Dear Parents

Welcome back to a new school year, it is so exciting that we are able to start the year face-to-face in a COVID smart manner.  I look forward to the day when not only the staff and students are face-to-face, but also our whole school community - parents, grandparents and extended family members!

I am very humbled and grateful to lead this wonderful school as Principal.  Mrs Anne Duggan left a huge ‘heart print’ on the school community and I will strive to honour and build upon the legacy she created.  I want to thank Fr Mark, the staff at St Patrick’s, you, the parents and our wonderful students for the very warm welcome I have received.  I was also able to connect with a number of parishioners during the holiday period, who were also very welcoming and I look forward to strengthening the connections between the school and parish.

COVID Safety Measures

As we enter the next chapter of COVID-19 I want to assure you the safety of your children is paramount.  We continue to minimise risk in the following ways:

• Regular hand sanitising
• Separation of cohorts through staggered break times
• Surgical masks worn by all staff as per the current Public Health Order
• Support students who wish to wear a mask (as recommended, but not mandatory)
• All staff in compliance with the current Public Health Order in relation to vaccination status
• Well ventilated classrooms
• Increased cleaning of high touch areas and sports equipment 
• Provision of RAT kits (to be conducted by parents at home only, not school staff)
• Regular and ongoing communication in relation to directives and reporting any positive cases.

Please remember that if a member of your household tests positive, the whole family must isolate for 7 days.   If at any time you have any questions or concerns I ask that you please contact the school so that we can provide clarification and comfort if needed.

Student Attendance Due to COVID related Isolation

Please know that if your child is required to isolate due to COVID this term, there is no expectation for them to do any school work at home during this time.  Rather we ask that you simply focus on their recovery.  Currently teachers are only providing one mode of learning face-to-face as we no longer use Seesaw and Google Classroom for Remote Learning.  Missing a week of school, while perhaps not ideal,  should not cause you any concern.  This pandemic has taught us that our children are very resilient.  We also know our teachers are edpt at ensuring continuity of learning upon your child’s return to school.  We certainly hope your child does not need to isolate from school, but if they do please be assured that they will catch up quickly upon their return.

Uniforms

I want to send a huge thank you to all the parents that have gone out and bought new uniforms to start the school year. Our uniform symbolises identity and unties all students.  It instils a sense of pride and belonging to the St Patrick’s community.  It was wonderful to see so many of our students wearing their uniform correctly from day one.  There were however, a small number of students wearing coloured joggers with their sports uniform.  Can I please remind you that our policy states that joggers must be predominantly or completely white.  If your child is currently not complying with this can I ask that you make arrangements to purchase the correct joggers as soon as practicable.

Parent Information Sessions

Our wonderfully dedicated teachers will be hosting a short Zoom meeting next week to introduce themselves before running through some practical information specific to your child’s class.  Links to each class meeting will be sent out via Compass.  While we would prefer to connect with you all in person, we are fortunate that we can still connect through technology.  There will be some time provided for questions, however, if you need to speak to your child’s teacher about a more personal matter please feel free to make contact at any time through the office.

Date and Times:

Kindergarten - Wednesday 9 February 6pm

Year 1 - Tuesday 8 February 6pm

Year 2 - Thursday 10 February 6.30pm

Year 3 - Thursday 10 February 5.30pm

Year 4 - Monday 7 February 6pm

Year 5 - Monday 7 February 5.30pm

Year 6 - Wednesday 16 February 5.30pm

Contacting Teachers

Unfortunately under the current restrictions, parents are not permitted to be on the playground.  We know this can make it a little more difficult to talk to your child’s teacher, however, this should not deter you from making contact if needed.  Simply call the school office and they will pass on a message to your child’s teacher, who will get back to you. Please be mindful that it can be very difficult for teachers to return phone calls during the school day. We ask for your patience and understanding, knowing they will get back to you as soon as they can. 

Ms Gabi Tobin - Principal