27 March 2020

Newsletter Articles

School Vision

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members,

I wish to thank you all for the calm and compassionate way you are handling the current events that are impacting all our lives in so many different ways. It is difficult for everyone to predict what will happen over the coming days and weeks, and an overwhelming feeling of confusion and uncertainty is completely normal. The school is currently providing as much consistency as possible for families and their children and we appreciate your support and kind words as we continue to do so. Remember that it is important to make sure you have accurate information as changes happen, so please always refer to the Health Department website, or contact the school if you have any questions, and we will do our best to answer them.

Yesterday the government announced all public schools in Western Australia will remain open until the end of term – Thursday, 9 April 2020.

However, families are now encouraged to keep their children at home if they have the capacity to do so. The Department’s learning from home resources are available to you. Early next week parents will also be provided with a program of work from classroom teachers.

What this means for Madeley Primary School is:

• From Monday, 30th March to Friday, 3rd April all children who attend school will be following a modified program.
• The following week (6th to 9th April) teachers and education assistants will be preparing learning programs for Term 2.
• During this time (6th to 9th April), students who attend school will be supervised.

The Government recognises there will still be families who need to send their children to school to continue their learning during this period. These may include:

• Children of parents and carers who need their children to attend school to maintain employment.
• Children who live in families with aged relatives.
• Children where it is safer for them to be at school.

I would ask all parents to ensure their contact details are up to date with the front office, and that all parents are signed up and able to access Connect. This is the main communication avenue used to contact parents and provide updates as they occur.

The following links will provide families with information and support around coping with and discussing the current Coronavirus situation with children along with the information provided by our School Psychologist.

Please continue to observe social distancing and minimise your movements in the community to ensure you are doing your part to slow down or stop the spread of the virus. If any community member tests positive to the virus, please contact the school. Stay safe in this ever changing environment and take care of each other.

Kind Regards,
Danielle Stitfold
Acting Principal

From the School Psychologist

In recent weeks there have been many changes to our way of life due to the Covid-19 virus. One of the biggest changes that is facing our children is that many are now staying at home and are unable to see their friends and family. Everyone, especially children, can become unsettled by changes to their usual routine as it can threaten their sense of certainty. The good news is that there are ways to help them cope during this time and practical things that you can be doing as a family to protect everyone’s mental health.

Keeping Things Normal (as much as possible)

The best way to re-create predictability in your child’s life is to set up a daily routine and stick to it each day. You do not have to plan out every minute of the day, but getting up, dressed and having meal breaks at the same time each day can provide structure to long days and help to pass the time. Write out your schedule and put it in a visible spot in the house, such as on the fridge, so that everyone can see it. Younger kids love visual timetables where they can see for themselves what to expect in the day. Talking about what you will be doing at the start of the day will help children know what to expect and can help to reduce worry.

Keeping Mentally Healthy

Being physical and mentally active is essential for good mental health. To stave off boredom it is important to have some engaging activities for your children to do. These might include games, projects, craft activities, books, drawing, story writing, gardening, cooking and so much more. If you are stuck on ideas the internet provides a wealth of information on ways to entertain kids and teenagers. Many online learning websites have now made subscriptions free to provide parents with materials to keep kids busy at home.

While television and computer games can give everyone a break be mindful of how much time your kids are using screens. Kids need to be physically active throughout the day to keep them healthy and happy. Getting outside in the garden or going for a walk to the park can give everyone a break from being indoors and get some healthy exercise. Of course, when out and about be careful to maintain social distancing.

Keeping Connected

We are so lucky that we have access to technology that can connect us to friends and relatives. Now more than ever we need to be using every opportunity to get in touch with our family members and friends to maintain a sense of connection and reduce our feelings of isolation. FaceTime, Skype, emails and messages are a few ways that kids can stay connected with their friends and relatives.

Talking to your kids about Covid-19

Talking about Covid-19 with your kids can be tricky, as we want to strike a balance between giving them accurate information without alarming them. When talking to your kids consider the following:

• Use age appropriate language and terms that they are familiar with.
• Allow them to ask questions and provide answers where you can. Be honest if you don’t know something and reassure them that you will keep them up to date with any new information.
• Be careful of you own anxiety levels. Parents are facing many sources of stress because of the Covid-19 virus and kids pick up on anxiety easily. Check in with your support network if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Provide hope to your children that life will go back to normal once this has passed. Look at previous events that have occurred in the world and how people managed to persist and get through them.
• Monitor what information your kids are exposed to. Often television news is sensationalised to draw in viewers and can be scary for children. If they are interested, direct them towards age appropriate sources of news.

