We are nearly at the end of what has felt like the longest term ever. I thank you, parents and carers, for the support you have given to your children and to the school staff this term, particularly during the remote learning period. I congratulate the students on their resilience as they have coped with the uncertainty this term has brought. I thank the school staff for their dedication and resourcefulness as they have dealt with the challenges of working from home, delivering remote learning and helping our students ease back into onsite learning.
Condolences
Our sincerest condolences to the Godde family, Fiona, Greg, Lily and Grace (Year 5), on the passing of Fiona’s dad.
Farewell
Sadly we say farewell to Liddell Cooper (Year 4) who will be leaving St Patrick’s at the end of the term. We thank Liddell, Amy and Scott for their contribution to our school community and wish them all the very best for the future.
COVID-19 Restrictions
I was hoping that the situation would continue to improve and next term would see the easing of restrictions but, in light of the recent spike in COVID cases, this is not likely to be the case. I expect more advice from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria by the end of this week, and possibly more by the start of next term. At this stage, the processes and protocols we have in place will continue into next term.
Access to the school limited to essential staff and services
Enhanced cleaning of high contact surfaces throughout the school day and at the end of the day
Washing of playground equipment throughout the day
Restricted movement of students between classes
School staff observing physical distancing
Practising good hand hygiene with students washing their hands before and after each learning block and before and after eating
Cancellation of all off-site activities such as camps, excursions and sporting activities
Staggered dismissal to avoid large gatherings of adults at the front of the school.
Sick Students
Parents and carers are reminded that if children are ill, they are to be kept at home. If they are displaying cold and flu-like symptoms, they are not to return to school until all symptoms have abated.
Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 student reports were released last Friday. Unfortunately, we had some server issues over the weekend which may have disrupted the process. If you have issues accessing your child’s report, please contact the school office. As I said last week, we will be unable to conduct Learning Conversations in the usual format. If parents wish to discuss their child’s report, or any aspect of their child’s learning for Semester 1, you are asked to contact the relevant teacher via Seesaw to arrange a time early next term for a conversation either over the phone or via video conference.
End of Term
This Friday is the last day of term and therefore school ends at 2.20pm. We will begin our staggered dismissal at 2.00pm. Thank you again for your efforts in making this process run smoothly.
I hope everyone gets an opportunity for some rest and relaxation over the term break and that Term 3 will see us continue to return to some normality.
Kind regards,
Peter Sanderson
Principal
