St Francis de Sales Catholic Primary School Lynbrook Newsletter

From the Principal

The Red Carpet is out and we are EXCITED!!

 

The time is at last here and we are so very excited to WELCOME BACK our children to St Francis de Sales. It has been so long since we saw the children's faces in the school. We just cannot wait for their return over the next two weeks!!!

 

We thank staff and parents for the great job they have done supporting the learning of our children. We look forward to continuing to work together to support our community as we transition back to school and complete the school year.

 

There are some important dates for your reference so that you know the days your child's year level returns as part of the phased return to school over the next few weeks.

 

Week 3 - 18th -22nd of October 2021

Monday / Tuesday - 

  • ONLY Grade 1s and 2s will be back at school.  
  • Foundation, Yr 3 to 6 children will be online remote learning. 

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday - 

  • ONLY Foundation children will attend school. 
  • Grade 1 to 6 will be online remote learning. 

 

Week 4 - 25th - 29th of October 2021

Monday/ Tuesday - 

  • ALL Seniors will be back at school.
  • All Juniors will be remote learning. 

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday - 

  • All Juniors to attend school ( Foundation, Yr1 and 2).
  • All Seniors will be remote learning.

Week 5 - 1st - 5th of November 2021 (Melbourne Cup Week)

  • Monday / Tuesday - No School for children (Report Writing day / Public Holiday) 

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday - 

  • All Juniors to attend school ( Foundation, 1 and 2). 
  • All Seniors will be remote learning.

Week 6 - 8th of November 2021 

  • ALL students Foundation to Yr 6 return to school.

The wearing of Masks

For all school settings, the Victorian Chief Health Officer:

  1. Directs students in Year 3 to Year 6 to wear face masks when indoors on school premises, unless an exception applies. 
  2. Younger children are encouraged to wear a mask.

There are a number of lawful reasons for not wearing a face mask, including for staff and students who are unable to wear a face mask due to the nature of their disability, medical or a mental health condition. 

A face mask must cover the nose and mouth. Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements.

 

The Victorian Government will be supplying children's size face masks to schools. However these supplies have not arrived as yet. Parents are asked to send their child with a face mask and with a zip lock bag to place the face mask when they go out to play. We will also require children to put their name on their face masks for quick identification. we will be requesting that they hand santise before and after placing the face mask on their face. Please help your child to learn how to correctly put on and take off their mask.  Maybe consider the wearing of a mask for a short period each day to get use to wearing a mask before they return to school. You may find this short video of help.

 

Your Support is needed at SFS

As we return to school we need the help of every single person, adult and child to ensure we keep our school safe and children and community protected. Help us by following these safety guidelines.

 

Please be aware that these arrangements

 will start from Monday 18th of October. 

 

 

All staff, students and visitors must sanitise their hands on arrival into the building.

At this time no parents or visitors are allowed to enter the learning Spaces. We encourage parents to find ways to reduce the need to come into the front office. If you do you must social distance and sign in using the QRcode.

 

Drop off and Pick up routines

  • We are encouraging parents to use the drive through to drop children and pick them up.
  • Parents who do walk into the grounds need to wear a mask and minimse their time on the school grounds.
  • Children are to enter and exit Home groups from the door closest to their home Group.
  • Children in the drive through will wait in Learning Space groups.
    • Learning Space 1 outside the music portable.
    • Learning Space 2 out side the red entrance on the grass.
    • Learning Space 3 out side the purple Office entrance on the grass beside the community room.
  • Parents in the drive through will stay in one line and proceed around the drop off to their child's designate pick up point. Please do not overtake to cut in while in the queue. Please be patient for the safety of all. Keeping groups seperate at the moment will help to prevent a whole school lock down if we have a positive case.

Learning Bubbles

Children in learning spaces 1,2 and 3 will be separated as far as possible for learning times and play times. We have created learning bubbles within the school to prevent the entire school needing to lockdown should there be a positive case. Thus LS1 will have breaks 30 minutes earlier each day. This will mean that between 10:30 -11 and 1-2 while at school and now when remote learning. Times stay the same for LS2 and LS3.

 

Teachers on yard duty will be from the same space. Teachers from a designated learning space will stay in bubbles by learning spaces as well until further notice. Specialists staff will minimise movement by staying with a designated space for the specialist times each day. Admin staff will minimise need to be in a space and will take all safety precautions.

 

 

 

Ventilation

Our Learning spaces have good ventilation.We will be keeping doors and windows open to ensure the learning spaces are well ventilated with fresh air flow during learning times. On cooler days please ensure your child has a jumper. 

 

teaching teams will take turns to use outdoor covered spaces when it is practical to do so for learning.

 

The Victorian Government is delivering air purifier units and we expect to receive some soon for use around the school. 

 

Vaccination

Our school is fully compliant with the Victorian Government public heath orders.

Parents are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated to keep our school community safe and open.

 

Stay home when unwell and get tested 

The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. Everyone should consider their health before they start work or attend school and ensure that they are free from coronavirus symptoms and have not had contact in the past 14 days with a person confirmed to have coronavirus or a person suspected to have coronavirus.

 

If you or your child has a positive test result to COVID, you must inform the school and quarantine as directed. Your family must also wait for a negative test result after the isolation period is over, before returning to school. 

 

If there is a positive case in your family home all members of the family must quarantine.

 

Additional safety 

  • Sharing of food is not permitted at any time at SFS and is certainly important at this time.
  • Please use non-contact greetings (not shaking hands, hugging or kissing).

Term 4 has lots of exciting events to look forward to before we complete the year. We want to finish the year well. Please help us by following the safety guidelines and please get vaccinated. 

 

Face to Face or Remote learning

Parents it is important to note that teachers can either teach face to face or online. It is not possible to maintain current remote learning arrangements when the year level is back at school. Children who are sick or cannot attend school because of quarantine restrictions, may continue their continuity of learning goal work if they are well enough. In addition teachers will provide access to Wuska, Study Ladder and the school student portal. 

 

If there is a COVID positive case in your family please quarantine and DO NOT sent your child to school. Please contact the school so we can support your family during this time.

Welcome Back to SFS

Next week we will be welcoming back Amelia to SFS. Amelia has been on personal leave in recent weeks. Amelia will be a replacement teacher should a teacher be on a period of leave, long service leave or currently on maternity leave in Term 4. We are delighted to have Amelia back.

 

Building Update

Tenders expressing interest in the construction of our multipurpose hall have submitted their interest. The process of short listing suitable builders is being completed. The short listed group will be invited to tender in coming days. Balancing the budget is a concern and we will need to review this now. In November we hope to receive our planning approval and we will be submitting our application with all documents for final approval by the Archdiocese.

Excursion Fee Credits

As no further excursions or incursions are permitted at the moment, credits have been applied to your school fee accounts

  • $130 each child - swimming levy
  • excursion levy varies depending on year level
    • Juniors                $108 credit
    • Yrs 3, 4 5             $79.10 credit
    • Yrs 6                     $ $29.10 credit  $79.10 minus $50.00    ($50 used because of the Yr 6 Fun Day)

All school fees should be paid in full by November unless an agreed direct debit payment plan is applicable. 

 

Stay safe and take care of yourself. Have a restful weekend. Let's hope the weather stay sunny and we can all enjoy the great outdoors!!

 

Christine White

Principal