Malibu School Newsletter - 2022 Term 1 Week 4
Principal's Pen
Dear families
I hope you are all well.
So far we have had a wonderful start to the year and have managed to avoid a COVID-19 exposure at school. We know our time will come and that you may have many questions and worries. As mentioned in my last update, we continue to practice safe hygiene, have rearranged some of our activties and appreciate that staff and students have not beeen attending when unwell. For your reference, a section for COVID-19 information and resources is located further in this newsletter.
Our recent IEP night was a huge success and I thank the team for their time on the evening. We know that after school doesn't suit everyone, so if you are yet to have an IEP meeting, please contact your child's teacher as we still welcome meetings during school time, although these will be outside too! Planning is best when it happens with you.
Thank you to those families who reached out with questions about the Request for Therapy on school site. We have received almost 80 applications and our Deputies have been quick and thorough, with delays only to follow up to ensure that all requests are signed by parents, plans are current and therapists have included all forms of their required checks and insurances. For approved requests, teachers have been liaising with therapists to identify times and suitable approaches that best meet everyone's needs. For those families waiting on hydrotherapy to commence, our pool is ready, although we are waiting on a number of plans from therapists. For the safety of your child, our swim team are not able to implement therapy without current plans and we appreciate your support in chasing these up with your therapists.
I am pleased to advise that we welcome back the Little Stars Playgroup Plus to Malibu next week. Many of our Little Stars will join the Malibu family next year and we are very keen to support thier school readiness. While this does seem a conflict, as our families are currently not permitted in classrooms, parents are allowed inside if they are essential to maintain the learning program. The Little Stars join our Pre-Primary class outside and all parents attending must wear masks and show proof of full vaccination. This is in accordance wiht the Department of Education operating guidelines as informed by health advice. Our parents and carers continue to be very welcome to meet with teachers although we ask that it is arranged in advance and occurs away from the classrooms.
Over the next week, our class teams will be contacting you to discuss and arrange options for online meetings. This will help us to understand your availability and technology requirements as we move our assemblies online and plan for short periods of connection and learning from home, should we need to. In the meantime, our classes continue to focus on your child's learning, brought to you each week through Seesaw and captured in our class articles below.
Enjoy a wonderful weekend and I look forward to bringing you our online assembly celebrations - highlighting your child's achievements and activities.
Kind regards
Merrilee Wright
J1 - Exploring the Ocean
All the staff and students in the Junior 1 class have had a wonderful start to the year. The students are learning all about the school environment and the routines of our classroom. We have been super busy, having fun and exploring our world of learning. The students have made new friends and are settling in well. We love to have a boogie and have bopped along to songs during circle time. Nay Nay’s Bubble Pop song has quickly become a firm favourite.
This semester we will be exploring the theme 'Ocean'. We have enjoyed discovering the books ‘Hooray for Fish!’ and ‘A Swim through the Sea.’ All our students have loved getting a little messy, creating a paper plate fish and exploring squishy Gelli Baff and marine animal toys.
We have become creative with the alphabet, painting some colourful master pieces using aaa… apples, bbb… balloons and ccc… corn. The students have used their senses to explore the letters of the alphabet, feeling apples, bathing babies and exploring cornflakes. We have really enjoyed learning through play and are excitedly exploring all that we are presented with. What an exciting year we have ahead of us!
Rebecca, Mel, Taryn and Fiona
J6 - Busy start to 2022
In J6, we have been busy learning new routines and school expectations. Our students have been learning about our transitional schedules and have been showing great independence to transition with very minimal prompting!
We welcome two new students to our classroom; Anita and Oscar who have settled in very well to Malibu School and have been making new friends.
In class, we have been very busy learning new concepts and maintaining fundamental skills we have already learnt.
Two of our students, Devon and Izzy have begun working in the café this term. It is amazing to see the independence and the responsibility be given to these budding, young workers; we are very proud of them!
Mrs Di, Mrs Kathlaine, Mrs Sylvia, Mrs Melissa and Ms Shelli.
M1 - Routines
M1 have had a great start to our year. New building, new classroom, new staff and new classmates. We have been learning about each other and discovering everyone's personalities. We have been learning routines and expectations. In heath we have learning about washing our hands properly to keep us safe. We are looking forward to the rest of the year together.
Alex, Sue, Colleen, Monica and Elle
M5 - A New Beginning
Having been given a brand new classroom with no blu-tac on the walls, a custom made fit out of cupboards and brand new furniture and a new teacher, Mrs Greenaway, we had the makings of a new beginning.
We welcomed into our classroom Jamaica, Kimberly, Jazmyn, Noah, Mason and Lachlan along with seasoned educators Brittany, Kat and Marc.
Our work to date has been exemplary and targeted. We have been learning our usual subjects but in new exciting and interesting ways in which our students have excelled at. With new and exciting workshops in Aboriginal culture and new and equally exciting interactive lessons on our new smart boards have learnt new ways. We have encouraged even more independence in our students which has been grasped with both hands. It seems the students really like their new found independence.
