School Hours

Students commence school at 9.00am (first bell) and conclude at 3:10pm. Morning Club is offered to our families as a free service from 8.00am to 8.40am each morning. This is held in the Old Meeting Room, at the end of the top playground. Any child arriving at school before 8.40am has to attend Morning Club.  Playground supervision does not commence until 8:40am and concludes at 3:30pm in the afternoon.

Each afternoon bus lines and pick up will occur from the front of the school. Students walking will wait at the gate near the end of the verandah to be walked across Colyer and Wade Streets. Bus lines will be along our front verandah and students being picked up will wait on the ramp area until they see their carer. 

Change of your child's usual end of day arrangement can be made by calling Belinda (prior to 3pm) on 48321 592 or by completing the eform on SZapp.

Contact

Teachers are your first port of call for questions and queries pertaining to the classroom. Appointments can be made with your child's classroom teacher by calling the Office.

I am also happy to support you in any way I can. Typically problems that are addressed quickly, in partnership, are the easiest to solve. I will be available on the school phone (48321 592) for calls, usually from 8.00am - 4.30pm, daily or via email within the same hours. The email address to be used to contact any staff member is office.stmarysc@cg.catholic.edu.au

Emails sent out of school hours will not be responded to until the following day.

If you wish to make an appointment to see me, please contact Belinda in the Office.

Newsletter and Social Media

Today you have received the first school newsletter for the year. Newsletters will be emailed out each Thursday afternoon and are also available on the website and Szapp app, however, if you would prefer a print copy please contact Belinda. 

If you require instructions on how to download our Szapp app please see Belinda.

We love to share our school communities news and events. Please email the office with photos and updates for inclusion in the newsletter. 

Another good way to stay abreast of what is happening, aside from this newsletter, is through our social media pages. Following or liking our pages will ensure you keep up to date with events, last-minute details and information.

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-Primary-School-Crookwell-200903146739911/ 

Follow us on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/st_marys_crookwell/?hl=en

Kindergarten

Our new Kindergarten students arrived at ‘big school’ yesterday looking very smart in their St Mary’s uniforms. The students had a very settled and productive day with Mrs Cummins and Mrs Romer. We wish our new Kinder students a wonderful first year of school!

Modified Swimming Carnival/ Trials

Current COVID Restrictions

The following is a list of the current COVID restrictions for schools.

Latest Hotspot Advice

If you arrived in NSW from Western Australia by air on or after 10.12 pm on 31 January 2021 you will be required to undergo COVID-19 screening on arrival which includes temperature and symptom screening and completing a self-declaration form.

If you arrived or are arriving in NSW from a WA affected area on or after 25 January 2021 you should get tested and quarantine until 9.00 pm, Friday 5 February 2021 if you have a COVID-19 test between 31 January and 5 February, or otherwise until 9.00 pm, Sunday 14 February.

Please contact the school if you would like further information about WA hotspots.

The NSW Health website (link below) has an up to date list of COVID hotspots.

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-locations-and-alerts.aspx

Gathering size: visitor numbers must not exceed 100 people - this does not include students and staff.

Density requirements: visitor numbers must not exceed one person per 2 square metres in indoor or outdoor spaces.

Physical distancing: staff and visitors should keep 1.5 metres apart from each other where possible unless they are from the same family group.

Checking in: all visitors to schools should check in using established school processes.

Health and hygiene: staff and students should stay home if they are unwell and get tested if they are exhibiting cold and flu (COVID) symptoms. Students who have received a COVID test are required to stay at home until the results have been received and emailed to the school.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting of commonly touched or frequently shared surfaces will occur throughout the day and routine cleaning will occur each night. Students and staff are encouraged to wash their hands throughout the day. Hand sanitiser will be provided for staff and students.

Incursions, events, fundraising activities and volunteer activities: these may continue in schools if gathering, density, distancing and check-in requirements are met.

Hiring of school facilities: this may continue if gathering, density, distancing, hygiene, cleaning and check-in requirements are met.

School playgrounds and bubblers: Bubblers can be used and should be cleaned regularly. Playgrounds may also remain open for school use and to the community outside of school hours.

Entry Procedures: For the next two weeks, we ask all students arriving at school after 8.40am to enter  via the Old Hall for sanitising and temperature checking for the first two weeks of school. If the COVID numbers remain as they are now, small and well-traced, we will cease this practice in Week Four.  This procedure is to provide extra assurance to our families.

Volunteers

We are seeking volunteers to assist in the implementation of our Personalised Reading Intervention Program, our Spelling Intervention Program, or our Maths Intervention Program.

Our Reading Program aims to provide some students from Years 2-6, individual time to consolidate letter-sound correspondences and build confidence in decoding unfamiliar words. The Spelling Program is building the ability to write and apply these sounds to their individual writing. The Maths program is focused on building and supporting some students with basic skill concepts.

The Reading and Spelling programs will run from Monday to Thursday from 9.30am until 11.15am. The Maths Intervention program will run from 12 midday until 1pm. All programs will commence in Week 4 from Monday 15th February.

You do not have to be available every day. Your support on any of these days would be greatly appreciated. We also understand that some weeks you may be unable to attend and that is okay. Volunteers will need to have a current Working with Children check.

Please see the Classroom Support section for more information.

Clubs

Our Maths, Chess, Lego, Chess, Writing, STEM and Games and Cards Clubs will be commencing soon. All children will have the opportunity to take part in these optional break time and afternoon clubs.

Our Maths Club will be running on a Monday afternoon from Week 4 with Mrs Spackman from 3.15pm to 4pm for Year 4 - 6 students.