Welcome!

Welcome back to the final term of school for the year. I hope everyone managed to enjoy some rest over the Spring break.

This term we warmly welcome Owen Moorby who has commenced in Year One and Mrs. Samantha Croke, who is completing a teaching practicum with Year Four. I would like to pass on our congratulations to Jessica, Simon, Lucas, Connor and Riley Plumb on the safe arrival of baby boy, Arlen. We look forward to meeting him soon.

This term promises to be action-packed with many fun and educational events on the horizon.

On Thursday next week, we have our school photographs. if you have not already put through your orders please do so as soon as possible. On Thursday we also have Sethan, Lucy, Ava and Chloe participating in the Archdiocesan Public Speaking competition.  We wish them all the best of luck!

In Week 3 we look forward to a visit from the Canberra Raiders. They have developed a regional community program, known as Aspire, aimed at teaching Year 5 and Year 6 primary school children about respect, teamwork, resilience, wellbeing and leadership through a football analogy. The program is delivered by Alan Tongue (former Canberra Raiders captain).

Throughout Week 5, we celebrate NAIDOC Week and in Week 6 the children will enjoy a performance by Phil Geia, a Bwgcolman with family ties to Yarrabah and Torres Strait. Phil will present traditional stories, music, dance and showcase a range of instruments. 

On Monday of Week 6 our Year 6 students will travel by private bus charter to the Department of Sport and Recreation in Narrabeen for a two night/3 day camp experience.

Week 6 will conclude with Mission Day, a special event organised by our senior students to raise money for the Catholic Missions. 

Other noteworthy events in Term 4 include the commencement of our Orientation and transition programs for Kindergarten 2021 (details below) and our Year 6 students. 

This term we will also farewell Mrs Jennifer McCarthy as she retires from her Music Teacher role at St Mary's. Jenny has been a permanent part-time staff member at St Mary's for many years. She will continue with her private piano tuition and will also work as a casual teacher for us. We will farewell Jenny with a concert to end all concerts! More details will follow.

We are also looking forward to the completion of the refurbishment of the Mercy Building this term. It is projected that we will move back into this building mid to late November. We will also hold an Opening Ceremony and community walk-through when COVID restrictions allow.  

I would like to wish everyone a productive and fulfilling term full of learning, joy and wonder. As usual, please do not hesitate to contact me as the need arises, my door is always open.

COVID restrictions for Schools Update

The Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn provided an update on 29 September relating to the current restrictions for NSW Catholic Schools, as advised by NSW Health.

They are as follows:

Assemblies

• Assemblies to be limited to 15 minutes - preferably avoided (applies to school and year assemblies).

COVID-19 Testing

• Students and staff with flu-like symptoms must not attend school or be sent home and tested for COVID-19.
• Where COVID-19 testing has occurred due to flu-like symptoms, and not due to close contact with a positive COVID-19 case, the person being tested must self-isolate until they receive a negative result. If the result is positive, they are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Family members are not required to self-isolate until the test result is received - although we encourage them to do so.
• The school must sight a negative test result before staff/students return to school.
• Staff/students must be symptom-free before returning to school.
• Schools must keep a record of negative staff/student’s tests in a central file.

Education Delivery

• Schools should limit learning activities to year groups where possible (this excludes playgrounds, before school, recess and lunch activities).
• Only external providers of essential curriculum may continue activities (eg. music tutors, Healthy Harold, sport skill development programs etc).
• External providers must have a COVID-19 Safe Plan which is sighted and reviewed by the school before commencing activities. This does not apply to Allied Health Providers who are providing one on one services.

Excursions

• Day time excursions are permitted within the local area only, subject to appropriate risk assessments.
• Overnight and interstate excursions and camps can resume (ACT/NSW only) where they are a necessary part of a student’s education program (for example, College outdoor education programs).
• Schools must adhere to the specific COVID-19 rules within the state/territory they are travelling and must only conduct the excursion if it is safe to do so at the time given the current COVID-19 status in the area being travelled to.
• All excursions and accommodation must have a COVID-Safe plan.
• Where excursions are conducted the mixing of any other school group or members of the public should be minimised.

