Dear Parents and Carers,

The last term has certainly been an unprecedented one for all of us. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all our amazing staff for their dedication and commitment to their vocation as educators, amidst the dual demands of family.

Thank you to all our parent community for juggling the demands of work, family circumstances and remote learning. Our combined efforts have contributed to supporting learning, but more importantly the well being of our children during these challenging times.

THE CHILDREN OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME MAY RETURN FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF TERM 4 ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 5.

PLEASE REGISTER ATTENDANCE VIA THE FOLLOWING LINK - https://forms.gle/pEJYhnPK4nzz4jic7

Students return to school in Term 4 wearing their Full Summer Uniform. Please note the school expectations related to appropriate hair styles.

• The emphasis is on ‘neat and tidy’.
• Shoulder length or longer hair for girls is to be TIED BACK with school-coloured ribbons.
• No bleached / dyed hair or coloured extensions.
• Extremes of haircuts are not permitted, e.g., undercuts, long fringes with short on top, tracks, shaved, words, lines etc., are unsuitable.

The emphasis is on evenly cut hair. Hair must be neatly groomed (combed or brushed) away from the student’s face.

TIMELINE FOR THE COVID-SAFE RETURN TO FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING – please take some time to become familiar with the plans for a return to face to face learning in Term 4 and to make any necessary arrangements to ensure compliance with these directives.

• Present

All schools in NSW at Level 4 restrictions (remote learning).

• 25 October 2021

Kindergarten and Year 1 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.

• 1 November 2021

Years 2 and 6 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.

• 8 November 2021

Years 3, 4 and 5 will return to face-to-face learning with Level 3 COVID restrictions on school sites.

REQUIREMENTS FOR RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER SELF-ISOLATING OR UNDERGOING TESTING

• Students and staff who have been directed to self-isolate and have undergone testing can return to school when their 14-day isolation period is complete AND they have received a negative test result AND they are not displaying symptoms of illness.
• Students and staff who have undergone testing but HAVE NOT been directed to self-isolate can return to school when they have received a negative test result AND are not displaying symptoms of illness.
• Schools must sight the student or staff member’s negative COVID-19 test result and make a file notation of the date and the staff member who sighted the negative test result.
• The school phone will be monitored during the holiday period to enable families to let us know if an immediate family member has been diagnosed with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

A complete guide of all CEDoW COVID requirements can be accessed via the following link

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/general-news/covid-19-information-centre

  STUDENTS NOT RETURNING IN 2022

If parents are already aware that their child/ren will not be returning to Mary Immaculate in 2022, we request that this information be provided to Mrs Pizarro in the school office as soon as possible. This information will assist us with accommodating both new applications and students who are currently on our waiting list.

Congratulations to you all for surviving a full 10 weeks of remote learning! Even though next term will be a gradual return to school, we now have two weeks of holidays to rest and relax. We do encourage all to continue to read during the holidays, it’s a great time to catch up on our reading for pleasure. Don’t forget we can use Sora and the International Children’s Digital Library.

http://en.childrenslibrary.org/ 

During the holidays may be a good time to search out your Library bags and the books borrowed in Term Two, so that when we all get back to school we can return those long-overdue books! Perhaps you might like to re-read those books, especially if they have been sitting unread all that time. 

When we come back to school we will spend some time exploring different types of Poetry. What is Poetry? Britannica Kids defines poetry as a type of literature, or artistic writing, that attempts to stir a reader’s imagination or emotions. The poet does this by carefully choosing and arranging language for its meaning, sound, and rhythm. Some poems, such as nursery rhymes, are simple and humorous. Other poems may try to express some truth about life, to tell a story, or to honour a person or a god. 

One thing that makes poems different from other types of writing is their structure. The words of a poem are arranged in lines and groups of lines, called stanzas, or verses. For example, here is the first stanza or verse of the poem “From a Railway Carriage,” about an exciting train ride, by Robert Louis Stevenson: 

"Faster than fairies, faster than witches, 

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches; 

And charging along like troops in a battle, 

All through the meadows the horses and cattle: 

All of the sights of the hill and the plain 

Fly as thick as driving rain; 

And ever again, in the wink of an eye 

Painted stations whistle by." 

Take a few minutes to look further at the Britannica Kids site to find out a bit more about what makes poetry special.

https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/poetry/353645 

Enjoy the break, take time to read and relax. We look forward to seeing all the happy smiling faces back next term. 

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.

Love of books is the best of all." 

Jacqueline Kennedy