Thank you to everyone within our amazing Drysdale Primary community for the way you have all worked together to make remote learning as successful as it could possibly be. The experience has been different for everyone, some things have gone spectacularly well and others have not. These weeks of working remotely have been characterised by a willingness to adapt and to solve problems.

I have really appreciated the positive feedback, the understanding of the staff’s efforts to respond and the good humoured way in which children, parents, staff and friends have consistently sought to do the right thing to make everyone in the community safer.

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Next week we welcome back the remaining members of our community who have continued to learn remotely over these last couple of weeks. Based on the experiences of the younger children, returning to school will be a tiring event for the children. Please be aware that your children may need some extra time to adjust back to being in school.

There are some changes to the ways the school has worked to help ensure that there is appropriate social distancing at the beginning and end of school particularly. These are no different to the ones which have been operating for the Preps to Year 2 students in the last week. If you have older children please read these guidelines carefully.

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Parents are not allowed to come onto the school site at any time. Please read the arrangements for the beginning and end of school below to understand how that is working. If children need to be collected before the end of school, please contact the school office and write a note in the diary. We will arrange for your child to come to the office with their school bag.

If you need to contact your child’s teacher, please send a message via FlexiBuzz. Alternatively you can leave a message at the office and we will ask your child’s teacher to make contact with you.

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Children in Bengalat and McLeod houses are to arrive at school from 8.45am til 9am each day. Children in Dan Dan Nook and Davis houses are to arrive between 9 a.m. and 9.15am each day. On arrival children go straight to their classroom where they will be met by their class teacher. Parents are not allowed onto the school site, so will need to say goodbye at the school gates.

Drop Off Times and Zones

8:45-9am Bengalat – Clifton Springs Rd zone and McLeod – Stonehouse Place Zone

9am – 9:15 Davis – Clifton Springs Rd Zone and Dan Dan Nook – Stonehouse Place Zone

For parents who bring their children to school by car, we are operating the staff car park on Clifton Springs Road near the BER and oval as a drive through drop off zone for Davis and Bengalat families only. No parent parking is permitted in this area. You can enter at the oval end of the car park, drop your children close to the BER (year 1 and 2 classrooms) and exit at that end of the car park.

Please be careful entering and leaving the car park watching out for adults and children walking along the pavement. Parents on Stonehouse Place must park their car in a carpark. This is not a drive through drop off zone.

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Children in Bengalat and McLeod houses can be collected from 3.15p.m. til 3.30pm each day. Children in Dan Dan Nook and Davis houses are to be collected from 3.30 p.m. til 3.45pm each day. The children will be brought at 3.15 or 3.30 to the meeting point you have arranged with them: Stonehouse Place, Clifton Springs Road pedestrian entrance or the staff car park on Clifton Springs Road for drive through collection.

Pick Up Times and Zones

3:15 – 3:30pm Bengalat – Clifton Springs Rd zone and McLeod – Stonehouse Place Zone
3:30 – 3:45pm Davis – Clifton Springs Rd Zone and Dan Dan Nook – Stonehouse Place Zone

Children must be collected at the same entrance they use to come into school in the morning. We will arrange for the oldest child in a family to meet their siblings before going to the exit. If you are using the drive through collection process and find that your children are not ready when you reach the collection point, you will need to drive out and back in at the entrance to rejoin the queue. This is the only way that we can keep the queue moving.

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Please remember to observe correct social distancing while waiting for your children.

Please remember that the area between the school crossing flags is a No Standing zone while the flags are displayed. I am advised that the Council Parking Team are visiting schools to be sure this is observed as it is a significant safety issue.

All children will need to wear school uniform. Please make sure that jumpers are named. Any unclaimed clothing that is named can then be returned to its owner.
At this time of year, although it is hard to imagine children being hot enough to take the jumper off, we always end up with extra lost property.

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Monday is a public holiday which means that the school will be closed. The first day back for Years 3 to 6 will be Tuesday June 9th.

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It has been so great to have the Prep – Year 2 students return to school and we have both thoroughly enjoyed greeting them all at the school gate each morning. We thank parents for following the process set up for a smooth drop off and pick up each day. We look forward to seeing the Year 3-6 students next Tuesday.