The staff of Middle 5 are thinking outside the box to invent new tools and programs to encourage and enrich our students education. We are very proud of our students.
Tegan, Brittany, Katrin and Marc
S1 - Exploring the Community
We have had a busy and adventurous start to our year. Last week we went on an excursion to Rockingham Foreshore with our friends in Senior 3. We practiced our public transport skills by taking a bus to Rockingham train station, and then another to the foreshore. Once at the foreshore, we went on a walk and spotted cargo boats, scuba divers and sky divers. We all had a go trying to move the large water ball sculpture, but nobody could make it budge!
After our walk we returned to our spot and all assisted in cooking and serving a bbq that we shared together. Once we cleaned and packed away, we enjoyed some fun in the playground and then returned to school by Public Transport again. It was a fun day and we can’t wait to extend our community access skills in future excursions.
Kat, Adam and Annette
Science - Planets
This term in Science we are introducing students to our place in space.
We are investigating the Sun, Moon and Earth. How the Earth rotates around the sun and how the moon rotates around the Earth.
We are also investigating the Solar System and beyond. We listen to the students and their beliefs and expand on what they inform us in a hands on approach.
Hopefully we can impart knowledge to the students that Earth is part of a system of planets rotating around the Sun.
Rob Kelly, Science teacher.
STEM - Energy Sources
How exciting it has been to be the STEM specialist this year! We’ve started the year off by exploring what the acronym STEM stands for; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
As engineers of the future, we have been investigating sustainability and how this topic fits into design and technology. We have discussed that our projects we build should be done so with sustainable or renewable resources.
Students have explored the different types of energy sources and categorising them into renewable and non-renewable sources.
Junior school students have decided to take on a project building a submarine this term. They will design and build their own little model of a submarine before testing it out in water.
Middle school students are investigating wind power, they will be designing and building a wind turbine that I’m sure will blow us all away!
Senior school students are extremely excited to be investigating solar energy. They will be involved in designing and building a model of a solar power car, which they will get to race against each other.
Some of our classes have also engaged in Aboriginal Studies with a technology focus. We are in the process of retelling Dreamtime stories using stop motion animation.
Kylie, STEM teacher
Malibu Nurses Update
Dear parents/carers
Please seee attached flyer from PeerPathways which me be a valueable rescource to families.
Contributions and Payments 2022
Statements have now been sent out to all families.
Upcoming Dates
Please check our Malibu School website calendar regularly for upcoming events. The calendar is also available on the Schoolzine App on your phone or device.
COVID-19 Information and Resources
Onsite vaccination for 12 years and older Monday 28th February
Malibu School is hosting a Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccination clinic for our 12 years and older. Unfortunately we have not been provided with access to vaccinate adults or younger children onsite for this day. This initiative is optional.
Please visit https://rollup.wa.gov.au/ if you would prefer for your child to receive a vaccine other than Pfizer (Comirnaty) or would prefer to take your child for vaccination yourself.
If you would like your child to be vaccinated on Monday, please;
- Register your child in VaccinateWA – you will need to complete all relevant sections about your child including providing consent. You can find information about registering your dependant here.
- Complete a paper-based consent form and return it to the school – it is located here. All sections of the consent form must be completed, and the form must be signed.
Get tested for COVID-19 early – people are most infectious early in the illness.
COVID-19 can cause a range of symptoms, which can be mild, moderate or severe. Get tested if you have any of the following, no matter how mild:
- Fever (≥37.50C) OR recent history of fever (e.g. night sweats, chills), without a known source
OR - Acute respiratory symptoms (including cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose)
OR - Acute loss of smell or taste
To report a positive RAT test - call the coronavirus (COVID-19) information helpline on 13 COVID (13 26843) or via the WA Department of Health’s online portal link.
What do I expect if my child gets COVID?
See the video from Dr Andrew Martin, Head of General Paediatrics at Perth’s Children’s Hospital. https://fb.watch/bn4oh_E8cb/
Should I notify the school if me, my child or someone who lives with us has tested positive?
We very much appreciate hearing if you or a family member is getting tested and again when your test results are returned. Things happen so fast and this information will help us to plan.
How can I prepare if I need to isolate or quarante at home?
Consider preparing the following items;
- A stock of face masks, hand sanitiser and gloves
- Pain relief medication and electrolytes (available from your pharmacy or supermarket)
- Your regular medications
- Thermometer
- Should you need to go to hospital, you will need a plan to look after your children, pets, or people in your care
- How will you get food delivered? Will it be through a supermarket or can your support person help?
- Ensure you have the phone numbers for people you can call if you need help
- Make sure you have activities to keep you and others in your house, such as children, entertained
Download this Checklist for more ideas to prepare and check the Healthy WA website for more information about Quarantine and Isolation
What if we need help with care at home?
WA COVID Care at Home delivers free home monitoring care for COVID-positive people who require it due to having risk factors which put them at greater risk of requiring hospitalisation.