Welcome back to school for the 2021 Year. I hope you all had a wonderful break and weren’t caught up in the stress of border closures. The year has started off well, the students are very settled and already working hard. We welcome our many new families and our new Kindergarten students, we hope that you find new friends quickly and feel at home.

Please keep in your prayers the people of Western Australia who are going through what we went through just over 12 months ago with the bushfires. We hope they are soon able to put out the fire and there is no further loss of property or lives.

At present, there has been very little change to the directives with regards to COVID restrictions. We were lucky enough to be able to have parents of younger students bring students into school for the first few mornings. This arrangement will continue for Kindergarten until next Tuesday. Can I please remind you to ensure that you are social distancing whilst waiting out the front to collect students and to move off promptly.

Morning & afternoon pick up

The ONLY options for afternoon pick up are:

• Bus - this will be the best option when the roundabout is constructed at the corner of Bendooley & Bundaroo Streets (Easter holidays)
• Side gate - children leave their classroom just before 2.50 pm and are escorted up the side lane to meet their parents
• Front gate - this is a drive-through option and ONLY families with a Kindergarten student or toddler in the car are able to access this option.  Parents should not exit their car as there are staff on duty who will assist children getting into their car.
• Town walkers - staff escort students across Bundaroo Street opposite "The Mews"
• Back gate - staff on duty send the children out to meet their parents as they arrive in Victoria Street
• Back gate walkers - staff walk the children over the bridge in Victoria Street to meet parents

There is no front gate pick-up for other children who leave the school at the 3 pm bell.

For safety reasons can I ask that you don’t wait too close to the road or on the coloured area leading up to the pedestrian crossing as I would hate to see an accident happen out there due to poor visibility. It is important that you are good role models for the children with regards to road safety, especially crossing the road, so can you please use the pedestrian crossing.

The Council rangers are out on patrol at present (morning & afternoon) and the Police will also be patrolling, targeting U-turns out the front of the school.

The construction of the roundabout is scheduled to be commenced in the week before, or during, the holidays. This construction will take 3 weeks and will cause disruption to the flow of traffic in the area. If possible, please try to avoid the area and send your children to and from school by bus to help alleviate congestion. There will be changes to drop off and pick up zones which Council are currently working on. When I know what those arrangements will be I will pass that onto you.

Thank you and have a lovely week.

Kayleen Petzer
Principal