The students have been very settled upon return to school and it has been wonderful to spend some time in the classes, listening to students read and share their learning. There a lots of smiling faces in all the rooms with students so happy to see their friends and teachers again. A big focus has been on the social and emotional learning for students, with lots of activities developed for students to work with classmates and interact with one another again. The teachers are working hard to assess the learning and ensure any gaps or focus areas are taught during the remainder of this term. Reporting will be different this term, given the remote learning period we have had. This includes Inclusion Reports and staff are working hard to share with parents the achievements of Semester One. Reports will be sent out at the end of term.

Streicher from Year 2 arrived at school last week with an amazing project he had created during Remote learning.
“I was learning to make a scene from a dinosaur movie called ‘Jurassic Park.’ I had to make the characters and dinosaurs and used cars I already had for the cars in the movie. I made a diorama of a scene from the movie.” It was so great to see how excited Streicher was to share his learning with his class! Well done on a fabulous effort Streicher!

Please see below for details of a free Webinar from Drummond Street:

Navigating the Return to School for Primary School Children – Zoom Couch Chat for parents on 9 June, 7pm

Has your child been feeling anxious about returning to school?
Are you worried about how your child is coping?
In this webinar, we will explore how parents can support their child’s return to primary school and address the anxieties they may be experiencing.
This free webinar will offer parents ideas and strategies to help children with their worries. You will have a unique opportunity to hear from and ask questions with a family support worker, a primary school teacher and a child practitioner.

https://ds.org.au/course/navigating-return-school-primary-school-children-couch-chat/

Have a fabulous week everyone!

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Thank you to Bellarine Landcare members Steve and Lina Murphy and Kate Lockhart for the donation and replanting of some beautiful mature agaves in the sensory garden recently. This builds on recent planting by students to increase plant diversity in the sensory garden. Hopefully the difference will be obvious in spring. Every donation helps.

If parents are renovating gardens, shifting fruit trees or have too many seedlings for the veggie garden and think some excess plants may be replanted at school, School Councillor and Landscape enthusiast Kate Lockhart would be happy to hear about it and work with you to see if relocation is practical. Please leave a message with the school office. Kate would also be very interested in hearing from parents with trade skills and connections who may be able to contribute to elements of the School’s Landscape Masterplan.

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This week of the last week of remote learning for Year 3 to 6 we are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school. Your teachers are very proud of all your hard work and adjusting to remote learning.

There is a special message from your teachers please see read more.

Read more…

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Please note the school email address has been up graded to drysdale.ps@education.vic.gov.au

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The canteen will be open for business on Tuesday 9th June with a brand new winter menu!

There will be some minor changes to the way the canteen will operate:
We would like to limit cash sales as much as possible so ask that you please pre order snacks for recess and lunch. You can do this your usual way of ordering, either on the children’s brown paper bag or online at quickcliq.com.au

If an item is required for snack time please specify this on your order.

If you would like to speak to Kylie in regards to orders or payments, she can be contacted via the school office on 5251 2272 between 9:15-10:40am.
Recess and lunch orders will be delivered to the children daily.

Please read more to view the winter menu you can also find the menu on the school website under about us tab, or via your sentral app.

Read more…

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‘Welcome to Winter at OSHC. This week at care we will be celebrating the arrival of winter with some winter themed activities such as polar bear paper plates, Snow-flake mosaics, save the dinosaur from the Ice Age and Beaded Snow-flakes. These will be offered alongside our normal range of activities and games for the children to engage in.

We have certainly noticed an increase in the number of children attending OSHC in this last week with the younger children starting back at school. We look forward to next week when the entire student body of Drysdale Primary School is back.

We understand Outside School Hours Care is vital for many parents that are not able to work from home, so that you can continue to provide essential work for the nation. Our OSHC service is open and operating for those that need our care, and will provide your children with much-needed familiarity and continuity through our engaging programs that have an increased focus on hygiene and social distancing. We offer a safe environment at your school for children to get active, try new things, connect with friends and relax.

Read more…

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Clifton Springs Preschool

Clifton Springs Preschool are now accepting enrolments for 3 Year old and 4 Year old preschool. Please see the attached flyer for information on how to enrol.

Clifton Springs Preschool Flyer

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