Acting Principal's Message - 10th March 2022
Good afternoon parents/carers and guardians,
Welcome to Week 7 of Term 1.
A long term with this one being 11 weeks and the students are well and truly entrenched in their learning. It has been great to see that some of the Covid restrictions have been relaxed and we can now begin school tours once again onsite. If you know of any families looking to enrol next year, please have them contact the office on 5943 9000 or email office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au. Each week we have been receiving several enquiries for families looking to come to St Patrick’s and it is so pleasing to hear positive feedback about the work we do.
This week in the news we learned of the passing of 2 cricket greats, Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, we watched the destruction caused by the floods in Queensland and New South Wales and the war between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate. I cannot help but wonder what the children are thinking when they watch or hear the news and how they are processing information. I ask all parents to be mindful of the news they may be hearing whether that be in the background of a room they are playing or sitting in or actually watching it on tv. Please always be there for your children to answer any questions or concerns they may have about what they are hearing or seeing. Monitor how much of this news they need to be seeing as it can have an effect on them later on.
More than anything I think this is the time to be extremely grateful for the abundance of things we can give thanks for. An education, a home, our family and friends. Take the time to let people around you know they matter.
Take care and God Bless
Meg
Reminders for parents
Teacher meetings/Catch up FLCs
Please note that if you did not book an FLC last week, teachers will be notifying you of a time and date they will be available. Please note the teachers have meetings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after school until 5pm so meetings cannot be made during this time. Thank you.
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.
Grade 6 camp
Our grade 6 camp to Canberra has been cancelled due to interstate travel restrictions on camps for schools. The new Grade 6 camp will be going ahead in December at Camp Coonawarra. Camp dates are from Monday the 5th to Friday the 9th, additionl details will be sent closer to the date.
Covid Restrictions
In our continuing efforts to keep both our students and staff safe, any visitors to the school office who are not vaccinated, must remain outside and the office staff will assist you there. I ask all parents/carers and guardians to please remain respectful and patient as we continue to work through these challenging times.
Mask Mandate for grade 3-6 and teachers to remain
This week the Victorian Government announced an easing of the mask mandate as of 11.59pm Friday the 25th February. For primary schools however, this easing of rules only applies to our students in Foundation up to grade 2. For the junior level, it is still recommended that the students wear masks but that is a personal choice. For our students and staff in grades 3-6 however, masks will still be mandated until further notice. At this stage, it is likely to remain in place until the end of term 1.
Thanks for your understanding in this matter.
School Uniform
A uniform is meant to be worn with pride. It is especially important for our leaders of the school, our grade 6s, that the correct school uniform is adhered to.
Proper black school shoes need to be worn. Black runners are NOT acceptable nor are the wrong coloured socks and parents will be contacted if this continues to happen. If your child/ren are coming to school in clothes that are not our school uniform, communication must be made with the teachers.
Early Arrival
Students are continuing to arrive well before 8.30am and being left unsupervised. This is an enormous safety issue on many levels and I am asking parents to adhere to the 8.30 timeslot. If you have to come earlier, please do not leave your child unattended!
Assembly link for Friday
Covid Update
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
If there is a positive case at school…
The school will NOT be required to close as a result of the positive case attending the school.
If your child is not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, they can continue to attend school, but you should monitor for symptoms.
Students who show symptoms of COVID-19 must get tested immediately using a rapid antigen test, or a PCR test if you can’t access a rapid antigen test. Students with COVID-19 symptoms must isolate and return a negative result before returning to school.
Students should continue with twice-weekly rapid antigen testing on school days.
Students who have recovered from COVID-19 do not need to participate in surveillance testing for 30 days after testing positive.
If your child receives a positive COVID-19 result, you must:
- quarantine your child for seven days
- advise the school about the positive result
- ensure that your child stays home until their symptoms have resolved and they are well
- ensure that everyone in your household who is a close contact isolates for seven (7) days from the date your child is tested for COVID-19.
Advice and further resources about what to do if your child tests positive to COVID-19 or you are a contact, are available on the following Coronavirus Victoria web pages or you can call the 24/7 Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398:
Checklist for COVID contacts
Checklist for COVID contacts
- Checklist for COVID contacts - coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-contacts
- Checklist for COVID cases - coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-cases
Reporting your child’s positive test
If your child was at school during their infectious period, you need to report the positive case to office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or please phone the school office on 5943 9000.
If your child tested positive using a rapid antigen test you must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398.
General advice and support
Advice and further resources about coronavirus, including what to do if you test positive or if you have been told you are a contact, are available on the coronavirus website www.coronavirus.cgov.au or you can call the 24/7 Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
Other resources on the Coronavirus Victoria website include:
- information on symptoms - coronavirus.vic.gov.au/symptoms-and-risks
- how to get tested - coronavirus.vic.gov.au/taking-test-covid-19
Further information for languages other than English
For school information in languages other than English, call TIS National on 131 450.
For translated written information about COVID-19 and health advice in languages other than English, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translated-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19
Parents, guardians, carers and/or students can also call the Department of Education and Training COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663 and they will help interpret.
Please be aware that we are unable to provide any information about students, family members or staff who may test positive to COVID-19. I would ask that all in our community continue to pray for those who are unwell with COVID-19 and respect their privacy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of the school community remains our highest priority. We are committed to continuing to communicate with you as promptly as possible and supporting you and your children during these challenging times.
If you have any questions about the arrangements, please contact office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or call 5943 9000
Meg Escalante