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- Principal's Report
- RE Week 6 - Be still and know that I am God
- Prayers
- Szapp - Update your classes!
- Actively Back at School Day - Friday 5 June
- Library News
- Canteen News
- Awards Week 6
- No hats for June and July!
- June Birthdays
- Partners: Parenting Ideas
- TeamKids Week 6 newsletter
- TeamKids July Holiday Program
- Photos of National Reconciliation Week
- Photos - Award Recipients Week 4
Dear Parents/Carers,
School Uniform
Good news! The new school polo with the embroidered logo are now available at Savvy. They also stock all other items of our school uniform. If you are unsure of the winter uniform, it is available on the school website. Now that we are well and truly into winter, it is an expectation that all students will be wearing the full school winter uniform. This includes long pants for the boys and not the summer uniform of shorts. On sports days, the students may wear shorts under their tracksuits and if they get hot when playing sport, they can take them off. Many students are also wearing sports shoes with their school uniform instead of black school shoes. This is not adhering to the uniform policy and I would hope and trust that I have your support in ensuring that students do wear the correct uniform. The second hand uniform shop has many quality items available for $5 per item and the new long sleeve polo is back in stock as well.
Back on track
Now that we are all back at school, Face to Face and Remote Learning is becoming a distant memory, the teachers are working hard to refocus on our School Improvement Plan for 2020. The three goals for this year are:
Goal 1 - Students will demonstrate substantial growth in English
Goal 2 - Students will demonstrate substantial growth in Mathematics
Goal 3 - Students will be Creative Successful learners and confident individuals
Our next three staff meetings will be looking in turn at each of these areas and to assess where we are so far with these goals and setting success criteria for Semester 2. I will update you after each of these meetings in the coming weeks to share with you what we will be focussing on in each of these key areas.
School Fees
As these were sent out much later this term, we have also extended the date for settlement until the end of the term.
Financial assistance continues to be available for those families experiencing hardship not related to COVID-19. Families are encouraged to contact Jodie in the front office or myself directly for assistance and more information.
Families whose employment situation has not been affected by COVID-19 can support the school by continuing to pay school fees as they fall due. This will support our school to continue providing quality learning in a connected community that nurtures and cares for each other.
Restrictions beginning to lift
Whilst restrictions are beginning to ease across the ACT, we will continue to maintain the current drop off and pick up arrangements. We will also continue with having no adults besides staff and consultants from entering the school buildings and grounds (with the exception of the front office). This is to ensure we maintain the safest possible environment for our students and staff. We are looking forward to a time in the near future, when our parents, carers and extended families can once again join us physically in the school. That will be a day to celebrate.
Actively Back at School Day
Tomorrow we will be having a whole school physical activities event – ‘Actively Back at School’. Our Student Representative Council and House Captains have planned a circuit of 12 energetic and fun activities for the students to participate in. This will be happening between 9:30 and 10:30. Students (and staff) are invited to wear ‘active wear’ for the day. At the conclusion and after the effort and expending of all that energy, the students will all be offered a fruit juice ice-block to help recharge their batteries.
Family Week
Next week is Week 7, which is our term Family Week. This week is a time when we endeavour to focus on family time and being together. This includes having no set homework. After the extended time that families have had together during the Covid-19 pandemic, and now resuming workplace and school attendance, this more than ever, will be a welcome time to reconnect. We encourage staff, along with our school families, to take time to be with family and friends and to do something that brings you joy and happiness and to appreciate the gift of each other. With Monday being another public holiday, it’s a perfect start to Family Week.
Have an enjoyable long weekend
Ursula Jamieson
Principal
RE Week 6 - Be still and know that I am God
I am so privileged in my job. This week I had the opportunity to speak with some of the Year 3/4 students about the role of the United Nations and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Their responses were both thoughtful and compassionate. Mother Teresa and the example she set through living a life of service was the topic of discussion for Year 5/6. This led us to discuss Mother Teresa’s philosophy of changing the world through small acts of kindness. Mother Teresa was an advocate for reaching out to your neighbour and for acknowledging that peace begins in the home. These are wise words for each of us.
