General Information - update 5/5/2020
Where can I get more information about COVID-19?
When can I get more information about learning at home ?
https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-from-home
Is the school still open ?
Teachers will plan the same learning for students at school and at home.
All NSW public schools are open. Parents and carers are encouraged to keep their children home if possible. (This is the government's statement).
Key dates:
- Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 April 2020: Pupil-free days
- Wednesday 29 April – 8 May 2020: Students learning from home where practical
- Monday 11 May: students attend school one day a week and learn from home on the other days
From Week 3 (May 11), we will be moving to Phase 1, with students returning to school one day a week. We have based our return day on House groupings, to allow families to attend as one.
Monday - Christie (A-D, Tuesday- Brann (E-J) Wednesday -Marks (K-Q), Thursday- Stanton (R-Z). If you have sibblings diffrent Surnamnes, send them on the day that the eldest is attending.
Are the buses still running as normal?
All school bus timetables have remained the same.
Why is there still an option to send students to school?
The NSW Government is taking additional measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through the community. To do this, parents and carers are strongly encouraged to keep their children home if possible.
Some people may not be in a position to provide supervision to their children at home. This could be because they are delivering frontline services to the community. It is therefore important supervision of their children is prioritised and provided by their school to ensure they can continue to carry out their work and support the continued function of society.
How should I talk to my child about COVID-19?
You can help your child by remaining calm and reassuring them. Listen to your child and answer their questions as honestly as possible and correct any misunderstandings. This will help them feel informed and understand what is happening.
Stay up to date with the facts from reliable sources so you can keep conversations calm, considered, and constructive. Provide information in words that are appropriate to the age of your child.
Children can be distressed by hearing repeated stories so monitor how much your child is being exposed to television and social media and encourage them to talk to you about what they are seeing and hearing.
Is my teacher still at school ?
The NSW DoE has advised schools to implement a rotating roster to help with social distancing. We will always have enough staff to allow teachers to supervise students and for school operations to continue. Children at school will have a variety of teachers throughout the week.
When teachers are not at school, they will be working from home.
Communication Information
How can I contact the school ?
Via Facebook, email, or phone. We still have the same operating hours from 8.40am to 3.30pm everyday.
For Facebook search (Albury North Public School and ANPS Teachers).
Please contact us with any questions that you have.
How can I contact my child’s teacher?
You can use the ANPSTeachers Facebook site, email or phone the school. When they can, a teacher or your child’s teacher will contact you back.
How will our teachers contact you or your child ?
At the moment we will be ringing once a week to check in. If you would like to hear from us more, please let us know. When we ring from home, it may come up as No Caller ID. We will try again later on.
We are moving towards a digital platform that will allow us to send videos and images of us to you. We are also planning on doing some ‘roaming exercises’ around our community if it remains safe to do so. You will be able to wave to us.
Can I still get a paper version of everything we are sending home?
Yes. We will continue to make paper versions available of everything that we create i.e. newsletters, remote learning packages, home learning and any other information sheets.
Where and when will they be available ?
School Newsletter
Monday from 2pm - 3.30pm from under the COLA - or we can email to you, or your can find it on this website.
Remote Learning Packages / Home Learning / Library bags/ Maths bags
We will have a teacher available for questions and help at these pick up times.
Friday of each week. 8.40am - 9.10am. - under the COLA or office
Friday 3.00pm to 3.30pm. - under the COLA.
Monday from 2pm - 3.30pm - under the COLA.
If you are unable to come during this time, then please come to the front office.
Home Learning Term 2, will not begin until school returns to normal
Can I get a digital version of everything ?
Yes. Everything is made available on the school’s website. Click this link:
https://alburynth-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/supporting-our-students/anps-remote-learning.html
We will continue to email the newsletter to those who have previously requested it. If you would like this, please contact the office via email.
Student Learning Information
Do I have to stick what’s in the learning package?
Absolutely not! You are in the best place to know how your child is handling the home schooling situation. We have tried to create activities that the children should already be familiar with, however we also know the challenge of managing kids :) We are creating ‘Switch Out’ activities for the kids to do when they don’t want to do what we have suggested for them. IF they are not interested in this either, please feel free to do what you feel is appropriate.
