Newsletter Thursday 3^rd March 2022

Good afternoon parents/carers and guardians,

This week, we held our Family Learning Conversations on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Due to Covid restrictions, these were held online however I am aware that had there had been some confusion around this and some families came onsite. I would like to thank the teaching and office staff for all their efforts in getting these Family Learning Conversations underway as we are using a new system to set this up. Any issues that have arisen will be addressed and will be a smoother run next time around. Thank you all for your patience.

The Family Learning Conversations are an excellent way to begin the ongoing communication between the school and the parents.

In the coming months, St Patrick’s will be beginning some major building works on the B and E Block. I am very excited at the prospect of fresh buildings and more modern facilities. I am working closely with Dom Velten our maintenance man and Jacky Merrey our OHS staff representative to get our junior and senior adventure playgrounds up to scratch. A new sandpit and sensory gardens will also be installed in the coming weeks.

Reminders for parents

School Photos

Our annual school photos took place today. We look forward to seeing these in the next few weeks. As stated in an email sent home earlier this week, if your child missed out on having their photo taken due to illness or isolation, he will be returning at a later date which we are in the process of organising. Otherwise, you are welcome to contact the photographer directly and arrange for the photos to be taken at their studio. The contact details are: (03) 5942 5234

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.

Ash Wednesday

Yesterday we celebrated the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday celebrations. I was pleased to be able to participate in the grade 6 and grade 3/4 celebrations which were really lovely to be a part of. I commend the students for their solemn participation and reverence and thank the teachers for preparing the students and the liturgies. Thanks also to Mrs Noleen Chalmers, our Religious Education Leader for organising the day and the ashes.

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 25^th 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

meet.google.com/ygk-fwfg-gcq

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

TERM DATES

Have you set up your PAM account yet! 

Operoo is no longer being used!!!

From the start of 2022 PAM will be our main form of communication.  All emails, Student Attendance, Sick Bay notes, School Reports, commonly used forms, excursion/camp permission notes and Family Learning conversations, will all be communicated via PAM.  

A new app (SimonEverywhere) will soon be available to download to allow easy access to PAM but for now please save the PAM log on screen to the home page of your device or bookmark it in your browser.  

Access PAM via this link   Link to PAM 

SIMON -  a Learning Management Software solution for schools.

St Patrick’s Primary school is now using SIMON in the classroom to keep track of your child’s progress and learning as well as attendance.  SIMON will also be used for School Reports and Student Wellbeing.

PAM, SIMON’s Parent Access Module

PAM (Parent Access Module) is our new Parent to School communication platform.   PAM will provide real time access to keep parents updated with their children’s progress, important dates and messages. Relevant resources – calendar events, student reports, parent notified absences, absence data and sick bay notes will all be accessed via PAM.

Parents will be able to easily book Parent Teacher interviews through PAM, and access teacher email addresses. 

PAM accounts are linked via your email address that we have in our systems.  If you have recently changed your email,  please call or email us on office@stppakenham.cathlic.edu.au

Click on the 'forget password' link to set your password and then verify your email address.  (Email addresses must be verified for PAM to work properly).  Once your email is verified, your email can be used as the username for your account.

Once you have successfully logged in, you can save PAM to your homescreen on your device.

If you have any issues or need help with PAM please contact the school via email, office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

PAM Instructions

Parent Notified Absences via PAM

Once you have PAM set up and saved to your home screen you can easily send in Parent Notified absences.   Please use this platform going forward as this automatically syncs with the class roll.   This will fix the issues of receiving SMS notifications even though you had already notified the school. 

Please remember to update your contact details and any relevant medical details for your child.  

Most medical profiles have now been updated. Please remember to keep them up to date and upload any asthma/allergy plans that may be relevant 

To update any contact details please contact the school office. 

St Patrick’s Cross Country 2022

St Patrick’s Cross Country Event will be held on Friday March 25th.

Students need to wear their full PE uniform with sneakers and may choose to wear a T-shirt in their house colour FLYNN HUNT AHERN BOURKE.

NO SLIP ON SHOES or STREET SHOES, and NO SINGLETS. Classroom teachers are able to check house colours if you are unsure.

All students from Foundation to Year 6 are expected to participate to their own standard. Students have been developing their running skills during PE lessons throughout the term. We have also been discussing the value of “Team Spirit” to encourage each other to “meet or beat” our goals. 

