Dear Parents and Carers,

Well, what a whirlwind these last eight weeks have been!  Leading a school through a pandemic was something that I didn’t expect to have to do and the learning curve has been steep. I am thankful for: 

• The flexibility of Craigslea’s staff who had to devise new ways of working within a remote learning model virtually overnight ensuring they could maintain connection with their students and families. The professional way in which staff responded to multiple changes in operations as new guidelines were issued from the Department of Education. Sometimes these changes came on a daily basis. 
  
  

• Craigslea State School students who undertook their learning at home with diligence, made mistakes and learned from them and ensured their parents/carers felt valued and hopefully not too stressed. 
  
  

• Students who attended school because their parents were unable to supervise their learning at home, who came to school every day working hard whilst treating staff and each other with respect. 
  
  

• Craigslea State School parents and carers who kept their children at home many of whom were juggling work, toddlers, multiple children or sometimes all three. This not only ensured their children were safe but allowed the school to follow the State School Operational Guidelines on physical distancing keeping our staff and students who had to be at school, safe. It also allowed teachers time to prepare the online learning whilst supervising those students who attended school. 
  
  

• Craigslea parents and carers who have been patient and have expressed their appreciation for the efforts of staff during this time particularly around the home learning, communication and the pick-up and drop-off arrangements. Teachers will always go the extra mile for their communities when they feel appreciated. 
  
  

• Narelle Green (Deputy Principal) and Sarah Abdy (Head of Inclusion) who during the second week of the vacation period and the first four weeks of this term have worked late into the night EVERY NIGHT reading each year level’s daily plans, to quality assure the home learning before it was given to students and parents. As well as for writing complicated timetables and plans for arrangements that changed almost daily.

I look forward to everyone’s return next week and emphasise that we will be continuing to remind students about frequent handwashing, ensuring ventilation and reducing touch of surfaces through open windows and doors, cleaning classrooms and playgrounds during the day, ensuring outdoor learning and play are maximised. I will state that there have been some suggestions in the media that schools will be spreading single classes across multiple spaces to maximise physical distancing.  This was obviously suggested without checking that schools actually have this space. A large number of schools in Queensland will not have the space to do so and Craigslea doesn’t. Please expect that students will be in their usual classrooms but teachers will be not be grouping desks and doing what they feasibly can, to reduce risk. 

I also look forward to conversations about what staff, students and parents learned, were challenged by and want to keep from this challenging time. I think there are many things we can take from this experience which can make Craigslea a better place to learn, work, play and be. 

PICK UP AND DROP OFF ARRANGEMENTS
If you have not advised us of your child’s pick up arrangements, we need this information for EVERY STUDENT BY MONDAY MORNING at the latest. We need it for all because we need it for most. So please bear with us. It is not our intention to interfere with your arrangements but to try to fit in with them whilst maintaining the directive that adults cannot be on the school site for at least the remainder of this term. It also helps us make the pick-up areas operate safely and efficiently.  We have not heard from everyone yet, so we will re-send the email and the online form https://craigsleass.schoolzineplus.com/form/32   and if you can see to it as soon as possible we would be most grateful. 

Wet Weather: We do ask that if you have concerns about your child getting wet to please ensure they have their own umbrella, plastic poncho, raincoat or similar. We have organised dry places for them to wait until your car pulls up but we only have so many people and umbrellas. To try to ferry each and every child to a car with one or two umbrellas is difficult. 

REPORTING
Teachers in the coming weeks will be gathering information in readiness for reporting. I’d ask you not to send your child to school if unwell as they will be sent home for the health and safety of others. If they are well, I do urge you to send your child back to school from Monday. Please contact me as a matter of urgency on kcana2@eq.edu.au if you aren’t intending to send your child back next week so we can have further discussions about how you can support your child's learning at home.  A reminder that Craigslea will be reporting on English, Maths, Science and the specialist areas. Prep won’t have grades but will have comments. Years 1 to 6 will have grades but no comments apart from an overall comment. The reports will be distributed at the start of Week 3 Term 3 and interviews will be conducted that week also.

CANBERRA (Yr 6) AND CURRIMUNDI (Yr 5)
There is still the remote possibility that these two events could still go ahead. However, we need to gauge how parents/carers feel about whether these events proceed or not before we go any further. We will be sending out an online survey to parents of these year levels to inform our final decision.  If the number of students who still wish to go dips below the trip remaining viable, we will have to cancel.

STAFFING
Narelle Green (Deputy Principal) will be out of the school until Friday May 28. Mrs Peta Tabuteau (Head of Arts-Craigslea State High School) will be Acting Deputy Principal for that period. Mrs Alison Harris (3HD) will be replaced by Mr Andrew Brush from Wednesday to Friday until further notice. Mrs Harris will be preparing the learning and resources for the class from home and checking in with students via Skype regularly whilst the class is working with Mr Brush. Mr Brush will be in touch next week by email to parents from 3HD to introduce himself and provide his contact details.

FACILITIES
There are aspects of the top oval that still require completion. The two sets of stairs need to be completed with handrails etc, some additional seats installed, futsal nets require installation and some work on the turf will be necessary. 

We are currently making plans for the Year 1 wooden playground to be replaced as soon as possible. Thanks to Sharlene Emmanuel for her efforts in getting these plans ready and to Liz Lynch for her support on behalf of the P and C. 

Finally, in the first two weeks of June the roof on the Year Six block is being replaced and in the second two weeks of June it will the turn of the Year Four block. Teachers have identified spare rooms in the school from where they will be working for this period of time. We are hopeful that this work will be finalised by the return for Term 3. 

Have a good week,

Kathy