Dear Parents,

With the children returning to school next week, I would like to highlight and provide more details that have been put into place to address hygiene issues so that everyone can stay healthy. Please ensure that you thoroughly discuss the measures outlined below with your child/ren.  They are based on the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidelines which aim to establish, where reasonably possible, best practice in relation to health and hygiene at schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Arriving and Departing – Our school will be open from 8.30 – 3.30 with teachers on duty during these times. We need to respect the social distancing of adults at all times. Children are to be dropped off each morning without parents leaving their car. In the afternoon, teachers will be at the school gate and on the blacktop watching out for parents so that children can be directed straight to cars. Those students walking, riding or catching the bus will leave the school grounds as the bell rings. If parents need to see a member of staff or the leadership team, they will need to make an appointment.
• Hygiene Practices - Each classroom is supplied with all the products needed to provide a healthy environment. Students will be encouraged to wash their hands on a regular basis and will sanitise their hands before leaving and returning to classrooms. Sanitiser will also be supplied before they eat lunch and is available in all shared spaces. Toilets will be disinfected after each break. Students must bring their own water bottle each day and may bring their own hand sanitiser to school.
• Learning - Students who are returning to school need to bring all school resources that were sent home back with them for the beginning of the term. This includes books, counters, stationery, etc.
• Illness - If your child is sick, they must not come to school. You must keep them at home and away from others. If a child displays symptoms of cold and fever, such as temperature, runny nose, coughing or sore throat during the day, they will be considered unwell and you will be contacted to collect them. Your cooperation in this particular matter is extremely important.
• Cleaning schedules have been increased and resources are available onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms, toilets and common spaces. This is in addition to regular daily cleaning.
• Assemblies - We will not assemble in the mornings as a large gathering until it is safe to do so. Children will move straight to class when the morning bell rings. Prayer, birthdays and messages will be over the PA system at 9.15 am.
• Sign in/out - Students who arrive late or leave early for school on any day will still need to sign in/out. During the COVID-19 situation, the register will be on a table in the front foyer and school staff will complete the absence slips so that social distancing between parents and teachers can be adhered to.
• Equipment - With the government opening public playgrounds at midnight tomorrow, our equipment will be available for use from Monday.  Sports equipment will be regularly cleaned for the children to use.

It is essential that everyone is fully committed to ensuring that they are practising the protocols outlined above, so that the return of students to school can be undertaken as safely as possible for all those involved. We undertake to be vigilant and try to normalise the new ways of practising healthy and safe personal hygiene methods. All instructions and guidelines are designed to keep students, their teachers and the broader community free from COVID-19, as they continue their education and maximise learning opportunities.

We are thoroughly looking forward to seeing each student next week and returning to some sort of normality. It has been quite a surreal experience over the last few weeks with very few children at school and no whole school activities, but staff have been in attendance each day to check in on remote learning. Be assured that they will be safe under our care.

Kind regards

Julie

We are looking forward to seeing all of the students back on Monday!

St Bede’s Day is fast approaching and we plan to celebrate this feast day with an in class liturgy and with some poetry and headlines. St Bede was a scholar and he wrote about a great range of topics. So just like him, we are also going to write a poem or headline about our school and share them with our student community on the day. We are celebrating St Bede’s Day on Wednesday, 27 May, in our classrooms and will hold our fete in late June, all going to plan and depending on pandemic restrictions.

The enrolment period for ACT Catholic schools 

has been extended until tomorrow

29 May

Catholic Education are using an online enrolment application tool which is available on the school website

https://enrolments.stbedes.act.edu.au/act-primary-enrol/start

Hardcopy forms may also be downloaded from our website if you prefer and submitted to the school of first choice.

Enrolment forms may be lodged any time between now and the official end of the enrolment period, tomorrow, 29 May.

Please note ALL applicable listed documentation must be supplied regardless of the lodgement method. 

Offers of places for 2021 will now be made at the beginning of July.

As children are returning to school in the cooler months, some may now experience niggling asthma symptoms.  Would you please ensure that we are aware if your child suffers from asthma, however mild, and this also includes exercise induced asthma.  Every student with significant asthma should have an Asthma Management and Emergency Treatment Plan in place at school. 

Reliever medication may be kept in student’s bags/classroom/lunch box.

We are participating in the Redgum Book Club virtual catalogue this term. Every order will earn resources and books for our school. To view the current catalogue 

www.redgumbookclub.com.au

Orders will leave the Redgum warehouse within two days, with free delivery on orders over $40. For orders under $40 there is a $6.50 delivery fee.

