Maclean Public School Newsletter

Thanks Once again, I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their ongoing support during these challenging times. The transition to home learning was indeed a rapid change for us all. This transition could not have been effective without the support of everyone including teachers, students, parents and caregivers and non-teaching staff. It has been a truly collaborative experience. The resilience and adaptability of all involved has been inspiring. Learning at MPS in Term 2 Monday 27 April is a School Development Day designated for staff professional learning. All parents are asked to keep the students at home. From then on, the school will continue to be open for children of essential service providers who will do the same work as is being provided for home learning. Unless you are an essential service provider, please keep your children at home and have a go at doing the work that is provided by the school. If we all do our part and follow the restrictions, hopefully the virus will stop spreading and we will be able to get back to some form of normality. Teachers continue to create weekly learning packs; hard copies will be available for pick up outside the office each Monday, (except the first week back due to the pupil free day this will be on Tuesday) and can be downloaded via the skoolbag app and from our web page https://maclean-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/. (To access the material click on the online learning tab at the top of page.) We have also included some useful links to web sites that have great learning activities. Teachers are engaging daily with students through Google Classroom and Class Dojo posting lessons including recording and uploading videos demonstrating how to engage in tasks. We have chosen the option to provide a recording of these instructions to ensure that all students can access them at a time that suits. Teaching staff are present in the virtual classroom during our regular school hours: 9.15am-11.15am, 11.45am-1.15pm and 2.00pm-3.15pm. During this time, children and parents can post questions through Dojo, Classroom or email. We are not expecting or encouraging children to spend all

day on computers or doing activities from a workbook. We understand that this is all new for both the students and parents/carers and that each family will adapt to the situation that best suits their needs. As a guide, around 3 hours of work per day from the learning pack or online is a good amount of time. Please contact us if you have any problems accessing the learning, need to loan technology or require any clarification at all. Commencing next term we will have check ins via Zoom for all students. Class teachers will communicate when and how these sessions will be accessed. Smiling Mind We are living through an unprecedented and uncertain time, requiring each of us to navigate our way, as best we can, through a rapidly evolving global health crisis. With things changing so quickly, such uncertainty and unpredictability can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Managing our emotions and supporting each other can be challenging at the best of times. This is why, more than ever, we all need to be doing our best to regularly pause, take a breath and be proactive in looking after ourselves and others. Smiling Mind, it is a free app (or website) which offers mindfulness programs for children aged from 3 years old through to 18 years old. We recommend the use of Smiling Mind as an activity to do at home with your children. There are also programs for adults to be used at home or in a professional setting, as well as programs for families. In response to Covid-19, Smiling Mind has created a new mindfulness resource for adults called, ‘Thrive Inside’ with Smiling Mind. ‘Thrive Inside’ is a series of meditations created specifically for adults to assist in dealing with the current situation. The link to Smiling Mind can be found below: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/thrive-inside

Woodford st, Maclean P: 66 452 544 E: maclean-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Principal: Ms Carolyn Phillips Term 1 Issue 11 – April 9, 2020

Staying Informed Download the Skoolbag App and join us on Facebook to stay connected with our school community.

Follow the steps below to and add your child/rens class to your groups tab.

Thank you all for your kindness and support, our school community has been amazing. I wish you all a Happy Easter and hope you are able to enjoy a break.

Kind Regards, Carolyn

Principal

Ideas to help you get through the holidays. • Camp out in your back yard. • Cook something new with your family. • Write a letter to friends or family. • Video link with friends and family. • Plant a veggie Garden. • Try and perform a random act of kindness

each day. • Build a fort using blankets and pillows. • Let your imagination take you on an

adventure.

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup plain flour 1/2 cup melted butter 1 tablespoons golden syrup 2 tablespoons boiling water 1 tsp bicarbonate soda (add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

Method

. Combine dry ingredients.

. Mix golden syrup, boiling water and bicarbonate of soda until they froth. Add melted butter.

. Combine butter mixture and dry ingredients.

. Drop teaspoons of mixture onto floured tray, allowing room for spreading.

. Bake in a slow oven. 150oC