Dear Parents and Carers,

Thanks to all the families who joined us for the St Joseph’s Welcome Barbecue last week. This was a fantastic and extremely well attended event, organised and hosted by the staff of St Joseph’s School. This was a particularly good opportunity for our new families to get to know people at St Joseph’s. Special thanks to the staff for all their work, preparing, cooking and serving the food and helping with the clean up at the end of the night. We look forward to our Twilight Sports, another great community event, coming up this Wednesday 13 March.

Parent Helpers Course

We have had a great suggestion from a group of parents about running a Parent Helpers Course online in the evening. To enable parents to help out with tasks at the Twilight Sports, we are offering the course this coming Tuesday 12 March at 6:00pm. Parents wishing to participate will need to:

register by responding to the Google Form which will be emailed later today
attend for the entire session with their camera on (Please be in the Zoom Waiting Room by 5:55, ready for a 6:00pm start)
complete prior reading and all set tasks, including a Quiz at the end of the session (reading will be sent with the Registration form).

As well as completing the Parent Helpers Course, parents will require a current Working With Children Check, which can be applied for online at https://www.service.vic.gov.au/find-services/work-and-volunteering/working-with-children-check

Heat Wave Warning

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Heatwave Warning.

Please go to http://www.bom.gov.au for the Bureau of Meteorology Heatwave Warning.

The forecast heatwave conditions may cause health impacts in the community. Heatwaves can affect anyone. Older people, people with a pre-existing medical condition, pregnant women and young children and babies are most at risk.

Families can monitor their local weather conditions from Victoria Weather and Warnings (bom.gov.au) and respond in accordance with their heat plans.

More information can be found at:

Bureau of Meteorology Heatwave Service - http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/heatwave/
VicEmergency - https://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/
Survive the Heat - https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/campaigns/survive-the-heat

How to Survive the Heat:

Drink plenty of water. Always take a bottle with you.
Hot cars kill. Never leave kids, adults or pets in cars. The temperature inside a parked car can double within minutes.
Keep cool. Seek out air-conditioned buildings, draw your blinds, use a fan, take cool showers and dress in light and loose clothing made from natural fabrics.
Plan ahead. Schedule activities in the coolest part of the day and avoid exercising in the heat. If you must go out, wear a hat and sunscreen and take a bottle of water with you.
Check-in on others. Look after those most at risk in the heat – your neighbour living alone, older people, children and babies, people with a medical condition and don’t forget your pets.
Call NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 606 024 or see your doctor if you are unwell.
In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

Drop Off and Pick Up Protocols

Drop Off should be between 8:30am and 8:45am, once supervision has commenced.

Pick Up should be between 3:00pm and 3:15pm

Parents requiring supervision of their children outside these times are requested to make contact with CIRE Out of School Hours Care https://www.cire.org.au/oshc-yarra-junction/

When dropping students off.....

Option One:

Drive up the driveway to the Shade Sail Drop Off Zone

Child exits the car on the passenger side

Child should have their school bag with them in the car, rather than in the boot for their safety - unsafe to stand between cars

Parents should remain in the car to avoid delays in traffic flow

Option Two: (Where children cannot independently leave the car)

Parents park in the SPA Centre Car Park and walk their children up to the shade sail area

Children should not be walking in the SPA Centre Car Park without supervision

When picking students up.......

Option One:

Make a right hand turn into the Parish Driveway and drive around to the parish Carpark

Remain in the queue until 3:00pm when the children are ready for collection

Drive forward to the Shade Sail Pick Up Zone where your child will enter the car

Bags should be stored inside the car, avoiding the need for children to be walking between vehicles.

Children should enter the car via the rear driver’s side door

Children requiring access to the front seat should walk in front of their parent’s car, not behind it.

Option Two: (Where children cannot independently enter the car)

Park in the SPA Centre Carpark and walk up to the shade sail area to collect your child

Children walking home will be escorted to Milners Rd by a staff member

Children attending basketball training are to wait at the Shade Sail area to be collected by their coach

Children are not to walk to Basketball Training at the Spa Centre on their own

Children are not permitted to play on the playground after school, as this delays the pickup process

Children whose parents have collected them are not to play on the playground until after 3:15pm as other children waiting for their parents often join them, rather than waiting under the shade sails

Parents are responsible for the supervision of their children from the time they collect them from the shade sail area and should have them in sight at all times

Your assistance with the above protocols is much appreciated as this provides for the safety of the children and the smooth flow of traffic.

Stay as cool as you can this weekend.

Kind regards,

Nick.

Nicholas Boyhan

Principal

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