Dear Parents and Carers

This week we were informed about some more easing of restrictions.  It is wonderful to see how well we have done as a state in controlling the spread of the COVID virus, now we can enjoy some new found freedoms.  Some positive effects that have come out of the safety measures put in place is the independence that we have witnessed in our students. We now regularly see independent young children walk into the school with a quick wave and kiss goodbye.  We see parents using the limited quick drop off, pick up parking in the way it was designed.  It is important that we continue to build on these positive changes.  I cannot thank you enough for your support in adapting to these challenges. 

The next phase of the new normal begins on the first day of Term 3. This will see parents being allowed to drop students at the classroom door, however unfortunately we are not permitted to allow any parents into classrooms or internal corridors. Visitors can only come on site after a screening process has been undertaken at the office. We are able to begin our LIL (Launching into Learning)  sessions again with strict controls around hygiene and venue density. Parents involved in these sessions will receive a letter soon advising how sessions will operate and the responsibilities of adults attending.

There will still be strict regulations around student and staff wellbeing and anyone with cold or flu like symptoms are asked not to attend school. If symptoms appear while at school parents will be called for immediate collection.

Assemblies

The way we will be able to offer assemblies next term will be different.  Due to venue density implications, we must limit the number of people in our Multi-Purpose room.  For this reason we will have four assemblies, two will be for primary grades (3/4– 5/6 classes) and two for our ECE grades  (prep – 2/3 classes).  This will decrease the amount of space that staff and students take up and allow parents to attend with the required distancing in place.  All parents attending assemblies will need to complete a safety screen before entering the multi-purpose room.  Dates and procedures for these assemblies will be sent out in a separate letter next week.

A letter from two students

Last Friday I received a well written and unprompted letter from two of our younger students concerned about the amount of rubbish in the school grounds.  These students said how much they liked having the opportunity to use the recycle bins, however there were not enough of these bins in the school.  They were concerned about the amount of rubbish in the school grounds. 

Where possible can parents try to support our efforts in decreasing rubbish at school by limiting the amount of single use packaging such as, foil packets of chips, biscuits and bars.  We encourage families to try and use reusable containers and talk to children about our need to create less rubbish that does not break down.

As a direct result of this letter, we will be starting up a clean-up club, where 3 students from each class each week will be nominated to spend 15 minutes with senior staff to pick up rubbish and care for our environment.  We will also be working towards installing more recycle bins and teaching our students about the importance of reducing waste.  We appreciate your support with this team effort.

KINDER and enrolments for 2021

It is great to see so many Kinder enrolments already, we encourage any parents who have not yet put their enrolment forms in to do so quickly as class numbers are filling up! Our popular Kickstart program will return in Term 3. Soon after our pre-kinder program will begin their orientation sessions.  If you have a child who is turning 4 this year before the 1^st January then you need to get enrolment forms to the office to secure your place in our beautiful Kindergartens. If you need to get further information about enrolment, please contact the school office.

If for any reason your child is leaving Punchbowl at the end of the year (except for grade 6 students moving onto high school), it is important to let the school know as soon as possible.

School Association

Next term we will be holding our long awaited AGM and School Association meeting on Wednesday 22^nd July at 7 pm.  This meeting will be held in a 5-6 classroom to ensure we have adequate space and a safety screen will need to be completed as attendees arrive.  This is our first meeting since the restrictions have been in place and I am sure there will be lots that will need to be discussed.  The School Association meetings are open to all parents and I would encourage you to come along and get involved.

School Holidays

School holidays begin on Monday 6^th July.  This will be the last newsletter before the holidays.   Please note that Monday 20^th July is a Student Free Day for all state school students. On this day, our teachers will have a professional learning focus on reading and spelling ready for Term 3. We will look forward to seeing the return of students on Tuesday 21^st July. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and restful school holiday.  I hope families get the opportunity to enjoy some freedom to explore our beautiful state.

Thank you

Kind Regards

Liz O'Donahue - Principal

Last term, due to COVID-19 many students were unable to return library books to school. Unfortunately, as a result many students have been not permitted to borrow any library books until their overdue books have been returned. 

It would be greatley appreciated if you could please search your home for any library books or home readers which may belong to the school and return them as soon as possible. Thank you!

