Dr Carmel McGrath 

Learn@home 

Welcome back to a very different Term 2 of school whether at home or at school.  Like the majority of Queensland state and independent schools, we have also experienced issues out of our control as we move to learning online.  I know that this has caused some angst for families and staff, all doing their best to ensure children are continuing with their learning.   

I know that our staff have worked diligently over the holidays to develop their curriculum work for a new platform of delivery.  Change is often difficult but I am very proud of the positive manner in which my staff have embraced this challenge and have worked together in year level teams to ensure consistency and engaging curriculum.  But it’s still new and different to how things have normally been done, so the staff have been extremely busy.   

For you as parents, I know that work from home or work as essential workers is also very different.  Adding to these pressures, has been the need to support your children’s online learning.  I urge you to all be kind on yourselves and patience with both the online learning method and its fragility as we enter this new mode of schooling.  I am sure that as we continue to work together and support each other for the good of the children.   

Attendance Update 

I have attached a letter seeking clarification about essential worker status.  Thank you to all those parents who have already emailed me, letting me know the details from their employers.   

Mini- Festivals  

The bookings and planning for the City Cluster Mini-Festivals has been progressing well this term and we thank everyone who has committed to this valuable learning experience for our City Cluster students.  In response to current schooling and community conditions, we have decided to cancel the existing format of the Mini-Festivals due to be run in July – August 2020.  It is during Term 2 that our GEMs and teachers put the time and effort into the nomination process at each school and that the presenters and coordinators prepare for the Mini-Festival sessions. To allow our school communities to focus on their teaching and learning and well-being during term 2 we will not proceed with the Mini-Festival planning.   

We will re-assess the situation in mid Term 2 and consider the possibility of offering an alternative one day program that we could run in September or October.   

Kay Bradley

1. Can I send my child to school?

Queensland’s current effort in fighting Covid 19, involves opening schools for essential workers’ students only.  We understand that helping your child to learn at home, especially with current technology issues, is extremely challenging.  We ask for your support in keeping our numbers low and allowing our teachers to support learning at home.  If you are an essential worker, working outside of the home, you should inform the school of your essential worker status, via email to Principal @newfarmss.eq.edu.au

2. Can teachers use Zoom or Facetime for students learning at home?

Queensland Education Department is looking into alternative programs for face-to-face teaching and learning. Under the Department’s current guidelines, teachers are not able to use programs such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime or Messenger with students. Once a new program is released and teachers are provided thorough training, we will share all details with you. 

3. Is there a daily timetable that students follow?

Teachers will suggest a timetable that you can follow, but as our families are all in different situations; some with more than one child and some that are working from home, there is flexibility in the study timetable.  The learning time that is suggested is between 2 and 3 hours a day. 

4. What is the overview for student learning at home for the next five weeks?

During this time, our staff are continuing to deliver New Farm’s whole school curriculum plan.  This plan is aligned with the Australian curriculum and ensures students achieve standards appropriate to their year level.  In doing so, teachers will be able to transition back to face -to- face teaching more easily.

5. What can we do if there are issues with technology?

It is frustrating for everyone that the technology is not able to keep up with the current demands placed on it. Whilst the state-wide issues continue, teachers will continue to prepare for online and will provide alternative learning activities should technology fail. A list of these ‘offline’ activities, for each year level, will be posted on the website by close of business tomorrow.

6. How do I contact my class teacher?

Teachers are working hard to prepare work for students at home and at school.  This preparation and delivery is their priority.  We would appreciate it if parents email any questions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Teachers will take time each day, to answer emails and if the same issue is coming up for multiple parents, may respond in a short video.  Parents should not come into school to talk to teachers.

7. Why do I have to contact the school every day to indicate if my child is learning from home?

It is an Education Queensland requirement that students’ attendance is recorded each day.  An email from you is needed as close to 9 a.m. as is practical to allow us to record our attendance.

8. What does learning look like for children attending school?

Students of essential workers attending school, are supported by relief teachers and specialist teachers.  They are in rooms that allow for social distancing and are engaged in the same activities that are set for ‘at home learners’. 

Melinda Norman

It is a pleasure to officially join the New Farm SS family this week!

The welcome I have received has been incredibly warm and I am feeling right at home already. The dedication shown by hardworking teachers and school staff has been impressive and I am looking forward to working with teachers regarding our curriculum.

A little more about me…

Having worked as a Curriculum Leader, Principal Education Advisor and Classroom Teacher, in a face-to-face and online environment, has provided me with a diverse scope of skills and knowledge. It is my hope that I will complement and promote the high quality programs of education already in place at New Farm SS, which support the development of knowledgeable and inquiring students.

