From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

A very big WELCOME BACK to everyone in our school community! It is wonderful that the children are now back onsite, in a face-to-face learning environment. There were certainly plenty of happy students arriving on Monday and equally as many happy parents.

On the whole, the children have settled in exceptionally well to the routines and practices of school and classroom life. It is wonderful to see them engaging with their friends at the recess and lunch breaks.

Given my interactions with a number of parents at the drive-through I understand there are some very happy, yet very tired children this week.

This term we aim to continue to monitor the wellbeing of our students while maintaining a strong focus on learning, particularly with literacy and numeracy.

We also hope to offer the usual fun activities for our students, the ones that often become fond memories of their primary school years. We will be holding a Footy Colours Day as well as a Book Week Activity Day.

We are also discussing opportunities to acknowledge our graduating class of 2020. We hope that with the easing of Government restrictions we may be able to celebrate as an entire group. If not, alternative arrangements will be made.

Footy Colours Day

Traditionally at COHR we have always held a Footy Colours Day on the last day of Term 3 in the lead up to the AFL Grand Final in September. Given we are back onsite and dates for the AFL Grand Final have changed we are now going to hold our Footy Colours Day next Thursday 22nd October. On this day students are invited to wear their favourite team's footy colours. It can be an AFL football team, a local football team or a soccer team. We will let you decide.

We also invite you to make a gold coin donation to the Fight Cancer Foundation which supports kids with cancer. Kids with cancer are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and are facing prolonged isolation due to their weakened immune system. So let's help to support these children and their families.

Book Week Fun Day

Another annual event we are going to continue with in this COVID year is our annual Book Week Activity Day. On Wednesday 18th November students will be invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. The day will involve a number activities with a literacy and reading focus.

Given COVID restrictions we are unable to invite parents to our usual Book Week Parade and we are also unable to have a whole school parade. We will, however, have three level parades i.e Prep-2, Years 3 and 4, Years 5 and 6 at various times spaced through the day.

School Review

The Catholic Education Melbourne School Improvement Framework (SIF) Rubric School Review process occurs every four years and is a key component of the School Improvement Framework (SIF).

The SIF promotes an evidence and research based approach to planning for improvement within the school context and across all spheres of a Catholic school;

Learning and Teaching
Religious Dimension
Student Wellbeing
Leadership and Management
School Community

At COHR we are in our review year and currently in the final stages of reviewing our practices and processes. A great deal of consultation, discussion and reflection has taken place amongst staff over the past few months and we have just about finalised our documentation. An external reviewer will be visiting our school (virtually) on November 10th and 12th. As well as endorsing our documentation, the reviewer will be meeting a representative group of staff, students and parents over these two days.

In addition to the review process we are also audited on our school's policies to ensure they are compliant with the VRQA ( Victorian Registrations and Qualifications Authority).

COVID Safe In the Classrooms

As students returned this week, teachers revisited the hygiene practices that need to be in place when at school.

When arriving in the classroom students are asked to wash their hands or sanitize. This practice is repeated several times through the day; before and after eating, after going to the toilet, returning from recess and lunch play, in between lessons where resources are shared amongst students.

All students have access to wash basins in or near their rooms and sanitizer is available in every learning space. Students are welcome to bring in their own sanitizer if preferred.

In regards to temperature testing; 'Based on the advice of the Acting Deputy Chief Health Officer, given the current levels of community transmission in Victoria, mandatory temperature testing of all students on arrival to schools will not be required in Term 4.'

However, should community transmission of coronavirus increase, temperature checking may be reintroduced for some schools'. If this is the case we will certainly notify you of this change.

School Assemblies

Until restrictions ease we will continue with our virtual Monday and Friday morning assemblies. While these will be directed at the students we will continue to share them via the Flexi Schools App should other members of the community like to view them.

Icy poles in Term 4

This term icy poles will be on sale each Friday at lunchtime for $1. This will commence on the 30th October as tomorrow, the children will receive a FREE icy pole.

Term 4 Dates

Thurs 22nd Oct - Footy Colours Day

Fri 23rd Oct - Public Holiday

Wed 28th Oct - Education Board Meeting 7:30pm (via Google Meet)

Mon 2nd Nov - School Closure Day

Tuesday 3rd Nov - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Tues 10th & Thurs 12th Nov - School Review

Tues 17th Nov - Prep 2021 Parent Information Evening 7:30pm - 8:15pm (via Google Meet)

Wed 18th Nov - Book Week Activity Day

Fri 27th Nov - School Closure Day (Planning 2021)

Tues 15th Dec Term 4 concludes 3:30pm

Please take care and be safe.

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