At the beginning of the year all parents/carers had the opportunity to give permission for their child to participate in minor excursions without the requirement to sign a permission form for every excursion. Minor excursions include visits on foot or by vehicular transport to places of educational value within the local community that last for less than one day. A similar consent process was used for aquatic activities. With the changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic we are providing the opportunity for parents and carers to change their preference that was provided at the start of the year for both minor excursions and aquatic activities. The school will ensure that relevant safety and health precautions will be implemented, including COVID-19 requirement, during the course of the excursion and aquatic activities. All other excursions including those with inherent risk will require you to sign a separate consent form prior to the excursion, as is currently the case.

If you wish to change your child’s current permissions or would like further information please contact the school by phone or email. If we do not hear from you then the current permission arrangements will remain in place.

It would be greatly appreciated if all students could please bring their own drink bottle to school as the water fountains are temporarily disconnected for health and safety reasons. 

Uniform Sales

If you wish to purchase any uniform items for your child, to limit the number of adults we have on site and congestion in the main corridor, we would greatly appreciate orders and payment via telephone.  Clothing purchased and a copy of receipt will be sent home with your child.  Office staff are happy to assist your child try on clothing if you are uncertain as to what size will require.

The Annual General Meeting of the Punchbowl Primary School Association will be held at school on Wednesday, 22nd July, 2020 and will commence at 7:00pm. As space restrictions will still be in place,the meeting will be held in 5/6 Frerk/Sutton classroom and will commence at 7:00pm.  A normal General Meeting will follow.

Proposed School Association Meeting dates for the remainder of the year are listed below.  

• 9th September
• 28th October
• 2nd December

As LiL sessions are a very beneficial to childrens development and COVID-19 restrictions are gradually being to ease, our Kickstart (Launching into Learning) sessions will recommence in Term 3 on Wednesday mornings at 9:00am. 

At this point in time, there still will be number limitations in place which mean not both parents and children can attend at the one time. Adherence and the practising of hygiene measures and social distancing of adults will be in place. 

Kickstart_Term_3_2020.pdf

LIL_letter_for_term_3_with_logo_2_002_.pdf

The lost property baskets are located near the main office and outside 5/6 Frerk/Sutton.

Currently we have a lot of clothing that is not named in these baskets, so it would be greatly appreciated if all parents could please ensure their child’s clothing is clearly named. 

• Please hand Mobile Phones into the office at the beginning of each school day.

• Esk Band is now held on Wednesdays and not Tuesdays.
• Icy Pole sales are on Thursdays at lunch time - $1 for a Lemonade Icy pole & $1.20 for a Frosty Fruit .

• If you have not already received your 2020 School Levy Refund, please forward an email to stas@education.tas.gov.au which includes parent's name, student's name and grade, school and description of your query.  The Student Assistance division will make contact with you to provide a resolution.

School Banking is back.  School Banking Day will be Tuesdays, commencing on
21st July, 2020. 

School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way for students to learn about money and develop good savings habits.  For each weekly deposit made at school, students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once they collect 10 tokens, they can redeem them for a School Banking reward.

If your child has previously participated in School Banking, or has an existing Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account, they can start banking straight away by bringing their Dollarmites deposit wallet to school on School Banking day.

If your child has lost their deposit wallet, please contact your School Banking Co-ordinator or visit any Commbank branch for a replacement.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2020 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

The Department of Education (DoE) has released updated government primary and combined (district) school intake areas, to apply from Term 1, 2021. These updated intake areas will only apply to families who enrol a child in a government primary or combined (district) school for the first time from Term1, 2021.

This means that for parents with children already enrolled in our school, the updated intake areas do not apply to your family. If your child has a brother or sister who hasn’t started school yet, they can still enrol at our school.

Our school’s updated intake area map can be found here https://publicdocumentcentre.education.tas.gov.au/Documents/Punchbowl-Primary-School-Intake-Area-from-2021.pdf.  This map is the same as the Proposed Map released by DoE last year in stage two of the Intake Area Review consultation process.

Why do we have intake areas?

Intake areas ensure that every Tasmanian child can enrol at a high quality government school close to where they live. Attending a school close to home helps children feel part of their local community. Intake areas also help ensure schools have the facilities and staff to best support their students’ learning.

Where to get more information?

