ARDTORNISH NEWSLETTER
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Ardtornish Newsletter

Term 3 Week 1 - 23rd July 2021
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No 12

In this issue

  • From the Principal – Lockdown “Learning Processes” Smoothly Implemented
  • Maintaining your Wellbeing during Covid 19 Lockdown
  • RAN Training Update for Volunteers
  • Secondary School Enrolment Offers
  • Camp Quality
  • Principal’s Award
  • TAFE SA Short Courses
  • Rhys's World Greatest Shave

Diary Dates
July
30th – Dance til you Drop, Boys
            KO Soccer
31st – Pedal Prix – Tailem Bend

August
2nd – Governing Council 7pm,
         Illustrator & Author Visit F-2
3rd – Yr 6/7 Basketball, Dance til  
         You Drop, Yr 5 Stem Visit to   
         MHS, Illustrator & Author   
         Visit F-2, Parent Cyber
         Safety Session 6-7.30pm

Road Crossing
Monitors


Wed 4th Aug – Tue 10th Aug
Jude H, Tate W, Keira C
 
Wed 11th Aug – Tue 17th Aug
Gargee V, Isabelle c, Maddison J
 
Wed 18th Aug – Tue 24th Aug
Gemma R, Avara E, Lara B
 
Please arrive by 8.25am
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Lockdown “Learning Processes” Smoothly Implemented

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On Wednesday’s Pupil Free day staff worked in teams to quickly establish processes for providing students with home learning activities for the next four days. Resources have now been made available either through classroom websites or the SeeSaw program.
Only a skeleton staff is now present at school to care for children of essential workers. While teachers are following the Department of Education’s recommendations and working from home, they are still on duty. Each teacher has contacted their students’ caregivers to inform them of how to access materials and communicate with them over the next week. Parents who have any questions about the tasks set for their children or problems accessing them are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher.
The fact that staff could put home learning systems in place so rapidly reflects the high level of ICT skills they possess. Over the next few days staff will also be undertaking a series of professional learning tasks to enhance their skills in relation to our school’s improvement plan so their time will be well employed. If the lockdown is extended, we will be ready to provide further educational materials. Beyond what is provided by staff, our school website has extensive resources and links that parents might like to explore. 
Maintaining your Well-being during the Covid 19 Lockdown
Going into a lockdown can put pressure on families and individuals so it is important to look after your mental health. There are free resources on the internet that can support your wellbeing.
Some activities you can try at home to promote wellbeing are:

  1. Keep to a regular routine – completing the learning at home activities set by classroom teachers can help provide this for your child at home.
  2. Exercise - be active for an hour a day. There are many excellent resources online. If you have a smart TV you can access free YouTube exercise clips and do these as a family.
  3. Meditate - mindfulness activities. Smiling Mind is an excellent resource to support this. You can download an app on your phone or smart device or simply access their information through their website. https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app 
  4. Play - board games, computer games, outdoor/indoor activities and enjoy time together. These are fantastic ways to connect as a family and take your mind off the lockdown.
  5. Keep in touch – with friends & family to talk through any worries you have and to support one another.
 
If you are struggling with the lockdown there are people here to help

  1. Kids Helpline - call 1800 55 1800 or https://kidshelpline.com.au/  
  2. Beyond Blue information to support parents https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/ 
  3. Developing Minds Psychology and Education services (Adelaide) offer an online psychology support portal for families with primary aged children who are experiencing big feelings and dealing with life's challenges. This is free for families with a health care card, go to www.calmkidcentral.com and use access code FIRSTYEAR or code FIRSTMONTHFREE without a health care card. 
    4.  SA Health– Mental Health Support COVID-19    


While working at home do not forget to stay safe online
The eSafety website has many amazing tips for staying safe while working online. The main messages are:
  • Talk to your child about being safe online - do not give out personal information, do not talk to people they do not know online.
  • Make use of parental controls to block out websites and limit online usage.
  • Check your child’s account settings - make sure they are set to private to limit the amount of people who can contact your child.
  • Look out for cyberbullying. Check in with your child to make sure they are not being bullied online.
More information can be found on the eSafety website, through the link below.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/blog/covid-19-online-safety-kit-for-parents-and-carers
You can also access some excellent information through the Carly Ryan website, where there are many fact sheets about how to protect yourself and your child online. https://www.carlyryanfoundation.com/resources/fact-sheets 
If you are looking for more activities to do with your child during lockdown there are many ideas below:
  • https://www.childhood.org.au/covid-19/ Plenty of options on this website.
  • https://natureplaysa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Nature-Play-SA-Family-Nature-and-COVID-19-Guide.pdf 
  • https://online.flippingbook.com/view/939871/ 
Remember we decide our perspective for the next week and maybe beyond. Will it be one of gratitude? Focus on what we can control. Our behaviour and attitude impact our children, the biggest gift we can give our children through this challenging time is to model what it is to be an overcomer and be resilient and make the most of what we have.
Take care of one another, know you are not alone. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to support you and your family during this tricky time.
Natalie Hall - Student Wellbeing Leader                 
​Tracey Cooper - Pastoral Care Worker
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RAN Training Update for all Volunteers
 
As of the 1st of July 2021 all volunteers will need to update their
RAN Training, which is now called Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care. It is called RRHAN-EC for short.
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Click this link Plink account for volunteers - RRHAN-EC training to do the online training update. Once completed please email a copy of certificate to [email protected]
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​Last Term on Wednesday 30th June, students participated in a FREE puppet show from Camp Quality. Puppets, Kylie, Dean and Melissa, were lots of fun, but they carried an important message as well. They explained what cancer is, help kids understand what's going on, how to be a good friend and most importantly, that you can't catch cancer.
Our school raised $400 for our casual clothes day from last term, which we donated to Camp Quality.
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Make the most of your today ... Use your time to upskill or learn a new hobby this lockdown
Depending on your circumstances, this time can present you with opportunities to do things which you've always wanted to do or like to do more of.
If you’re after some inspiration on what you can do during lockdown, check out some of TAFE SA’s online short courses.
Short Courses
Study Short Courses
​Short Courses – General Interest
Short Courses – Professional Development 
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​This term enrolment offers for secondary school will be sent to the families of our year 6 and 7 students. It is important for you to know that not all schools will send out their enrolment offers at the same time, but they will be sent as close as possible to 13 August 2021.
 
Most families will receive their offer via email. If you think you have not received your enrolment offer from your secondary school, you need to check your junk folder for an email from [email protected].
 
If you did not provide an email address on your Registration of Interest form, you will receive your enrolment offer in the mail or it will be handed to you by your child.
 
If your enrolment offer has not arrived by 18 August, please let the Cathie in the front office know and we can follow up with the secondary school on your behalf.
 
If you need support to accept your enrolment offer, it is best to contact your allocated secondary school and they can step you through the process.

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