If you would like more information the following links may be helpful to you:

• Coronavirus – A Guide for Parents – Dr Michael Carr Gregg
• Covid-19 Support – Head to Health
• Staying Connected with Our Children – Australian Childhood Foundation
• Tips for Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety – Australian Psychological Society

Reaching Out for Help

Everyone needs help sometimes. Kids are not the only ones who find change to routines and uncertainty stressful. Many parents are facing extremely difficult situations at the moment. If you are feeling like you need help coping, please reach out for help, either from your family, General Practitioner or workplace Employee Assistance Program if available. The following services are also available to support your family.

School Calendar & Important Dates

The School Calendar is updated regularly and can be synched to your phone/computer for easy access. Please check the calendar for dates and further details of activities.

**Please be aware the dates published are a guide and may change**

Date changes/cancellations:

Monday 14th December 2020 Year 6 Graduation and Lunch
Tuesday 15th December 2020 Celebration Activities

2020 Term Dates

Parent Information

Emergency Contact (Parent/Carers)

It is important that the school always has up to date contact details of parents, carers and emergency contacts. If you have court orders in place, please ensure that the school office has an up to date copy.

Please use the following link to notify the school:

Contact the School: https://madeleyps.schoolzineplus.com/contact
Email Madeley.ps@education.wa.edu.au

It is the parents responsibility to advise the school of any new/change to medical plans helfd and provide medication if required.

Voluntary Contributions and Charges 2020

Early Childhood Nature Play Area

Thanks to Brendon Clark, Andrew Beech and Matt Wright & the P&C for funding the mud kitchen and bridge for our Early Childhood Nature Play Area, our students are loving it.

Visual Art

Early Childhood Playground Mural

A couple of weeks ago a new mural quickly evolved to enliven east facing wall of the Wattle block. Thanks to a capital works grant obtained last year, I was given the green light to design and create a vibrant image to activate the Early Childhood play space.

The work is an ode to world renowned Perth Artist, Shaun Tan. The year 3’s and 4’s have been studying his work this year, and my design idea came from a work demonstration, created as I was introducing the year 4 project earlier this term. Shaun Tan’s work combines imaginative combinations of animals, machines and everyday objects set against the back drop of worldly spaces. His work is thought provoking and poignant.

The two snails are a reminder that we all grow, learn and do things at our own pace, no matter how fast the world goes. We are all individuals and will settle into our world and evolve with the love of our families and community. It highlights the importance and joy of nature and it’s a reminder to cherish the little things.

I’d like to thank the Madeley Primary School community for all the lovely feedback and encouragement I received while I was working on the piece. I hope it brings joy, sparks imagination and cultivates appreciation for the role of art in our world.

Michelle Horrocks
Visual Arts Specialist Teacher

Music

Year 3-6 students have been developing their bucket drumming skills in Music. They have been focusing on independent coordination and control of their left and right hands. Students have also been learning to correctly read the length of rhythmic notes and their duration.

P&C News

Our P&C Association at Madeley Primary School greatly benefits the children by:

• Giving parents the opportunity to learn about the schools policies and programs
• Organizing ways in which parents can share in shaping school policies so that they reflect the broad agreement and support of the school community
• Bringing parents together to share information and views
• Assisting the school to build positive attitudes to students and their families
• Stimulating community interest and participation in education
• Raising funds and providing additional resources and amenities for the benefit of our schools children

P&C Association

This year our current 2020 office bearers are:

President: Peter Withnell
Vice President: Paul Wright
Secretary: VACANT
Treasurer: Giao Valenti
Canteen Treasurer: Karen Stobie-Tyack
Canteen Coordinator: VACANT
Fundraising Officer: VACANT
Communications Officer: VACANT
Executive Committee: Joseph Madafferi & Adam Marinich

We are looking for the below roles to be filled by parents from our school community.

Secretary: maintains the Association’s records (NOT the financial records).

