Dear parents, students and the wider community,

Today you will find your child's last box of RAT that we have been provided with. We have no further advice as yet as to whether the school-based program will be continued but given that there has been a rise in cases this may eventuate.

Please make yourself familiar with the "Online School Lunches" page in this newsletter for those who like to give their child a lunch order every now and then. After discussions with the School Advisory Council it has been decided that a cashless approach to the providing of school lunches may work better than trying to find the correct change of a morning. We trust this helps your family.

In other changes to school routines the Uniform Shop, which for many years has been sold from our Office area, will now be sold off-site. We have had discussions with Peninsula Uniforms and they will take over providing uniforms to our families from the commencement of the 2023 school year. Most other schools use this method, including St Joachim's, and we believe this change will allow our parents greater flexibility with when they buy uniform. As a business solely selling uniforms they will be available during normal business hours for purchases.

With Winter approaching and Covid still spreading throughout our community we have had increased levels of absence from our students. We really do appreciate parents ringing through or emailing to let us know of absences but we do request you please also provide us with a reason for us to record as this is a legal document. I am also aware that some families who have not been able to leave Australia are currently overseas or planning to do so. I wish you all the very best on catching up with your families after such a long period of absence. My family too are greatly looking forward to heading to NZ over Summer to catch up with our relatives then :-).

This week our Year 3 and Year 5 students have been completing the national NAPLAN testing schedule between Tuesday and Friday. As I mentioned last week these tests provide one set of data that we use to chart student growth as many of you will be aware. The students have not appeared overawed by them which is just the result we are looking for. We want the students to do their best and try their hardest to give us another piece of information to celebrate what they have learnt and what they need to learn next!

On Wednesday evening our students began their journey in our Church towards receiving their First Eucharist. Our families and students met with other Parish families to discuss with Fr Martin and the wider Parish faith team on how this will occur. May Christ guide all who have began this journey and the adults helping them to do so within the home, School and Parish.

Tomorrow some of our Year 3-6 students will be at Ballam Park representing our school in the District Track events. Mrs Ary is looking forward to this and praying that the forecast showers will not arise. Next Friday 20 May Mrs Ary is organising for the District Field Events so there will be more correspondence from her to those who this directly affects.

Next week Mr Sullivan will be organising catch up sessions for those who missed NAPLAN through illness or other absence this week. It is important for the school to have data from as many of the student cohort as possible regarding their achievements. On Tuesday our Year 5 girls will have a chance to meet with the Kilbreda Principal, Nicole Mangelsdorf, and a couple of our former students currently studying there. As our girls are zoned to attend Kilbreda it allows them a chance to hear a little of what a Kilbreda education could offer. Wednesday night staff will be unavailable for any after school catch ups with parents as we have one of two double length staff meetings for the term where we do our annual upgrade for our First Aid Training.

We also welcome Kellie Fitzpatrick FW, Erica Brooks 1/2C and Hanna Uehara 3/4C as student teachers from Monday 16 May until June 10. We are pleased to host these students in their final rounds before they become fully trained teachers and with Mrs Winduss, Mrs Chiodo and Miss Holmes they are very lucky to have three excellent mentors.

God Bless and have a great week.

Rod Shaw

Principal

School Attendance and Unexplained Absence

Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on 9786 4736 and press 1. Please give details of your child’s name and class with a reason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.

If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school and collect a late pass.

If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.

As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:

Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.

If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.

If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.

Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.

This is a legal requirement.

Democratic Principles

The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:

(a) elected government; and

(b) the rule of law; and

(c) equal rights for all before the law; and

(d) freedom of religion; and

(e) freedom of speech and association; and

(f) the values of openness and tolerance

Wellbeing: A message to our children

Our teachers read this beautiful letter to our students this week before they started their NAPLAN. A lovely reminder to us all.