From the School Leadership Team,

From Mr. Chant.

COVID restrictions are slowly changing. We are now not recording QR codes, but maintain strict entry protocols and expectations inside our buildings.

The numbers of positive cases in our community remain stable and relatively small. Your continued support and active management of the testing procedures and periods of isolation has made sure our school is managing the spread of COVID as best we can.

Children walking into the school each morning by themselves has been a great innovation at our school post the numerous COVID lockdowns and return to school. We are asking families to support this entry strategy, encourage your child to make their own way to class and be in the yard after school (if you wish) to collect your child. Gates are closed at 3.45pm by staff on duty. Gates open at 8.45am and children are expected to enter their classes, hang up their bags, set up their work space, read a book, converse with friends and be ready for their learning day to commence at 9.00 am. We are wanting children to be on site and through the gates by 8.55 am at the latest. This means learning can commence on time. Attendance rolls are marked at 9.10 am. Late arrivals are signed in by a parent at the office.

This Monday is an important day for the administration of the school. All students are included in the annual census and our enrolments today will determine the allocation of central funding from the Department of Education. Accurate attendance data is critical and your support in recording absences and using COMPASS so effectively has made the process so much easier to complete.

A reminder of the public holiday Labour Day holiday on Monday, 14th March.

The last day of term 1 is Friday, 8th of April.  School finishes one hour early on terms 1, 2 and 3 and finishes 2 hours early on the final day of the year.

The swimming carnival was an amazing success on Wednesday. 

Thank you so much to the families who assisted at our working bee last weekend.

As part of our ongoing support of the French Film Festival we hosted a screening of the French film, Maigret on Wednesday night at the Palace cinema in Brighton. We were able to extend an invitation to staff, community members, convenors and many people connected to the school. Thanks to those who attended, were involved in organising the guest list or had some part in organising this wonderful event.

https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/melbourne

School Council elections are underway and we have attached some important candidate information within this newsletter. Ballot forms are being distributed next Monday, 28th February and need to be back into the ballot box located at the main school office by Monday, 7th of March at 4.00 pm.

At CJC we encourage our parent/carers to volunteer for class convenors roles. Class convenors are essential to relay important information via WhatsApp, share experience and support our parent/carer community.

Some of our classes do not have a class convenor yet. If you would like  to volunteer, please contact Martine Inge : martineinge@gmail.com.

Here are the classes  looking for a class convenor : Prep B, 1/2B, 1/2C, 1E, 3C, 3D, 5/6A, 5/6B.

A reminder of the "Raising kids in a digital world" webinar on March, 3rd.  Details included within this newsletter.

Recently I was contacted by a number of parents expressing concerns about unsafe driving and parking around our school during morning drop off time. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing issue in our school community and puts the safety of our students at risk.

On my morning gate duty I noticed cars double parked for children to exit, cars stopping in our local streets to drop children off and cars pulling into and across private driveways.

Please familiarise yourself with the expectations when dropping off children at school in a vehicle. These parking guidelines come from Glen Eira City Council and will be reinforced by the local police attending on-site. 

U turns in Balaclava Road are illegal - not to mention extremely dangerous!!!

From Mr. Borg.

Assistant Principal

Communication at CJC

WhatsApp is a great tool for connecting groups of people and enabling them to communicate for free. It’s also a beneficial tool for our class convenors to share information regarding important community events or classroom reminders. As a school, we value the partnership we have with our parents/carers and acknowledge the importance this relationship plays in supporting all our students to succeed.

However, it has come to our attention, that at times, WhatsApp has been used in a manner that is not conducive to positive relationships at our school. As the adults in our school community, we must ensure we are setting a good example for our children and the wider community. There have been occasions when the messages sent in these groups or in other side groups have been shared wider and not been kind towards other parents, our teachers and even students at our school.

While we cannot enforce any actions regarding WhatsApp, we strongly encourage anyone using this or similar apps to be mindful of what you are writing, as it can be hurtful and lead to bigger problems. Schools are complex institutions and this form of communication adds another layer of complexity that takes away from our focus – the wellbeing and academic needs of our students, your children.

If there are concerns that relate to the school, please come and speak with us. Our door is always open to you and we want to work with all our parents and wider community to make CJC the school of choice in our area.