I have worked in and across schools for almost two decades.  Last year I had the pleasure of leading the Prep – Year 6 faculty at Brisbane School of Distance Education as Head of Department. It was within this role that I saw first-hand the benefits of learning at home can bring to families. The precious time parents spend with their child as they learn new things offers the opportunity to form bonds that will stay with your child for life.  Teaching classes online was new to me and also being a parent of three young children myself I was fortunate to see education from three different angles – Teacher, Parent and Home-based Supervisor.

It is important to remember that when learning with your child at home you are not expected to be their teacher. Our dedicated NFSS teachers are here to support you. As a parent supporting your child’s learning however, you have the unique opportunity in these current circumstances, to enjoy “the learning journey” together with your child. I hope you can make the most of this time.

Learning from Home

In these challenging times as you help your children to learn from home our teachers and school staff have been working hard to plan for this approach and have developed learning programs that best suit our students at New Farm SS. Further to these plans, you may like to explore the Department of Education’s range of learning@home parent resources online https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home.

In addition The Department is working with television networks to develop new televised educational programs that will be broadcast on TV a number of days a week. Further information about these programs will be made available in the near future.

This situation presents an opportunity for students to find out more about themselves as learners and to become more confident in self-directing their learning. Encourage your child to take responsibility for their learning and if your child is finding a task difficult, make suggestions and answer questions, but try to let them figure things out for themselves as much as possible. Give them opportunities, where appropriate, to take control of their own learning.

Please know that we are here to support you and your children. With our preparation and guidance and your support, I am confident that students will continue to learn and grow in Term 2. At home up to three hours of learning each day will usually be plenty. Try using a range of other activities to keep children engaged and stimulated without becoming overwhelmed.

Remember this is new for many of us. You can help by letting your child’s teacher know if you are unsure about something. Further information on supporting your child, maintaining healthy learning routines and setting up a learning space at home can be found at https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home/wellbeing-of-students

While there will be some adjustments along the way as we learn together, our teachers are here to support your child’s learning.

Warm regards

Melinda Norman

Dear Parents/Caregivers

As you know this year we started teaching reading in Prep-Yr2, and to some of the Yr 3 students, using the Synthetic Phonic Program, Read Write Inc. The results have been really positive and we would really like it if students could continue to be involved in the program whilst at home. The Ruth Miskin website is releasing online Read Write Inc (RWI) Speed Sound lessons every day. These lessons are taught by Master RWI teachers in England and are free for students to watch at home. There are 3 Sound lessons being released each day. Set 1 Speed Sounds are primarily for Prep students and the Set 2 and Set 3 Sounds are for Yr 1 and Yr 2 students. Each lesson is only available for 24 hours before it is deleted and the next sound lesson is added.

It would be wonderful if you could watch these Speed Sound lessons with your children from home each day to continue the wonderful learning that happened last term. See Ruth Miskin's website.

Please email me with any questions you may have about Ruth Miskin’s online Speed Sound lessons at scham35@eq.edu.au

Scholastic Book Club

In term 2 Scholastic Book Club will have a virtual catalogue while students learn from home.

Access

Parents can access the latest Scholastic Book Club Issue 3 Catalogue.

Orders can be made online at Scholastic LOOP Ordering and purchases will be delivered to school. The method of collection will be determined around week 4.

Order By

Place your Scholastic Book Club order by Monday 11 May.

Mrs Lamb

Parents and carers, the new webste for uniforms will be fully operational by tomorrow and orders can be placed online by Wednesday for pick up from the office on Friday. 

Thank you for all your persistence and resilience over the past two days. Our teachers have worked tirelessly over the past month to prepare for online teaching through OneNote and ClassDojo. With a combined total of over 200 years of teaching experience our staff are always committed to supporting children with their learning. Delivering the curriculum has been tough and we will continue to pivot as new problems arise. Currently teachers are attempting to push out work via email and Class Dojo. They might set tasks through Study Ladder, Mathletics and/or Homework Hound.  

I currently don’t have a timetable for when the Microsoft Online Service Access issues will be resolved. Until that time, continue to stay in touch with your child’s teacher. We are all in this together.  

If you have any pictures of your kids learning from home and you are willing to have their image shared on the New Farm State School YouTube site, please forward them to youtube@newfarmss.eq.edu.au by Friday. I will put together a montage of our students working tough during these unheralded times.  

Here is a picture of my daughter working from home along with some awesome New Farm students (Annika and Sebastian)  

There will be 3 new videos uploaded to New Farm State School YouTube site on Thursday morning. These will cover the functions students can use on OneNote.  

Kind regards, 

Mr Fenton 

We would like to thank our sponsors for their continuing support for 2020.