If you would like more information about our school’s intake area, or help finding out whether a particular address is within our intake area boundary, please contact us directly.

Alternatively you can contact Learning Services Northern Region: phone 6777 2440 or email Learning.Services.NR@education.tas.gov.au) 

The Tasmanian Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2020 is underway. The students have been challenged to make reading a part of their day and read 10 books in 10 weeks.

The challenge finishes at the end of the term, so there is still time to participate if you haven’t started yet. All you need to do is record the ten books you read and give the information to the teacher.

If you have completed the challenge, let your teacher know so that you can receive the certificate from the Premier and go into the draw to win a prize.
Happy reading!

Miss Jupp
AST

https://premiersreadingchallenge.tas.gov.au/Documents/2019_PRC_Reading_Log-type_into.pdf

Entertainment Memberships are here! You can support Punchbowl Primary School buy purchasing yours today – and you can choose to activate it now or wait up to 6 months.

https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/2406h04

With many businesses offering takeaway, you can still use your Membership and benefit from many offers, as well as discounts at places including Woolworths, Dan Murphy’s, Big W.

https://www.entertainment.com.au/Member%20Information/Takeaway/Australia/Launceston

Student Late Arrivals and Early Departures through Pencil Entrance

To limit the number of adults on site our school gates will be locked at 9am and reopened at 3pm, all students arriving late to school to enter through Pencil doorway entrance, sanitise their hands and sign in.

If you child needs to attend an appointment is needs to be collected early, please contact the school office prior to collection time and we will endeavour to have your child waiting at the office for you collect them.

Primary School Sports Tasmania is kindly paying for students of their association schools to participate in the Great Australian Cross Country (GACC). Parents are required to register their child if they wish to be involved, you do require a code.

As we are still unsure of the road ahead we would be encouraging students to register and participate in this event.

If you wish to register please contact Mrs Bent for the code. 

please head to https://gaccc.com.au/ for further details.

https://gaccc.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR14Qz8rZzsgCkV46KXv_uaPiEe-3gP4yUti_xtEFz2zVK79QFk1H4e0APQ

What is GACCC?

The Great Australian Cross Country Challenge is a “virtual race” meaning you still go for a run (or walk), but you can choose where and when. It can be outside, on a treadmill, you can do it with your family or friends (within social distancing guidelines of course!).

The Specifics

Cost – Punchbowl is a registered school  you will just need to enter the PROMO CODE supplied by the school.

When – You can start running and recording your results from May 15 – Aug 31 2020. Race as many times as you like, submitting your best results.

Where – On any surface you like – sand, grass, footpath, roadside, back yard, treadmill etc. (when choosing where, make sure you discuss this with an adult that is caring for you).

How does it work?

Register – To register for GACCC head to gaccc.com.au. When completing your registration, add the PROMO CODE supplied by your school.

Run/Walk – Run, walk, roll or stroll your way through your age division distance, using your mobile phone or watch to track your distance and time.

Record – Visit the Results Hub at gaccc.com.au to upload your results and see where you’re coming in your region, state and around Australia.

The link is on the canvas page and you can register in your house groups too if you like.

The PROMO CODE is TASSIEXC

Public Health advice is clear – it is safe for schools to be open. This is because we have a low rate of Coronavirus (COVID-19) community spread in Tasmania and there has been increased and expanded testing. To reduce the risk even further, schools have hygiene and physical distancing measures in place.

While it is safe to send your child/ren to school, we still need adults to maintain a distance from other adults, whilst on site.

To help us with adult physical distancing, we are asking all parents/carers to:

• Stop, Drop/Collect and Go’ for all drop offs and pickups. This means please remain in your car and we will direct your child/ren to your car.
• If you need to talk to your child’s teacher, please call the school office on (03) 6344 1382 or email your child's teacher

We want to make school as safe as possible for everyone. Feel free to ask questions if you require any further information. These things won’t be forever, but we all have a shared responsibility to act in a way that supports everyone being safe.

More information is available on the Department of Education website: www.education.tas.gov.au

Launceston PCYC reopened on June 15 as part of a staged recovery plan.  Due to social distancing and number restrictions, not all activities will restart at the same time.  We have been contacting participants in first stage activities, which includes Senior Gymsports, Olympic Weightlifting, Fitness Classes, Tai Chi, Yoga, Nippers & Tyro, Coding and Drawing.  More activities will come 'on line' over the coming months.

