Dear Friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed family time together for Mother's Day.  A big thank you to Cath Day and all our Dads who came to school on Friday to help with our Mother's Day gift drive - it was fabulous to see all our families arriving and I know the opportunity to see each other (off screen!) was heart warming. Some photos of this and our special Kindergarten Mother's Day video have been shared later in the newsletter by Emily Capper. 

Today's newsletter will focus on transition procedures for the next few weeks as we look forward to having all our students back by next Monday. Please be assured that all staff at Holy Trinity are fully aware of the anxiety and mixed emotions students and parents may be feeling about coming back to school.  I know many students who have slowly transitioned back from the beginning of this term have had the same feelings.  Much focus will be given over the next few weeks on our student's well-being and some of the activities they will be doing in class have been shared below for you to look at. I thought it might be helpful to start with a reflection for yourselves as parents. COVID-19 presents us with opportunities to grow, support others, and become Christ-like in new and different ways. Where are you on this graph below? Where would you like to be?

 

Information/suggestions to help support you and your family for Week 4 return are as follows:

1. Pay extra attention to your child’s emotions and needs:

As your child returns to school, they may feel a range of emotions, including excitement, relief, or worry. You may notice changes in your child’s behaviour, sleep, mood, interactions with others, or eating habits – these are all normal expressions of worry and by noticing and responding with care and support, you will help your child to feel better. As parents, it is important to be able to:

• recognise signs of increased anxiety, stress or worry.
• know that it is a normal reaction.
• help children feel safe and supported.

2. Be aware of your own behaviour:

It is important to understand the effect your own behaviour can have on your child. If you react in a way that suggests you are worried about your child going back to school, your child may worry too! Try to remain calm and positive when talking to your child about going back to school.

 

3. Reassure your child it is safe to go to school:

During the learning at home period, your family, along with staff at Holy Trinity, have helped your child understand that staying away from school was necessary to keep them healthy and safe. Your child may now feel worried about whether it is safe for them to go back to school. To help your child feel safe and less worried about going back to school, have clear and calm conversations and tell them the facts, including that:

• The decision for students to return to school has been made based on health advice.
• Holy Trinity Primary School is a safe place, there will be plenty of soap at school so that everyone can wash their hands many times a day. There will be hand sanitiser in each classroom.
• Our school cleaner is doing extra each night, particularly with all touch surfaces and desks etc are cleaned daily.
• They will be allowed to sit next to their friends in the classroom and during group activities.
• The Government is keeping an eye on COVID-19 – if it starts to spread again, decisions about what we need to do to keep everyone safe will be made quickly.
• If anyone at their school feels sick, they will stay away from school until they feel better.

4. Prepare for changes to school processes:

Changes to our school’s normal processes are necessary to ensure physical distancing requirements for adults can be met. 

Changes to your school’s normal drop off procedures now mean that you are unable to walk with your child to their classroom. We understand that this may be unsettling for you and your child, particularly if your child is anxious about leaving you. Be assured that we will have adequate staff on hand to ensure students are safe at all times, including getting from the school drop off to their classroom. Holy Trinity Primary School will have all teachers meeting the children at the morning drop off for each day in Week 4. Pick up each day will happen at the drive through and at the ring road. Families with one child attending Holy Trinity are asked to please pick up from the front ring road -  your child will be waiting there.  Those families with more than one child attending Holy Trinity (not including the ELC) are asked to go to the drive through pick up area at the car park. Each teacher will walk their class to the blacktop area and ring road ready for afternoon pick up. We will be sending home Surname labels to place on the dashboard or under the sunshade of cars to make it easier for staff to see what family is arriving. 

5. Establish a back-to-school routine

Preparing for school and getting into a routine with your child will help make the transition back to Holy Trinity a positive experience.

Prepare to return to school:

• Get back into the routine of waking up, having breakfast and going to bed at regular times.
• Discuss any issues or fears your child might have about going back to school.
• Talk to your child about what they like about school and what they have been missing.
• Talk through the routine of what it’s like being at school.

Before the school day:

Involve your child in:

• laying out their uniform so it is ready for the morning.
• packing their bag – you might make a game out of it. A visual checklist can help your child remember what they need to take.
• planning and packing their lunches and snacks.
• Try to have calm evenings and allow extra time to settle before bedtime if your child is feeling nervous.
• Allow extra time to get ready for school in the morning so that you are not rushing.

After school:

• Talk to your child about their day, including what they enjoyed, what may have worried them, and what they found difficult.
• Include some family time. Children may miss being at home with you during the day so it is important for them to feel close and connected with the family.

 Well being Support Activities the children will be doing in class next week.

At the beginning of each day next week, the classes will be participating in fun well-being activities that are going to help with their transition back to school. Here are a few examples.

Video- “Time with you”  A short story written to help children with the changes in our world in 2020. https:wwwwyoutubeee.com/watch?v=zoIJia9wzGI&app=desktop

Social Story- https:carolgraysocialstoriesss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-andtheCoronavirusspdfff

Great Social Story- https:wwwww.childhood.org.au/app/uploads/2020/04MatildaTheoLRRpdff

Well-being activity- https:wwwww.childhood.org.au/app/uploads/2020/04/ACF499-Tree-Handout-v4pdff

Many ways to share a hug- social story plus activity (lower primary) https:wwwww.childhood.org.au/app/uploads/2020/04/hug_HRpdff