Well Done Everyone!

Well done we all managed Week 1 & 2 Online Learning. Thank you parents, children & staff for your hard work with the Online Learning. At times it has been a challenge to have all things working smoothly but most issues have been able to be resolved by working together in these unusual circumstances.

Week 3 & 4 we begin our staged return to school. I emailed families on Monday afternoon outlining the process and I am very happy to chat with parents about any issues the staged return to school has for them & their children.

Important Information for Weeks 3 & 4

Attendance - Infant Monday & Tuesday, Primary Wednesday & Thursday. School will also be open to the children of frontline workers & those students that do not have adequate supervision/care at home.

*I have received calls from Families to discuss students attending school on days other than their class scheduled days. Please phone school and speak to me if you have any concerns or questions about Week 3 & 4 and your child's attendance.

Learning experiences - The teachers will continue to provide the Online Learning in Week 3 & 4. Students who attend school will undertake the same online learning experiences as those students who continue their learning from home.

Health and hygiene - Regular washing of hands & the regular use of hand sanitiser is required at school throughout the day. Additional daily cleaning of high use surfaces in classrooms / buildings, toilets & playground will take place. Social distancing will be encouraged with students. 1.5m with adults - teachers and parents. We ask that parents wait outside the school grounds at the beginning & end of the day - Drop Off & Pick Up time. The children will be brought to South Street by a teacher at PICK UP TIME each afternoon 3pm.

Students who become unwell at school will be moved to the sickbay. Parents will be called to collect students who are unwell.

High-risk students and staff - any Students & Staff who meet the NSW Health of ‘higher risk’ should not attend school.

Students returning to school will need to:

Wear their school uniform,

Bring their own food & water bottle, (students are not permitted to use the bubblers except for refilling their water bottle),

Bring the equipment supplied for learning at home.

COMPASS

I am writing to introduce you to an exciting development for the parents of St Patrick’s School. From 5th May our school will begin using Compass as our Parent Portal. You will have access to up-to-date and meaningful information about our school and your child. Please note not all features will be available when you first access Compass. Modules will be released gradually to our parent portals. As modules become enabled parents will be notified.

It is most important that you keep your Username and Password secure, just like your bank account details. They should not be shared with anyone, including your children.

You are now able to login to Compass using your unique Username and Password which was sent to you via email. Please take the opportunity to login. If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact our School Office on 6777 2328 during school hours or email spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all our mums. We hope you all have an extra special day on Sunday - you all deserve it!

THANK YOU P & F

Thank you to the P & F for organising the Pie Drive - Trina FLetcher & the Mother's Day Gifts - Chloe Hoy.

Keeping in Touch - Zoom Meetings

It is important that the children are in touch each day with school. This could be by Google Classroom, email, phone or Zoom.

Zoom Meetings are today & Friday:

Friday 9am Whole school – these Zooms will be about weekly news, messages, birthdays, school prayer, updates.

Thursday Classroom Zooms

Kinder 10am, Yr 1/2 10:30, Yr 3 /4 11am, Yr 5/6 11:30am

Week 3 & 4 Zoom Meetings will be organised by the classroom teachers. NO whole school zoom on Monday & Friday week 3 or 4.

Social Distancing

Parents are encouraged to continue discussing the importance of social distancing with their children. Where possible at school, students will be encouraged to be 1.5m apart.

Adults at school are required to be 1.5m apart. Please be aware of this when you come into the school office area. Also parents please wait in South Street for Pick Ups after school. A teachers will bring students to the Pick Up Area at 3pm.

Washing Hands

Hand washing is crucial in the fight against colds, flus and COVID 19. Please encourage regular washing at home so students remember to do this when they return to school.

I am only a phone call away if you need a chat.

I am happy to help in any way I can. Please call or email, no question or concern is too little or not important. ph 67772328

Thank you for our Morning Tea

This week we received a a morning tea box filled with goodies from St Joseph's in Uralla. Schools across the Diocese are paying forward morning tea for staff to acknowledge the amazing work they have been doing in the very unusual time - Covid 19!

Term 2 & 3 Winter Uniform

Please start to get the Winter Uniform organised for when we start to return to school. It sounds like we will need our Winter Uniform as the cold mornings have arrived.

UNESAP - Let's Hang It!

Changes to the Art Show for 2020

The current restrictions relating to COVID-19 have impacted on this year’s University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize (UNESAP) Let’s Hang It! exhibition. We have made the difficult decision to cancel the physical presentation of awards and display of the students’ works and pivot to an online exhibition.

We thank all the schools and students who have contributed so enthusiastically in the past and we hope teachers will encourage their students to participate again this year despite the changed circumstances.

The submission period for entry opens Monday 18 May and closes Friday 15 June 2020.

The new method for delivery of entries will be as follows:

Artwork to be photographed by student/family member
- Landscape or portrait orientation to match work, jpeg
- Jpeg files to be named using the following protocol:
  - Year of School_Surname_First Initial
  - e.g. Yr8_Hungerford_B
Teacher to collate all entries and completed entry forms
- Entry forms to be titled the same as the jpegs (Word or PDF)
- e.g. Yr8_Hungerford_B
Teacher to send entries (including entry form) digitally to exhibitions@neram.com.au using the free (up to 2GB) ftp site We Transfer https://wetransfer.com/

The selection process will take place remotely and schools will be notified of any finalists. Finalists’ works will then need to be posted or delivered to NERAM to be professionally photographed for the online exhibition.

Details regarding the publishing of the online exhibition and announcement of the award-winners will be confirmed shortly.

Yours sincerely,

Belinda Hungerford

Manager Exhibitions & Curatorial

Mini Vinnies

Thank you children who made cards and flowers for Mother's & Important Ladies who are residents in our local Nursing Home or Hospital.

Mini Vinnies Executive Positions 2020