Term 1 Week 2 -17 February 2022

Newsletter Articles

Calendar of Key Events

From the Principal…..

Newsletter – Term 1 Week 2

Dear Families, Students and Friends

Welcome to 2022

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to members of our school community as we commence the 2022 school year at Perth Primary School. Our first week was an exciting time with students and families sharing about their holidays and talking about the year ahead. I was excited to see everyone learning with purpose as I visited the classrooms.

As Mrs Craw posted on our Facebook Page at the end of 2021, she has been appointed Principal for Terms 1 and 2 at Glen Dhu Primary School. We wish her all the best at her new school. I will be Acting Principal while the Department of Education works through the application process.

Our new staff have been welcomed as a valued part of our community and students are excited to talk about their new teacher. Welcome again to Spencer Walter in Grade 2/3, Isaac Klug in Grade 5/6, Jeanette Ryan as Quality Teaching Coach Numeracy and 5/6 and Melissa Biffin Advanced Skills Teacher.

It has been a different experience at school with Covid in the community. Some of the information below is a timely re-sharing around things that have been in place over the past two years with Covid and some of the information is specific to ‘where we are’ now.

All schools are following the Department of Education Return to School Plan. Schools are able to adapt this to their local context. The Plan will be for the first five weeks initially.

Ongoing proactive measures in place across DoE sites including Perth Primary School are:

• Increased cleaning
• Focus on hand hygiene
• Vaccination of all Department of Education staff
• The requirement of staff to wear masks when indoors
• Increased ventilation in classrooms (all classrooms have air purifiers)
• The use of Covid Care Packs to monitor the incidence of Covid within the school community

Covid Communication

Notices will be put on our Schoolzine app between 3.00pm and 4.00pm daily. If you are not currently accessing this we would strongly recommend doing so as this will allow you to keep up to date with all our covid updates. Please contact the office if you need more information on this.

Covid Care Packs

Care packs include 2 Rapid Antigen Tests, 5 masks and an information booklet. If you require more masks for your children, contact the office and we will be able to assist.

RATs are to be used when students are displaying symptoms. It is not currently a requirement to test twice weekly.

What to do if Your Child Tests Positive for Covid

If your child/ren test positive for Covid, you must contact the school and Public Health. Contacting the school is important because it allows us to monitor the ‘level of Covid’ in our school community and informs us of our next steps.

Student Absence related to Covid

If your child is absent because they have Covid, or because they are a close contact and need to isolate for 7 days, they may continue their learning at home through the DoE’s Virtual Learning Centre (VLC).

Students may also access the VLC if they are unable to attend school for medical reasons.

Covid Vaccinations for Students

The DoE encourages all parents and carers to take up the opportunity to have their child vaccinated against Covid.

However, it is not mandatory for students to be vaccinated to attend school.

We will not be asking parents or students about their vaccination status.

The Virtual Learning Centre

The VLC is accessible online through the CANVAS platform (used in 2020 during our Learning from Home period). When we receive notification from parents that a student is absent due to Covid or for Covid-related reasons, a member of our Leadership Team will contact them to offer the VLC and assist with obtaining access.

Through the VLC students can access reading, writing and number tasks, physical activities and wellbeing activities. There are also live lessons each day for all year groups. Information about the VLC is also available to parents/guardians through the DoE website.

Mask Wearing

Mask wearing is a key Covid Safety measure in schools. At Perth Primary School:

• All staff are required to wear masks inside/indoors.
• Masks are not required for duty (teachers may choose to wear them).
• Teachers can remove their masks for explicit teaching, giving directions and when articulation is important for students to see and hear.
• Students are not required to wear masks at school – either in the classroom or outside. However, if students feel safer wearing a mask, this is OK and will be supported by the teacher and other school staff.
• Teachers and students are not required to wear masks outside during the school day (9:00am – 3:00pm).
• ALL visitors (parents, external providers, workmen etc) MUST wear a mask onsite.

A guide for families on Rapid Antigen tests

A reminder about Food

Please talk to your child about:

• Not sharing food and drink.
• Remember if bringing in a class treat for birthdays they are to be pre-packaged (chocolate frogs, mini muffins etc).

Other Important Information

• No assemblies indoors for the first five weeks.
• A decision on the Primary Athletics Carnival will be made as soon as possible.

The most important consideration with Covid, for us at Perth Primary School, is to maintain the physical and emotional safety of our community - students, staff, families - by minimising the risk of spread by adopting Covid safe practices. I have absolute confidence that our community will continue to maintain these practices as we progress through the term.

Please feel welcome to contact the office if you have any queries or questions about Covid and your child/ren.

Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) 2022

Families that have been in receipt of STAS will receive correspondence from the Department regarding STAS for 2022. You do not need to reapply. If you have a child enrolling in Kindergarten, please have them added. Contact for STAS is 1800 827 055 or email stas@education.tas.gov.au STAS application forms are available from the school office for the new enrolments or families whose circumstances have changed and wish to apply for 2022. To be eligible the parent/carer must have a current:

• Services Australia Centrelink Health Care Card
• Services Australia Centrelink Low Income Health Card
• Services Australia Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or
• Department of Veteran Affairs Pension Concession Card

If you require any further information, please contact the Perth Primary School office on 63 982 302 or perth.primary@education.tas.gov.au.

School Office Reminders

• School photos will be on the 1 March 2022.
• Student validations forms are due back ASAP.

A flyer from Leading Image WILL BE SENT HOME with information on how to order your school photos online. School photos can only be ordered online using the Unique Access Key (on flyer), there will be no cash sales.

Jacinta Doran
A/Principal

Prep 1 Dargaville classroom activity for Valentine’s Day

Term Dates 2022

2022

Perth Primary School Student Attendance Data

Canteen News…..

Canteen will now be operating on a Wednesday starting the 2 March 2022.

Before School Care Hours

School Banking

Happy Birthday

Coopar C, Madelyn D, Asher K, Charlie N, Cooper N, Lucy S, Ignatia V, Libby C, Bodhi L, Charlie P, Jamie M, Sonny D, Koby A, Kobe B, Laila B, Evie Mc, Axel H, Levi M, Dex W, Archie D, Zac B, Tayla C, Logan D, Jett C, Jaxan B, Ryan C, Charlotte W, Victor B, Amelia B, Kiera C, Oscar G, Rubi A, Azhara V, Zachary H, Chaise M, Lincoln S, Jack W, Armani D, Ava H, Miss Bolch, Mrs Whyman.

Community News

2022 PPS Support Staff

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event