Principal's Message

Dear Galilee Parents and Carers

Congratulations for all the wonderful work you are doing at home with your children during remote learning. It is great to hear that many of you are taking your children out for exercise breaks during the day - it is hard for adults to remain focused when working from home let alone young children! The teachers are so impressed with all that you have been managing and understand that from time to time you and your children just need a break from it all.

What is lockdown fatigue? 

Lockdown fatigue has been described worldwide as a state of exhaustion caused by the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the changes it has caused to every aspect of your life. It is a state experienced when people have had to come to terms with a virus that has affected every aspect of their life, including their freedom, and which has continued for months, sometimes with no end in sight until a vaccine or treatment is discovered. 

With this in mind, again, I thank the parents keeping their children at home in order to comply with the health orders. We know home learning is tough. It's difficult for children to concentrate, there's emotional exhaustion, boredom, a lack of motivation and it's really hard on the family whilst both parents are also trying to work online. We also know home is the safest place for your child. Unfortunately, the school gates do not keep COVID out of the school. 

I have asked our school counsellor Helen Gunter to share some advice and tips for families trying to survive these hard times. The details are on the 'Wellbeing' page.  

Contact from Class teachers 

To ensure that you remain connected to your child’s teacher and your child’s participation in remote learning, class teachers will continue to be calling parents each week. If you see a call displaying “No Caller ID” this could be your child’s teacher and we would appreciate you taking the call.

Attendance 

It is a mandatory requirement that teachers record daily attendance of students. During Remote Learning, teachers are monitoring the students engagement with their Learning Schedules and their work submission on Seesaw and Google Classroom so that they can validate students' attendance. If your child is sick or unable to complete class work on a particular day, please inform Elyse in the office or emailinfo@galileebondi.catholic.edu.au

so that their attendance can be correctly recorded as an absence. If the teacher’s notice that your child has not engaged in the learning they will be in touch to inquire as to the reason for this and to offer support if needed.

Sydney Catholic Schools Family Forum

STUDENT WELLBEING WEBINAR: Register NOW for Sydney Catholic Schools’ next online and interactive Family Forum on Monday 23 August at 6.30pm. 

Hosted by our Executive Director Tony Farley. The interactive forum will focus on Student Wellbeing and explore initiatives to support our students. 

To register, visit: https://fal.cn/3h4sA

Lockdown Concert 

Thank you to Mrs Sayers who has organised the Amber Lawrence Lockdown Concert on Friday 27 August at 12 noon. All encouraged to attend. 

Wellbeing Week 

In week 8 we will be promoting Wellbeing Week. There will be a wellbeing activity each day for students and families to participate in. We hope you take part in this initiative and find it beneficial, spiritually, physically and emotionally.

Regards

Anna Novak

Principal