It has been a fantastic start to the 2020 school year at Austins Ferry Primary, our students arrived with positive attitudes motivated to learn and achieve new academic goals. Our staff have been preparing the classrooms for several weeks ready for the arrival of our students. During week 1, I met many new families and was excited to welcome 3 new Kinder classes to our school.

Meet the Teacher afternoon - Today we will welcome families into classrooms to engage in an activity with their children. This will also be an opportunity to meet the teachers and ask any questions that have popped up during week 1. Teachers will have a pamphlet ready to go out to all families explaining classroom routines and expectations. This event will run from 2:00pm – 5:00pm today and there will also be a free BBQ outside Red Pod.

Assemblies - Today we have posted our Term 1 assembly timetable on Facebook and our newsletter. This year our aim is to make the assemblies very consistent so families know well in advance the schedule. The timetable also outlines which classes will be sharing items each week.

Sun Safety (Hats Term 1) - In line with our sun safety policy it is expected that during Term 1 all students wear hats when outside. If students do not have a hat on during breaks they will be directed by staff to sit in the courtyard area under shade. Please encourage your children to remember and wear their hats.

Year 6 Camp – We will provide more information shortly to year 6 families in regards to our upcoming camp to Gumleaves (Swansea). There will be an afternoon information session coming soon to provide families with more information and an opportunity to ask questions. The camp will run from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 March.

Once again I would like to welcome our school community in 2020 and extend my appreciation to families for preparing children ready for the school year motivated to learn. It was evident during my classroom visits last week that students were excited to return to school and learn.

Dear Parent/Carer

Our Years 3–6 Athletic Carnival is being is run on the school oval over two days, Tuesday 25 February and Wednesday 26 February 2020, from 9:15am to 2:00pm.

The carnival is a great opportunity for students to represent their house and possibly gain selection into our Inter-School Athletics team, competing at the Domain Athletics Centre on Friday 13 March 2020.

Austins Ferry Primary School has three house teams:

Sapphire - Blue
Emerald - Green
Ruby – Red

Please encourage your child to wear a t-shirt, ribbon or an item of clothing in their house colour. Students that are new to the school will be informed of their house team by letter correspondence.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but reminded to stay in the spectator area during events. A limited amount of shelter will be available on the day under marquee tents, but please be prepared for any weather

Our canteen will be running a limited menu on both days for ALL student, Kinder to Year 6, to order from. The menu and price list will be sent home with a copy of the Carnival program.

UPDATING STUDENT DETAILS

It is vital for the school office to have updated details for all students. In the event of a medical issue or emergency event this information is crucial in the care and response that we provide for your child/children. Please ensure to update information with the office staff as required: emergency contact details, phone numbers, address details and any changes to your childs' medical needs eg. asthma, anaphylaxis.

ABSENCES / ATTENDANCE

If your child is absent please notify the school office before 9:30am:

Leave a message on the answering machine 6275 7272
Speak to the office staff face to face
Call the office staff 6275 7222
Email: austins.ferry.primary@education.tas.gov.au
Via the web form: www.austins.ferry.primary@education.tas.gov.au
Submit details through the Schoolzine SZapp

We care about your child's safety and will text you if your child is absent unexplained.

CAR PARK SPEED LIMITS

Speed limits throughout the school are restricted to 10km. Please note that regardless of what time of day, if the gates are open there is someone here! Everyone's safety is important.

END OF DAY MESSAGES

Please notify the school office as early as possible and prior to 2:25pm if you need to get a message to your child/ren for the end of the day. Class notice bags are collected at 2:30pm and passing on messages after 2:30pm becomes quite difficult. We cannot guarantee messages will be received effectively after this time.

Thank you to the families who have made levy payments and commenced payment plans for 2020. School levy payments contribute to the cost of your child's education program and includes stationery, learning materials, performances and excursions.

There is an expectation that levy payments will be finalised by the end of Term 1 - Friday 10 April 2020.

Payment of levies and charges can be made by cash or credit card at the school office, Bpay, Bpoint, Service Tasmania and Qkr!.

