Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to the beginning of brand new year. The few children I’ve seen briefly coming and going in the last week, appear to be well rested and relaxed. If you have reached a point where you are ready for routine once again, Monday will be here before you know it! (Tuesday for one of Kindergarten groups). We are delighted to welcome quite a few new students, in addition to the children who are new to Kapinara because they are starting Kindy as the eldest child in their family.
I am confident that our existing families will reach out to welcome our new families. However I am also cognisant that some of the 2020 Kindergarten and Pre-Primary families didn’t have as much interaction as they otherwise might have due to the COVID measures that have been in place. If it weren’t for the news and relatives overseas, people might ask ‘what global pandemic?’ but of course this is still a stark reality and we return to school within that broader context.
Western Australia remains in Phase 4 of plans in place due to COVID, meaning that venues including schools, are required to adhere to the ‘2 metre square rule’. There is also an expectation that adults continue to attempt to maintain the 1.5m social distancing measure. As a staff we have thoughtfully considered and discussed the needs of children and families, including the ‘hopes and wishes’ of parents – aware that these will vary among families. It can be surprising to learn that other think quite differently to us, and that some views are actually the polar opposite to ours ;-)
The following page outlines what we have in place to facilitate people coming and going on Day One, Monday 1 February 2021.
Prior to this …
- We ask that you please remove school supplies from boxes, if they arrived packed in boxes. It will be really helpful if each family could dispose of their own boxes/plastic packaging; and
- Please ask (or help younger children) to pack these items in their school bags. Prior to doing so however, teachers ask that all items are clearly labelled – with initials as a minimum. **** Thank you ****
We would very much like to share information about class routines, focuses for learning and school/class expectations with parents, after doing so with children. We can achieve so much more, much more easily, when we are all working together. This information is commonly shared during ‘face to face’ class meetings in the first weeks of school. In an attempt to avoid multiple meetings for each class, to accommodate adult numbers, we will provide parents of students in Years 1-6 with the following information by the end of Week 1.
- Learning area focuses/emphases for Term 1 for each year level
- Information about days of specialist programs, library days etc
- Expectations pertaining to class behaviour, standards of work, responsibilities etc
The specifics of these, underpinned by our school values and vision, will be collaboratively determined by teachers and students in the first day or two
- Any other information relevant to that class
At the end of Week 1, we will send home a survey to determine what additional contact parents would most value. (eg an individual parent-teacher meeting; visiting the class etc)
We will also invite parents of Year 1s and Year 2s to join their child and teachers for an informal picnic lunch on the lower playground, as we did last year. We will attempt to provide you with as much notice as possible, bearing in mind that it is difficult to predict a ‘not too hot’ day more than a few days in advance.
Finally, for now, I encourage everyone to come along to the P & C’s Sundowner at 5pm on Friday 5 March.
I look forward to seeing you on Monday morning. On behalf of the staff, Kim Knowles and I, have a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes
Elizabeth Blackwell
Principal