Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week we will be conducting Assessment Conversations as part of our school’s Reporting schedule. These conversations will involve the student as well as the teacher and parents and are an important opportunity to assess how our kids are doing and to reset for the second half of the year. Each grade level is scheduled to be held on a different day and while this may cause some inconvenience, for us it is a logistical reality. This morning, for instance, we have 8 staff being replaced as illness continues to spread through our community.
Teachers will distribute Mid-Year reports at these meetings, so if you haven’t yet booked a meeting via PAM, please do so.
As we all recognise these past two and a half years have been difficult years for our children’s education, we have testing data that demonstrates that our students are still catching up to where we would all normally expect them to be, and we are still operating in a compromised environment while we scramble to do this.
Our teachers feel this pressure. I really hope our kids don’t.
Perhaps it’s my age and perhaps my personal experiences of the past two and half years that brings perspective to these pressures; the children at Sacred Heart continue to delight, surprise and intrigue us all. They have fun at school, they chase each other around, they tease and argue, they try their best, they work hard, they are creative and inventive. They enjoy being recognised for their good work, they try not to cry when they scrape their knees, but are not afraid to cry when they should. Sometimes they call out when they shouldn't or swear when they think we aren’t listening. But they are kind and helpful and they are kids that I am very proud of. I hope their parents are too. I have no doubt that together we will all continue to recover from the effects of this pandemic and that these children will grow up to do astounding things, just as those that have gone before them have.
FACE MASKS are HIGHLY recommended. This is the advice on the State Government’s website this morning. Clearly Covid-19 and the flu continue to pose a health risk in our community and, of course, none of us know where and to whom our germs may be inadvertently spread to. So care is required.
The four reasons that you must wear a mask that apply in our setting are:
1. If you have COVID-19 or are a close contact and are leaving the premises for a permitted reason. (such as school)
2. In a public indoor space if you are a close contact. (such as a classroom)
3. On public transport, in taxis/rideshare services and in tourism vehicles.(such as a school bus)
4. After being tested for COVID-19 and awaiting results. (R.A.Tests will be sent home at least 3 more times during Term 3)
Following these rules will hopefully keep us all healthy and help us to keep our school open.
Please note all of the above was written BEFORE I received advice from the Dept. of Education & the The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (refer to letter below)
We will be asking all staff and students over 8 years of age to wear a mask but cannot and will not be mandating it at this stage.
We are planning to hold an assembly this Friday 22, however we will be holding it in the Courtyard rather than the enclosed warm space of our Multi purpose Room. Parents whose children are award winners this week are invited to join us. Unfortunately, given the spread of illness in our community we will need to continue with this restriction for the time being.
Advice from the Department of Education & the The Catholic Education
Commission of Victoria
