Principal's Message
Dear parents, students and families,
What a wonderful first week we had. The children already sound like experts as they have commenced their term's learning of using African Drums. We had a beautiful whole school Mass last Friday that we thank the parents and grandparents for joining us that were able to do so.
Tomorrow we have our soccer team attending the Division Soccer finals in Mt Eliza and we wish them all the very best. Friday is also our annual Grandparents Day on our Feast Day. We look forward to welcoming our many visitors to this very special morning celebration.
A reminder that over the next 4 weeks a number of our students will be receiving Eucharist for the first time. We pray that the Holy Spirit helps them to develop their gifts as they move to becoming full members of the Church. Please keep Luke B, Lola T, Lawson C, Kevin C, Grace F, Oscar L, Jasper H, Logan P, Chantelle B, Oliver H, Edward K, Ziggy P and Lilith T in your prayers. Special congratulations to Lola and Luke who received Eucharist for the first time last weekend.
At the end of last term a former MACS principal, acting as a relief teacher in a Catholic School, tragically fell to his death whilst being on a school's roof.
In response the MACS CEO Mr Ed Symons alerted all schools on the 15 July that, "As I have stated previously, the safety, health and wellbeing of our students and staff is the most important priority for MACS, and therefore, following the tragic circumstances that took place last term, a careful and thorough review has commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident to identify what we can do to ensure that a tragedy such as this never happens again.
This includes reviewing our existing policies, procedures and requirements relating to roof access. I require that you direct your staff - including permanent, fixed term, casual and CRT staff and parent volunteers - that until further notice they must not undertake any activities that would involve them working on roofs, or any similar locations where there is a risk of falling.
Any contractors working for us on roofs or otherwise at heights above two meters must have the appropriate training and qualifications, risk assessments and equipment to control their risks."
As such you will understand that the only person who will be on our roof is Mr Rod Brooking, our part-time maintenance man, unless authorised and approved contractors have been employed. I thank you for your understanding and compliance.
Looking ahead to next week our African Drumming continues, our Year 3/4 students will have an excursion to the Gould League on Monday 29 July, we have a fundraiser by travelling actively to school for the "Open the Doors Foundation" on Friday 2 August and Interschool Sport commences for our Year 5/6 students against Aldercourt PS at home on that day too.
The Olympics start tomorrow too!
Kind regards and God Bless
Rod Shaw
Principal
School Attendance and Unexplained Absence
Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on
9786 4736 and press 1. Please give details of your child’s name and class with areason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.
If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school and collect a late pass.
If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.
As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:
Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.
If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.
If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.
Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.
This is a legal requirement.
Democratic Principles
The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:
(a) elected government; and
(b) the rule of law; and
(c) equal rights for all before the law; and
(d) freedom of religion; and
(e) freedom of speech and association; and
(f) the values of openness and tolerance