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Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you all for remaining so supportive of our school community during this term. It has been so important for everyone’s health to support the public health guidelines by staying home and being tested if you are unwell. I know this has been inconvenient but it has allowed our school to remain open all term with everyone being as safe as they can be. Remember to follow the public health guidelines (social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks) during the holidays. We want everyone back safe and sound.
Usually, in term 3 we have loads of great photos to share of our annual concert. Sadly, not this year. We are going to have to practise being together in the hall for assemblies and concerts when this pandemic is over! At the moment we are still having Zoom assemblies, with each class joining in from their classrooms. Our innovative staff are providing games and activities that can be shared remotely, so the new assemblies are still keeping us connected and having fun.
Early next term our school is participating in an educational research trial – Assessment for Complex Learners. We are trialling some assessment tools (engagement tracker, literacy and numeracy) that will help teachers of complex learners best identify students’ learning needs. I’m certain that this research will help us with our next school improvement plan, which we are currently working towards.
It is not too late to complete the Tell them from me survey. http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/holroydschool Use the link to reach the survey and then let us know what you think. We value your opinions and look forward to sharing the results with you! Thank you to the many parents who recently completed the national survey of parents, Parent Satisfaction in Specialist Schools Australia. It is an important national survey of parent voice.
Our P & C so wanted to host a Father’s Day stall, but those plans were also scuttled by the Covid restrictions. I know the P & C are looking forward to being active participants in our school again…we miss them here! I hope all the dads, grandfathers, uncles and special friends had a wonderful day.
Our year 12 families have been visiting post-school destinations with Kylie Reid, our transition coordinator. It is important to choose the best organisation for each year 12 student so that we can support their transition to the next adult phase of life. The staff are also working out how we can best organise a year 12 graduation assembly and farewell function within the current restrictions. We will keep you posted!
Some of our students and families have been through some tough times this term. We send you all our best wishes. I hope you all get to enjoy some time together over the holidays.
Until next time,
Anne Flint
I hope everyone is staying safe and well and looking after themselves.
If you could spare a few minutes to complete the Tell Them From Me survey it would be greatly appreciated. To access the survey please follow this link http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/holroydschool or contact the school office for a printed, hard-copy version.
Our Annual General Meeting to elect new P&C committee members will be held remotely via zoom on Wednesday 4 November. If you are interested in joining the committee, or nominating for President, Secretary or Treasury positions, please email me at liz.brannon@yahoo.com.au to receive a nomination form.
The P&C committee meets the first Wednesday of the month during school terms. The role of the P&C is to be the school's 'parent voice'and to support the school for the benefit of all students. It is only togther that we can build a strong supportive environment for our children and staff members.
Please stay safe and look after one another by washing your hands regularly and maintaining social distance.
Until next time,
Liz Brannon
President
How long have you worked at Holroyd School?
Eight years
What is your favourite childhood memory?
Christmas time at my grandparent's house - we were always very spoilt!
What was your favourite subject at school?
Science, especially Biology.
If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?
My phone (because it would be like losing a limb without it); wedding rings; sewing machine; my boys' photo albums from when they were babies; and my grandfather's racing car trophy (he was a NSW champion and all-round gentleman).
What are your favourite books?
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling or anything written by author Marion Keyes.
If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?
American actor and comedian Will Ferrell for laughs; Australian political commentator Peta Credlin for conversation; and American actor Matt Damon for eye-candy.
What is your favourite song to sing along to?
Way too Pretty for Prison by Miranda Lambert.
What pets did you have growing up?
Always dogs - Curly and Jumo
What is your favourite day of the year?
Christmas Eve - I love the anticipation of excitement!
What fad or trend do you hope comes back?
Anything with a crowd - post Covid-19 of course!
How long have you worked at Holroyd School?
Four years.
What is your favourite childhood memory?
When my sister was born, I would have conversations with the nurse outside and run around the waiting room with my little afro hairdo (I was five years old).
If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?
My phone, shoes, old photos of family and friends, perfume and jewellery gifted by family members.
If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?
My sister Rosie; American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez; and fashion designer Donatella Versace (would love to learn to speak Italian plus she could design our clothes for dinner!)
What is your favourite song to sing along to?
Left Outside Alone by Anastasia.
What is your favourite day of the year?
Christmas Day.
What fad or trend do you hope comes back?
Pop groups such as the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys!
