Newsletter 30/08/2021 Term 3 Week 28
From the Principal
Hello to everyone, welcome to week 28
I hope everyone is coping with lockdown 7.0 and everyone in your family is OK.
We are all waiting to see what the state government does with the lockdown that was supposed to end on Thursday. I am still hoping things go our way, but must admit the outlook looks bleak. As soon as we know anything, I will let you know.
Just a reminder to parents that it is still important to keep your child's bedtime routine. We are finding that many children are staying up much later on week nights and are extra tired the next day.
Stay safe
Mick
Prayer Reflection
Assembly
Assembly this week will once again be out by early afternoon on Friday.
Lockdown Update
We are into the second week of Lockdown 7.0. A few reminders of where we are at:
The state government has added an extra layer for those requesting school supervision. This is not a school based decision but has come from the state government.
- If School supervison is required please fill in the request form (link below) and provide the necessary permits (link below) by 4.00pm the day before supervision is requested. All requests need to come by this link please.
- If we go into a longer lockdown we will open up bookings for next week on Thursday afternoon. Even if you have booked in for previous weeks, can you please re-book through the school link. New permits will only be required for those booking for the first time, you are a shift worker & things have changed. Note: we need permits with current dates
- The schoolzine app & emails are our main form of communication. If you haven't been receiving any emails, especially please contact the school to double check your email address.
- Restricting non essential staff coming in the school.
- Keeping children home if they are not well.
- There has been a recommmendation that primary school children wear masks when they are not at home. This is a recommmendation only and is therefore not mandated, however children are encouraged to wear a mask. I understand the difficulties associated with this, so please talk with your family as to the decision you are comfortabe with.
- Ensuring we are moving away quickly after school pickups. During supervised learning all pick ups are from the Dimora Avenue entrance.
- Maintaining COVID rules & cleaning regimes
- If a computer is required can you fill in a form request. These are ready to be picked up from the school.
As usual if anything changes I will let you know.
On Site Supervised Learning Request Form term 4
Remote Learning Update
Hopefully everyone is catching up with teachers & completing the online Google classroom work.
If you have any concerns please let your teacher or Mick, Annie or Mel know.
The week looks a bit like this:
Monday: A Google classroom day
Tuesday: A Google classroom day.
Wednesday: ( A specialists day timetable)
Thursday: A Google Classroom day
Friday: Hopefully back at school, if not it will be a Google Classroom day
New 5/6 Building
I have attached a copy of the latest drawings for our new 5/6 wing for you to have a look at. The drawings look great and it will be very exciting to get this project underway.
After discussions with DOBCEL, we have been given the green light to add a new art room and a new science room to the build as well. This is now a 2.5 million dollar project that will begin in 2022 & complete in early 2023.
We are still working through the final design so if you have any thoughts, please feel free to let me know.
BOOK WEEK
Last week we had lots of children dress up at home. Many thanks to everyone for getting into the swing of things.
I know that lots of people sent in photos and I have heard a few were disappointed by not seeing their photo on the presentation slideshow. Apologies for this, however please ensure your photos are uploaded into wherever stipulated and also by the time indicated and hopefully everything will work out.
All photos will be available in our school magazine
The great book swap will happen later in the year.
Parent Teacher Interviews
We will be implementing a change to semester 2 in regards to our parent teacher chats for this year. There has been lots of discussion among the School Advisory Council and the staff about the timing & reason for the chats we have. The discussions have revolved around having more comprehensive chats between parents and teachers at the start of 4th term to give everyone the goals to strive for before the end of the year.
We will be implememnting these chats early in term 4 to give staff a little longer with children when they return from the current lockdown. The interviews will be based around what the goals or areas for improvement are for each child, so that 4th term can be more focused. I will let you know when & how these will go over the coming weeks.
The end of the year chats will then be an optional opportunity for a catch up.
Postponing of events
Our current lockdown has obviously meant that we have had to either postpone, cancel, change the delivery format or we are waiting to confirm many of the events that we had planned between now & the end of term.
- Friday school masses: cancelled
- Book week activities: changed format. Book Swap now later in the year
- Hooptime: Postponed
- Grade 6 camp to Canberra: now cancelled. We have booked Halls Gap for later in the year.(second last week of term 4)
- Trivia Night: We will look at doing this some time in term 4.