The overall goal has been to build running confidence so that students can run consistently all the way without stopping. They have been encouraged to take advantage of Active Club mornings to practise as well as lunchtimes. Students have also suggested running around the backyard, running around a local oval or park and running on the way to school. I appreciate and thank those families who have supported students to fit some extra running into their weekly schedule.

Whilst there is the opportunity to represent St Pat’s at the next level of competition (Pakenham District) not everyone has the ability to achieve this level. Students have been encouraged to work on improving their individual skills and shifting their mindset to achieve success. This will look different for all students, but some of the things we have spoken about include:

• using a run/walk model (some will call it “50/20”)
• run with someone of equal ability to encourage each other
• set markers to run to (eg: run to the next tree)
• count steps between points on the track
• sing your favourite song
• use a personal tracker to time
• recall your past personal achievements in the lead up to the event and try to “meet or beat” them

Years 3-6 will run DURING THE MORNING BLOCK from 9am-11am.

As Years 3-6 will be running outside the school grounds (using grass areas at the back of the school block) they will be required to respond to a permission note on PAM. This note will be posted in the coming days so please look out for it. Any student who does not respond by the due date or declines will still be participating but completing a course of similar length within the school grounds. Students in Years 4, 5 & 6 will NOT be running in level groups but in age/gender groups as this aligns with the next level of competition. Year 3 students WILL run as a level and in gender groups.

Years F-2 will run AFTER recess from 11:30am-12:50pm.

These students will not require permission to run as they will be running inside the school grounds.They have also been developing their running skills during PE lessons.

I will also require assistance from a few parents/carers for the morning session. A note will come through PAM for this. 

Lastly, in exciting news, parents will be able to watch the event this year. There will be a designated Spectator Zone, and spectators are asked to follow all necessary requirements regarding vaccination status, wearing of masks and/or social distancing.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. All class levels celebrated this occasion with prayer services centred on the meaning of Lent.

Lent is a time to prepare ourselves for Easter. It goes for 40 days and we all try to be better throughout Lent through changing our hearts and being more positive in the ways in which we speak and act.

Traditions for Lent are; Prayer, Almsgiving and Fasting. Students may choose to give something up for Lent, but changing their actions is a more positive way to prepare.

Prayer is always a focus within our classrooms and yesterday each child would have brought home a Project Compassion box to raise some money to be sent to the missions.

Project Compassion has a specific focus on an individual or community in poorer areas over the world and our donations facilitate communities being able to live in an easier way. We truly are blessed living in Australia and Project Compassion allows us to enable communities to survive. 

At the end of first term, all students will return their boxes and the money will be donated. St Patrick’s school and parish, has always supported this program to the best of their ability. I thank you all for your donations over previous years and seek your help for 2022.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM DATES:

Huge apologies from me, as last week I put 2021’s dates into the newsletter for sacraments, rather than 2022!

The dates are as follows:

First Holy Communion- weekend of 7th and 14th May

Confirmation-4th June, Saturday at 

2pm and 6pm.

Reconciliation-26th and 27th October at 7:00pm.

Kind regards,

Noleen Chalmers

Religious Education Leader 

Our much awaited Church Renovation is about to begin and is anticipated to cost in the order of $4.2 million. After contributions from Parish funds, the “Be a Sponsor of Church Renovation” programme aims to provide extra funding for the Sacred Artwork that will adorn our new church as well as reducing the loan repayments to Catholic Development Fund and thereby reflecting our strong Parish Community.

Please see the flyers below for more information and keep up to date on the Parish webpage.   https://stpatrickspakenham.com.au/fundraising/ 

 Please read the flyer below from our School House Captains. 

CSEF Applications are now due! 

The applicant must be one of the following:

1. a parent/carer (of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school) who is:
   • on the first day of Term 1 (31 January 2022), or the first day of Term 2 (26 April 2022)  a holder of one or more of the eligible financially-means tested cards (Centrelink Health Care Card or a Pensioner Concession Card), or
   • a temporary foster parent

The parent/carer must submit an application to the school by 24 June 2022.

If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss their school fee account, please contact Cindy in the school office cbyrne@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au   

Please download and fill in the form below if you qualify.