Dear Parents/Carers,

We are currently in the midst of very unsettling times that require us to reflect and reassess the way forward on a day to day basis. The following reflection by Brene Brown may help to provide some perspective on how we can move through these demands and remind us of what we are called to consider both as individuals of faith and as a faith community.  

"Surviving this crisis will take a shift in mindset, and that’s tougher than we think - especially when we’re afraid.

Fear and anxiety can drive us to become very self-focused.

This global pandemic is a real case of 'getting sick together' or 'staying well together.'

Our choices affect everyone around us. There is no such thing as 'individual risk' or 'individual wellness.'

This is the ultimate reminder that we are inextricably connected to each other.

Turning away from collective action right now - as tempting as it is - will only generate more pain.

Owning and embracing our global interconnectedness and thinking about others as we make choices is, ironically, our only path to safety for ourselves and the people we love.

We can all get really upset really fast when we’re afraid. I get it. I’m using deep breaths along with my personal mantra:' Try to be scared without being scary.' Feel free to borrow both - they can help.

It’s also really normal for everyone to be on our nerves: The people who aren’t following the rules, the 10-second hand washers, etc. I get that too. TRUST ME.

But, like it or not, we just can’t give up on people. We’re all we have.

Stay brave and kind. Love each other. Spread calm."

I want to assure you that as a staff, school and system we are doing all we can and making every decision based on the information at hand and from a mindset of social responsibility to support the best interests of all concerned. Following announcements from the Prime Minister and health authorities, the following adjustments to our daily processes at Mary Immaculate have been made in order to do what is necessary to adhere to the health directives provided to us from the government health agencies and the Catholic Education Office, Wollongong.

Hygiene and preventative measures

1. • Students or staff showing signs of being unwell must be sent home ASAP, and if unwell with respiratory illness, they must stay home until symptoms resolve and seek advice from a medical practitioner.
   • Students and staff who have returned from overseas from Monday 16 March are not to attend school until their 14-day self-isolation period is complete.
   • Good hygiene must be practised and enforced throughout the school, including regular and enhanced cleaning for high-touch surfaces; washing hands regularly and thoroughly; and sneezing into your elbow or tissue (disposing of the tissue straight away and then washing your hands).

Gatherings of students and staff

2. • No organised gatherings of 50 or more people – Morning and Friday Assemblies will not take place for the time being. In the morning students are asked to move directly to line up positions near their classrooms on the first bell. Whole school masses and grade liturgies have been cancelled for the time being.
   • Face-to-face meetings, including with parents/carers, will be minimised and replaced with video/teleconference options where appropriate.
   • Staff must avoid arranging or attending conferences or seminars in person .

3. Excursions, school events and travel
   • All school excursions to be cancelled until further notice, including camps.
   • All external activities, including arts and sports events, must be temporarily ceased, including whole-school sporting events and inter-school events.
   • No students are to visit hospitals or aged care facilities as part of an organised school activity.
   • All work-related interstate travel is to be placed on hold. 

4. Reporting requirements
   • All suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 must be reported immediately to the school and this will be reported to the CEDoW.

  LATEST DIRECTION FROM GOVERNMENT ON SCHOOL CLOSURES

• No government-mandated closure of schools (government will review their position on Friday 20 March).
• Dates of upcoming school holidays remain unchanged.

HOW CAN PARENTS SUPPORT THESE INITIATIVES?

• Parents are asked to drop off and pick up students and leave the school site promptly.
• Kiss and Drop staff will assist in directing cars but will try to minimise contact with car doors. Please ensure your child has their bag and is ready to exit the car and close the car door independently.
• Ensure your child remains at home if they are unwell.
• Ensure your child comes to school each day with their own equipment – pencils case containing pencils etc to minimise equipment sharing.
• Students are welcome to bring their own supply of sanitiser, a personal hand towel etc to use during the day.
• Please reinforce safe hygiene procedures and the reasons behind the need to adopt social distancing practises.

