Newsletter Thursday 12^th May 2022

Dear God,

Thank you for our school, our teachers, our family, our friends and everything. We are so privileged to have these amazing things in our lives. We hope you can keep giving us these amazing things in the future.

We pray for the people in Ukraine and Russia. Let them be free and have a good life. We pray that Russia and Ukraine can be in harmony and not fight. We thank the soldiers that have fought for us.

We remember all our loved ones and hope they are safe up in Heaven.

Amen.

Sophie and Lucas Langen

Good afternoon Parents/carers and guardians,

On Tuesday evening, we held our School board meeting where we met to disucss educational matters concerning the school. Each week, one of the committee members begins the meeting with a prayer. Last night, Karen Langen, (Sophie (ex-student) and Lucas Langen Grade 2KK, wrote this prayer for their mum to share. I was so amazed at this special prayer put together so simply. I just wanted to share it with the community (see above). I am hoping that in doing so, that other familes will also like to take the time to compose a simple, heartfelt prayer that I can include in the newsletter each week. Please email principal@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or simply hand the prayer to your child’s classroom teacher.

Last week, the P and F committee put together a very successful Mother’s Day stall! With a wide variety of gifts at affordable prices, the students were spoilt for choice when choosing the perfect gift. Thanks so much to the wonderful work of the committee and to the volunteers who helped out on the day! The Mother’s Day Raffle was also a great success!

Over the next few weeks, you will see myself and my Deputy Principals, Jacki and Lisa, at the car line with clipboards in hands. We are stopping and asking parents a very simple question and that is:

“Can you give us 3 words to describe how you would like your child to be after their time at St Pat’s?”

We are hoping to hear words such as ‘faith filled’, ‘resilient’ ‘courageous’. We are also asking your children the same question. What we are hoping to achieve are key words that can help create our new Vision statement for St Patrick’s as we move into the future. This way we have sought to hear the voice of our parent and student community.

An online survey will also be sent to all families via PAM this week and families are asked to reply to the question (stated above), with the words you hope your child will ‘be’ after their time at St Patrick’s.

Take care and God Bless

Meg

Sick Students

This past week we have noticed a big increase in the volume of students we are sending home that are unwell. I ask all parents to NOT send their child/ren to school if they are sick with a runny nose, sore throat or a cough. Apart from these being Covid symptons, we are finding that parents are dropping off children and then having to collect them from school within the hour. The last 2 years in lockdown will see their immune systems not likely to cope with the common cold as it once did. Please be considerate when making these decisions.

The Avenue Exit

I have spoken to both the Cardinia Council and the Police about the irresponsible and dangerous driving behaviours I am seeing from parents as they exit THE AVENUE car park. There is a NO RIGHT TURN sign here (faded but it is there), however parents/carers and guardians continue to ignore this sign and attempt to turn right and in the process cause a backlog of traffic in the car park. I have aksed the council to update this sign as well as to ask traffic management officers to come during our busiest times to ensure parents are doing the right thing. I thank you for your co operation in this matter.

Staff Updates

As mentioned last week, I am still currently in the process of engaging a teacher for grade 4GD for the remainder of the year. You will be aware that staff shortages are very common at this time, but particularly so in the teaching industry. In the meanwhile, Mrs Angharad Doran and Miss Katherine Mirabella will continue in the role.

Parents for school board

I am currently looking for new members to be part of the school board. We meet twice per term and during the colder months, the meetings are done online so we do not need to come out on the cold and wet nights. I would be very keen to involve new families to the school on the board. In terms of ‘workload’, there is not much to be done as the board is separate from the P and F committee. The board acts as an advisory service to myself on school initiatives. If you are interested, please contact the school office at 5943 9000 or email office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

NAPLAN

This week we have had the NAPLAN tests running at our school for our year 3 and 5 students. These standardised tests have been conducted online and I would like to commend the students for the way they have gone about managing their attitude towards these tests. Our students will hear things from the news and other media applications, however they have taken it all in their stride and got through most successfully. I would also like to thank Lisa McDonald, Jacki Taylor, Neesha Bateson and Jacky Merrey along with the year 3 and 5 staff for their support in getting this testing up and running.

