Dear Parents and Carers,

Yesterday, I wrote to all families advising that in line with the Premier’s announcement, we are enacting Phase 3 of our transition to school plan, which will see all students return to classrooms full time from Monday 25 May 2020.

For the remainder of this week, students will continue to attend one day a week, on their scheduled day of attendance. Supervision for children of essential workers and those who can not be supervised at home will continue until Friday 22 May.

From Monday 25 May, remote learning will no longer be provided. Parents and carers are requested to complete the online form if for medical reasons their child/ren cannot return to school. 

As we continue to implement COVID safe practices, newly implemented procedures at morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will continue to operate until otherwise advised. Thank you for your support as together we continue to adapt and modify our school procedures and practices to keep our students, staff and parents/carers safe.

School Procedures

• Parents/carers are no longer permitted to access the school premises during morning drop-off. 
• All gates will remain locked during school hours. 
• For access during school hours, please call the office on 42614611 upon arrival.
• Designated areas have been established for afternoon pick-up and parents/carers are asked to follow the directions of staff, maintain social distancing at all times and leave the school premises promptly.

Please note the following will continue to be suspended until further notice.

• assemblies or whole school gatherings (Liturgies, Masses and other celebrations)
• excursions or inter-school activities
• canteen facilities

It is important that we all work together as students transition back to school full time next week. It is certainly not business as usual and we have some way to go before we reach the other side of this pandemic. New procedures and practices have been implemented to ensure that our school is COVID safe and in this regard, we all have a part to play.

Thank you for your continued support and emails of appreciation for the teachers and the school's management in keeping our school community safe.

Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan (Principal)

Given the presence of COVID-19 coupled with the commencement of the influenza (flu) season, I wanted to brief you on what to expect if your child presents unwell at school. The first symptoms of COVID-19 and flu are similar, in that they both can cause fever, cough, sore/scratchy throat and shortness of breath.

Throughout this period, I ask that you keep your child at home if they are unwell. In the event your child is unwell at school the normal processes apply: Your child will be cared for at school in the sick bay by a qualified first aid officer, while they await collection from an appropriate parent/guardian/carer.  

Schools have Personal Protective Equipment in order to support students and staff. The student will be provided with a medical mask to reduce the risk of transmitting droplets of respiratory fluids. The first aid officer who is assisting the student will also be wearing a medical mask and gloves. The student’s temperature will be taken using a non-contact thermometer to assess the severity of presenting symptoms (note that regardless of the child’s temperature, all students who present unwell will be sent home). 

When the parent/guardian/carer of the student collects their child from school, a letter will be provided to them, which outlines the steps required for the student to be able to return to school. These steps include gaining a medical clearance certificate (where possible) and only returning to school once the student has fully recovered.

I am advising you of these measures in advance so that you may discuss them with your child in the event this situation arises. 

We continue throughout the Easter Season and as Easter people to pray:

Lord,
The Resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope.
Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian idea.
Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it,
the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it and the strength to complete it.
New Saint Joseph People’s Prayer Book

Coming Feast Days

REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

As part of the Diocese’s support of Remote Learning in Religious Education a weekly show called PRAY SCHOOL has been developed. PRAY SCHOOL is an engaging program, appealing to the spirituality of the child through storytelling, music, singing, listening and responding to Scripture. This program is aimed at children in Kinder through to Year 2 and many teachers are sharing this in their weekly activities. Parents with pre-schoolers at home may also enjoy watching.

Episodes 2 and 3 are available now. Watch it here:

Many of the children in Years 3-6 will be watching the first episode of BEHIND THE GOOD NEWS this week.

The intent of this resource is to share the Good News of Jesus and link to stories of good news across our diocese. Students will be invited to engage in a range of activities and challenged to think about the messages and how they relate to their own lives.

CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

A reminder that each Sunday, the Bishop is broadcasting Mass at 9am, we will be continuing to broadcast Sunday Mass online with Bishop Brian and other clergy from Lumen Christi Catholic Parishes Wollongong:

https://www.dow.org.au/covid-19/sunday-mass-online-with-bishop-brian/

RIPPLES: INSPIRED VOICES, TREASURED STILLNESS

In response to the current Covid-19 situation, a significant initiative has been developed by the Catholic Education Office CLEM (Catholic Life, Education and Mission) team for staff and parents to support our ongoing personal spiritual formation. It is a new podcast series entitled ‘Ripples: Inspired Voices, Treasured Stillness’. 

For further information on this wonderful resource, please read the attached note that was sent out last week.

PRAYER INTENTIONS

We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers, as well as our country and world.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.

Kylie Crowe
Religious Education Coordinator

Enrolment interview letters were sent out at the beginning of this week, if you have not received your letter, please contact the school office as soon as possible. Phone: 02 4261 4611.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 June between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Mr Heffernan, Mr Downes, Mrs Thomas and Mr De Battista will meet with families to discuss the enrolment process, exchange information and answer any questions that you may have about enrolment and the school.

In the light of COVID-19, enrolment meetings will be restricted to one parent only so as to ensure appropriate social distancing measures. There will be no tour of school facilities and cleaning of touchpoints will take place following each interview.  For families, concerned about participating in a face-to-face interview, the option of a Zoom meeting is also available when registering online. How to book enrolment interview information is available from the school office.