The Catholic Education Office has now launched a central COVID-19 Information Centre webpage on the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong website. The page will be updated regularly and is the best place to find the latest information about our systemic response.

It is available here: www.dow.catholic.edu.au/covid19

Thank you to all students, parents/carers and staff for your amazing support during this time of challenge.

Let Christ be our Way and Life

Tina Murray

Principal

Happy Birthday to the following children who will be celebrating their birthday this week:

Dion T 6 Gold, Caleb M K Green, Chloe H 2 Green, Tyler B K Green, Isabelle K 5 Green, Emily S 6 Gold

Over the next few weeks I would like to share with you some strategies for assisting your child with Maths at home. Choose two or three of the following strategies and use them throughout the year. They are intended to help increase your child’s understanding of math skills and to develop confidence in learning.

General Mathematics Improvement Strategies:

• Provide activities that enrich and relate mathematics to daily life:
• Talk about how many bowls to put out for dinner
• Fold napkins in different shapes
• Have your child count similar items as you put away groceries
• Have your child help measure ingredients for recipes
• Give your child change to count out to pay for small purchases at the store; have older children calculate the change
• Ask your child to compare prices of items by asking things like, “Which can of beans costs more?”
• Allow your child to weigh the fresh produce; have older children calculate the price by multiplying the price per kilo by the number of kilos
• Read the days and dates on a calendar, talk about the number of days in the month, the number of days remaining until a special event, etc.
• Draw a scale map of your home and determine the best escape route in case of an emergency
• When traveling, write numbers on a grid and have your child colour in the box as they see the numbers on signs or license plates
• Check your child’s homework daily and be aware of the content being studied
• Use computer software or online games or apps to practice math skills at home
• Provide some math activities at home:
• Each person rolls the dice and adds, subtracts, or multiplies the numbers
• Dice and Money. Each person rolls a die and gets the number of coins / counters as dots shown. When someone gets five they trade it in for a larger coin, and so forth, until they’re trading for a dollar
• For two people, give each person thirteen cards from a deck of cards, have each person flip a card, then have your child decide whose card has the higher value to determine who wins the set of cards. In a tie, place three additional cards face-down, then turn the last card up; the higher card on that turn wins all the cards. Play until one person has all the cards in the deck
• Newspapers and Magazines. Find numbers in print and cut them out, then glue them in the correct order onto a larger sheet of paper
• Keep empty containers, write different prices on them, then play ‘Shops’ by using a calculator to add up the prices for different purchases.

Mrs Lillian Del Giudice
Assistant Principal

Congratulations to the six classes with Gold Stars last week – K Green, K Blue, 2 Green, 3 Gold (three in a row!), 4 Green and 6 Gold, well done!!

Mrs Susan Bryant

Teacher Librarian

Last Wednesday the Year 5 Girls were invited to go to St Pat's. We went to St Pat's with all the other Year 5 girls from Catholic schools in the area and some girls from the local public schools. At St Pat's we did different classes like Drama, Music, HSIE, Cooking, Science, Japanese, Dance, PDHPE and Visual Arts. We feel really lucky that we got to experience high school life and we enjoyed a day without the boys!

I did Dance, Japanese and Drama.  I most enjoyed Dance because we learnt a dance routine. 

By Janet 5 Gold

I did Drama, Cooking and Science.  I mostly enjoyed cooking because we got to make mini pizzas and then got to eat them. We had an amazing time at St Pat's.

By Mia 5 Gold

By Janet and Mia 5 Gold

Miss Megan Price

Year 5 Gold Classroom Teacher

Mary Immaculate Parish Primary School 

Eagle Vale

4626 7880

megan.price@dow.catholic.edu.au

Another great week with all students participating in Acts of Kindness. We now have over 850 acts of kindness in just two weeks. We are seeing beautiful acts of kindness from all children in the school. They are displaying  kind words, taking turns, helping each other if hurt, playing well and looking out for their friends.

As all of us are aware of the uncertain time we are facing, kindness can be something we struggle to maintain.  However it is during this time that kindness can truly shine.