Project Compassion

We are pleased to announce that the students at St Patrick’s raised $1,180 this year through Project Compassion and this money will be donated to CARITAS. Your generous support can help change the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.

SCHOOL Tours and ENROLMENTS for 2023

Please contact the school office if you have a child that is due to begin school in 2023. If you would like to come for a tour, please contact the school office to make an appointment. Please let your friends and families know about us.

Head Lice

There has been another outbreak of head lice in the school once again. Can I please ask that parents are checking their children for any signs that they may have this and go through the correct protocols to ensure it does not spread in school. Please see the link below for advice.

https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/head-lice-resources

Teacher emails

Please note that teachers will NOT be replying to emails after 5pm. If you send an email to a staff member after this time, it will be responded to in the following 48 hours. As I am sure you will agree, teachers have their own families and other responsibilities to attend to after this time. If the matter is an emergency, please contact the office at office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or call 5943 9000

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

St Francis Xavier year 7 enrolments 2023-TALK AND TOUR WITH HEAD OF CAMPUS

Any parents wishing to begin the process of enrolling their child/ren for Year 7 at St Francis Xavier next year, may be interested in one of their Head of Campus Talk and Tour dates. Families can register on their website. See below for details.

St Francis Xavier will also be holding specific tours (with translators for Chinese speakers and people from South Sudanese languages) for our community and dates will be sent to you when they are confirmed.

Head of Campus Talk & Tour Dates 9.30 to 11.00am

17 May, 21 June, 26 July, 6 September, 11 October, 8 November.

COVID Update

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS PERFORMING WORK AT A SCHOOL

Any visitor or volunteer performing work at a school must be fully vaccinated (boosted) (with three (3) doses) with an approved COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid exception to attend on-site for the purpose of working.

• Visitors or volunteers working on school sites include, but are not limited to:
• Parent and Friends Committee members
• School Advisory Committee members
• Volunteers performing volunteer work at the school (for example, parent helpers and those participating in a school working bee outside of school time)
• Volunteers attending school camps or excursions
• Schools must collect, record and hold vaccination information for all workers, including visitors or volunteers performing work at a school whether inside or outside

This term, the covid mask mandate for teachers and students in years 3-6 has been scrapped. However if you would still prefer your child to wear a mask whilst in the classroom, that is not a problem. The school still has plenty of masks on hand. The latest COVID information is listed below so please read carefully.

LATEST COVID Update

WATCH FOR SYMPTOMS

If your child is unwell, even with mild COVID-19 symptoms, you must keep your child at home until their symptoms resolve and get your child tested with a PCR test (nose and throat swab) or complete a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).

If symptoms continue, your child should stay home and take another RAT or PCR test in 24 hours. If that test is also negative, your child may return to school if another diagnosis is confirmed (such as an underlying health condition or medication).

Checklist for COVID contacts

Checklist for COVID contacts

VACCINATIONS 

All students and their families are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.  Children aged 5 to 11 can now get vaccinated. Parents, guardians and carers are encouraged to book their child in for a vaccination at the first available opportunity.

TESTING

RATs will be provided to all staff and students at no charge. Schools will inform parents, guardians and carers on how these kits can be collected from the school. Students and staff should take a RAT twice-weekly on the morning before attending school. Test kits will continue to be supplied by schools during this time.

HOUSEHOLD AND HOUSEHOLD-LIKE CONTACTS

Household and household-like contacts are no longer required to quarantine but are required to undertake the following additional safety measures in the seven (7) days that would have been their quarantine period: 

• Notify the school if returning during their seven (7)-day period;
• Undertake daily rapid antigen testing five (5) times within the seven (7) days;
• Wear a face mask indoors (if aged eight (8) and above) unless a lawful exemption applies; and are not permitted to visit hospitals or care facilities unless an exemption applies.
• Household and household-like contacts are still permitted to participate in school activities, including camps and excursions, as long as they wear a mask when indoors (if aged eight (8) and above or have a valid exception) and complete five (5) rapid antigen tests within the seven (7)-day period that would have been their quarantine period.
• A household or household-like contact attending an off-site activity during this period must notify the school they are attending under these requirements.
• If a student, parent, guardian or carer cannot comply with the additional safety measures at any time, they must quarantine immediately for the remainder of their seven (7)-day household contact period to get tested on Day one (1) (or as soon as possible) and on Day six (6) of their household contact period and not attend school until a negative Day six (6) test result is received.

COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES

If your child has no symptoms and there is a positive COVID-19 case in their household, class, year level or other grouping, your child can continue to attend school in line with Victorian Department of Health advice.

Staff and students who receive a positive RAT result must register it on the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form available on the Coronavirus Victoria website https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/report as soon as possible.

Staff and students who receive a positive RAT or PCR test result must tell their school as soon as possible, and follow Victorian Department of Health advice.

Students who test positive to COVID-19 must isolate for seven (7) days and not attend school during that period.

Students who have recovered from COVID-19, are not required to get tested or isolate if they are re-exposed to a positive COVID-19 case within 12 weeks of ending their isolation period. If more than 12 weeks have passed since their isolation period concluded, students must follow the relevant testing and isolation advice depending on the type of contact they are.

Schools will regularly communicate to parents, guardians and carers about the presence and impact of COVID-19 in their school community. Parents, guardians and carers should expect to be provided with details of any impacted grade, year level or other grouping.

VENTILATION

The Victorian Government has provided air purifiers and new filters for all schools.

Fresh air is the most effective form of ventilation to minimise the risk of transmission.

Schools are required to increase fresh air flow into indoor spaces (including shared spaces, staff areas and thoroughfares) whenever possible.

Using outdoor spaces will continue to be encouraged, where practicable.

FACE MASKS

Staff and students are no longer required to wear a face mask indoors or outdoors at school.

Everyone aged eight (8) years or over must wear a face mask when travelling to and from school, on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles, unless a lawful exemption applies. This includes when travelling to and from activities, school camps and excursions on school buses or via public transport.

Visitors to primary schools are no longer required to wear a face mask indoors or outdoors at school.

Any students or staff members who wish to wear a face mask may do so, including those who are medically at-risk.

ACTIVITIES

COVID-19 will continue to be considered in all activity risk assessments. Guidance will be provided to schools on applying appropriate safeguards across a range of activities, including school camps and excursions.

Parents, guardians and carers will be made aware of the risk of exposure and will need to provide their permission for their child’s participation in extra-curricular, out of school hours or off-site activities.

VISITORS

Visitors on school sites should be kept to a minimum to support essential school activities or student needs.

Visitors will be required to comply with COVIDSafe measures, including physical distancing requirements and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record-keeping is no longer required in school settings.

Parents, guardians, carers and other adult visitors are no longer required to show evidence of two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine if not performing work or volunteering at the school. 4 April 2022

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS PERFORMING WORK AT A SCHOOL

Any visitor or volunteer performing work at a school must be fully vaccinated (boosted) (with three (3) doses) with an approved COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid exception to attend on-site for the purpose of working.

Visitors or volunteers working on school sites include, but are not limited to:

• Parent and Friends Committee members
• School Advisory Committee members
• Volunteers performing volunteer work at the school (for example, parent helpers and those participating in a school working bee outside of school time)
• Volunteers attending school camps or excursions
• Schools must collect, record and hold vaccination information for all workers, including visitors or volunteers performing work at a school whether inside or outside

KEEPING SCHOOLS OPEN 

Parents, guardians and carers are asked to respect the rules at their child’s school to help keep the community safe.

Schools will do everything they can to maintain continuity of face-to-face learning including the increased use of casual staff.

Schools will continue to make localised staffing decisions to ensure appropriate supervision can be maintained.

Schools will not be able to guarantee particular staff for any cohort and students may not have their regular teacher for a class.

LEARNING FROM HOME

We will continue to monitor the situation and where face-to-face learning is not possible, learning from home options will be supported for short periods.

Students who are required to isolate or quarantine will be provided with learning materials to support their continued learning. Schools are not expected to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.