Leadership & Management

Week 10 Term 3

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the end of term approaches this week, I am sure you are as disappointed as I am that we have not had the opportunity to return onsite. I want to thank everyone for your incredible resilience during this time and thank you for your partnership with the school in looking after our students. This week we will continue to work hard to support your child’s wellbeing and learning  and I again remind you to contact us should you need additional support. Stay safe over the holidays and thanks again for your support with remote learning. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS WEEK.

Monday-        Normal Remote learning Day

Tuesday-        F-2 Planning Day, 3-6 Remote learning

Wednesday-  3-6 Planning Day, F-2 Remote Learning

Thursday-       Normal Remote Learning Day

Friday-             Whole School Prayer (FB Live) School Assembly 

                          School Finished for the term at 1:00pm

                          ALL CHROME BOOKS RETURNED TO SCHOOL TODAY

Planning for teachers most of the day 9:30-2:30pm

On Tuesday F-2 teachers will: 

• meet their students in the morning for greeting
• attendance roll
• review the daily schedule and expectations
• 2:30pm the class will regroup for a whole class discussion and sharing of learning.

The teachers and Curriculum leaders will spend the day planning for Term 4. Overviews for Religious Education, Inquiry, Literacy, Numeracy, the capabilities.

Planning for teachers most of the day 9:30-2:30pm

Wednesday 3-6 teachers 

• meet their students in the morning for greeting
• attendance roll
• review the daily schedule and expectations
• 2:30pm the class will regroup for a whole class discussion and sharing of learning.

The teachers and Curriculum leaders will spend the day planning for Term 4. Overviews for Religious Education, Inquiry, literacy, numeracy, the capabilities. 

Chrome Book Returns – Friday 17th September

All  families who have borrowed a Chrome Book for remote learning please return them on Friday 17th September (after assembly). A teacher will be at the front office until 1:30pm to collect and mark your name off the list. This will allow us to check, charge and clean the devices. 

In the event we are still in lockdown first day of Term 4 October 4th, they will be ready for collection between 9-11:00am.  

PS: Please DO NOT FORGET TO BRING THE CHARGER 

TRANSITION TO THE NEWLY REFURBISHED JUNIOR LEARNING AREAS

Unfortunately COVID -19 restrictions has also affected the building industry, which means the works to our Junior Learning Areas have also slowed down.  We are nearing completion and it will be a lovely area once it is finished.  

SCHOOL FEES FINAL PAYMENT DUE THIS WEEK – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH 

Our school does rely on school fees for many recurrent costs so prompt payment is appreciated. 

Direct debit/ Internet Banking is our preferred method of payment please use the bank details below. If any families need to discuss alternative arrangements for the payment of fees, please contact me directly. 

Included the Bank details for your ease of payment: 

CDF (Catholic Development Fund)

BSB:                       083 347

ACCOUNT:          65 603 6380

REF:                       Child's name Fee Account Number

ACCOUNT TO:    St Fidelis Primary School

Please note once you have made a payment can you email Ann Russo 

annr@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au  with the amount you have deposited.

Stay safe and take care, 

Manuela Watson

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED LETTER TO PARENTS RE E-SAFETY

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy. Please know that as we travel on this unprecedented journey together that we are continually praying for your family, our state, nation, our medical teams, essential workers and all of those on the frontlines who are faithfully fighting the battle to control the spread of this virus. These uncertain times have not diminished St Fidelis' commitment to providing excellent education and continued faith education, in an effort to prepare our students for better learning outcomes. 

Thank you for all your support during these past few weeks of remote and flexible learning. We truly have appreciated your positivity, enthusiasm and ‘can do’ attitude. Considering the circumstances, the sudden switch from our normal way of learning to transitioning to a contact restricted classroom environment at home was not easy for many of us. As a principal I am proud of all the continued hard work of everyone.

As we enter in the last week of term and go into our holiday break, it is timely that we reflect on Term 3 and the opportunities, the fun times, the challenges and the impact of Remote Learning. 

The term has been a long one and hopefully we get to return to on-site learning in Term 4.

Therefore, it is important that we continue to keep our children safe as they navigate the online world.

E-Safety information for parents/carers

E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe online. We have security measures in place in school, which are constantly monitored, to help safeguard pupils from any potential dangers. Safety is taught to all pupils explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online and first term we had the Bully Zero people present to the students in order to highlight the importance of this.

We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with you to ensure the e-Safety message is consistent. Your help is needed to talk to your children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online. The widespread availability and use of social networking application bring opportunities to understand, engage and communicate with audiences in new ways. It is important that we are able to use these technologies and services effectively and flexibly. You may find you children asking to engage with technology that you have no knowledge or experience of. 

Last week, Sally Lentini our Wellbeing Leader put in some links on the newsletter for parents to use to gain more information and some strategies to keep children safe online. (see attached to this letter).

Children are accessing a greater amount of content online, than we were ever exposed to in our childhood. Remember that services like Facebook and YouTube have a minimum age limit of 13 (we have included what some of these games and sites your children maybe accessing and how to keep them safe.) They do this for a reason. If you choose to allow your children to have these accounts, then you will want to discuss with them the boundaries you expect. It is important to request that your children share their password with you, in order to keep them safe. If not, explain to them why not. 

You will find children can accidently or deliberately be exposed to unwanted or unpleasant content or comments online and there are steps you can take at home to minimise this risk.

What can parents/carers do? 

Ground Rules

Discuss as a family how the internet will be used in your house. Consider what should be kept private online (personal information, photos etc.) and decide rules for making and meeting online friends. 

Make sure you know what your child is doing online much like you would offline. 

Online Safety

Install antivirus software, secure your internet connection and use Parental Control functions for computers, mobile phones and games consoles to block unsuitable content or contact.

Remember that parental control tools are not always 100% effective and sometimes, unsuitable content can get past them, so don’t rely on them alone to protect your child.

 Location

Think about locating your computer in a supervised family area. Always supervise the use of webcams in an application, which allows voice or video chat.

Consider your child’s use of other devices that allow internet access such as Mobile Phones and Games Consoles.

Dialogue

Talk to your child and ask them to show or even teach you how they use the internet, learn which websites or tools they like to use and why. Learning together can often open opportunities to discuss safe behaviour with your child. 

Always ensure your child knows how to block or report people online who send nasty or inappropriate messages or content. Encourage your child not to retaliate or reply.

Make sure your child knows to tell an adult they trust if they see something online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable. 

 It’s essential to be realistic - banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential. 

Teach children to follow these Golden Rules!

1. Use a nickname, not your real name when online. 

2. Keep your personal information safe, share with only people you know. 

3. Use websites that are suitable for your age and remember that you are still talking to strangers. 

4. Be nice to others online, in the way you would expect other people to be nice to you. 

5. Tell an adult if you see or hear something that you think is not right.

Websites for more information:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/ click the parents section to get ideas about safety online

https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/staying-safe-onlineIdeas on how to stay safe online

https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/online-safetyAustralian Government online safety

https://danielmorcombe.com.au/keeping-kids-safe-resources/Check out the video on online safety on the website

https://www.napcan.org.au/ncpw-webinars-2021Please find a link to a series of free webinars

https://www.constablekenny.org.au/parents/online-safety/This website might be better for F-2 children

We worked through the obstacles as a united team, and were able to trouble shoot and improve things as we received feedback from our staff and parent community. Congratulations and a job well done to all. Together, we did it!

Stay well, stay safe and enjoy the holiday break.

Go out and enjoy the sunshine and the family time together.

Kind Regards,

Manuela Watson

Principal