Some ways we can display this in our community include:

• Checking in with neighbours seeing that they are ok
• Making meals for elderly family who may not be able to venture out and ensuring  they have the food and supplies they need.
• Remembering our manners when speaking with others.
• Family prayer time is a beautiful way to share kindness for ourselves and our community and lifts are hearts during trying times.
• Watching uplifting movies as a family together can help ease worries children may have
• Spending quality time with family
• Turning off the news and limiting time on social media helping to reduce fear and anxiety. 

It can be very easy to let emotions take over when we are fearful, however remembering that we are all in this together helps. By being kind to ourselves reaching ouy when we need help and helping others brings unity to our community.  Remember each act of kindness is inspiring others, creating a ripple affect

Mrs Rita Maher

School Counsellor

CatholicCARE Wollongong

25-27 Auburn St (PO Box 1174) Wollongong 2500

ritam@catholiccare.dow.org.au

www.catholiccare.dow.org.au

THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL BANKING UNTIL THE START OF TERM 2.

Staying Connected – Children and Adults we are in this together. 

During times of uncertain children and parents can experience a range of emotions, these can include feeling worried, fearful, anxious and being overwhelmed. It is important to note that these are normal feelings to have. These feelings help us, they tell us we are needing something. Most often we need connection, we need to know we are not going through this alone. I have included a Staying Connected information sheet that helps give ideas about how to support your child during this time. It is also important to support yourself. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, are maintaining healthy eating, exercising regularly, and taking time out 10-15 minutes for yourself each day to relax. Most of all remember it is important for your feelings to be acknowledged as well, this can be hard to do as we try to support our children. You may be able to reach out to your family and friends have support between each other, perhaps you belong to a great parent group who can all help each other. There are services you can call and online platforms you can access should you feel you need extra help during this time they include:

For Parents

Lifeline - Any one can call Lifeline. Lifeline counsellors are available to talk about whatever you need to talk about. You can call them on13 11 14,available24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Lifelines online counselling service is available at night, 7pm until 4am, 7 days a week. You can access this by visiting: https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/online-services/crisis-chat

Mental Health Access Line - The Mental Health Line offers professional help, advice and referrals to local mental health services. It is staffed by mental health professionals who will ask questions to determine if you or, the person you are concerned about, needs ongoing mental health care and how urgently it is needed. They can put you in contact with the most relevant mental health service for children, teens, adults and older people.

The Mental Health Line is available to everyone in NSW and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1800 011 511.

Mensline Australia - Mensline offers free telephone and online counselling to Australian men.Call and talk with a counsellor on  1300 78 99 78  or access online counselling at https://mensline.org.au/phone-and-online-counselling/mensline-australia-online-counselling/

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across Australia.

Parentline - Parent Line is a telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents of children ages 0 to 18 who live in New South Wales. Parentline provides advice and support about all aspects of parenting. Their counsellors are available on 1300 1300 52, 9am to 9 pm Monday to Friday, and 4pm to 9pm on weekends. 

MyCompass – offered by the Black Dog Institute

For: Adults experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, a free service which can be found at www.mycompass.org.au

Mental Health Online

For: Adults experiencing generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. www.mentalhealthonline.org.au

For Children

Kids Helpline - Kids Helpline is a free 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Your child can call them on 1800 55 1800 or connect to a counsellor online via https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/webchat-counselling/

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across Australia.

The Brave Program - For children and teenagers experiencing anxiety (and their parents) which is free to use and can be found brave4you.psy.uq.edu.au

Smiling Minds - For children and adults this  app allows you to practice mindfulness which helps reduce worry and fear and can be found here https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

There are also great online apps that can help with working through emotions, balancing sleep and managing health. Reachout lists a range of different apps for use and can be found here https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps

Staying connected and being there for each other helps to reduce feelings that can make us feel tired, irritable and anxious. I have also included a 21 Day Well being challenged that your whole family can do together to help support mental health wellbeing during this time.

Rita Maher

School Counsellor

Catholic Care