Smile! It's school photo day soon!
The School Photographer will visit on Tuesday 3 November.
Envelopes will be sent home during the second week of Term 4.
We are participating in the Tell Them From Me parent survey.
The survey only takes a few minutes and will help us to keep improving how we support your children.
To access the survey, please use the link below or contact the school office for a printed copy.
http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/HolroydSchool
Your answers will remain anonymous and confidential.
Thank you for your support.
Exploring different healthy foods - examining their colour and texture and experiencing their taste - has been a highlight of our current PDHPE unit.
Our focus on good health has also included participating in a daily Crunch and Sip program, and creating interesting art works using a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Students in J12 have enjoyed participating in this year's Premier's Reading Challenge, which has included watching and listening to stories being read aloud on our classroom's interactive whiteboard.
In this semester's Personal Health Choices unit of work, we have concentrated on hand hygiene and reflected on photos of ourselves throughout our time at school. We have also tasted a variety of fruits and vegetables during our daily Crunch and Sip program.
Our class is also enjoying the company of Elian, our new friend, who joined us in J12 recently. Welcome Elian!
Until next time,
Khyber, Sivesh, Dev, Elian, Emmanuel and Daniel.
The events of 2020 have really challenged our busy bunch of boys and prompted us to think more creatively about how we can continue valuable learning programs under the restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
J17 is responsible for doing the shopping for the primary school each week and instead of going into the supermarket, as we had been doing in term 1 of this year, we've had to start shopping online with Woolworths. Kuberan loves the shopping experience and is getting very good at identifying the price of items and selecting the correct products online.
Our students also look forward to participating in our virtual assemblies from the classroom through 'Zoom' every Friday morning and Isaac likes seeing all the primary classes on the screen and feeling connected to everyone.
Alan loves story time and misses going to the library at school and to his local library with mum. However, we've brought library time to the classroom with sensory stories proving to be a hit with the boys, especially Alan.
It was unfortunate for Emmanuel when, mid-way through this term, classes were restricted to interacting only with other classes in their area of the school as he looked forward to going up to the high school to socialise with his friends each afternoon. And so, we setup video calls through 'Google Teams' so that Emmanuel still gets the opportunity to see and talk with his friends each afternoon.
To get out of the classroom and enjoy activities in a different environment, we've started playing board games at the seating area in our playground. Melad and Edwin have been so co-operative, positive and motivated to participate in all activities and have found a good match in each other, choosing to socialise and work together during small group activities.
J17 used to 'jam' in the music room during music activities at the start of the year and as we can no longer do that, we've started Monday afternoon karaoke where students choose a familiar children's song and use the karaoke speaker and microphone to sing along to their preferred songs. It's a pleasure to hear Lewis sing out loudly into the microphone as we do not often get to hear his voice and the whole class really enjoys and does well to vocalise and sing during karaoke sessions.
We welcomed an eighth student to our class at the start of this term and so on top of all the other changes happening, our new student, Myles, also changed schools half-way through the year. Myles has adjusted quickly to his new environment and enjoys playing with toy cars, lego, puzzles and bouncing on an exercise ball or relaxing on the massage chair during leisure choice activities in the classroom.
We wish all of our students a safe and happy holiday and look forward to supporting the boys through the remainder of a challenging year and sharing in their continued achievements and successes.
Holroyd School is seeking people living in the local area who are interested in working as a casual Assisted School Travel Officer, known as an ATSO (bus escort), before and after school.
ATSOs are required to undertake mandatory training and have a current Working with Children clearance.
ATSOs must be over 18 years of age, physically able, have good communication skills, be respectful and understanding of students with disabilities, and able to work collaboratively with others.
If you are interested, please contact the school office for an application package.
School counsellor Kathie Chetty recommends the following websites for families seeking information about mental health and supporting children with disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Valuable information can be found here. There is also a video about mental health.
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/disability/covid-19/Pages/support.aspx
Other great sites with information and videos:
https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/supporting-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/
https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/#autism
This one has tips for parenting and is also available in a number of languages:
https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parenting-tips
Other websites that offer information and support:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide
https://www.cfecfw.asn.au/coronavirus-parents/
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/10-tips-for-managing-anxiety-during-covid-19/
Tomorrow is the last day for Term 3.
Wishing all our staff, students and families a safe and happy holiday.
Term 4 begins on Monday 12 October, 2020.
