Newsletter 04/10/2021 Term 4 Week 31
From the Principal
Hello to everyone, welcome to the first week of term 4,
I hope that the holidays were an opportunity to spend time doing some of the things that make you smile. Lots happening around our state still and not the 'everyone back at school' scenario we would have liked.
Our F-2 students are back onsite this week and our 3-6 students remote learning for the week. Specialist day for everyone will be Wednesday.
It will be a busy term, however we are still postponing things for the time being. We should have been on Grade 6 camp to Canberra this week, which is once again a real disappointment. They will have a camp to Halls Gap later in the year instead. Once we set dates & times for events we will confirm these. I appreciate your patience as we continue to navigate this busy time.
Stay safe
Mick
Prayer Reflection
A Prayer For A New Term
Father,
We thank-you for our holidays and for the good times that we had.
We thank-you for the break from school, for the sleep-ins, family and friends.
We ask your blessings on all that we do in this coming term.
Help us to know that you are with us always, celebrating with us when things are great,
and comforting us when things are not so great.
With the guidance of your Holy Spirit,
may we strive to do our best throughout this term,
using the gifts that you have given us. Amen
Parents Assoc Online Meeting
Tomorrow night is the October meeting for the parents association. We warmly welcome you to join the google meeting to catch up on all our news
meet.google.com/opp-utqp-vdx
Assembly
Assembly this week will once again be out on Facebook by Friday afternoon.
School Learning Update
This week we still have a hybrid situation:
- F/1/2 children are all onsite
- Grade 3-6's are remote learning.
We welcome back the F-2 students who will be here onsite and we welcome to online learning all the grade 3-6 students.
Next week & the week after, we will have the grade 3-6 students back in the school for 2 days. There will be changes to the timetable once again to accommodate this. This will mean a change to specialists days across year groups.
We will also be completing parent teacher chats (article below) next week & this may also require a few timetabling changes. I will send out more information on this later in the week as we work through all the issues.
Monday 11th-Friday 22nd
Monday to Friday: All F-2 students onsite
Tuesday & Wednesday: All Grade 3/4 students onsite
Thursday & Friday: All grade 5/6 students onsite
A few reminders of where we are at:
- If School supervison is required for a student/s in grade 3-6 please fill in the request form (link below) by 4.00pm the day before supervision is requested. All requests need to come by this link please so we have documentation.
- Can I ask that those students in F/1/2 who borrowed a computer while they were remote learning please return these to school asap.
- The schoolzine app, WEB page & emails are our main form of communication. If you haven't been receiving any emails, please contact the school to double check your email address.
- We are still restricting non essential staff coming into the school.
- Please keep children home if they are not well.
- Extra ventilation in encouraged in the classrooms by windows and doors being open.
- There has been a recommendation that primary school children wear masks when they are not at home. This is a recommendation 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 comfortable with.
- Ensuring we are moving away quickly after school pickups. Church pickup is back as an option for pick up now the F/1/2's are back on site.
- Maintaining COVID rules & cleaning regimes.
- If a computer is required by any grade 3-6 students, can you fill in a form to request please. 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
Parent Teacher Interviews
We will be implementing parent teacher chats next week. These chats will be an opportunity for the teacher and the parent to set some specific goals or areas of improvement for your child for the remainder of the year so we can all be more focused on what to work on.
There will be no child involvement in the actual interview however the goals will be passed onto them by the teacher and reinforced from you at home.
As we cannot have parents onsite, the interviews will be held on different days and will be an online chat (preferred) or a phone call.
Monday: Foundation
Tuesday: Grade 1/2
Wednesday: Grade 5/6
Thursday: Grade 3/4
Parent Teacher Interviews will open soon on PAM which you can access through School Zine app, you just select your time and select google meet or a phone call, a link will be sent to you.
Lots of logistics and reasons for families not to do these, however with the semester we have had, it is an opportune time for the school and families to touch base and set goals and have shared understandings of what we can work together on to support your child/ren this term.
The end of the year chats will then be an optional opportunity for a catch up and will be in the last week of term once reports have gone home.