New Release titles in the current catalogue include:

• Bluey: The Creek - Bluey is an inexhaustible six-year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience. Bluey: The Creek
• Ruby Red Shoes: My Wonderful Grandmother - There's lots to love about Ruby and Grandmother and they will touch the hearts of everyone who has ever had a special relationship with a grandparent.  From Australian author, Kate Knapp. Ruby Red Shoes
• Magnificent Mistakes & Fantastic Failures - Refreshingly simple and delightfully quirky, Magnificent Mistakes and Fantastic Failures, will help kids build resilience. From Award Winning Australian Author, Josh Langley. Magnificent Mistakes & Fantastic Failures
• Funny Kid Peeking Duck – Funny Kid is the mega-bestselling series from Australian author-illustrator Matt Stanton that’s got everyone laughing! Funny Kid Peeking Duck
• The Pug Who Wanted to be a Bunny - A funny story with an uplifting message about sibling rivalry. The Pug Who Wanted to be a Bunny
• Slime – The new children’s book from No 1 bestselling author David Walliams, a fantastically funny tale illustrated by Tony Ross. Slime
• Wink - Based on author, Rob Harrell's real-life experiences and packed with his cartoons and illustrations, this is a heartbreaking and hilarious story of survival and of finding the music, magic and laughter in all of life's weirdness. Wink
• Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty Mini: Coral Reef – This mini tin of Coral Reef colour block Thinking Putty boasts a rich, glittery blue colour but stretch it out by the light to reveal a gorgeous coral pink. Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty
• STEM Hero Astrophysics Jupiter – This STEM kit introduces children into the world of STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), through a completely new playful approach! STEM Astrophysics

If you have any questions, please email schools@redgumbookclub.com.au

Studies show that parent expectations are a powerful predictor of student success and wellbeing. As children are required to spend more time at home over the coming months, your expectations about your children’s behaviour and performance are more critical than ever.

While there may be a temptation to shield children and young people from hardship during the current COVID-19 pandemic, this is unrealistic and out of step with current societal norms. Every segment of the community including children and young people is expected to both give something up and contribute more during the pandemic.

The greatest contribution kids can make is to help their family function as effectively as possible, look out for the wellbeing of family members and peers (using appropriate social distancing measures) and to quickly adapt to the new learning requirements from school.

As a parent you should expect your child or young person to:

Help at home

More time spent at home means more mess, more untidiness and more food to prepare. It’s reasonable to expect kids to clean up after themselves, sweep floors, wipe benches, wash dishes or empty dishwashers and also contribute in age appropriate ways to meal preparation. Consider using a weekly jobs roster for the larger tasks and avoid linking pocket money to jobs. Linking help around the house to pocket money teaches children to think “what’s in it for me?” rather than “how can I help my family out?”

Behave well

The default question for kids when living in close quarters with others should be, “How does my behaviour impact on others?” If their behaviour impacts adversely on the rights and wellbeing of others, then it’s not an appropriate behaviour. A child who continually makes a noise while in close proximity to a sibling who is studying is showing little consideration. As much as possible skill kids up to resolve relationship problems with their siblings so that you’re not continually policing their behaviour.

Look out for others

Encourage children to look after the wellbeing of fellow family members. Using age appropriate language, help children understand the signs of deteriorating mental health including sullenness, moodiness, spending more time alone, shortness of temper and drooping out of family activities. Encourage children to act with empathy and kindness when family members are struggling and discuss ways that they can help including giving them space, listening and having fun at appropriate times. By helping children to look out for the needs of others, you are also helping them to build skills in expressing the full range of their own emotions.

Stick to schedules

The use of structures and routines are an essential element of family functioning, particularly during times of change. It’s advisable to make your family schedules mirror the schedules established by your child’s school. Expect children and young people to stick to the established schedules without taking short cuts,  arriving late or finishing early for online lessons. Differentiate the week by relaxing the schedule on weekends, which gives kids something to look forward to.

Show up for lessons

Expect kids to show up for school lessons with the right attitude, equipment and clothes. Wearing clothes specifically for school work helps to trigger their readiness for learning, and differentiates school time from leisure time.

Display discipline

Time spent at home requires children to self-regulate and be disciplined. I suspect that those children who do best in this time of self-isolation will be students who discipline themselves to exercise regularly, limit their use of digital devices, develop a sleep preparation routine, stick to school work routines and practise mindfulness regularly.

Expectations can be tricky to get right. Too high and children can give up. Too low and children will meet them. In these challenging times when more is asked of all of us, err on the side of the side of keeping your expectations high for your kids. They’ll more than likely rise to the new challenges that social distancing measures require of them, building their confidence, character and resilience.

Michael Grose