St Thomas Day
The Mini Vinnies Team has begun preparations for our school Feast Day on July 3rd. This is an important day in the life of our school. Although this year may look slightly different due to restrictions, we will still ensure that the day is authentically celebrated. Our focus will be around how the life of St Thomas is reflected in our school theme Be still and know that I am God. We will also incorporate our annual Vinnies Winter Woolies Appeal. It would be terrific if you could start collecting pre-loved coats, sleeping bags and blankets as well as new adult sized socks and beanies. We would also like to celebrate through a shared Morning Tea. A note detailing the activities planned for the day will be sent home next week with an option for you to contribute if you are able.
Penny Vanzwol
REC
Could you all please keep Ms Patty Porteus and her family in your prayers on her mother's passing.
Szapp is used for sending information and updates about the school and upcoming events. Please see the attached instructions for installing SZapp.
Please note: each year please update your child/rens classes
To update classes:
1. Open the Szapp on your mobile phone and select drop down menu "Manage"
2. Ensure that "Push Notifications" and relevant classes are selected
"Default Subscription" - this can be used if you have children at different schools that use Szapp. It allows you to set the default school when opening the App
To dowload the Szapp on your mobile device follow the instructions below:
Actively Back at School Day - Friday 5 June
Actively Back at School Day
Friday 5 June
Students and staff are invited to wear ‘active wear’
Reading Challenge
Our Reading Challenge is starting to gain momentum which is great to see! All students will be bringing home a new form today and I encourage you assist them in recording their reading. I am very happy for them to record books they read over the remote learning. I have also extended to date until Week 9 to allow students to engage with the challenge. There are prizes for the leading class as well as for individual achievement. If students have returned one form already they are encouraged to keep reading!
Returns
We have done a remarkable job with returning books but still have a few to go so please check your homes and return any books still outstanding.
Penny Vanzwol
The canteen will again be accepting cash sales as of next week, Week 7. The preference for all sales is via pre-order.
You can pre-order your child's recess or lunch. See attached flyers, for further instruction and relevant menu options.
The canteen continues to comply with many cleaning and sanitising procedures on a daily basis, to ensure a hygienic and food safe environment for service, however, the canteen continues to use extra precautionary measures in a continued effort to make sure our community is as safe as possible.
We are:
- Sanitising the class lunch tubs before food is packed into orders.
- Sanitising the service window before and after recess and lunch.
- Increasing our already strict hand washing regime, even with the use of gloves.
- Ensuring all helpers are wearing gloves during service times and whilst handling/preparing food.
- Gloves do not replace handwashing, they are removed when necessary, handwashing occurs and a new pair is used for clean hands.
- Ensuring all helpers are designated a particular role, either cash handling or food handling, but never both at the same time.
- Asking the children to wash their hands before they visit the canteen.
- The ticket system has been temporarily removed.
- As the tickets are used in high volumes, kept and re-used and passed between many hands, they will be incredibly difficult to sanitise after each individual use.
- For the time being, the children will simply return to the canteen with their brown lunch paper bag to claim the items that are listed on them.
- Lunch bags with cash money sent inside them will not be the same bag that food is served in. Each order will have a new bag used for food.
At this stage I will continue to do my best to supply a regular service, however, some adjustments may need to be made on the day your child orders from the canteen. As many of you are aware, there may be some items that have quantity restrictions placed upon them, and this applies for the canteen stock also. And, in some cases, I will not be made aware until a delivery arrives that an item is unavailable.
As a school community, we will work together to provide a suitable substitute, should the need arise.
I will endeavour to update you of any major changes as and if the need should arise.
Thank you for your support,
Please don't hesitate to contact me, should you require assistance at paula.papandrea@cg.catholic.edu.au or on 6231 4144.
Paula Papandrea
Canteen manager
this week in their classrooms.
Photos will be included in next week's newsletter.
Kinder | Razan Ablahd, Harvey Hales Baani Toor, Harry Maher |
Year 1 |
Winnie Gittoes, Zach Clynch |
Year 2 |
Mikayla Giacomin, Hudson Wundersitz |
Year 3/4 |
Penny Warren, Leo Blair |
Year 5/6 |
Laura Tkalcevic, Matthew Hoskinson, |
Cultural Awards |
Emelia Edmond, Isabella Darcy, Claire van der Linden |
Principal's Special Award |
Rufus McNally |
Happy Birthday to the following students/staff who are celebrating a birthday this week
Sophie Cameron | Alyssia Iglesias | Matthew Rozario | Maeve Wilson |
Ivana Ergarac | Joshua Ulrich | Abby Bartkowiak |