COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,

The rapid evolution of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak continues to be a challenge for

everyone in education. I am aware that it has caused concerns for parents, staff and

students.

Because the health and safety of our school communities is our highest priority, the school’s

decision to stay open is based on advice from the Australian and Victorian Chief Medical

Officers. At the time of publishing il giornale, the advice from Dr Brett Sutton, Victorian Chief Health Officer, is that ‘pre-emptive school closures are not likely to be proportionate or effective as a public

health intervention to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 at this time’.

When advice from the Chief Medical Officers changes, we will communicate those changes

to our school community. Until that occurs, your child’s education at school is our focus at

St Anne’s College.

We continue to actively monitor developments, and are working closely with Catholic

Education Sandhurst. The Diocese and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria are

partnering with the Victorian Department of Education and Training and Victorian

Department of Health and Human Services to ensure our practices reflect current advice

and support the needs of our school community.

I am receiving regular updates from the CECV and Catholic Education Sandhurst, and am

ensuring my school leadership and staff are aware of coronavirus reporting and

management practices and are well placed to respond as circumstances change. School

leadership and our teaching staff are committed to ensuring that learning remains available

to students as part of all students’ entitlement to access the Victorian curriculum.

We have plans in place to support students to learn from home, but while we remain open

the emphasis will be on the learning and teaching currently in place in the classroom.

The methods our students will use to access this learning will be a school-based decision,

and will vary according to need and context. We already have localised resources and ideas

for supporting students’ learning from home. Where students do not have access at home

to online learning, parents may ask for hardcopy exercises from their child’s learning mentors.

Learning from home requires careful management and commitment- from the learning mentors,

students and parents. For it to be successful, all parties must support the process.

Please contact your child’s pastoral group leader directly to discuss educational continuity options.

Should you have any concerns relating to school operations, or the health and safety of

students, please do not hesitate to contact me. Be assured, the wellbeing of every student

at St Anne’s College is our highest priority.

- Sue Carroll, Principal

Please find below some helpful resources to support families in communicating with their children about the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak:

https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus

- Author: Dr Camilla Rosan DClinPsych CPsychol, Clinical Psychologist

and Programme Lead for Families, Mental Health Foundation

Concerns And Queries Communication Steps

Just a reminder to all parents/carers that if you need to get in contact with your child's Pastoral Group Leader, you can contact them via their work email listed below:

School of Wonder

Roslyn Heathman: rheathman@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Kate McGrath: kmcgrath@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Laurel Baxter-Butts: lbaxter-butts@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Kara McCann: kmccann@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

School of Innovation - Year 7

Marian Segrave: msegrave@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Keshia Dean: kdean@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Sean O'Brien: sobrien@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Stephen Kealy: skealy@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

School of Innovation - Year 8

Christian Steri- csteri@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Sarah Baglin: sbaglin@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Adam Zito: azito@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Nicole Leys: nleys@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Specialist Learning Mentors

Rebekah Watts: rwatts@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Linda Alampi: lalampi@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Ebony Anderson: eanderson@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Kate McGrath: kmcgrath@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Cosimo Rando: crando@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ONLINE PROGRAM

Dear Friends,

As a response to the COVID-19 outbreak and widespread ‘lockdowns’, I CAN Network is offering an April 2020 School Holiday Online Program nationally. We want to ensure our Autistic kids and teenagers experience connection, belonging and self-esteem during this period of extraordinary disruption. Our staff have been the young people we serve: Autistic young people are our top priority.

The below options and dates will accommodate school holidays across all Australian States and Territories.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM?

The program is our usual six session online group mentoring program delivered during the school holiday period. Participants are in online groups of up to eight Autistic young people. The topics include managing change and anxiety, social interactions, understanding Autism and leveraging strengths. The topic is explored through games, discussion and presentations.

The program can be built into NDIS plans.

WHEN ARE THE PROGRAMS RUNNING?

The program will be running as six 1-hour sessions (11AM - 12PM AEDT) on each of the following days in either program cycle.