Our main focus is on the wellbeing of you and your family during this initial phase of homeschooling.
What do I do if I don’t understand some of the work that is sent home?
Don’t panic. Perhaps next time a staff member phones you can ask for some help or contact us at school anytime. The DoE does not expect you to be the teacher.
What resources can I use at home with my child?
School staff have been working hard to create fun activities and resources to use at home with your kids. We have a team of staff making math games and our library staff have done an outstanding job making book bags that have been borrowed.
These can be collected from the school.
Will there be any digital learning for my child?
Absolutely. Our digital learning team has been hard at work developing a digital learning platform (SeeSaw) for our children to access and share work. This will also be used by teachers to connect with students and give feedback on their learning. All teachers will have completed their own professional learning on using this digital classroom.
What will I need for my child to access the digital classroom?
We have posted out an individual log in to every student in the school. This is their own personal password to access their learning. Your child will access the classroom via Seesaw ipad or mobile app or alternatively by visiting a website. All the details were included in the letter posted out.
What do I do if I don’t have a computer or tablet?
Please contact the school.
What happens if I don’t have access to the internet?
At this stage we did not receive any devices to assist with internet access. The priority was given to Year 12 students. In the meantime we are supplying paper copies of learning, which can be colected from school.
Who gives feedback on my child’s work?
When we go digital, you will be able to submit photos, videos, audios and written work to your child’s teachers.
What if I haven’t received my child’s log ?
If snail mail has not reached you then please contact the school and one of the friendly office staff will provide you with your child’s unique log in code. You will need to download the Seesaw app on your mobile device or go directly to the Seesaw website to enter the code.
Where is my child’s login and password for Reading Eggs/Express and Mathletics?
If your child has misplaced this you can email the school to request it. They will send an email back to you with the details.
alburynth-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Do I need to know my child’s email address to log into Reading Eggs/Express and Mathletics?
You only need the Login name (eg ABC34567) and the password.
Can I get more home readers / library books?
Yes. Our library staff has been hard at work creating book bags that can be collected from the school assembly hall on a Friday between 9am-11am. These book bags come in a range of reading levels. We have staff available to help with selecting the right bag for you child. If there is not a staff member at the hall, please contact the office and a staff member will meet you there. At other times you will need to come to the front office.
Where do I find app links?
Go to the Apple Store or Google Play to download apps for phones/tablets.
Phones usually come with the Apple Store and Google Play installed.
Can I access other educational websites to use at home with my child?
Absolutely.
If my child has not done home learning all term, can I pick up hard copies to be done at home now?
No it is not necessary at this stage. Stick to the remote learning packages or encourage them to read more often.
Are more book packs going to be made available?
Yes. We are also looking into digital and audio books for our kids to borrow on-line. These details were sent out in theTerm 2 Week 2 Newsletter.
Can the school mail out maths bags or library bags ?
Unfortunately no.
What if I want to come to school and pick something up ?
Email or call the school before hand and we will track it down for you to come in and collect.
Do parents have to mark the work?
No. At this stage we are not needing parents or teachers to mark anything. This will change once we go to our digital platform and we can give direct feedback to each of our kids.
My child doesn't have access to a computer. How can I ensure their educational needs will be met?
The school has loaned out Ipads to any child who needed one during this time. Last week we contacted, or tried to contact, every family to find out their technology needs. We have made arrangements with families who indicated they needed an Ipad.
If ever your technology needs change please contact the school . We will attempt to fix this up for you. We are aware that SeeSaw is now not working on some iPads that we sent home as they released a new update. They still work for Mathletics and Reading Eggs.
What do I do if Seesaw is not working on the school loaned Ipad?
Unfortunately the iPad 2 will no longer work at home using SeeSaw.
When do we need to return the ipads ??
At the end of this term would be great so we can update them all.
What is in the Maths Bags?
The Maths Bags contain fun, hands-on games that can be played at home. They are organised into stage groups. They will form part of our learning program next term.
We already have dice and cards at home so could some ideas for games and activities be added to Seesaw or FB?
Dice and card games have been uploaded to our school website.