Mrs Burton 

WELCOME TRANSITION for Kindergarten 2022 

 We are looking forward to having our 2022 Kindergarten children come to big school tomorrow Friday 15th October for their first day of transition. 

Term 4

Friday 15th October - 9.00 - 2:50pm

Friday 22nd October - 9.00 - 2:50pm

Friday 29th October - 9.00 - 2.50pm

 Friday 5th November - 9.00 - 2.50pm

Transition Days for children are significant in helping children familiarise themselves with the school environment and helping to make the transition to ‘big school’ so much easier.  

P & F LONG LUNCH

The High Country Long Lunch is going ahead on Saturday 27th November.

This is the P&F biggest fundraiser and the goal is to raise the final funds for the playground project which started planning for with the 2018 Long Lunch. The project will be a huge asset for our little school.

Tickets will be $75 and will include a 3 course meal featuring local produce, access to 6 boutique beer and gin bars, a charity auction and entertainment.

Tickets are going on sale this Saturday, but we would like to give the school community early access to buy tickets so no one from our community misses out. Last time we held this event the tickets sold out within a week, so please take the opportunity to get in early and snap up your tickets as due to COVID restrictions when we are sold out we are sold out and cannot add extra tickets or offer extra tickets for people to attend.

A link will be sent out on Friday to purchase the tickets through Try Booking.

Hope to see you there!!!

P & F Street Stall

P & F will be holding a second street stall fundraiser for the year TOMORROW FRIDAY 15th OCTOBER from 8.30am - (approx.) 4.30pm.

Helpers are needed to:

- Assist on the day with the stall

Please see the below, we still need a couple of helpers throughout the day on the street stall. 

8.30am – 10.30am:         Chloe Hoy (Float/Raffle sheets/Posters) & Trina Fletcher

10.30am – 12.30pm:       HELPERS NEEDED

12.30pm – 2.30pm:        Jo Foster & HELPER NEEDED

2.30pm – 4.30pm:          Chloe Hoy & Sarah-Jane Hoy

- Provide baking to sell (Please make sure all food products are labelled with ingredients)

- Potted Succulents / Plants

If you are able to lend a small part of your day to help on the stall OR are willing to bake / pot succulents or plants it would be most appreciated. 

Thank you to Jess & Dave Healey for kindly offering to donate the wood for our raffle! 

All money raised goes back in to the school to assist and provide further opportunities for our children!

We will also be pre-selling tickets for the raffle, students have taken home this information this week. 

Please email your availability and willingness to help directly to me, chloemhoy@gmail.com or phone/text 0400 389 573.

Kind regards,

Chloe Hoy

OCTOBER - World Mission Month

Our Mini Vinnies students are currently planning some fun activities to enjoy during Mission Month,  

CraZy Sock Day          Tuesday 19th October - GOLD COIN Donation

Crazy  Hair Day            Friday 22nd October -  GOLD COIN Donation

Talent Quest                 Wednesday & Thursday Lunch time - GOLD COIN ENTRY - to watch & perform!

Guessing Competition - Starting Monday 19th October, $1.00 will get you TWO guesses!  

Buy a sock (with a surprise in the sock) 25th October  - we will have 71 Socks one sock for each student at St Pat's to purchase a sock for $1.00

Students will also be kicking goals with a 'Socktober Shoot Out at sport.'

Lots of fun while we raise money for the Kindergarten Centre in Thailand with the Good Shepherd Sisters in Bangkok.   

https://www.catholicmission.org.au/see-our-work-in-action/kusa

SCHOOL SURVEY - Rescheduled 

The surveys of Staff, Parents and Students has been rescheduled for launch this Monday 11 October 2021.

The annual satisfaction survey of parents, students and staff will be conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Diocese this term. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. Responses are confidential and individuals can not be identified. The surveys will be launched via email on Monday 11 October 2021 using the email addresses supplied to the school. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey, you can access and complete the survey at the following link. https://www.research.net/r/StPatricksWalchaPARENT2021

COVID 19 - Level 3 Restrictions for School-Term 4

Level 3 restrictions, which means non essential visitors (which includes parents) are still not able to be on school grounds. Please read the updated advice.

CURRENT ADVICE - 

Please continue to monitor the NSW Health regional and rural restrictions and the list of exposure sites and venues of concern and follow any directions from NSW Health. 

There are still a number of towns in regional NSW that are under stay at home orders. 

Please note that attending work and school is a reasonable excuse to leave home under the current stay at home orders. 

Operational matters

School operations - Level 3

All schools within the Armidale Diocese will commence Term 4 operating under Level 3 restrictions.  All staff and students are expected to be at school. There will be no provision for home learning. Schools will be required to restrict activities and, dependent on the size of the school, limit interactions between student groups.  

Masks

CSNSW has advised that under Level 3 settings, masks are required indoors and outdoors for staff. For students in Year 7 and above, masks are required indoors and recommended outdoors (unless exercising or eating). Masks are also recommended indoors and outdoors for primary students (unless exercising or eating).

It will also be mandatory for all staff and secondary school students to carry a mask with them at all times.

Full details of CSNSW advice regarding masks can be found here. 

Visitors

Non-essential visitors are not permitted in schools. Some visitors are permitted in schools based on these guidelines:

With regard to drop off and pick up arrangements, parents and carers must follow their school’s advice including staying in the car when dropping off and picking up children if it is safe to do so. 

If your child/ren cannot be dropped off/collected safely while you remain in the car, please walk with/to collect your child/ren to a point at which it is safe to return to your car, but this must be no further than the school’s gate.

Parents and caregivers should:  

• maintain physical distancing by avoiding gathering outside of school gates
• remain outside of school grounds (note some exceptions may apply regarding schools for specific purposes, vulnerable students or students with disability)
• follow mask-wearing requirements and sign in using the Service NSW QR code when entering the school for a pre-arranged and pre-approved reason.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

Our School Office hours are from 8:30am -3:30pm Monday to Friday. 

If the school phone is unattended please leave a message on the answering machine.

In emergencies outside Office Hours you can also phone the school mobile 0428772328