- I CAN: Postponed
- Fathers Day activity: Cancelled. Something sent out to Fathers in lieu of no school event.
- 5/6 excursions: HCSN excursions have been cancelled. We will still do our own 5/6 excursion. It was to be on Wednesday 8th of September but this looks doubtful. if it does not go ahead we will re-schedule.
- Grade 1/2 excursions: These were to be on Friday 10th September. At this stage they are TBC
- Cricket coaching for girls: This was to be on Tueday 10th October at the Pomberneit Cricket ground for girls and is still TBC
- Community Meal: Was set for the 15th of September and is TBC
- Fun Day: This will hopefully run as planned on Thursday 16th of September
- Staff PD: This was to be on the last day of term and is TBC
Fathers Day
Lockdown 7.0 has put paid to our Father's Day celebrations we had planned for Friday September 3rd. We will be doing something similar to 2020 and our fathers will receive a gift in the mail.
School Wide Positive Behaviours Systems (SWPBS)
Our focus for this week is again, Manners: specifically on how we deal when we need to interrupt someone.
Some of the things we will be targeting: Say excuse me for interruptions, in class, at the office, people on the phone, adults talking etc. I will attach a copy of the latest video that staff will be sharing with children.
Parents can support us by ensuring these manners are also used at home.
Grade 6 Camp
As I mentioned last week the Grade 6 camp to Canberra has had to be cancelled for 2021. We have booked Halls Gap as an alternative venue for the second last week of term 4. More details will come home later in the term or early 4th term.
Cyber Safety
This is a warning to parents with children who have electronic devices, to please check the apps that are in use. A site called ‘Talking Angela’ asks questions such as where they go to school and also to take pictures of their faces by pushing a heart on the bottom left corner of the screen without any notices. Please check iPods, tablets etc. to ensure that your child does not have this app. This is also a timely reminder to check the security of your devices.
Stay involved in your child’s digital world
- Keep up-to-date with the sites, apps and online chat services they are using, and explore them together.
- Consider whether you are comfortable with the content of these sites and the potential for contact with others, including adults.
- If you are concerned they are visiting sites they have not told you about, talk to them about your concern. As a backup, you could look at your child’s internet browsing history — but this should be a last resort. The aim is to establish trust and open dialogue.
- Try to be aware of who they socialise with in the real world and who they know only in the virtual world.
Help your child to protect their privacy
- Guide your child to use their privacy settings on social media sites to restrict their online information to known friends only. Advice on privacy settings is available in the
- eSafetyGuide. https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide
- https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology
- Encourage them to use only a first name or nickname to identify themselves in online chat and on social media, and never to disclose their phone number, address or school.
- Explain that they should not send photographs of themselves that clearly show their identity.
- For younger children, ask them not to post or text images or videos without your permission.
- Explore our guide to privacy for parents and carers visit
- https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/big-issues/unwanted-contact#how-can-i-protect-my-child
And remind children to always
Be safe, Be kind, Ask for help and Make good choices.
Catholic School Culture
Social Justice: Mini Vinnies
This term the Mini Vinnies children will be conducting a toy drive. They will be collecting clean toys in good condition which will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul at the end of this term in readiness for Christmas.
- If you have any toys that are no longer used or the children have grown out of, please wash them and send them into school to donate to the Mini Vinnies volunteers.
They will be collecting from the classrooms every week or alternately, toys can be left at the office. This will greatly assist in bringing joy to children at Christmas time. Thank-you in advance.
Commiserations to the Wills Family
We send our thoughts and prayers to the Wills family on the passing of Dale's father, Gary over the weekend. Never a good time for anyone to die but Gary was still relatively young and looking forward to everything retirement had to offer. The whole St Patrick's Community is thinking of you during this very sad tim
Students of the Week
Birthdays
From St Patrick's
To the following students that celebrate their birthdays this week
30/08/2021 Monday - Taylor Cameron, Tyra Sambell
31/08/2021 Tuesday - Aaron Marshall
01/09/2021 Wednesday - Lilah & Lilliana Alexander
02/09/2021 Thursday -
03/09/2021 Friday - Charlotte Dean,
04/09/2021 Saturday -
05/09/2021 Sunday - Herbie Fitzgerald
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Please consider nominating St Patrick's as your preferred organisation when shopping at IGA.
