Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the end of Wk 3.  Next week will see Years K,1,2 and 6 return to school, something that all staff are very excited about.  A reminder that all children should bring a hat and a water bottle and be dressed in full summer uniform.

Below I have placed a prayer that reminds me of how resilient our community have been in coping with the pandemic.  

Loving Creator,

We asked for strength, and you gave us difficulties to make us strong.

We asked for wisdom, and you gave us problems to solve.

We asked for prosperity, and you gave us purpose and brains to use.

We asked for courage, and you gave us fears to overcome.

We asked for patience, and you gave us situations where we were forced to wait.

We asked for love, and you gave us troubled people to help.

We asked for justice, and you called us to be just and lead with integrity.

Lord, we have received nothing that we asked for or wanted.

And yet, we receive everything that we needed.

For this we give thanks.

Safe Return to School - Protocols and Procedures

I realise that many parents will understandably feel anxious about the return to school of their children. Please feel comfortable in the knowledge that our staff are following the advice of ACT Health to undertake receiving both doses of the vaccine by the required date.

If an outbreak in any Canberra Catholic school occurs, ACT Health will deal directly with CE and the school involved to ensure that all guidelines and regulations are implemented. 

If however, you are still feeling unable to bring your child back to school on the designated day, a Generic Basic Home Schooling package will be provided as an interim measure. Please understand that this will not involve a daily Teams meeting with the classroom teacher but rather a simplified generic program which will help maintain your child’s learning during this period. This will be available for pick-up next week.  

Parents Drop Off and Pick Up and Wet Weather Collection - After School Play Closed

As you can appreciate, to comply with ACT Health regulations, parents and carers are no longer allowed on our school grounds (except for afternoon pick-up, please see below) or inside the building. I realise that this may make the transition back to school just that bit harder. For that reason, you might like to take a walk past the school with your child in the lead up to school’s resumption just to re-familiarise your child with the grounds and the normal morning routine.

Parents will need to drop off their child in the designated 'drop off' zone or at the bottom gate.  They will then need to immediately walk back to their car.

When picking up your child up in the afternoon you may enter our bottom gate from 3:05pm onward, this is to prevent overcrowding near the gate.  You must social distance from other parents and immediately leave the grounds when your child joins you

The playground and artificial turf area are closed after school until further notice, Camp Australia will be exempt from this requirement.

In the case of wet weather all students will assemble from in the hall.  Parents will drive into the carpark and into the pick-up/set down zone beside the school hall.  Teachers will usher children to cars as fast as possible whilst parents remain in their cars.  Patience for this process will be needed as the line will move slowly.

External Contractors/ Deliveries

All people visiting the school (including staff) must use the CBR check-in App and wear a mask.

Only external contractors or volunteers who are delivering a service directly necessary for the provision of school services (eg. Canteen helpers, Speech Pathologists, Behavioural Therapists etc) are permitted on school grounds.

Deliveries will be permitted into the Front Office/Hall, but not beyond.

Masks and Drink Bottles
Children in Years 3-6 are encouraged to wear face masks during class time. Children in Kindergarten to Year Two are not required to wear face masks but may if they wish to.

Please pack a drink bottle with your child, we are locking down all bubblers to minimise any possibility of unnecessary contact. 

Canteen
Our Canteen service will resume on Wednesday 3rd November. It will only be open for pre-orders and no recess or lunch counter sales will occur.  This will prevent crowding at the serving window.

Only volunteers who are double vaccinated may help in our canteen.  This may cause a shortage of help.  Please help out if you can.  No more that three adults can be in the canteen at any given time. 

A shout-out for volunteers has already been sent out to families.  

School Cleaning Protocols

Following the resumption of face-to-face learning in Week Four, our school will continue cleaning protocols which will mirror those adopted during the 2020 Lockdown. These include hand washing stations which children will use following each break time. The additional cleaning of prominent “Touch Surfaces” including playground equipment, door handles etc. will continue in our school. 

Mrs Reed has placed an excellent article in this week's newsletter about returning to school. Please feel free to call our Front Office if you are unsure about any aspect of the resumption of school.  

Congratulations parents. You have done a wonderful job in most trying circumstances.

God bless you and your families

Peter Rodda

Principal