Dear Parents & Guardians,
This week has been a really unusual week for me. I will admit to being something of a workaholic and having so much time away from school has been really unusual. I thought I might have some miracle, good-luck charm but appears not, and the dreaded C-19 finally caught up to me.
This is a reminder to us all I think to make sure that not only keep ourselves healthy but also that we are mindful of the health and wellbeing of the rest of our community. Please remember that if your children are unwell, they should not be at school. While I appreciate that this can be inconvenient, especially when parents and guardians are working, the health of our community is paramount.
While the COVID situation has abated, there are guidelines that our school is required to follow that are set by our Governing Authority. These ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our school safe for all children and an environment that can focus on learning.
Please note the following from the latest CECV Guidelines:
“A ‘suspected’ case means a person who displays any COVID-19 symptoms who has not yet tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member, student or visitor who is symptomatic should be recommended to undergo testing for COVID-19. Parents of students who are symptomatic should be asked to collect their child from school and to keep them home until they are no longer symptomatic.”
“Students who report a positive result are recommended to isolate for a minimum of 5 days and not attend school until their symptoms have resolved. Students who isolate as a result of a positive COVID-19 test should be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided to support their continued learning.”
EASTER WEEK 2023
Holy Week Important events: The holiest week in the Church year!
April 2: Palm Sunday: Celebrates Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
April 2 – April 6: Holy Week: The week leading up to Easter.
April 6: Maundy Thursday: Commemorates the foot washing and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the
Apostles.
April 7: Good Friday: Commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
April 8: Holy Saturday: Jesus’ body resting in the tomb.
April 9: Easter Sunday: Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his victory over death.
WHOLE SCHOOL HOLY WEEK REFLECTION DAY
Next Monday April 3, from 9:00am the whole school will
celebrate the important events of Holy Week.
Our school community will reflect on the significant
religious events of Holy Week through prayer and Liturgy, reflective activities and a gallery walk of the Stations of the Cross. Each Learning Community will lead parts of the reflection activities.
The Exploration &Discovery Learning Communities will begin the day with a Liturgy at the school. Through prayer, a re-enactment and singing, we will reflect on the events of Palm Sunday.
The Curiosity Learning Community will lead prayer during the liturgy and will remind us of the significance of the Last Supper, Eucharist and the Blood and Body of Christ.
The Challenge Learning Community will lead the Stations of the Cross, through prayer, reflection and a re-enactment of each station as we reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus. The whole school will gather to walktogether and reflect at each station.
Invitation to Parents from 3.15pm
Parents are invited to view these stations which will be on the screens in each classroom from 3:15pm. You
are invited to join us in prayer and reflection to view the Stations of the Cross. Viewing will start at 3.20pm
sharp, you are welcome to sit in any classroom to watch the Stations of the Cross reflection with your child.
EASTER RAFFLE
A big thank you to Mystic Plaster Ltd, (the company owned by the husband of Exploration 3 Learning Community teacher, Renee Clapton) who have generously donated the three main prizes for our Easter Raffle.
Please continue to donate Easter Egg prizes for the Easter Raffle. These should be handed into the school office by the end of Tuesday. The more prizes we have, the more happy children wh
o can potentially win an Easter Egg!
All money raised will go towards Project Compassion, to support the work of Caritas Australia, who help many communities around the world. Your donation and prompt return of tickets will be greatly appreciated.
CURIOSITY CAMP TO CAMP SUNNYSTONES
On Tuesday and Wednesday last week , 57 excited students from the Curiosity learning area and 8 staff members participated in an overnight camp to camp Sunnystones.
While at camp, students participated in a range of outdoor activities from Archery and Bush Cooking, through to Canoeing and Survival Games. All students had a fantastic time at camp and displayed outstanding behaviour at all times. From a teacher’s perspective it was great to see the friendships formed between students, the students enthusiasm and ability to have a go at all activities and the overall positive attitude on display. Congratulations to all students for what you achieved on camp and a very big thank you to all the staff who gave up their own time to make this camp possible.
Jay Russell (Curiosity 1 teacher).
KISS N’ GO SAFETY EXPECTATION
While we are loving our Kiss n’ go, there are still some parents and guardians who are not following the expectations provided to ensure the safety of our children.
As indicated in the newsletter last week, parents and guardians should not use the footpath as a shortcut to collect your children from school. If you have parked and are collecting your child from the classroom door, you must use the foot path on the road instead.
Also, please do not enter the Kiss n’ Go from the roundabout on Waterway Boulevard. As it stated in the original expectations provided to parents and guardians, you must do a loop of the school block and enter the Kiss n’ Go from the south end of Brewer Way (see below). It is not fair to jump the queue and there is a safety concern with cars backing up on Waterway Boulevard which is already very busy at the beginning and end of the school day.
SCHOOL PHOTO DAY
Our apologies that we were forced to reschedule the school photos given the number of children and staff away. Had these gone ahead, we would have looked like we had a very small school indeed.
The admin team are now arranging an alternative time, hopefully next term.
2024 ENROLMENTS
Our enrolments for 2024 are now open. If you know any families who are interested in an enrolment for 2023 or 2024, please encourage them to contact the school office.
God bless,
Bill Hill.
PRINCIPAL