Principal's Report

Saint Francis Xavier - Principal's Report

Term 4 - Week 7

Dear Parents and Friends of St Francis Xavier,

Ms Melissa shared this prayer at our staff meeting on Monday, so I have stolen it to share with our school community!

Uncertainty is caused by situations of change that make us feel doubt, apprehension and fear! Feelings from these uncertain times cause us to focus more on what we do not know, instead of keeping our mind focused on what we do know.

We begin wondering how the change will affect us and our loved ones. We worry about the logistics of the change, and the inconveniences. All of these stresses add to an overall sense of anxiety and stress. 

Prayer during these times of uncertainty can combat this cycle.

World Kindness Day

Last Saturday marked World Kindness Day. This event is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world. The purpose of this day, celebrated on November 13 of each year, is to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together. 

Being kind doesn’t need to look or be extravagant. Sometimes the simplest things make the most significant difference! Look for opportunities while you go through your day to infuse kindness into someone’s day. It’ll change their day and yours for the better!

COVID Guidelines

Last night I attended a briefing which discussed some of the changes to COVID restrictions in Victoria which have came into effect today.

As has been the case in schools for the past 2 years now, we tend to receive our 'official' guidelines about a week after announcements are made. Hopefully we receieve our new set of guidlines soon.

One thing that MACS were able to confirm is that there will no longer be a 14 day isolation period for students and staff who have been in contact with a confirmed case at school. The procedure moving forward will be that the students have a PCR test after being informed that they have had contact with a confirmed case. They can then return to school immediately after receiving a negative result and providing evidence to the school. This will minimise the impact on working families and also ensure that students are missing the fewest number of school days possible. 

I do take some comfort in knowing that after now having two positive cases at school over the past few months, all of the close contacts who have needed to isolate have returned negative tests. I am sure part of the reason this has occurred is due to the strict cleaning, hygeine and covid-safe practices that we have embedded within the school. We will always prioritise the safety of our entire school community and do everything we can to look after each other. 

Face Masks - Grade 3-6

Could I please remind all families that students in Grade 3-6 are required to bring their own face mask/s to school each day. 

We have handed out over 150 masks in the past 2 weeks to students who have not brought their own to school. These spare boxes of masks are supposed to be for students who may forget their mask on any given day.

Vaccination Update for Visitors to the School

Although I know this is a very delicate subject, I am required to inform everybody that at a Principal's briefing on Monday, clarification was provided to schools in regard to visitors on the school site and their vaccination status. 

It was confirmed to schools that all visitors, which includes parents, carers, relatives, siblings aged 12 or older, are required to be fully vaccinated in order to attend any school events held on the school site, unless they have a medical exemption. This applies to both indoor and outdoor events.

At this point in time, this would include events such as our Family Christmas Evening on the last day of term as well as our Grade Six Graduation evening. Visitors would be required to check in to these events and show evidence of their vaccination status to staff members in order to attend. 

Obviously this is very much a changing landscape, with guidelines and regulations changing on what seems like a daily basis.  

Unvaccinated visitors and those who prefer to keep their vaccination status private are still able to enter the school grounds briefly during the drop off and pick up periods each day.

School Fees

There are still a significant number of families who have a balance remaining on their 2021 school fees. Could I please ask that you contact the office over the next 2 weeks to finalise payment. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please call the office and make a time to have a chat with me over the phone.

Again, I want to thank you for your commitment to your children’s learning and your commitment to supporting the dedicated staff of St Francis Xavier as they work tirelessly to teach, connect with and support your children on their learning.

Finally, I saw the quote below during the week and thought it was definitely worth sharing.

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Steve Peart

School Principal