From Monday 25 May we will resume operating from the new facilities. The new facilities look amazing and I'm sure you will be impressed with what has been achieved.  Measures to maintain social distancing have been introduced, limiting the number of adults allowed in any one space at any time. All parents, carers and visitors please note that the school gates will remain closed, please phone 4261 4611 to request access to the School Office.

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong is conscious of the significant financial impact many of our families may be experiencing as a result of COVID-19. We have put a number of measures in place to support our Catholic school communities at this time.

No student or staff member should attend school if they are sick and/or have a fever, cough, sore throat, aches and pains, headache, runny or stuffy nose or shortness of breath.

1. Additional cleaning is provided at school, including: 
   1. Onsite cleaner to wipe down bathrooms and high touch surfaces during the day in addition to the current cleaning practices
   2. Clean and disinfect frequently used high-touch surfaces such as benchtops, desks, doorknobs, iPad sign in, taps, and handrails at regular intervals throughout the day with a detergent solution or detergent/disinfectant wipes
   3. Clean and disinfect frequently used objects such as computers, photocopiers and sports equipment with detergent solution or detergent/disinfectant wipes
   4. Clean and disinfect any play equipment used
   5. Clean staff and student toilets after each recess/lunch and at the end of the day
   6. Provide bins in every classroom, and empty them regularly throughout the day
   7. Clean and disinfect First Aid/Sick Bay rooms, staffroom and meeting rooms at regular intervals throughout the day
2. Hand sanitiser is provided in all learning spaces including timetabled handwashing with soap, supervised by teachers
3. Teachers/school staff maintain 1.5m physical distance from other adults and students
4. Increased physical space between students, arranging classroom furniture to leave as much space as possible between students and maintaining smaller classes
5. Isolation room for staff/student showing COVID-19 symptoms, awaiting assistance to depart site and seeking medical assessment
6. First Aid/Sick Bay rooms with infrared contactless thermometer
7. Contactless sign-in for all staff, visitors and contractors on-site using iPads
8. School bubblers will remain closed and students must bring drink bottles to be refilled using designated taps, supervised by staff

The theme for #NRW2020 – In this together – is now resonating in ways we could not have foreseen when we announced it last year, but it reminds us whether in a crisis or in reconciliation we are all #InThisTogether.

In 2020 Reconciliation Australia marks twenty years of shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.

Much has happened since the early days of the people’s movement for reconciliation, including greater acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to land and sea; understanding of the impact of government policies and frontier conflicts; and an embracing of stories of Indigenous success and contribution.

2020 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the reconciliation walks of 2000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation and show their support for a more reconciled Australia.

As always, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and Australians now benefit from the efforts and contributions of people committed to reconciliation in the past.

Today we work together to further that national journey towards a fully reconciled country.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We strive towards a more just, equitable nation by championing unity and mutual respect as we come together and connect with one another.

On this journey, Australians are all In This Together; every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.

Baranyi: 28 April 1770

Yaama

Endeavour 250 is the Australian Government's program of activities marking 250 years since the HMB Endeavour's voyage along the east coast of Australia in 1770.

Mr Marcus Hughes of the Indigenous Engagement and Strategy at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) worked with Sydney Observatory to produce a unique exhibit that contemplates the narrative of First Nations communities in this moment in time.

This link below will take you to the exhibit, a 7-minute video that captures the sky from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am on 28 April 1770, the night before contact.  

https://maas.museum/event/baranyi/

See if you can spot the Gawarrgay (the Emu in the Sky) amongst the Warambul (Milky Way).

The official date for the children to change over to the winter uniform is Monday 25 May (Term 2 Week 5). The winter uniform may be worn prior to this date if the weather becomes cooler. Children must not wear a combination of both; rather it is either one or the other (summer or winter).

A reminder that it is an expectation that all children wear the correct uniform daily, it is not optional. Please refer to the Uniform Policy if you require clarification about the school uniform. You are encouraged not to leave the ordering of any new uniform items to the last minute!

Peak Sports and Learning remains committed to the health and safety of all our families, educators and children and continues to support our families with care throughout the COVID-19 emergency. We have implemented and continue to make improvements to additional measures and precautions in response to the latest health advice. We will remain open for all services unless directed or advised to close by a health agency or state regulator. Peak Sports & Learning comes under the federally funded Early Childhood Education and Care Relief package. This package is to help provide families with relief during this difficult time. No families incur any charges for childcare services delivered at present and this remains in place until 28th June 2020.  Families are encouraged to check their children's bookings and ensure that any changes are communicated, as always, with our head office on 1300 467 325.  

Canteen is closed till further notice.

Creative Wollongong invites young Wollongong creatives ages 8-19 years to create a short film using a mobile device. All films submitted must include a banana! The competition is open now and closes midnight, 15 June.

The best entries will be screened via the Creative Wollongong Facebook page and at a real live Film Festival. There are two categories: 8-12 years & 13-19 years

Visit the Council website for submission guidelines and more information.