From the Principal...

As we come to the end of the first Semester and Term 2, I would like to thank all the staff, parents and students for their work and support so far this year. It has been a team effort to achieve the continuity and consistency of student learning as we have moved from classroom to online learning and back to the classroom. Thank you all for your dedication and efforts towards student learning.

Parent Teacher Interviews for Semester 1

Due to COVID and the changes in learning student reports will not be receiving a written report with A-E grades for Semester 1. Instead teachers will be holding Parent Teacher Interviews in Weeks 3 & 4 of Term 3 where they will discuss with parents the progress of their child and areas for development in Semester 2. From this meeting a document will be produced that will take the place of the written report. This meeting will have specific areas that need to be discussed and recorded so that all students reports have the same format. The meetings will be a Zoom Meeting between both Year level teachers and the student's parents or carers. The recommendation from the government is that Parent/teacher meetings can resume from Term 3 but there is a 'strong preference for online where possible unless involving serious matters.' (A Guide to NSW School Students Returning to Face to Face Learning.)

More details on this will be shared in early Term 3, including details on how to book your interview.

Term 3 Arrangements in relation to COVID

Major Excursions 

While we do have our major excursions planned for Years 4, 5 and 6 this year, at this stage excursions and school camps are to be reconsidered by the state government in Term 3, but under the Guide have not as yet been approved to go ahead. At present the Canberra excursion is planned/booked for Week 7 of Term 3 and Year 4 is Thursday and Friday of Week 9. We are presently working with the Catholic Schools Office to see whether or not these excursions can proceed, but it is also dependent on changes to the current restrictions. The Year 5 excursion is not until Term 4.

Assemblies

Monday morning School assemblies, for students, have resumed but are limited to 15 minutes to meet the guidelines. Parent attendance at Friday assemblies is still under consideration for Term 3  according to the Guide however we are looking at other ways to provide parents access to these events if this doesn't change in Term 3.

Drop Off and Pick Up

We will be continuing with our current drop off and pick up arrangements for the beginning of next term. Unfortunately our entrances are not conducive to us being able to maintain the social distancing requirements in the current health advice. This will be reconsidered as restrictions change but unfortunately while it remains at 1.5 metres we won't be able to change what we are doing.

Sport 

From 1 July updated health advice and changes to state and national restrictions on children’s sport and community competitions come into effect.

From Term 3, the following school sport and physical activity programs are able to recommence in schools:

·         All contact sports, semi-contact and non-contact sports

·         Inter-school sport competitions

·         Locally organised knockouts, round robins, gala days

·         School carnivals (swimming, cross country, athletics)

The Representative Sport Pathway, including state championships and knockouts for NSW PSSA  are not proceeding in 2020. All School Sport Australia events were cancelled in March, therefore no pathway exists to national championships.

Where possible, the mixing of students from different schools when not participating in the activity should be minimised. Staff supervising sport and physical activities should continue to practise physical distancing between staff and other adults (for example, at recreational venues).

Please note that under the guidelines: Spectators, including parents and carers, are not permitted within school grounds or at sporting events held during school hours.