parents need to leave immediately so as to allow other parents of Year 1 and 2 students to be picked up in that same area.
5. Bus students will also be brought down to the hall area at 2.50pm daily to alleviate traffic on the front stairs
6. Years 3-6 students will exit the school from the basketball court gate at the southern end of the school. Siblings of younger students are able to meet them at the front flagpole area if required for pick up.
7. Grades will have separate eating areas for lunch.
8. Canteen will be staffed by Robyn, Kerry and Bec following strict hygiene guidelines. No volunteers until further notice.
9. Hand washing will be done regularly throughout the day. Cleaning of bathrooms and toilets and high traffic areas is done continuously throughout the day by cleaners.
10. No birthday cakes or treats to classrooms until further notice. You may order ice blocks from the canteen if you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday. No food is to be shared at school.
11. Students are not to come to school sick. If your child is coughing, sneezing or has any symptoms of a cold or flu they are to remain at home. Parents will be called to the office if students come to school sick.

Reports and Interviews

We are planning to have parent-teacher interviews in Weeks 9 & 10 of this term. The interviews will be conducted in office areas and via zoom. It will be a great opportunity to share the remote learning experience with the class teacher and discuss learning goals together for Semester 2. A revised written report will be given out at the end of term.

Band

Senior Band and Junior Band rehearsals will begin next week. The Senior Band will rehearse on Monday and Wednesday mornings, with Junior Band rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Please make sure that instruments and music is packed and ready for those days.

Fees

There has been a revision of the Whole School Fees for this year. All of our Term 2 excursions have been cancelled until further notice and the new fee schedule reflects a reduction of these costs. Gym and Dance programs will still go ahead.

The Year 5 & 6 camp has not been cancelled at this stage but we ask that you not make a payment towards this camp until it is confirmed that it is going ahead. Please feel free to make an appointment with Mrs Lee if you need assistance with school fees.

Changed parking conditions

The new traffic management plan from the Development Application (DA) for the new school is now in progress. Parking around the school is now limited to accommodate “Kiss and Drop” zones for drop off and pick up. Please make sure that you arrange a pick-up meeting point for your child daily. Cars are not able to park for more than 5 – 10 minutes in the direct vicinity of the school. A new “No Parking” zone has been allocated for the northern side of Sunshine Street where drivers can only park for a limited amount of time but are not to be further than 3 metres from their car.

These changed zones are in place to allow a flow through of traffic including buses around our school. Please try and park away from the school and walk up to avoid fines and congestion. The bus zone on Gibbs Street has been extended right down to Arana Street so that the 145 bus has a designated stop (all day) and the 2 school buses have ample space away from the crossing to pull up.

Please see attached brochure from the Northern beaches Council explaining these changed conditions. Rangers will be enforcing these conditions from Monday.

Gym Classes

Gym commenced with Paul for years 3 & 4 students last week.

Tina Lee - Principal

Dates for Your Diary

Library News

We have some exciting initiatives happening in the library at the moment for students to engage with reading across a range of platforms.

Manly Vale Public School eLibrary Platform

We are excited to announce the launch of MVPS eLibrary. Read anywhere, anytime, on multiple devices! Students can download the app to browse our large selection of eBooks at any time of the day or night. The may borrow two eBooks at a time for a period of two weeks. Books can be renewed or requested through the app. If you have any questions about MVPS eLibrary please use the contact form on the app.

MVPS eLibrary can be found here:

Login details: normal school login and password e.g. john.smith

Download the app

• IOS, Android, Windows
• Link to apps on the MVPS eLibrary homepage or,
• Search for “ePlatform by Wheelers” in your app store

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an annual event held across Australia. Every year an Australian picture book is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. It aims to promote the value of reading and literacy and bring families and community together through shared reading.

This year NSS takes place on Wednesday 27 May and the book we will be sharing is Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas written and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford. Students will participate by viewing the story on online platform Storybox Library, or visiting the library for a live reading.

Parents, if you would like to join in from home you can tune in to ABC Kids and ABC Kids iView on Wednesday 27 May at 11am as Denise Scott reads Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas from the Play School Story Time couch.

We hope you will join us in reading Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas!

Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year Manly Vale Public School will be participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge again. It's fun, free and easy to complete!

Infants Students (K-2) will be completing the challenge entirely at school. Students will read 30 books in the library and class time. They will receive a certificate at the end of the year.

Primary Students (3-6) wishing to complete the challenge are expected to do so independently. Students need to read 20 books and enter them into the PRC website by the closing date, Friday 28 August, to qualify for a certificate at the end of the year.

Reading lists and general rules can be found on the PRC website at the link below:

Notes will be sent home with further information and student login details very soon.

Ali Webster – Teacher Librarian

School Photos

Our school photos that were taken last term have finally arrived. All photos should have already been handed out and sent home with students this week. If you ordered photos and have not yet received a copy of your child’s class and individual packs, please check their school bags. If they are not there, please see the front office who have a small collection of photos from families requesting that they be picked up from the office rather than handed out by the teacher. If your child was away this week, your photos may be available to pick up from your class teacher next week. If your child was in the choir or is an SRC member, those photos may be ordered separately. More details to follow on how to do that in next week’s newsletter.

Sarah Birrell – Photo Coordinator

Scholastic Book Club

Issue 4 orders are due on Tuesday 23 June 2020.

Community Notices

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.