Dear SJV Families,

I am so excited to be joining your wonderful community this term. It was great to visit classes yesterday and today, and see the children so quickly engaged in active learning.

As we start this term, our focus is the health and safety of everyone, but our students’ in particular. Please know that we are ready to talk with you about any concerns you have regarding your child. As always, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher, or myself. We will also take special care to ensure children feel safe and supported.

Talking

A lot of talking happens in a school. Hopefully there is even more listening. Communication is central to our functioning as human beings. We are spiritual beings and so our communication with God is essential to our fullness as a person. The most obvious form of communication with God is through prayer. Prayer is about building a relationship. In the case of prayer, the relationship is with God.

A treasured prayer in our Catholic tradition is the Rosary, and this month, October, is a time for emphasis on the Rosary. The Rosary is a summary of the life of Jesus. The more we come to know these stories and the more we contemplate the mystery of God becoming human, the closer we come to understand and appreciate the presence of God in our lives. The Rosary provides the most intimate insight into God’s extraordinary love and compassion.

We cannot hope to deepen our relationship with God without prayer. The model of prayer for us is Mary. Praying the Rosary in the company of Mary can lead us towards personal fulfilment and unity with God.

For an interactive look at the Rosary take a look at http://www.familyrosary.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

COVID

It seems that, after two years of COVID restrictions in schools, we are returning to “normal”.

All school based activities have recommenced as normal, as long as the following measures, as advised by Catholic Education, are observed:

• All visitors and external providers must adhere to relevant hygiene, and safety protocols.
• Principals may continue to restrict, limit or prohibit activities, following current health advice.
• Adults or children exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms must refrain from entering the school.

As always, our priority will be safety, so will we closely monitor health and education directorate updates. We will keep you informed.

Welcome

We welcome Ranjodh Singh and his family to our school this term. We hope they soon feel very much a part of the SJV community.

It’s Our Fete – Saturday 5 November

We are in desperate need of helpers for a range of stalls and help on the day. If you can help, in any way, either before, during or after (for clean-up) please let the school know immediately. Without your help we cannot run a successful Fete.

Please email your willingness to assist to office.sjv@cg.catholic.edu.au

Fees

Thank you to all who are up to date with school fee payments. For those who have let them slide, we would appreciate payment for previous terms by the end of this week please.

Absences from school

It is a legal requirement that all absences are explained. Please notify the school of your child’s absence by either: Using the App; Calling the Front Office; Emailing the Front Office at office.sjv@cg.catholic.edu.au indicating your child’s name, class, reason for absence and date; or, sending a note to the classroom teacher indicating date and reason for absence.

Can you help? When it suits, for as little or much as it suits you…

The rain and (brief) periods of sunshine has ensured our grass and garden areas have gone bonkers.

We are trying to keep up, but, if you have a spare 30 minutes (or more) and are happy to do some weeding, trimming, clipping, mowing, or general garden tidying, please let me know. Either during or outside of school hours can be arranged at your convenience.

For further details, please ring Jeanette in the Front Office, or just come on down, sign in, and get weeding. ?

Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival Cancelled

Unfortunately, we received the following message from the organisers of this annual carnival:

Due to the excessive rain we have received and the forecast rain for next week it is with great regret that we have decided to cancel the carnival for 2022.

We are unable to prepare the fields to an acceptable level that will ensure the safety of the participants.

We thank you for your support of this event and apologise for the inconvenience this cancellation will cause.

We are disappointed, especially for the local schools of this weather affected country town. We know that cancelling their major fundraiser for the year (for the third year in a row) must hurt.

With that in mind, we would like to, where possible, allow the schools to keep the money already paid. If you are happy to let your money support Boorowa’s schools, we will let the organisers know. If you would like a refund, please inform our front office by close of business on Wednesday 19^th October.

Grandparents Day

Now is the time to let the grandparents or significant adult of our community know to set aside Friday 28^th October as a special day for them at SJV.

Further details will be provided soon.

End of Year Events – Please note them in your diary now

• Grandparents Day – Friday 28 October
• Kindergarten 2023 Orientation Day – Wednesday 16 November at 9.30am
• SJV Kindness Day and Colour Celebration – Friday 18 November
• Parent / Teacher Interviews – Week 8
• Parish Christmas Party – Friday 2 December
• Semester Two Awards Assembly – Monday 5 December
• Thanksgiving Mass – Tuesday 6 December
• Year 5/6 Camp – Wednesday 7 to Friday 9 December
• Semester Two Reports Sent Home – Tuesday 13 December
• Year 6 Graduation – Tuesday 15 December
• Year 6 Fun Day – Tuesday 13 December
• Year 6 Graduation Ceremonies – Wednesday 14 December
• Term Four Ends (for students) – Thursday 15 December (at 3.10pmJ)
• Staff Day (pupil free day) – Friday 16 December

Last day of Term 4

I received the following message yesterday from the Director of Catholic Education:

Following consultation, the ACT Education Directorate has published and set aside two (2) plannings days for ACT schools in term 4. Please note that Catholic Education is allocating one (1) staff development day for all ACT schools on the last day of Term 4 being Friday16 December. This additional development day is intended to assist all staff in schools successfully completing the year. It is one recognition of the significant challenges schools have faced in their operations this year.

Please note, therefore, that the last day of school for students this year is Thursday 15 December and for staff is Friday 16 December.

It was once said…

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know.

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal