Welcome to 2021

Again, welcome to 2021. The Claremont team is excited to be back as we anticipate a great year. This Newsletter has been produced to provide you with some important reminders and point you to some key dates for your calendar and diary, as you plan for the year ahead. 

The latest COVID updates and guidelines have also been included. Despite some impositions placed by the ongoing restrictions, we are confident that school life will be filled with fun and happiness for the children. Their academic progress, learning, well-being, friendships, and opportunities to develop positive connections with teachers and peers are our priorities. As the children return to school on Thursday next week (and Kindy on Monday 1 February) our goal is to provide a safe, positive, and purposeful start to the year. We understand the nerves and anxieties that many children have, so we have many staff and structures in place to support and assist the children as they commence or return to school.  Time is set aside over the coming weeks for parents to meet with teachers to discuss your hopes for your child’s education this year.

This week the Leadership Team has been at school planning for the year ahead attending to many details to ensure a smooth and positive start to the year for the children and their learning. Today (Friday), we have welcomed our new members of staff, and they participated in a full day of induction. Our entire team returns on Monday for training, team building and planning. A newsletter next Thursday (28 January) will introduce our staff team for 2021. 

I can’t wait to see the children next week, and I look forward to seeing you across the term. 

Mr Thomas
Principal

There has been lots of exciting baby news at Claremont. 

Congratulations to Mrs Irwin and her husband, on the birth of their daughter, Charlotte Grace Irwin, who was born on 11 December.

Congratulations to Mrs Eu and her husband on the birth of their son, Hudson James Eu, who was born on 19 December.

Congratulations also to Mrs Pym (who runs Curtain Call) and her husband, on the birth of their son, Judah James Pym, who was born on 28 December.

Congratulations to our Music Teacher, Mrs Tara Barr, who is expecting her second child in May. Mrs Barr will commence her Maternity leave early in Term 2.

The NSW Health and Dept of Education published comprehensive Term 1 guidelines for school this week. You would appreciate that these guidelines may change and be updated at very short notice. The following summary broadly outlines the expectations currently placed on schools. 

• Staff, students, parents and others must remain vigilant and practise social distancing and hygiene measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing for self and others.
• Students and staff must not come to school if they are unwell. This includes even with minor flu-like symptoms. If students become unwell while at school, their temperature will be taken, they will be sent home immediately for immediate testing. Students must not return until they have a negative COVID test result and are symptom free. Siblings who do not display symptoms are permitted to be at school. Parents are requested to respect the decision and directions of the school nurse.
• Students, staff and visitors will not be required to have their temperature taken when arriving at school, unless there is evidence of flu like symptoms.
• Parents, do not give your child Panadol or other medication that masks flu-like symptoms prior to coming to school. 
• The wearing of face masks at school (for both students and staff) is not mandatory, but may be worn should the person wish to do so.
• Children aged 12 years and older must wear a facemask on public transport (sport, excursions or travelling to/from school).
• Parents are only able to be on site for essential meetings and purposes. Parents are requested to wear facemasks if attending meetings or gatherings where social distancing of 1.5m is not possible (for example, collecting children at the gate).
• The information requested at the time of signing-in, and any prohibitions from entering the school, will be determined by regulations around hot spots, clusters and other government directives. 
• The 4 square metre rule applies to all indoor gatherings onsite. This will effectively prohibit large events and meetings. Only 30 adults are allowed to gather outdoors. The physical distancing of children is not required by the AHPPC guidelines.
• Parent meetings will mostly be held on Zoom.
• P&F meetings are permitted onsite, after school hours with a maximum of 30 people.
• Parents may visit the Uniform Shop, but must sign in and follow the directions of staff.
• Student sports and excursion activities are permitted, at school and offsite.
• The swimming carnival is permitted however spectators are not permitted at this stage.
• There are strict rules around singing and student performances.
• The Principal has the authority to restrict, limit or prohibit activities (individuals or groups) if deemed to compromise the safety and well-being of others. Certain restrictions will be determined according to risk assessments and the context of the school.

What if we were to ever go into a lockdown, like with the recent Avalon Northern Beaches Cluster?

Next week, the 2021 staff team will be briefed on our preparedness should the government ever announce at any time a lockdown due to the worsening of the COVID situation. Given the success of our 2020 Off Campus Learning experience and the subsequent evaluation of our programs, I have great confidence in our ability to be agile and to activate and implement what is necessary at any time of the year and at short notice. A specific focus in the early weeks of Term 1, will be to prepare our students with their use of technology, to revise school-wide systems and to explain and communicate these things to the parent and wider school community. Similarly, we will provide reminders of the procedures required of all of us in the event of a student, staff, parent or close contact being tested as COVID positive.

Your ongoing cooperation and partnership with these matters will of course be essential and appreciated.

We are relieved that the guidelines recognise the importance of Kindergarten’s first day(s) at school. Due to social distancing, it will not be possible however, for parents to enter the classrooms (these spaces get overcrowded on such occasions). For Monday 1^st February, we anticipate using a system very similar to what we did at the Kindy Orientation Day with parents and children arriving at the hall and adjacent outdoor areas. We will have the opportunity for photos to be taken. Further details will be provided toward the end of next week.

To ensure for a smooth start to the year, please note the following ‘house-keeping’ matters:

• Key calendar dates can be found on the school website and through the school app; and
• Class requirements can be found on the website.

Please also check our website for other details and look out for our first Newsletter which will be published next Thursday.

What Uniform can my child wear on the first day of school on Thursday

The majority of students will wear the normal school uniform on Thursday.  Students in Years 1, 5 and 6 can wear their sports uniforms as they have PE on Thursdays this term.

Goal Setting Meetings - Week 5

In Week 5, your child’s Go-To Teacher would like to meet you, the parents, individually with your child (except for the Kindergarten meetings that will be with the parents only). To achieve this we will be offering informal meeting times with each Teacher to get to understand your goals for the year ahead. To help guide these meetings there will be a questionnaire that will be emailed to you for completion, together with your child, before your meeting. More information will be provided in upcoming newsletters.

Term 1 2021

The students will not know from Day 1, who will be the teacher who will be pastorally responsible for each of them personally, as this will be confirmed by Week 3. The reason for this is because we feel it is better for all of the children to get to know all of the staff on their grade equally and the same applies for the staff getting to know the students. The only times the students will be divided into 2 groups will be for their specialist classes.

During the first four weeks of term we will not be diarising any parent-teacher meetings, however we ask that you make contact with the following staff if you have any urgent messages you need to discuss or have passed on: 

Mrs Ford for academic or curriculum discussions or concerns;
Mrs Cameron for pastoral care discussions or concerns;
Mrs Ford for learning support needs: and/or
Ms Neville in the front office for medical needs.