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Dear Parent, Guardians and Carers,
Welcome back to the 3/4 grades today and Wednesday and we look forward to welcoming the 5/6 grades later this week. Each step forward moves us closer to all being back together which is something we all want!
Thank you for your support with the mandate that came out on Friday regarding grade 3 - 6 children being required to wear masks. They are only needed for the time they are inside the classroom; when outside at recess and lunchtime and during sport lessons the mask is not required. Whilst not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that students in Foundation to Grade 2 also wear a face mask indoors at school. Please ensure you provide a mask for your child.
There are a number of lawful reasons for not wearing a face mask, including for staff and students who are unable to wear a face mask due to the nature of their disability, medical or a mental health condition. Please contact me if this applies to your child.
With COVID still present in our community please be assured we are doing all we can to keep your children safe during this time. Whilst on site, we are keeping things as normal as possible so that the familiarity of school is reassuring to them. Hand sanitising and cleaning occurs throughout the day and where possible we are limiting the movement of adults to their specific areas.
Please monitor your child for any COVID symptoms and keep them home if they are unwell. The symptoms to watch out for are:
- fever
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss or change in sense of smell or taste.
Some people may also experience headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Please understand that if your child becomes unwell with these symptoms during the day you will be contacted to collect them from school, and will be moved away from others whilst waiting to be collected. Thank you for your understanding of this.
Whilst you are able to come into the school grounds at the end of the day to collect your child, please maintain social distancing and wear a mask unless there is an exemption for doing so. We also ask that you refrain from gathering together and having social “catch ups”, and that you please leave the school premises as soon as possible.
As a school we have had to make the tough decision to postpone our school production until next year. With the number of people allowed for gatherings uncertain we would rather hold off until next year so that the children get the chance to perform in front of an audience.
In other news, at lunchtime last Friday we observed some Foundation children playing “Squid Games” and whilst they were innocently playing a children’s game which was from the show, the knowledge that they had somehow heard of this series was alarming as the themes and messages in Squid Game are not appropriate for primary school aged children. ‘Safe on Social Media’ is a facebook page that provides tips for adults about keeping safe on social media. They posted an article on 9.10.21 that explains the concerns about the themes and violent nature of this series for those who have not heard of it.
If you have a child/ren in Grade 3-6 and are an essential worker or meet the criteria for onsite supervision as previously defined you will need to fill in the below form/s ASAP:
Onsite Intention Form Grade 3/4 18th, 21st & 22nd October 2021
Onsite Intention Form Grade 5/6 18th, 19th & 20th October 2021
Stay safe and well!
Kind regards
Jodie.
Many in our school community continue to face financial impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to supporting families experiencing financial challenges through our School Fee Concession programs, and encourage any parent/carer/guardian experiencing difficulties to contact us regarding fee assistance.
Fee payers who have recently qualified for a Centrelink Concession Card should communicate with the school at their earliest convenience to determine eligibility for a Category One Centrelink Concession Card Concession.
Term 4 fee statements were emailed last week. Those families who pay by direct debit or Centrepay are not required to make a payment, statements are issued each term for your records. For all other families payment is due by Friday 29th October 2021. Please note that due to the cancellation of the swimming program the balance outstanding will have reduced. Fee credits for the cancellation of the Gr 3 school camp are still to be applied to fee accounts.
Please contact Maria Churton, School Finance Administration Officer via email, office@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au, to explore confidential financial support arrangements or to obtain further information.
Each week students from each class are awarded Student of the Week certificates. These children are nominated for the example they have been within the school based on the School Wide Expectation focus for that week. The weekly focus will be from Wednesday until Tuesday the following week. Awards will be presented to students on Friday in their classrooms.
In Week 1 the School Wide Expectation focus was Safety:
I have the right to feel safe in our school environment.
The award winners for Week 1 are:
| Olivia Bond | Kaila Hamblyn | Alexander Witte |
| Billy Cooper | Erjon San Diego | Blair Dunne |
| Lakyn Lowe | Olivia Francolino | Penn Mason |
| Evie Brand | Nadine Chihota | Sammi Illing |
| Logan Suter | Linesa Dehiwatte | Ella Mazza |
| Ariana DiCiero | Eden Marotta | |
| Louis Flowers | Leisha Poole |
This week's scriptures highlight that the choices we make reveal what we consider to be most important in our lives. The person who has received wisdom chooses God above every other treasure. The man who spoke with Jesus chose to keep what he treasured rather than give it up to be in relationship with Jesus. The wisdom of God shows us that, in giving up the very things we cling to, we are greatly rewarded. God’s word assists us to cut through our selfishness and discover what it is God wants us to do. We are called to have a relationship with Jesus. Moving into a relationship with Jesus involves praying for wisdom to make choices that bring us closer to him. The right choices bring us to salvation. The challenging part of this is that we need to free ourselves from the things that bind us. What choices can you make in your life to bring yourself to a closer relationship with Jesus? How can this impact your life?
Christmas Card Design Competition
The Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Office has announced a Christmas Card Competition open for all students who would like to participate and the winning designs will be used for publicity purposes.
Theme: the cards are to be based on the following scripture quote
“...they saw the child with Mary his mother;
and they knelt down and paid him homage.
Then, opening their treasure chests they offered him gifts
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Mt 2:11)
Criteria:
- Only religious images are to be used, not Santa, Christmas trees or presents
- The artwork must not be decorated with such things as leaves, cotton wool, sparkles etc
- There are to be no words used in the design
- The artwork must be completed on the Entry Form
The entry form will be available for your child to download on Google Classroom. If they are attending school they are able to collect an entry form from their class teacher or from Mrs Rickwood. For all enquiries please email srickwood@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au
Due Date: all entries must be handed to Mrs Rickwood by Tuesday 19th October at the latest.
