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Welcome to preschool! We have enjoyed a calm and settled start to our year as the children get to know each other and the staff. We hope your child has had lots of fun. We have really enjoyed getting to know them.
Thank you for adhering to the COVID processes that we have in place. These have helped support a smooth transition and hopefully given you the opportunity to see our preschool environment and meet our staff.
This week the morning routine will change. All families would have receievd an email over the weekend with futher information about these changes.
If your child is enrolled for the Preschool day program (9am-3pm), you will continue to sign them in on the iPads outside and a staff member will open the front door at 9am to welcome them into the classrooms. Parents/carers will be unable to come past our front sliding door and will say their goodbyes outside. In the afternoon, we will continue to do as we have been, and bring the children out to you at 3pm.
If your child is enrolled in the Preschool Plus program, we will welcome students here before 9am and after 3pm through our front foyer. Please check your emails for further information and the required code. Please practise social distancing, use hand sanitiser and efficiently move in and out of the centre to drop off or collect your child. Please remember to continue to sign your child in and out using the iPads outside.
Our team will be available to assit your childs smooth transition into Preschool each day and we welcome any questions.
Communication with families
SZapp
Our SZapp messages are sent to alert families to upcoming events, to send reminders and to keep you informed about Preschool and Primary School information. It is important for you to download this app if you would like the most up to date information. Please see us if you need assistance to set this up on your phone https://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-faq
eNewsletter
Each fortnight we publish a preschool eNewsletter. Our first eNewsletter is now published and we thank you for taking the time to read it. The eNewsletter contains class posts with photos, weekly news, and upcoming class events. It is published on our website https://www.stanthonys.act.edu.au/earlylearningcentre
Seesaw
You have now been sent a QR code and instructions on how to set up the Seesaw App on your phone. Some of you may already be familiar with this app, from day care or older students at school. Seesaw is a communication app that we use to send home photos of children’s learning at preschool, and it also used to send messages between home and school.
As a centre we aim to send home photos of the children regularly, so you can feel part of your child’s learning at preschool. Please know that these photos are only visible to families within your child’s class and are not shared in any other social media.
Emails
Emails are sent via SZapp to alert families to events and to distribute information. Teachers will occasionally send emails to individual families, where applicable. We also invite you to contact the preschool anytime via email on elc.stanthonys@cg,catholic.edu.au
Friendly reminder
Please clearly label all clothing and lunchbox items. The students are encouraged to be independent and look after their own belongings and they learn very quickly to read their own names.
Covid Procedures Early Learning Centres (ELC)
Procedures for addressing a positive case of COVID-19 in the ELC differs from the Primary School. If a child attends the ELC while infectious, a COVID-19 Exposure Risk Assessment is conducted. Families will be advised of a positive case being present at the ELC and if your child is considered low, moderate or high risk of exposure.
Only children and staff considered high risk are required to quarantine for 7 days.
Depending on Rapid Antigen Test supplies, the ELC will continue to send home two tests per week for all children and staff. We ask families to test prior to attending the ELC and again mid-week or if your child displays symptoms. If your child receives a positive test, register this positive status using the ACT Health online form covid19.act.gov.au/RAT-positive and also advise your ELC Director. All communication is confidential and privacy will be maintained.
We ask families to support our COVID risk minimisation measures by:
· keeping sick and/or symptomatic children home
· only one parent/carer to enter the ELC
· primary aged siblings are not to enter the ELC but wait at the seated area in front of the ELC door.
· parents/carers to wear a mask and use the Check In CBR app
· parents/carers to leave the ELC promptly once their child is signed in/out.
The ELC staff are continuing to minimise risks by:
· requiring staff and essential visitors to wear masks inside and outside
· maximising outdoors learning opportunities
· regular cleaning of high touch points, toys and equipment.
Healthy lunchboxes
Thank you for splitting the children’s lunches into 3 parts: fruit break, morning tea and lunch. It helps if these containers are kept small so that we can refrigerate any dairy or meat products. We encourage the students to eat healthy foods with minimal packaging. At preschool we compost all food waste and teach the children how to recycle.
We are a NO NUT preschool. This includes traces of nuts. This year we have several students with peanut allergies and are strict about not having these items at preschool.
If your child is celebrating a birthday and would like to bring in treats to share, we would suggest small individually wrapped items. These can include packets of popcorn, icy poles, bubbles, jellybeans, packet of crayons etc.
Congratulations
A huge congratulations to Olivia, Matt and Mila on the safe arrival of little Aubrey weighing 3.49kg and 50cm. She is gorgeous and we can’t wait to meet her.
Carpark
To keep the traffic flowing in the carpark at afternoon pickup we have implemented a few strategies. These include, an executive staff member will be on duty, there will be more available car spaces in our carpark adjacent to the ELC building, a looped circuit has been designed where cars will join the line and be moved on more easily.
If you join the pickup line in the afternoon, we ask that you display a blue ELC label on your front dashboard. Please pick one up from our front foyer. This will show staff on duty that you are an ELC parent waiting in the traffic line.
With increased parks on offer in our carpark we would encourage families to come in and park closer to the ELC. If you do park across the road, please ensure you use the crossing at the front of the school.
We would ask for your patience at this time. It is a busy time of the day and we are aiming to make pick up as smooth as possible. Our main priority is to keep our children and families safe.
Benjamin Bunny
Benjamin was a little nervous to start preschool but has settled in. He has been well looked after by our students and is enjoying all the love and attention.
Benny is looking for homes to visit on the weekend. His overnight bag is packed with all the things he needs.
If you can help to look after Benny, please contact us on elc.stanthonys@cg.catholic.edu.au
He will be very ‘hoppy’ to meet you!
The happiest of Birthdays to the following children who have celebrated thier special day since we started Preschool or just before Oliver, Noah E, Elsie M, Alvie & Aria.
We hope you had a fa day that was as fabulous as you!
ELC LUNCH ORDERS
Did you know you can order from the School Canteen for your ELC children?
We have a MINI MENU you need to order from which includes wonderful options suitable to your 3-5 year olds. the full canteen menu is not an option as it is important that our students are eating a healthy and balanced lunch while at Preschool and enjoying ‘sometimes’ foods when they are at home.
To order please download and use the Qkr! app. Once installed, find and click on St Anthony's Parish Primary School and create a profile for your child.
Happy Ordering and thank you in advance for support.