Mandatory Vaccines for staff
This note came from the Catholic Ed office in Ballarat for newsletters:
The Victorian Chief Health Officer has determined that vaccination will be mandatory for staff who
work in schools. This includes principals, teachers, administration and education support staff,
including casual relief teachers, pre-service teachers & parent volunteers.
All staff are required to be fully vaccinated by 29th November 2021, unless a medical exemption applies and will be required to show evidence of their vaccination status.
Vaccinations for children over 12 are still voluntary and it is up to parents to follow this through if required.
Due to privacy, schools cannot divulge information relating to an individual’s health (including their vaccination status).
Uniform
We still have very sporadic weather at the moment so I am happy for the children to wear whichever uniform they feel comfortable in until we get into warmer weather.
We will need hats this term so please track them down, clean them up and send them to school for all the warm weather which is coming our way!
Footy News
Well done to all the Melbourne supporters out there & commiserations to the Doggies fans.
57 years is a long time to wait for a premiership so it was good to see the hoo-doo broken for them.
Congratulations to all the students who finished up their sport for the year. We also had lots of students who took out some individual awards at their respective clubs. Congratulations to the following students who I have heard of. If I have missed any names, please let me know so we can celebrate these achievements across our school community on another newsletter.
Camperdown FNC
HFNL U 13 best & fairest: Piper Stephens
Best & Fairst U13 reserves: Shelby Mahony
Best & Fairest runner up: Maisie Molan
Graham Hillman award: Paddy Hassett
Coaches award: Charlie Lee
Sportspersonship award: Evie Mahony
Coaches award: Lizzie Dennis
A big congratulations to former student Sean Darcy who won the best & fairest for Fremantle Dockers seniors last night. A wonderful effort.
Term 4
We are still a bit unsure of what we will be able to keep in regards to school based activities planned, especially for the next 3 weeks or so while we are transitioning back to everyone at school. We have some dates booked in however at the moment everything is TBC.
We are still not sure about swimming for F/1/2 and when this can go ahead.
Grade 3 camp: We are still working through some dates.
Grade 6 camp: Looking at December 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th.
Grade 5/6 excursions: Booked November 19th.
Arts Night: Still hopeful for Wednesday November 10th.
Bike Ed: Still hopeful in mid November (TBC).
Fun Day: November 1st from 11.30 (TBC).
Grade 1 & 2 excursions: Friday 10th December (TBC).
Staff RE PD: Friday 12th November (No school for students).
Grade 6 discovery day: Wednesday 27th October (TBC).
School Wide Positive Behaviours Systems (SWPBS)
We will be choosing another focus this week & will let you know.
Our work on manners has been progressing very well. Many thanks to everyone for all your help.
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.
Our Diocesan Community
Our Mini Vinnis team are featured in the latest edition of the Our Diocesan Community for their Winter Appeal work. Well done to everyone. A hard copy will come home to the junior school.
Mission Month - Socktober
October is Mission Month where we raise money to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children in poverty around the world. On Friday 15th of October, students will wear any socks of their choice to school with their school uniform and donate a gold coin donation towards this cause.
Grade 3/4 children will be remote learning on this day although they will be able to contribute by bringing a gold coin donation the day before on Thursday 14th of October and still wearing their favourite socks on Friday 15th of October at home.
Children will also have the opportunity at lunchtime, to play with a soccer ball made out of old socks, just like the children in poorer countries. If you have any odd or old socks at home that you no longer need, please send them into school for this activity. The Mission boxes are in classrooms ready for collection, so please consider sending any loose change into school for the Mission boxes. Many thanks.
Students of the Week
Birthdays
From St Patrick's
To the following students that celebrate their birthdays this week
04/10/2021 Monday - Theo Cheeseman
05/10/2021 Tuesday - Lincoln Rowe
06/10/2021 Wednesday - Nash Kent
07/10/2021 Thursday - Lizzie Dennis
08/10/2021 Friday - Alexis Dickson, Bonnie Van Den Berghe
10/10/2021 Sunday - Milla Darcy
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Please consider nominating St Patrick's as your preferred organisation when shopping at IGA.