Please make time to speak with the School Business Manager, Rhonda Turner, if you are experiencing difficulty in affording the levy charge. A levy instalment plan including Centrepay is available to parents/carers who are unable to make a full payment. Instalment plans offer flexible, sensitively negotiated payment options to assist parents/carers to budget for this cost. Payments can be made weekly, fortnightly, monthly or at other agreed times after payment of an affordable deposit.

The Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) is available for parents/carers who meet the criteria of an income test. Families approved for STAS are not required to pay levies but may be required to pay other charges eg. Year 6 camp, leavers activities and clothing. If you feel that you may be eligible or if your personal circumstances have changed please see the shool office for an application form or download at: https://www.educaton.tas.gov.au/Documents/Student-Assistance-Scheme-Application-Form.pdf

The gross, taxable income test (STAS) for the purpose of assessing a family's eligibility for STAS in 2020 is as follows:

Taxable Income Table 2018 - 2019

Number of Dependent Children	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8*
Income Per Week #	$717	$825	$941	$1, 063	$1, 193	$1, 337	$1, 481	$1, 631
Annual Parental Income #	$37, 284	$42, 900	$48, 932	$55, 276	$62, 036	$69, 524	$77, 012	$84, 812

*For more than 8 children add $152 per week or $7, 904 per annum for each additional child

#Gross Taxable Income

A number of students in our school have severe allergies to nuts and eggs. These allergies can be life-threatening and an allergic reaction may result in anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction and can be fatal. As an 'Allergy Aware' school we must be careful of contamination of the school environment including equipment and resources as students with anaphylaxis are not confimed to one area and use the facilities throughout the school.

To ensure the safety of students with anaphylaxis:

Please do not sent nuts or nut-based and egg food products to school.
Please carefully check food labels; it is not always obvious which products contain nuts.
Please talk with our child / children about not sharing food with others at school. This is also discouraged in classrooms.
If you wish to bring along a cake, e.g. for your child's birthday, or other food for special occasions, please check with your child's teacher first so that special arrangements can be made.

We all share the responsibility of keeping our students and school safe.

Welcome back Austins Ferry Primary community to what hopes to be an amazing 2020.

I hope you’ve all had a lovely summer break!

One of our main focuses here at Austins Ferry Primary is to keep your children safe.
In order to do this, all medical plans e.g. Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes, are required to be updated annually by your child’s medical officer, even if the management is unchanged.

This ensures that we have current information on hand to keep your child safe if a medical incident were to occur. It is also a requirement of the Department of Education.

Please see the office staff or myself if you have any questions.

Emma Atkinson

School Health Nurse

Novel coronavirus – what you need to know

What is novel coronavirus?

The novel coronavirus is a new virus recently detected in Hubei Province, China. Most people infected with the virus live in or travelled to Hubei Province. A small number of cases have been diagnosed outside of China, including in Australia.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, tiredness and shortness of breath. Anyone who has recently been in China, particularly Hubei Province, should be alert for these symptoms. It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show after a person has been infected.

Should I send my child to school?

You should NOT send your child to school or childcare if:

They have been in contact with any confirmed novel coronavirus case they should not attend school or childcare and remain isolated in their homes for 14 days following exposure;
They have recently visited Hubei Province in China they should not attend school or childcare and remain isolated in their homes for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province; and
They have departed mainland China and arrived in Australia on or after the 1^st of February they should not attend school or childcare and remain isolated in their homes for 14 days after leaving China.
If they arrived in Australia from mainland China (other than Hubei Province) before 1 February they can attend school or childcare, as long as they are well.

Any unwell child should also not attend school or childcare.

Should I come to work?

The above advice to remain at home for 14 days applies to any person who has been in contact with a confirmed case or recently visited mainland China.

What does ‘isolated and remain at home’ mean?

This means a person must not attend a public place, particularly work, school, childcare or university. Only people who live in the household should be in the home – no visitors.

If a person who requires isolation must leave the home, such as to seek medical care, a surgical face mask must be worn.

What do I do if my child (or myself) is sick now or within 14 days of being in mainland China?

If you or your child have recently returned from mainland China and novel coronavirus is suspected, please call your GP or the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to speak to a Clinical Nurse Consultant. They will ask you questions and provide advice about next steps.

If serious symptoms develop, such as shortness of breath, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Inform the paramedics of your recent travel. If novel coronavirus is suspected, tests will need to be done. Your doctor and Public Health will provide you with advice on managing the condition.

