Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you have all survived the first three days of Remote Learning with your children.  Of course, there have been teething problems, but I believe that all our families seem to be managing this brave new world.

Can I take moment to thank the dedicated staff of SJV who have worked tirelessly before and during the holidays to make sure that the student's experience would be engaging and worthwhile.  We know that a flat screen does not, and will not replace the teacher working side by side by your child, but the teachers have tried their hardest to make this experience a positive one.  

Below I have shared a quote with you that I think is really worth thinking about.  It was stated in the context of 'Social Distancing' and the implications that this term raises.  Whilst it is vital that we do observe 'distancing’, this quote gives us something extra to think about.

'We actually need to be thinking in the exact opposite way. Every hand that we don't shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must become a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise. It is obvious that "distancing", if misplaced or misunderstood, will take its toll not only upon our community's strength and resiliency, but upon the very integrity and meaning of our spiritual commitment. …

Let's stay safe. And let's draw one another closer in a way that we've never done before.' (Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky)

School Website - Remote Learning

The school, with a huge amount of help from one of our parents, has established a Remote Learning page on our website.  I have placed the link here.

https://sjvpswaramanga.schoolzineplus.com/remote-learning

This page has links to all class communication platforms, as well as links to websites and apps that offer supplemental learning to some of the schools main programs.

The best thing about this page is that all the links are in one spot.  You will not have to troll through hundreds of emails to find the one school email that has the vital information that is eluding you.  

It is my recommendation that you bookmark the school webpage and use it frequently, as this might make things a lot easier for your Remote Learning experience.

Remote Learning Survey

As was mentioned in my Tuesday email, I will send you a survey to complete tomorrow afternoon.  It is vital that you respond to this survey, as we would like to see if the school has the correct balance of remote work that is being planned for your children. 

Newsletter Change

Next week we will be starting a new section in our newsletter that will give some snippets of information about the experiences of the teachers and children in regards to our Remote Learning Program.  There will be a sentence from every class, highlighting something that has been a success.

School Counsellor

Mercedes our counsellor is still holding appointments with students either over the phone or through a chat function approved by Catholic Care.  If you need to access the services of our school counsellor, please contact me directly so I can begin the process for your child to be seen.  

ANZAC Day Competitions

Well done to Sky, Lucia and Chloe who all wrote essays for this years Anzac Essay Competition. The children placed 3rd, 4th and 7th out of around 15+ schools, a fabulous effort.

The essay was based on a particuarly hard topic - How soldiers pay respect by reversing their rifle.

Well done girls, you have indeed represented our school proudly. 

Reach Out

If you need help for anything, please reach out to the school or someone in our community.  At this time of need know that there is always someone there who can listen to you and try and help your situation to improve.

God bless everyone and stay safe

Peter Rodda

Principal