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Dear Parents and Carers,
There is a lot of uncertainty about how to manage the transition and how staff, children and their families will recover from the loss and change the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to all our lives.
What is it like to return to school after a crisis? As our school prepares to welcome back more pupils, I wanted to share some thoughts after reading an article written by Julia Clements. Julia reflected on her experience of working in a school in Phuket, Thailand, when the devastating tsunami struck in 2004. These thoughts have inspired and helped set the scene while preparing for our own path to recovery at Mary Immaculate.
"This time reminds me of how our school became a refuge for those worst affected and we found ourselves supporting members of the local community and tourists as they tried to cope with the aftermath of the disaster.
As a staff group, we soon became physically and emotionally drained from supporting others, whilst also supporting our own families and friends. So, my first piece of learning was that it is essential to look after ourselves, before supporting others – a good reminder of ‘the oxygen mask principle’.
After becoming a refuge, we quickly had to get the school ready again for our children’s return - many of whom we had been unable to contact as the tsunami hit during the school holidays. As a staff group, we were anxious about what lay ahead – how will the children be? How will they cope? How will we cope? This was a second lesson I drew from this experience – that as the significant adults in children’s lives, we need to be aware of how we are coping and know how important it is to reach out to a trusted other if our ways of coping are unhealthy or counter-productive.
We met as a staff group and created an overall framework for what the first days and weeks back at school might look like. We knew that we all, both staff and children alike, needed to feel physically and psychologically safe and grounded. We talked about what had happened to us and our community, in assemblies, during circle times and individually.
We agreed that we could not tell the children that a tsunami wouldn’t strike again, but we did tell them that we had plans to do everything we could to keep them safe. We were calm in how we interacted with the children, their families and with each other, and if we had a difficult day, we agreed to reach out to a nominated person who would offer support.
Thai culture has a big focus on togetherness and community, and we were able to capitalise on this as we came together to sing, eat, play and pray as a school community
We had ceremonies lead by the local Buddhist monks which were beautiful and moving and helped us to feel connected and supported in our grief. But they also gave us a great sense of hope – I will never forget sitting in the evening sun watching as a child from each class lit a paper lantern and let it soar upward into the sky.
Overall, by working together as a staff team, we created a great sense of ‘we can do this’. Of course, there were children, families and staff who needed additional or more specialist support and we created an atmosphere in which reaching out or noticing when somebody needed support was encouraged."
I offer these reflections to help give our parent community a sense of hope in regard to how we are approaching and planning our own journey of recovery within our own school community. Despite being part of a system of schools, our school like every other school in NSW, will have its own individual journey to make, and as with many journeys, it may take longer than we thought, the territory may be unfamiliar, we may be forced to do things very differently and we may feel lost and overwhelmed at times. However, I want you to know that our school continues to be a community full of resilient, resourceful people who always strive to focus on the best interests of our students. We are grateful for the continued and unwavering support of our parent community as we make our journey back to each other together.
Let Christ continue to be at the centre of our life and all we do.
Tina Murray
Principal
PREPARING FOR STAGED RETURN TO FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING FROM WEEK 3, TERM 4 (18 October 2021)
Students will return to face-to-face learning in the following order:
- Week 3 (18 October 2021): Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12
- Week 4 (25 October 2021): Years 2, 6 and 11
- Week 5 (1 November 2021): Years 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
From 18 October 2021, our school will be under Level 3 Plus restrictions.
To assist with the smooth return to school for our students, we will be requesting that families continue to keep children home until their official return date, unless they absolutely must attend school. Any student who returns before their official return date will be supervised as they complete remote learning. Students will not participate in face-to-face learning until their staged return date.
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.
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
CLASS FORMATION FOR 2022
The lengthy process of class formation for 2022 will commence in earnest in Term 4.
This process involves the current class teachers preparing draft lists for next year’s classes. This process takes into consideration the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of each individual student. Decisions are made to establish balanced, equitable class groups with the potential to work well together. As the teachers know the students within the school environment exceptionally well, the best interest of each individual student is always considered during the discernment process.
Parents are invited annually to contribute to the process of class formation by informing us in writing of any special needs that may affect class placement. Written requests could be submitted either through the class teacher or via an email to info@mievdow.catholic.edu.au marked – 2022 Class Formation during Weeks 1 to 4 in Term 4.
It is important to note that whilst parental requests are considered, there is never a guarantee that these requests will be granted. If parents make a request, particularly about their child being placed within a friendship group, please be aware that there may be circumstances surrounding such requests that may prevent it from being granted. All requests are considered when classes are constructed and must be provided prior to classes being finalised.
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.
Welcome back for our last term of 2021. Again it is looking very different but in a few weeks we will all be back in the classrooms and able to learn with each other.
We hope that during the holidays you were able to search for your Library Bags and the books borrowed in Term 2, so that when we all get back to school we can return those long-overdue books! It will be good to share some of the books we have read while we have been at home.
When we come back to the Library 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.
Poems can be about anything at all -
Sitting Here Pen In Hand, Brain In Neutral!
© Paul L. Kennedy
I want to write a poem, but I don't know where to start.
Should it be an ode to love and come straight from the heart?
Or should it wax lyrical of sky and moon and stars,
or of planets of our universe Pluto, Jupiter, or Mars?
It could be of the flora or fauna of this, our wonderful land,
or of walking barefoot on a lonely beach kicking up the sand.
Of countries and of places where the surroundings seem so strange,
frozen lands, dense jungles, valleys deep and of vast mountain's range.
Rivers long, the life blood of lands they pass along their way,
irrigating crops and refreshing thirsts continually night and day.
Or of the sheer beauty of Mother Nature we can experience all around,
from the gigantic right down to microscopic, many wondrous things abound.
Maybe of the sadness felt when the highest price is paid,
be it that of unselfish sacrifice of life or whenever it is made.
Well, after all those varied thoughts, I have no idea how to carry on.
I only wish I had learned some music, and then I'd have written a song!
Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/sitting-here-pen-in-hand-brain-in-neutral Find some more funny poems here: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/funny/rhyme/
Remember to 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.
Take time to read and relax. We look forward to seeing all the happy smiling faces back soon.
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.
Love of books is the best of all."
Jacqueline Kennedy
Happy reading!
Mrs Susan Bryant
Teacher Librarian