Graduations

• Year 12 Formals or graduation ceremonies are now permitted subject to meeting NSW Health requirements.
• Schools may hold a Year 6 assembly to recognise the completion of primary school for Stage 3 Students (Year 5 & 6) subject to meeting NSW Health requirements.

Inter-School Activities

• Interschool sporting activities permitted outside local areas and communities.
• Must have a COVID-Safe Plan and no spectators permitted.
• Avoid mixing students when not participating in activities.
• 5 metres social distancing required for solo singers
• No more than 5 people permitted to sing in choirs, with 5 metres distance required for audiences. Choir members must not face each other and required to stand 1.5 metres apart.
• The use of Wind instruments requires 3 metres social distancing.

Kinder and Year 7 Orientation

• Kindergarten Orientation can be commenced from 1 November subject to meeting NSW Health requirements. This includes:
  • parents only being permitted to remain on the school premises for 10 minutes; and
  • students being free from COVID-19 like-symptoms and the school following COVID-19 safe practices.
• Year 7 orientation can proceed from 12 November following the conclusion of the HSC, subject to, meeting NSW Health requirements. This includes:
  • the students being free from COVID-19 like-symptoms and the school following COVID-19 safe practices;
  • being kept in groups to minimise mixing, a maximum of 2 visits is permitted;
  • transitioning Year 6 students to be kept separate from other students; and
  • to not be together in a large group in a hall for more than 1 hour.

P&F Groups

• All face-to-face P&F activities to cease and to be conducted remotely.
• No P&F / Community Council social gatherings

Staff Gatherings/ Professional Learning

• All staff gatherings are to be on MS Teams. Professional learning for staff should not be conducted face to face unless it is absolutely necessary. Only essential compliance training that involves a mandatory face-to-face demonstration for certification can be attended by staff. Staff numbers must be restricted and mixing of staff from other schools is not permitted.

Singing/ Instruments/ Dancing

• Singing is permitted for solo and small choir groups subject to certain restrictions.
• 5 metres social distancing required for solo singers.
• No more than 5 people permitted to sing in choirs, with 5 metres distance required for audiences. Choir members must not face each other and required to stand 1.5 metres apart.
• The use of Wind instruments requires 3 metres social distancing.

Visitors

• No parents or carers on site unless the meeting is considered essential and should be by exception.
• Parent and carer attendance not permitted at assemblies and other school events.
• Parent and carer volunteers not permitted – e.g. parent reading helpers (note: canteen and uniform shop volunteers are permitted)
• School-based activities that involve large gathering of adults not permitted. These include parent/community gatherings such as parent functions, working bees, fundraisers, school barbecues, large parent information evenings, and large on-site cultural events.

Attendance

• All students should be either:
  • at school;
  • at home because they are currently unwell;
  • at home due to self-isolation requirements;
  • at home because they have a medical certificate which states that they are unable to return to school due to an ongoing medical condition (or in limited cases where a family member has an ongoing medical condition).

Kindergarten Orientation Program 

School Zone Reminder

Term Four Clubs

This term the following clubs will be on offer:

The students may return to school in their full summer uniform.

• For boys this includes the grey short-sleeve shirt and shorts with grey socks with the green and gold band, only available from our Uniform Shop.
• Girls are to wear the summer dress with white socks that are either long or folded at the ankle - not short anklet sports socks. 
• If you are shopping for shoes please refer to our school shoe policy. Black sand shoe style shoes ARE NOT permitted. 

School Shoe Policy

School Photographs

Our school photographs will be taken on 22 October in Week 2.

To order photographs go to www.advancedlife.com.au  and type in the nine-digit code AN3 WE9 3JZ. Alternatively, you may send back the envelope distributed in Week 8.

Sibling photographs can also be ordered online or by requesting an envelope from the Office.