What do I do if I have a student or staff member who is sick now or within 14 days of being in mainland China?

If they have returned from mainland China on or after the 1^st of February the person should remain in isolation in a room away from others. For students, the parent/guardian should be contacted immediately and told to arrange an urgent medical review.

The parent/guardian or staff member should call the GP or the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to speak to a Clinical Nurse Consultant.

If serious symptoms develop, such as shortness of breath, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Paramedics should be informed of their recent travel.

How can I help prevent the spread of virus and seasonal illness?

Practicing good hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. This includes:

Washing hands regularly, including after using the toilet and before eating
Covering mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing (with a flexed elbow or tissue, not hands)
Disposing of any used tissues in the bin and washing hands afterwards
Avoiding close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Where should I go for up-to-date information?

For the latest information, visit the Australian Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au

The Department of Education will also continue to monitor the situation and will provide updated information as it becomes available.

Who do I contact with concerns?

If you have questions about novel coronavirus, contact the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.

What do I do if my child (or myself) is sick now or within 14 days of being in mainland China?

If you or your child have recently returned from mainland China and novel coronavirus is suspected, please call your GP or the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to speak to a Clinical Nurse Consultant. They will ask you questions and provide advice about next steps.

If serious symptoms develop, such as shortness of breath, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Inform the paramedics of your recent travel. If novel coronavirus is suspected, tests will need to be done. Your doctor and Public Health will provide you with advice on managing the condition.

What do I do if I have a student or staff member who is sick now or within 14 days of being in mainland China?

If they have returned from mainland China on or after the 1^st of February the person should remain in isolation in a room away from others. For students, the parent/guardian should be contacted immediately and told to arrange an urgent medical review.

The parent/guardian or staff member should call the GP or the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to speak to a Clinical Nurse Consultant.

If serious symptoms develop, such as shortness of breath, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Paramedics should be informed of their recent travel.

How can I help prevent the spread of virus and seasonal illness?

Practicing good hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. This includes:

Washing hands regularly, including after using the toilet and before eating
Covering mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing (with a flexed elbow or tissue, not hands)
Disposing of any used tissues in the bin and washing hands afterwards
Avoiding close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Where should I go for up-to-date information?

For the latest information, visit the Australian Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au

The Department of Education will also continue to monitor the situation and will provide updated information as it becomes available.

Who do I contact with concerns?

If you have questions about novel coronavirus, contact the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.

Do you want to have some fun one-on-one time with your child at school?

If so, the Parents and Kids Together (PAKT) program is for you!

PAKT is a fun craft-based program for children aged 6-12 years and their parents & carers. Parents & carers work one on one with their child to create something special together, mainly from recycled materials! There is no need to have art or craft experience to succeed in this program – you’ll just need a willingness to have a go and maybe get a little bit messy!

The PAKT program is free, and healthy snacks are provided!

In term 1 families with children in grade 5/6 at Austins Ferry Primary School are invited to join the PAKT program. PAKT runs once a week for seven weeks and is held on the school grounds during school time.

If you would like to be in this program, please contact the school office or contact PAKT directly on 6214 1326.

But be quick as there are only 8 places available!

Home Reading Club

All students are encouraged to participate in our Home Reading Program.

Students start in Club 25 and progress through the year. Student’s names are published in the newsletter and celebrated with a certificate.

Dear Parent / Carer

Would you please update your child's profile for 2020 in the Qkr! App. This will put them in the correct homegroup for 2020.

If you are new to Austins Ferry Primary School please see below instructions for downloading Qkr! Qkr! is a secure and easy way to order and pay for school lunches (preferred method) and uniform. Levy and camp payments can also be made through Qkr!

Thank you

AFPS Admin

Dear Parent / Carer

In 2020 our school has transferred from the Skoolbag app to the SZapp.

SZapp has similar features to Skoolbag: you can view our newsletter and school calendar, send an absentee notification and visit our school website.

School Banking Every Thursday!

Dear Parents / Carers

If you have an over-supply of fresh fruit or vegetables in your garden we would welcome any donations to the schools' Breakfast Program and the Kitchen/Garden cooking program.

Please drop your contributions off to the school office. Thank you