Issue #1 - Term 1, 2022

Dear Families,

It has been an interesting few weeks and a very strange start to the school year. We look forward to welcoming all students from R - 6 back on Monday and working with a new normal. It has been a long break for a number of families, and we are excited about having everyone back.

I would like to thank all of our staff for the way in which they have handled the situation over the last few weeks. It has not been easy for teachers navigating the hybrid learning model with some students at school and some at home, but they have successfuly provided your child with a quality educational program for the commencement of the 2022 school year.

I would also like to acknowledge and extend our appreciation to students and parents for all of your support - it has certainly made our job a lot easier!

Please refer to important information below, and I wish everyone all the very best for 2022.

To minimise movement in the school grounds, from Monday, 14th February and until further notice, no families are to come onsite, and all students are to be dropped off at the school gates.

A number of our Year 6 Leaders will be present in the mornings to help should there be anxious children who require assistance with getting to their classrooms. 

A reminder that gates open at 8:30am and classrooms at 8:50am. The dismissal bell goes at 3:15pm.

At school pick-up, Reception and Year 1 children will continue with their current arrangements. For Years 2 - 6, children will be dismissed from the classroom and they can walk to the gate. Please ensure that your child is aware of which gate you will be collecting them from.

Please bear in mind that there is a 20-minute window in the afternoon for you to pick up your child, with staff on duty at the gate until 3:35pm. Therefore, to avoid congestion, you may wish to come a little later.

Should you or your family members be accessing the Kiss & Drop Zone in the Park Lake Drive carpark, we ask that you do not get out of your car, and do not stop in the closest available park to the gate. Please drive down as far as you can and park in the farthest available park adjacent the kindergarten.

Please ensure that the above information is communicated to others who may be picking up or dropping off your child/ren.

If your child is showing any COVID-19 symptoms, they are to remain home and get tested.

Should your child return a positive test, you are to immediately email your classroom teacher and the Front Office. Your contacting us is extremely important, as teachers must 'test to stay' immediately after receiving a positive case in their class. They are then required to test for 7 days, and can return to work each day provided they receive a negative result. This process will hopefully minimise any interruption to the class. Other students in the class do not need to test, but you do need to monitor for symptoms. In addition, schools are also required to communicate any positive cases to SA Health.

Again, it is not SFX making these decisions, they are directives from SA Health. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Please note the following information around wearing masks at school:

• Children in Years 3 - 6 are encouraged to wear masks.
• Any adult that enters our school site is expected to wear a mask.
• All staff are wearing masks.

The wearing of masks is important, as we need our staff here onsite to work with your children. We do appreciate your respect of our staff and their wellbeing.  

Should you need to come onsite for any reason, please remember to check-in via the QR code upon entry.

Just a reminder that there will not be any after-school sport or music before the commencement of Week 5 (week commencing Monday, 28th February). We are awaiting further instructions from CESA and SA Health, and will continue to keep you informed as updates are received.

Our first Board Meeting for 2022 is in Week 4, and we are busy preparing for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is on Tuesday, 8th March.

At our AGM this year we will be launching our Restorative Practices Policy, as well as The Resilience Project work we are doing with the children.

This term we are very excited to launch The Resilience Project at SFX.

The Resilience Project by Australian author Hugo Van Cuylenberg (2019), highlights the fundamental importance of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) to success and wellbeing.

Staff returning in Week 0 engaged in professional learning that focused on the project's curriculum and gave an overview of each concept - Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy. The professional learning affirmed for us, the crucial connection between wellbeing and learning when working with children and young people.  

It is essential that every student have a GEM Journal (which was listed as a compulsory item on your child's Booklist). Therefore, if you haven't already done so, please pay for this urgently through KW. If required, Booklists can be accessed via our school website, and as previously communicated, any questions regarding Booklist items should be directed to KW.

Should you wish to learn more about The Resilience Project, we encourage you to explore this free online resource: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/

Our Culture of Learning is a new addition to our newsletter. It aims at sharing with you our curriculum and teaching practice. The Learning Leader works alongside leadership and teachers, modelling and monitoring effective and expected practices, always looking to find evidence of those practices that most benefit student learning.

We use data, collaboratively with all staff, to inform school planning, to select resources, and to co-lead assessment that informs instruction for all students in our care. We search for the impact of actions taken and investigate the cause and effect relationship between our practices, the evidence of student learning and the allocation and selection of resources. 

We are building our teaching and learning capacity throughout our school and we look forward to sharing our journey with you. We are thriving people, capable learners, leaders for the world God desires. 

Just a reminder that hats are required (no hat, no play), and sneakers are to be predominately white with white laces.

Please note that hats are available for purchase at the Front Office ($13).

Thank you for assisting us in ensuring that your child is in the correct uniform at all times.

WEEK 3
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time 
Liturgical Events 
Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions for large worship gatherings, there will be no Masses celebrated at school weeks 1 - 4.  

WEEK 4 
7th Sunday of Ordinary Time 

WEEK 5 
8th Sunday of Ordinary Time 
Start of LENT 
Project Compassion starts
1/3 Shrove Tuesday
2/3 Ash Wednesday
5/3 Family Mass - Saturday, 6:00pm at St John XXIII 

WEEK 6 
9th Sunday of Ordinary Time 
22/3 St David’s Parish - Parent Meeting for Communion and Confirmation at 6pm

We are still a collection point, continuing our collection of bread tags for "Bread Tags for Wheelchairs"! The bread tags are recycled in Robe, SA to fund wheelchairs for the needy, mainly in South Africa.

Please bring your bread tags to school and they will be placed in our collection box in the Mackillop Centre. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 

2022 Student Residential Address and Other Information
The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment would like to notify you that a request has been made for us to provide residential address and other information as required under the Australian Education Regulation 2013.

There is nothing required from you; however, you may wish to ensure that we have the most up-to-date and correct details for your family.

Further information regarding the collection process can be found here.