Term 1 Week 4

As I write this newsletter our teachers and families have begun the Parent/Teacher conversations for 2022. While these are online, they are a great way to form and consolidate connections with our families and for parents to meet the new teacher. Thank you for continuing to adapt to the challenges of restrictions. It is not the way we would normally want to conduct these conversations but I am glad that technology allows us to meet nonetheless.

 

Tuesday morning saw the students and staff celebrate our beginning of year liturgy. This year the liturgy was conducted outside in the courtyard surrounded by the beautiful St Augustine’s environment which included a flock of cockatoos flying over at the beginning. It remained a reverent time with the children processing down a designated aisle with the school flags and class candles. Our staff were given a blessing and the school leadership groups were presented and also blessed. Ms Logozzo and the choir added to the liturgy with ukulele and singing. Thank you to all those who helped organise this prayerful event.

       

Last week the playground area near Linear Park was completed with the shade sails being installed. These bright sails finish off the area with a wonderful pop of colour. It is fast becoming the place where children come to play, work and rest. Head over to Linear Park to have a look at these beautiful space.

A reminder to continue to social distance particularly during drop off times. It is a narrow pathway where parents stand to wait for their children to come from their classes. Another place to wait for your children is at the Linear Park gate. At the moment there are only three families using this as there pick up area. PLease consider this as your pick up area as there are wide spaces to ensure we continue to socially distance.

Over the past weeks you would have been receiving Exposure Notifications as we learn of new COVID positive cases in the school. If the exposure is in your child’s grade then you will receive a personalised letter via Seesaw indicating that it was a person from that grade. I am also obliged to send a schoolwide message, informing the community of a positive case in the school. If you just receive this message then it was not from your child’s class. Unfortunately these messages have been regularly sent throughout the weeks. Thank you for informing the school if your child is positive or is a close contact. We continue to need this information to report these cases to MACS and the school community.

We continue to follow strict COVID protocols in the school:

• Sanitiser & hand soap in each room
• Regular cleaning of classrooms and provision of disinfectant spray for staff to assist with regular cleaning
• As we are a low fee paying school we have been given air purifiers that are placed throughout the school in high density areas and areas with limited airflow.
• Staff continue to meet online
• Social distancing continues
• Masks worn indoors by staff, and yrs 3-6 with P-2 encouraged to wear a mask.
• Signing in of visitors-Vaccination certificates mandatory

Attached is a letter to parents regarding vaccination for children.

Earlier today, the Victorian Government announced that existing COVIDSafe measures in schools would continue until the end of Term 1. Rapid antigen surveillance testing will continue until the end of Term 1. We are expecting that the delivery of rapid antigen tests (RATs) for weeks five and six will start from today, with additional RATs to be delivered in the coming weeks. The testing settings will remain the same, with all primary and secondary school students and staff, recommended to test at home twice a week. From 6 pm on Friday 18 February, QR code check-in requirements will no longer be in place in schools.

The prep information online session for this Thursday has been cancelled and rescheduled for next Thursday 24th February. A Google Meet link will go home on Monday.

As you are aware the school will be undertaking major renovations this year. The school received a $1,500,000 grant with the school also contributing. 2021 saw us undergo much of the planning with quantity surveyors, cost plans and permits sought. We will hopefully start the renovations end of this term or early second term. The renovations include all the internal classrooms, children’s toilets, a new multipurpose area and hopefully renovations to the staff room and resource room. I look forward to the end result!

The Parents Auxiliary met online last week to welcome new members and look at the year ahead. This term we have our first lunch order to coincide with the school sports carnival in March. Positions were also filled for 2022: Claire Boskovic-Chair/Secretary, Natasha Harries and Emma Antonious -Treasurer, Larissa Vella -Canteen Manager and  with a number of other ladies volunteering to lead events during the year. Thank you for the time and effort you have and will be giving to the school.

Even though the school year has just begun, we have begun to think about 2023 prep enrolments. 2023 prep enrolments have opened. Please go to the ‘Noticeboard’ page with details on how to enrol if you are a current family and details you can give new families on how to enrol.

Cathy Steere