Dear Parents and Friends,

COVID UPDATE FROM MACS

The extract below is an update from MACS regarding COVID safe measures.

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Earlier today, the Victorian Government announced that existing COVIDSafe measures in schools and early childhood settings would continue until the end of Term 1.

Rapid antigen surveillance testing will continue until the end of Term 1. We are expecting that the delivery of rapid antigen tests (RATs) for weeks five and six will start from today, with additional RATs to be delivered in the coming weeks.

The testing settings will remain the same, with all primary and secondary school students and staff, early childhood education and care staff, and children aged 3–5 recommended to test at home twice a week, while students and staff at specialist schools are recommended to test five days a week.

RATs have proved an important COVIDSafe tool to help reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and ensure our schools are as safe as possible. Their use will remain voluntary for staff and students, but is strongly encouraged.

Mary Oski, Director, Learning and Regional Services from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools.

Please note, as soon as we get the RAT tests we will send them out via the oldest in the family.

Masks are still compulsory for Years 3-6 and recommended for Foundation - Year 2. Families must supply the masks.

COVID UPDATE

We have been very lucky so far in that we have only had one student who has been at school within 48 hours of testing positive for COVID.

As per our MACS Guidelines we only have to notify parents if we have students or staff who have been at school in the last 48 hours before testing positive. I do not notify the community if parents or siblings not at our school have tested positive. However, that means that our children as close contacts need to be isolated for the 7 days.

Please be reassured if we get a positive case either student or teacher who has been at school within the 48 hour period I will notify you via SkoolBag.

SCHOOL FEES

Our school fee statements were sent out this week. Please be aware that we do not generate the statements - Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) send us the statements, we check and if they are correct we send them home.

If you would like to pay your fees, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, termly etc please advise Fiona at fblair@sbmord.catholic.edu.au and she will send you through a Direct Debit Form.

For Year 6 families, the costing for camp was based on Canberra, which when we sent the forms into MACS last year was still going to go ahead. As we cancelled Canberra this year the camp fee were still on the statement. Please do not pay the camp fee until we readjust the cost once we have confirmation of the Year 5/6 camp.

If you have not received your fee statement can you email Fiona (Business Manager) on fblair@sbmord.catholic.edu.au and she will send you a statement.

PHOTO PERMISSION

Thank you to all parents who have updated their child’s permission for photos to be displayed on social media, our website, our YouTube and the newsletter.

Please be advised that if you said YES to your child’s photo being included in the newsletter but NO to your child’s photo being used on the website then we cannot put your child’s photo in the newsletter because the newsletter is uploaded to the website. If you would like to change this permission can you please go back into the Operoo and change these.

CAMP SURVEY

Thank you to all the families who responded to our Camp Survey. Sorry about the sign in glitch. We appreciate the feedback given and we will take all suggestions into consideration when we develop the camp program. Our aim for the camp program is to develop our students' confidence and resilience in going on camps and engaging in different learning experiences that are outside classroom.

Some of the suggestions/comments that we had I can address now:

Sleep out at schools - Unfortunately, due to the lack of bathroom facilities (showers) and separate sleeping arrangements for boys/girls/teachers we cannot have sleepovers at school.
Due to COVID, we will not be traveling interstate for camp at this time.
Foundation - 1/2 students will have a fun activity in the afternoon.

Once we have collated the results we will put them in the newsletter and I will then inform you of the structure moving forward.

GET TO KNOW YOU INTERVIEWS

Thank you for participating in our Get to Know You Interviews. This is such a valuable time to let your child’s teachers know things about your child so they can have the best learning experience. Thank you to those parents who offered to take on the role of Parent Reps in your child's class/year level. We will have an Information Session either onsite or virtually to discuss what the role entails. We are looking forward to working with you this year.

FOUNDATION MASS

Just a reminder that our Foundation Mass at Braeside Park is on Sunday 27th February at 10.30am. Looking forward to seeing our families there to celebrate and welcome our Foundation students. All St Brigid’s community are welcome to attend our Foundation Mass.

PUBLIC RELATIONS NEWSLETTER

I hope you all enjoyed the Public Relations newsletter last week, I thought the students did a wonderful job and I am very proud of them. This will be a fortnightly newsletter where the Public Relations team will share with our community activities that the students have been participating in and other fun activities that have been done.

SWIMMING TRAINING

Thank you to our swim team who have been training very hard ready for the District Swim Sports. I was helping out this morning and I have to say our team are so supportive and encouraging of each other as well as training so hard each session. Keep up the good work.

ST BRIGID'S OPEN DAY - TUESDAY 22 FEBRUARY

Thank you to our super walkers who dropped brochures into letterboxes all around Mordialloc, to advertise our Open Day. Open Days are a great opportunity for prospective families to see how the school operates on a day to day basis. Our Open Day times are 9.30am, 2.30pm and 7.00pm and parents can ring the school office on 9580 4518 to book a time to visit during our Open Day.

SCHOOL PHOTOS - THURSDAY 24 FEBRUARY

School photos are on Thursday 24th February. All children are to wear their full summer uniform. Hair below shoulder length needs to be pulled back.

All families received an envelope with details on how to order photos. All orders must be placed online. Staff photos will commence at 8.30am

Wishing Father Andrew a very Happy Birthday. Father Andrew will celebrate his birthday on Saturday.

Take care and stay safe.

Yours in partnership

Wendy Sullivan

Principal

Community News and Events

(Photo: Sandpit and our new pergola)

Kilbreda College

St Bede's College

Mordialloc Football Club

Mordialloc Junior Cricket Club

St Brigid's Community Hall Hire

Stem

Stingrays Soccer

Try Rugby League

St Bede's Hockey Club

Junior Rockers

AcroKids

Grasshopper Soccer