Dear members of the St Raphael’s school community,

Today marks Remembrance Day. It is a day for reflection on the futility of war and to remember the selfless contributions of the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces to protect our democratic rights and freedom.

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November, the Germans called for an armistice in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to an unconditional surrender.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

The Battle of Pozières occurred from 23 July to 3 September 1916 and the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) lost as many men over a few weeks as it did over 8 months on Gallipoli. It is a significant battle of the First World War that changed the course of the war and the children and people of Poziere continue to honour the memories of the Australian men and women who fought to liberate their town from the German forces.

In 2017 I was fortunate to visit the small French town of Poziere and to spend a day at the small primary school in the town. It was a memorable day and the children were delightful. They learn English and have reminders of Australia all around the school including flying the Australian Flag every day, AFL footballs, cricket bats and posters and symbols of Australia in the classroom and school grounds. A new school at Pozieres is planned to be built with seven classrooms, an assembly hall and new toilets.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-to-build-a-french-village-school-after-ruination-a-century-ago-20150625-ghxn0g.html

COVID Restrictions

With the great news of the recent lifting of restrictions, we are awaiting further advice regarding the abandonment of staggered drop off and pick up times. As soon as we receive this information we will notify you via Skoolbag alert.

In the interim, we ask for your continued cooperation to social distance and to adhere to the Victorian Chief Health Officer's recommendations when in close proximity to other adults.

School Uniform

With the recent lockdown restrictions, we have extended a period of leniency regarding the children wearing incorrect school uniform during the transition back to school.

Thank you to the parents who have contacted me directly and sent a note to their child's teacher requesting special consideration for their child to wear incorrect school uniform.

As we still have a number of weeks until the end of the school year, and now that retail businesses are open, we have been enforcing the correct school uniform to be worn at all times.

We have particularly noticed incorrect footwear and sock colours. Black leather shoes must be worn with the formal school uniform.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children are wearing the correct uniform. In line with our school's Uniform Policy, children who are not wearing the correct uniform will be issued with an Incorrect Uniform Notice, and parents are asked to address this immediately.

No necklaces, armbands or jewellery.
Sleeper earrings only may be worn.
Long hair below shoulder length must be tied back in a ponytail.

Our uniform shop mums are now filling orders via the front office.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties then I encourage you to contact me directly to discuss alternative arrangements.

The uniform is an important part of our school's reputation and must be worn correctly and with pride at all times.

School Fees

2020 School fees are now overdue.

I understand that there are some families who may be experiencing financial hardship at the moment. I certainly do not want to add an extra layer of pressure at this difficult time, however, the school also has financial responsibilities and has absorbed significant unexpected costs during the lockdown period.

I have held numerous meetings with the finance team at Catholic Education Melbourne to discuss and explain our current fee collection rate and financial obligations.

Whilst I appreciate that this has been a significantly difficult time financially for many parents, I have urged parents to contact me directly if this is an issue to discuss alternative payment arrangements. This offer is still open.

The school has given substantial refunds/ credits for 2020 school fees and levies for the programs, experiences, and opportunities we have been unable to provide this year.

I am deeply grateful to those families who have chosen not to receive the refund or credit as a token of appreciation for what the school has provided to their children during the lockdown.

I also want to thank those parents who have contacted me directly and worked with the school to devise a payment strategy for the way forward. We are here to support all families in our school community and will do whatever it takes to make sure your children receive the best possible education.

Outstanding school fee/ levy invoices will be sent home in the coming weeks with an accompanying letter and follow up phone calls will be made on any outstanding amounts before the end of the school year.

Date Changes and 2021 Family Calendar

Due to remote online home learning, lockdown restrictions and the ongoing disruption to the children's learning, we have cancelled our biennial staff conference that was scheduled for Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th December. The school will now be open and operate as normal on these days.

The final day of the 2020 school year will be Wednesday 16th December. The children will finish at 1pm on this day.

We are currently finalising the 2021 Family Calendar which will be sent out in the next few weeks.

The 2021 school year will officially commence for all children in Year 1 - 6 on Thursday 28th January 2021. The Foundation children will have a specific time to come in for assessment on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January.

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