NEWSLETTER WEEK 2 TERM 2

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As far as intelligence is concerned, sheep do not seem to have a very good reputation. They are often regarded as not very intelligent and have a reputation for following without thinking, but science has actually shown that they are not quite as simple as we have assumed. A study has found that sheep have extraordinary memories, especially for those who look after them. Even after two years absence, they are able to remember a farmer who had fed and cared for them. Maybe this is the characteristic Jesus was drawing upon, when he used the imagery of the shepherd. This image featured in the readings at Mass last Sunday. If the study of sheep is correct, they seem to have a great capacity to be able to sift through their own experiences and recognise someone who truly cares for them, as well as what will lead them to ‘fullness of life’.

Like sheep, we need to develop our ability to sift through the experiences of our lives and to recognise where goodness has been at work. We have been created in goodness, each of us with a unique set of characteristics, gifts and talents. We are called to recognise and embrace these within ourselves and to help our children do the same, because it is upon these blessings that a life of fullness can be built.

The recent times we find ourselves in have certainly taught us that life is mixed with both good and not so good times.

Being attentive to what happens during these times and the effect they have on both ourselves, and those around us, can attune us to the spirit of God calling us to opportunities to move towards fullness of life. The reality of the type of ‘fullness to life’ that Jesus calls us to, challenges us to be more than just individuals. Jesus calls us beyond ourselves into the reality of the body of Christ.

As the reality of COVID-19 continues to remind us ~ we are called to move beyond the ‘me’ to the ‘we’. 

We thank all members of our community in advance, as we prepare to transition to the next phase of our COVID-19 journey. Please continue to keep in mind the call for all of us to think communally, instead of just personally.

In particular, I want to pay tribute to our amazing staff who continue to be at the front-line of this new normal. Each of our staff continue to juggle the competing demands of their own family commitments, supporting the home learning of their own children, battling concerns for their own health and the implications that the work they do may have on their family members, all the while keeping at the forefront ~ the continuing learning needs of our students. We continue to be grateful for the support of our Parent and Parish Community and for the positive messages and feedback that guide our ongoing planning and response to our call to support ‘fullness of life’ within our community.

We continue to keep everyone within our community in our prayers.

Let Christ be our Way and Life. 

Tina Murray

Principal 

THE ROAD AHEAD ~ WEEK 3

After a number of challenging weeks, we hope to start to transition each student back to school for one scheduled day next week. This transition is based on the approach advised by the NSW Government, the priority being to keep all members of the community safe – our students, families and staff.

By now all parents should have received advice from class teachers about the allocated day for their child / ren to attend school next week. We continue to stress that while the school remains open every day for all students who need to attend, we encourage you to keep your child / ren home wherever possible on the days they are not scheduled to attend. This will help us enormously to balance government requirements and manage the total number of students we need to manage on site each day. 

On scheduled attendance days, students will be engaging in the planned learning with teachers in a classroom setting. This will be an opportunity for teachers to conduct wellbeing and learning checks, to answer student questions, provide clarification and support access to new remote resources. Please note, it may not always be possible for students to be with their usual class teacher during this transition period. 

On the days they are not scheduled to attend, students will continue to access remote learning experiences and resources on Google Classroom. Remote learning should be accessed from home wherever possible, however, as mentioned above the school remains open for those students who are unable to stay home. Due to the need for increased physical space between students, the students who attend on unscheduled days will continue with remote learning and will be supervised by staff in an alternate location in the school. 

In order to adhere to the Government health advice related to social distancing requirements for adults, the following arrangements have been updated.

Before School - Drop off - Staff will be present to assist in these processes

• Parents and carers are requested to walk children to the main school gate (near the Office) in the morning.
• To minimise contact, parents are requested not to enter the school site before school.
• Staff will be present to monitor and assist in this process and support students to move to the playground.
• Kinder, Year 1, Year 5 and 6 students will drop their bags to outside their classrooms.
• Students in Year 2, 3 and 4 will leave their bags in an alternative position - grade signs will be posted to support them.
• The Kiss and Drop Zone will be operational in the morning for student drop off. Students will exit cars and move straight to the playground through the main gate near the Office.
• Students will move to the Infants Grass Area to play and then assemble on the bell.
• Students will be met by staff and move to designated areas.

After School - Pick up - Please maintain social distancing protocols during this time.

• In the afternoon, parents are requested to enter the school via the main gate and move to the edge of the Infants Grass Area.
• Normal procedures will continue for students catching buses and attending Before / After School Providers. Students movement to the hall will be supervised by staff.
• Once bus and Before / After School students have been escorted to the hall, remaining students will be brought to the Infants Grass Area by staff to meet their parents.
• Parents and students are requested to exit the grounds promptly, either via the main gate (near the Office) or the Aquamarine Drive gate.
• Remaining students will be brought to the main office gate for collection by parents who may be running late.
• Staff will be present to monitor these processes.

PM e-Collection Reading Resource K-4

The Catholic Education Office - Diocese of Wollongong has purchased a subscription for the PM e-Collection to support students as they continue to learn to read and understand texts whilst learning remotely. The PM e-Collection is an online reading resource that provides students with access to a variety of reading texts that can be matched to students’ reading ability. All students in Kinder to Year Four will have access to this digital resource. During Week 3, your child’s classroom teacher will be providing students with their login details on their scheduled day at school. Students will then be able to login to their account and read texts that have been allocated by their classroom teacher. An information guide for using this resource can be found on the MIEV Learning at Home site on the General Information page and on all classroom pages. It has also been included at the end of the newsletter. 

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/learning-ideas-mi/general-info