Cycle One Dates:

Monday 30th March

Wednesday 1st April

Friday 3rd April

Monday 6th April

Wednesday 8th April

Friday 10th April

Cycle Two Dates:

Monday 13th April

Wednesday 15th April

Friday 17th April,

Monday 20th April

Wednesday 22nd April

Friday 24th April

WHAT IS THE COST?

Cost: $252 AUD GST free for the six sessions (NDIS Report available at an extra charge)

IS MY CHILD/YOUNG PERSON ELIGIBLE?

Participants in the I CAN School Holiday Online Program need to be in the following age groups:

9-12 years old
10-13 years old
13-15 years old

To be considered for any of the small group programs above the below conditions need to be met and accepted:

Currently in one of the age cohorts specified.
English speaking
Aware that they are Autistic
Comfortable engaging online and understanding that this may provide some sensory challenges for individuals who are sound sensitive (the online environment may prove to be noisy in some sessions).
Can attend the allocated day and time: this is not flexible nor will change.
Are aware that an expression of interest form has been submitted and are willing to participate.
Understand that a cancellation policy is in place and is willing to accept its terms upon acceptance of a spot.
Will need to be able to abide by our ICT terms and conditions which ensure online safety and positive cyber participation.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

Given the short turnaround time, families will need to respond to an offer of a place within two days of the offer being sent or it will be forfeited to another participant. It is important to provide the correct email and phone number when expressing interest.

Please note that the content will be similar to I CAN Network’s national evening program. Therefore if you are enrolled in the March 2020 program please note there may be overlaps in content if you choose to participate in both.

Please use this FORM to express interest in our I CAN School Holiday Online Program and you will be contacted when a spot becomes available: CLICK HERE

Take care and we look forward to seeing you online!

I CAN Network Team

Sandpit Pack-Up After School

If using the sandpit after school please ensure that you are doing your best and respecting everyone and everything by returning the equipment to the correct space so that it is not being left out in the weather overnight. The sandpit equipment needs to be returned to the storage box outside PG KL each afternoon. Parents are asked to please ensure that they are supporting their children with this.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

Please read the following information to see if you are eligible. Printed copies of the forms are available from College Reception.

SIMON/PAM

The Parent Access Module (PAM) for our learning management system (SIMON) is an important source of communication between the College and families. PAM is the portal through which parents can check on learning areas, send parent notified absences, access school activity permission forms and check daily messages. It is also the portal through which you will access your child's reports. It is important that you log in to PAM daily to check any updates or notices.

If you have misplaced or forgotten your login details you can contact administration at office@sackialla.catholic.edu.au

Music Lessons

Shannon will also be offering keyboard lessons in 2020 during school hours at St Anne's College. Contact her directly to discuss her availability.

Catholic Schools Parents Victoria

To read the current issue of CSPV use the following link:

https://vcspb.schoolzineplus.com/streamnews?nid=6

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

Schools today are facing intense scrutiny and are under tremendous pressure for improvement compounded by major issues that place significant demands on our schools. Some of the issues are:

Increasing diversity of student demographics;
Changing home structures and complex family relationships;
Decline in students’ social skills, coupled with increased social media issues and cyber safety;
Antisocial behaviour in schools is on the rise and becoming increasingly more complex;
Increase in mental health and school attendance concerns;
Students with special needs and/or complex backgrounds coupled with diminished behaviour management skills of staff and subsequent increased stress levels;
Stringent academic accountability positioned against low or underperforming student academic achievement;
Inefficient and ineffective school organisational systems and procedures for the management of student behaviour.

St Anne's Colleges expectations from all its members are quite simple:

Respect everyone and everything

Do your best

Help others succeed.

At St Anne's this looks like:

Calm, quiet and peaceful
Equipment and materials neatly stored
Sharing our space
Returning materials to their place after use
Waiting for your turn
Lead by example
Offer a helping hand
Being patient, thinking twice, acting once

At St Anne’s College, in faith, wisdom and learning, we:

are wise about what we do, we know our impact.

What does this look like in your home?

Community Events

Events Cancelled

Catholic Schools Parents Victoria