Responsibilities Include:

• Post notice of meetings
• Assist Chairperson in drawing up agenda
• Record minutes
• Deal with correspondence
• Maintain a register of members
• Be a signatory to the bank accounts
• Observe constitutional formalities

Fundraising Officer: assists the P&C Committee in coordinating fundraising events for the Madeley Primary School P&C

Responsibilities Include:

• Maintaining and publicising the events calendar
• Coordinating volunteers to assist deliver of activities
• Providing leadership to event coordinators
• Discussing fundraising options and opportunities at P&C general meetings
• Presenting budgetary requirements for events requiring financial outlay for P&C committee approval

Canteen Coordinator: responsible for acting as a liaison between the canteen manager and staff and the P&C to provide updates and provide guidance where required

Responsibilities Include:

• Creating a menu which embraces healthy food guidelines (the traffic light system)
• Ensuring the menu pricing structure is fair and reasonable within guidelines of both the P&C and Madeley Primary School
• Cleaning checks
• Ordering stock & purchasing ingredients and or food supplies
• Coordinating volunteers for days when the canteen is open
• Rotating the menu for seasonal requirements such as winter and summer
• Being a central point of contact for the Canteen
• Escalating any concerns/ issues with the P&C President

Communications Officer: positively manages and proactively promotes the impacts and events the Madeley Primary School P&C is involved in to build its reputation within our community.

Responsibilities Include:

• Managing the Madeley P&C Facebook page
• Looks at ways to provide publicity to the P&C through social media.
• Provides updates of P&C meetings and events

If anyone would like to consider joining our wonderful P&C in 2020 please contact Lauren Frame on lauren.frame@live.com.au or Peter Withnell on peterwithnell@hotmail.com for any further queries.

P&C Meeting Dates

In light of current events, all P&C meetings have been cancelled until further notice.

Facebook

Did you know that the Madeley P&C has a Facebook group?

Please look us up at “Madeley P&C” to join and keep up to date with the latest P&C information.

School Canteen

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CANTEEN WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**

Who doesn’t love a cheesie?

While you’re at home and we are too, why not make your own.

You could make one for your family too. A few easy steps and you’re done.

Cheesie

Ingredients:

Bread rolls (preferably wholemeal it’s the healthy bread of choice)
Tomato sauce
Grated cheese

Method:

1. Cut bread rolls in half,
2. Smother with sauce and
3. Top with cheese
4. Into the oven for 10 minutes (mum or dad please kindly assist) and that’s it. Too easy to make a cheesie.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful students and their families, our wonderful teachers and education staff for supporting the canteen so far this year. Thank you all.

The Canteen Team
Madeleypscanteen@gmail.com

School Banking

Notice from CommBank School Banking

The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people is our first priority. Due to the rapidly developing situation with coronavirus, School Banking has been temporarily paused from 20 March 2020 until the start of Term 2.

Please don’t bring your deposit book with your weekly banking into school and we will notify you when banking will recommence.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2020 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit the link below:

School Chaplain

Chaplains Chat

Hello everyone!

Almost the end of term, can you believe how quickly to has gone!?

Here are some tips for you to use if your children or yourself are worrying a lot:

• At the end of your day, or when you are feeling down about your day, say 3 things that made you happy
• Write out your worries, tear them up and throw them away
• Pebbles = Worries
  - Through them away and find a flower to look at
• Inflate an imaginary balloon
  - Each breathe is a worry. When it’s fully inflated, let it go and picture it flying around the room.

Stephanie Hund
YouthCARE School Chaplain
Madaley Primary School | Friday | 9306 6900

School Nurse

Sick Students at school

It is important that parents do not send sick children to school. Some sicknesses are more contagious than others and we do not want any sickness to spread, so please be diligent. Sick children will be sent home where they can rest and recover.

Caroline Turich | Clinical Nurse | School Health | Community Health
CACH |North Zone| Wanneroo South Region
Mirrabooka Community Health

Dental Therapy Centre - Pearsall

**ALL APPOINTMENTS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE **

The Government of Western Australia North Metropolitan Health Service, Dental Health Services has assigned:

Pearsall Dental Therapy Centre,

Pearsall Primary School,
Willespie Drive,
Pearsall WA 6065.

Tel: 08 9405 3405.
E: pearsalldtc@dental.health.wa.gov.au

For public holidays, weekends or after hours please call: 1800 098 818 ,

OHCWA 6457 4400 (If eligible) or a private dentist.

Camp Australia

Before & After School Care

** Please contact Camp Australia Directly for their updates **

Camp Australia provides a before and after school care program for students. This is located on the school site.

Times:

Before Care 7am – 9am
After Care 2.30pm – 6pm

For further information please contact the contacting the following:

How Do I Register?

Registration is free, simple and hassle free! visit the link below:

We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!
From the Team at Camp Australia