First stage does include the opening of our Weights Gym, however bookings are essential.  All activities have maximum numbers of 20 people.  If we reach capacity, you wont be allowed to participate until the number of people reduces.  Please call 6344 2411 or email info@pcyclaunceston.org.au to book your spot.

We are also now accepting bookings for parties and groups - with maximum numbers applicable as stated by the Tasmanian Government - currently 20 people and this should increase from July onwards.  Don't forget, you get the booked room to yourself!  Rock Climbing, Trampolining, Zorb Balls, Indoor Sports all available.

We have been developing our Covid-19 Safety Plan and every staff member has responsibilities for regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, to ensure maximum safety for our members.  This Safety Plan also details the following:

• Get in, Train, Get Out

Anyone attending PCYC must adhere to our new policy of 'Get in, Train, Get Out'.  This is in line with Australian Institute of Sport Rebooting Framework and discourages socialising, use of change rooms and 'hanging around'.  Please come ready for your class or training and leave once you have finished.  No spectators please.

• Don't come if you're unwell

If you have any symptoms, including runny nose, fever, cough or headache, STAY AT HOME.  We encourage anyone experiencing symptoms to get tested for Covid-19.  Do not attend at the Club if you have had symptoms in the last 72 hours or have been in contact with a known or suspected case of Covid-19

• Download the CovidSafe app

Launceston PCYC supports the use of the CovidSafe App and encourages all members to download the app.

• Adhere to Social Distancing and Hygiene practises

Maintain 1.5m between others.  Use hand sanitiser before, during and after training.  Use sanitising wipes provided throughout the facility to clean equipment before and after use.  Do not exceed the maximum numbers in toilets or changerooms.  Showers are currently not available at PCYC - please shower at home.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone really soon.  If you have any questions about your activity restart date, please don't hesitate to contact our lovely reception staff info@pcyclaunceston.org.au 

Kind regards,

Launceston PCYC

Welcome to Kings Meadows High School.  Grade 7 enrolments are now open for 2021.  Please contact the school to express your interest on 6343 1000.

Please click the link below to view our video:

https://youtu.be/Zibe5rFnjfA     

Grade 6 Parents/Guardians

Transition to Kings Meadows High School will be a little different this year due to COVID-19.  That said, we are fortunate that the majority of our communications have been digital for some time.  We continue to modify how we communicate information to ensure that everyone, regardless of location, can engage in the transition program.  We will include more virtual tours (like the one shared here), videos of teaching and learning in action and ‘Live’ events accessible across a number of digital platforms.    

Please complete the intention to enrol at Kings Meadows High School Grade 7, 2021 form to ensure your details are recorded for future communications about the transition to High School.  This form is also an opportunity for you to record the names of three friends you would like your child to have in their class.  Please discuss with your child the names of their three friends before completing the form. 

Grade 7, 2021 Intention To Enrol Form

https://bit.ly/IntentionToEnrolGrade72021

Share your story

The Department of Education would like to capture stories and experiences through this very unique time,  and would greatly appreciate parents and carers participate in a survey about how Punchbowl Primary School managed during the COVID-19 crisis. We want to capture these stories to ensure that we are able to learn, celebrate and grow from this experience.  Please take the time to click the link and share your experience.

Please share your story by visiting: www.education.tas.gov.au/our-learnings

See the COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD situated in the walkway outside P-1B Millen classroom for all upcoming community events

Wash and sanitise hands

Wash and sanitise hands 191.74 KB

Corona Virus

Corona Virus 181.23 KB

Tasmania_s_Road_to_Recovery_One_Page_Summary.pdf

Tasmania_s_Road_to_Recovery_One_Page_Summary _pdf 393.09 KB

Baptcare_Flyer.pdf

Baptcare_Flyer _pdf 258.06 KB

NCN_After_School_Care_Flyer.pdf

NCN_After_School_Care_Flyer _pdf 1.26 MB

Hope_Discovery_After_School_Care_Flyer.pdf

Hope_Discovery_After_School_Care_Flyer _pdf 535.15 KB

Launceston_Youth_Theatre_Ensemble.pdf

Launceston_Youth_Theatre_Ensemble _pdf 3.96 MB