Dear Parents/Carers

Welcome to the end of Week 5.  This week we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption, acknowledging the gift given to Mary for her shining example, when she accepted God completely into her life. 

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Cyber Safety Presentation and SCC Open Meeting School Hall

Thursday 1^st September 5:30pm – 7:30pm

On the 1^{st of} September at school beginning 6:30pm will be a parent cyber safety presentation.  This information session is to give parents the information and tools they need to keep their children safe.  In the world of Covid, the dangers of the internet; online and in-game chat rooms, scammers, inappropriate websites, and the Dark Web.  These are all things that parents need to understand. 

Could you please reply to the ‘Expression of Interest’ that will be sent out via compass today. This is to ensure that this will be a Covid compliant event.

Prior to this session beginning at 5:30pm the SCC will be having an open meeting.  On the Agenda will be the following:

• Principal’s report
• Treasurer’s report
• Fete – Q&A
• Dominoes guest speaker
• Future focus of fundraising - Survey results
• Open questions – to be taken on notice

Father’s Day Celebration – Save the Date 2^nd September 8am-9am

A wonderful celebration is being organised and a flyer has been sent out to parents enabling them to order some yummy food and a present for dad. If you have misplaced the flyer, go to the "Notes for Parents" Page of the newsletter to see all the details.   

School Masses

We have now returned to holding school masses every two weeks, notwithstanding clashes with school events or the mass for Anointing of the Sick, which we do not attend. This is very exciting for our community.  Some parents may question the reasoning in a world where everyone can attend mass but not an Awards ceremony.  There are several reasons for this, some based on not mixing children and parents, parents or parents and utilisation of off school sites, like our local church. Other events that are outside school hours also become a factor.   

These are yet more examples of the complicated Covid Rules which apply to some sectors.  I have therefore placed an article in this newsletter to try and explain these perceived inconsistencies. 

Covid Consistencies

It is quite difficult to keep up with all the changes that have occurred and what needs to be in place.  I have tried to summarise the salient points below, so you do not have to dig through a ten-page document.  Remember if you are unsure about something, please contact the school. My apologies for the long document.

• Vaccination - All eligible students (ages 5 and over) and all staff are strongly encouraged to be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination.
• Household Contacts – Staff and students are required to follow the Public Health (Diagnosed People and Household Contacts) Emergency Direction 2022 when they are deemed a household contact. It is strongly recommended that a household contact works or studies from home where it is practical to do so. A household contact must wear a face mask in any indoor setting that is not their own home, if they are aged 12 years and over. A household contact must wear a face mask in any indoor setting that is not their own home, if they are aged 12 years and over. Only students in Years 7 to 12 will be required to wear a mask when attending school. Mask wearing for students in primary schools is at the discretion of the student and their parents/carers, and is not recommended for children in Pre School to Year 2. Where a student attends school they must undertake a COVID test in the 24 hours prior to returning to school and then every 48 hours if ongoing attendance is required and may only attend a school if they have no symptoms
• Check in requirement – CBR Check in is not required for staff and visitors on school
• Physical distancing - Physical distancing should be maintained on school sites where possible (Density quotients no longer apply.
• Staying home when sick and hygiene requirements - Staff, students and visitors must not attend school or ELC sites if they are unwell and will be sent home if they any have symptoms of COVID-19. All staff, visitors and students should at all times maintain appropriate hand and respiratory hygiene (Principle 2).
• Masks - Staff, students and visitors are not required to wear masks on school or ELC sites, though are encouraged to do so where it suits them. Children in preschool to Year 2 should not wear masks as they are likely to be worn incorrectly and may present a choking hazard (Principle 2).
• Cleaning - COVID-Safe cleaning practices will be in place in line with the AHPPC endorsed Information about cleaning and disinfection for schools. This includes routine daily cleaning with escalation to enhanced cleaning where cases have been identified. Enhanced cleaning can be done before or after school/pre-school and provides school/ELC communities with an additional layer of assurance.
• Ventilation - Ventilation systems should continue to be adjusted to increase the fresh air being supplied to classrooms
• Rapid antigen tests - Schools/ELCs will have access to Rapid Antigen Tests for distribution as needed.
• Notification - Schools/ELCs will continue to receive notifications of positive cases from staff and students. Staff and students who are either diagnosed with COVID-19 or have had an exposure to COVID-19 should comply with the public health advice relating to notification, isolation and quarantine requirements (Principle 5).
• P&F/Council/School or ELC Community run fund-raisers can go ahead on school sites with appropriate risk mitigation measures and COVID Safety Plans in place. There should only be a minimum number of volunteers (visitors to the school/ELC) necessary to coordinate fund-raisers on site during school/ELC hours. Where fund-raisers involve other visitors, they should be held outside of school/ELC opening hours and must comply with the COVID Safe Events Guidance.
• Hiring a school/ELC facility - For a hirer to access a school/ELC facility they must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan; including adhering to physical distancing and hygiene requirements. Private events held at a school/ELC facility must also comply with any applicable public health restrictions for events.

Household contacts will not have to quarantine if they have no COVID-19 symptoms but will need to comply with the following requirements for seven days from the time the first person in their household tests positive for COVID‑19:

• Advise ACT Health that they are a household contact by completing a COVID-19 online declaration form.
• Wear a face mask in all indoor spaces when outside of the home, if aged 12 years and over.
• Students study from home, where it is practical to do so
• Parents/Carers notify the school of their child being a household contact
• If it is not practical to study from home, students must undertake COVID-19 testing and return a negative result in the 24 hours prior to returning to school and then every 48 hours if ongoing attendance is required
• Parents and carers can attend outdoor areas of the school/ELC site for drop off and pick up, or when attending a permitted activity (see below).
• Preference is for all parent/carers meetings to be remote if possible
• Groups of parents can meet on school site but these meeting must be held outside of school hours – again preference would be for meeting to be held remotely
• Parents and carers must follow COVID smart measures (physical distancing, hygiene practices, staying away if unwell)
• Essential visitors are permitted to attend school/ELC sites. Essential visitors are considered to be anyone who provides a critical service to a student or staff member, including allied health. Student placements are also allowed.
• Volunteers are permitted to attend school sites. Volunteers are considered to be anyone who provides a critical service to the school community, including canteen and uniform stores, parent volunteers, and P&F/Council run fund-raisers.
• VIPs visits are only permitted by exception.
• Essential visitors, volunteers and VIPs must follow COVID safe measures (physical distancing, hygiene practices, staying away if unwell)
• Any extra-curricular activities that can limit teachers' availability to be placed on class and/or increase teacher workload should also be reconsidered.
• Information nights can be conducted where held outside school hours.
• School assemblies can be conducted although parents/carers are not able to attend.
• School sporting team training and participation in community and interschool sporting competitions can be conducted.
• Parents and carers are not permitted to attend (during school hours) activities and after hours can only attend such activities where they are outdoors, outside of school/ELC hours, or ticketed. Parents and carers must follow COVID smart measures at all times on school/ELC sites (physical distancing, hygiene practices, staying away if unwell). Events on school ELC/ sites that involve the general public can only be held outside of school/ELC opening hours, must have a COVID Safety Plan in Place, and must comply with the COVID Safe Events Guidance.

God bless you and your families

Peter Rodda

Principal