Newsletter Thursday 16^th June 2022

Good afternoon Parents/carers and guardians,

Another busy week at St Patrick’s with the Grade 4s continuing with their swimming program, Hockey Clinics for the year 5s and the Tiger Paw program for our senior students. We need to be grateful for the many wonderful opportunities afforded to the students at St Patrick’s!

Thankfully the weather has allowed our grade 4s to get to and from the pool without too many problems. They will finish up the swimming this Friday. Next term, our Grade 3s will commence swimming towards the end of July.

Next week, our Grade 4s have an excursion to the Melbourne Museum where they will learning about the Earth’s movement and fossils. Our Grade 5 students have an incursion with Adam Wallace, he is an author that will be talking with the students about his books and discuss the writing techniques he uses.

Program SUpport Group Meetings (PSGs) commence next week on Thursday and Friday 23^rd and 24^th respectively and any parents involved in these will have received communication about booking a time to meet with Lisa McDonald and Lauren Rietschel to discuss your child’s progress.

SEMESTER 1 REPORTS

This year, your child’s Semester 1 school report will NOT be provided in a hardcopy form.

All reports will be uploaded to PAM and can be downloaded from there.

An email will be sent to all parents on Friday the 24^th June at 2.30pm advising that the reports are to be viewed.

Please follow the instructions to access the reports:

1. Access your PAM account
2. Click on PROFILE MENU
3. Click on ASSESSMENT REPORTS
4. Choose Semester 1, 2022 school report
5. Click the DOWNLOAD button
6. From here, you can either VIEW, SAVE or PRINT the report.

Just a reminder that Term 2 concludes next Friday the 24^th June at 2.10pm and Term 3 begins on Monday the 11^th July.

Family Learning Conversations (FLCs) will be held in Week 2 of Term 3 on Tuesday 19th July from 3.30-8pm and Wednesday the 20th 3.30-6pm. More information will come out in next week's newsletter.

Take care and God Bless

Meg

No Right Turn Sign-The Avenue carpark

For those parents using The Avenue car park for drop off and pick up, you will notice a new NO RIGHT TURN sign at the exit of the carpark. This means that traffic exiting The Avenue car park MUST TURN LEFT. Please ensure you are doing the right thing. You are role models for your children and disobeying road rules is not a message that should be relayed to them.

Notifying the School of an Absence-IMPORTANT

Due to the increase in students not being at school, the office is taking several hours each day to chase up each absent student. I ask all parents to either use PAM or to contact the office directly to let them know that your child/ren will not be at school that day. We have a legal responsibility to know where the students are every day.

Reminder about parents not accessing the school toilets

Parents are reminded that they are NOT PERMITTED to use the school toilets when dropping off or picking up your child/ren. This is a huge Child Safety issue and we will be locking the toilets at 3pm each day to ensure the safety of our students. In the case there is an emergency, please come to the school office.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Preteens Youth Group Grades 4, 5 and 6 students-DIVINE-FAITH FORMATION PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN

St Patrick’s and St Clare’s along with the Parish is setting up the Pre-teens youth group. See the flyer below for the dates and contact numbers if you are interested. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know new people and to have time to discuss your faith whilst having fun and sharing some food and soft drinks. SEE FLYER BELOW.

CAN YOU HELP???

I have a family who have reached out needing assistance to get their 2 children dropped home each afternoon after school. The students are in grade 3 and grade 6. They live in Jacaranda Way, Pakenham which is only a 4 minute drive from the school. If you are able to help, please contact the school office on 5943 9000 or email office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

Prayers from families for newsletter

Just a reminder please to any families that would like to contribute to our school newsletter with a prayer that has been written by the family, please send them through to office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

Thank you

Changes to Rapid Antigen Test Surveillance Program

From Monday 23 May 2022, there will no longer be a recommendation for students to undertake twice weekly RATs on school days.

However, RATs will continue to be distributed to families as they have been throughout this school year for the remainder of this Term.

Please see below for further information.

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. In the next week, parents will see a new and very clear NO RIGHT TURN sign.  I ask all parents/carers and guardians to please do the right thing and obey the sign and turn left in the mornings and afternoons. I will continue to be patrolling our busiest times in the car park to ensure parents are doing the right thing. I thank you for your co operation 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 Chin 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

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.

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.

Changes to Rapid Antigen Test Surveillance Program

From Monday 23 May 2022, there will no longer be a recommendation for students to undertake twice weekly RATs on school days.

However, RATs will continue to be distributed to families as they have been throughout this school year for the remainder of this Term.

The ongoing supply of RATs to families in our school will ensure that parents, guardians and carers will have them should they need them if their child(ren) is a household or household-like contact or if their child(ren) has COVID-19 symptoms.

Students who are identified as household or household-like contacts will continue to be required to adhere to additional safety measures, including wearing a face mask when outside of the home and receiving a negative result using a RAT on at least five (5) days out of the seven (7) day close contact period, to attend school.

Families must continue to notify the Department of Health and the school if their child(ren) returns a positive RAT result. Additionally, you should inform the school if any of your children are household or household-like contacts.

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.