Newsletter: Term One, Week Five, Thursday, 3rd March, 2022
From the Principal's desk
"May the prayers and invocations that are being raised to heaven today touch the minds and hearts of those in positions of authority on earth, so that dialogue may prevail and the good of all be put before the interests of one side. We are so fortunate that our year has begun well, and we have much to be grateful for. As we look at our world, let us keep the people of Ukraine in our prayers.
(https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250222/pope-francis-on-day-of-prayer-for-ukraine-please-no-more-war)
Lent
Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday 1st March was Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is a Christian festival celebrated in many countries across the globe. It falls on the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent – a period of around six weeks leading up to Easter. During Lent, Christians give up luxuries to remember when Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray.
Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat. Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake.
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 2nd March is Ash Wednesday, and it marks the beginning of Lent. We call it Ash Wednesday because many Christians worldwide receive a cross of ashes on their foreheads. God's people have used this sign for hundreds of years. This cross of ashes tells friends and neighbours that we are not perfect and that we know we are not perfect. With God's help, we can try to reach out to others with more love and kindness, especially in our own families, our school and parish communities and in our world and think about how we can be better people.
All classes will participate in a prayer service on Wednesday afternoon.
Lent
Lent is the period of about six weeks before Easter. It is a time when we are quiet and thoughtful, preparing for Easter.
The period of Lent ends at Easter, which is a time of grand celebration as we reflect on how Jesus had died on the cross but then rose again from the dead.
Lent is traditionally forty days long. That is because the Bible says that Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, preparing for his death and resurrection.
Emergency Management Plan
An organisation's reputation, or its very survival, can be threatened by how it manages significant disruptions. Every organisation faces unique risks and pressures, and it is vital to recognise these and prepare for them.
When a crisis threatens or occurs, there is no time to teach people to respond appropriately. It must be instinctive. Therefore, it is essential to have a clearly understood, competent and coordinated approach to deal with emergencies. Across the year, we will have coordinated evacuation drills. These drills are very realistic and are designed to test our school readiness to face a real emergency. Across the year, our staff will talk to the children about what to expect and why we do what we do. They will also debrief after the event. Staff will also debrief after the event and reflect on what went well and what could be improved. The school will send an SMS to all families on the day the evacuation drill occurs.
We started our year with an audit of what our action plans look like and then participated in a practice session using fire blankets and extinguishers to put out fires.
Student Representative Council
This year we will have a school Student Representative Council (SRC)
The rationale and aims for the SRC are:
Rationale
Our school is a partnership between teachers, parents, students and the community. Student
input into formal decision-making is integral to our mutual success. A formal and structured SRC will allow students to express their views.
Aims
To provide a democratic process for effectively gathering and expressing students' opinions,
suggestions and recommendations regarding school-related issues that affect their lives.
A couple of other features of the SRC will include;
- At the beginning of each year, class teachers will oversee elections for an SRC.
- Membership of the SRC will be chosen by their peers from years three to year six.
- One member will be elected from each class in the school.
- The school leaders will also be a member of the SRC.
- Children can only be elected once as an SRC representative in their school life.
Ambulance cover
I would advise you to seriously consider joining Ambulance Victoria as the alternative can be quite costly. I was reminded the other day about how expensive the cost of an ambulance ride can be, so it is a good time to remind you that in a medical emergency the school will contact Ambulance Service Victoria to transport staff or students to the nearest medical facility. This will also apply to those on school camps.
COVID Update
Face Masks
Effective from 11.59 pm Friday, February 25th 2022, in education settings, face masks will only be required indoors in limited circumstances. This includes;
- students in year three and above at primary school
- workers at early childhood centres and primary schools
- for anyone on public transport, in taxis or rideshare services.
Premier Andrews has said that masks are still required for primary school children in grades three to six because the vaccination rate is still too low.
Hopefully, our next update will also see face masks being removed from school settings.
We have had some community or family acquired cases, and there has been some uncertainty regarding how long students are required to isolate.
Please see below for how long you have to quarantine:
Positive Cases - Quarantine: Seven days after the date you took the COVID-19 test, which confirmed you had COVID-19 - No testing requirements once you are diagnosed.
Household Contact (staying with case)- Quarantine: Seven days from the date the case took the COVID-19 test, which confirmed they had COVID-19 - Get tested on day one, then again on day six.
Household contact (not staying with case) - Quarantine: Seven days from the date when you were in contact with the case- Get tested on day one, then again on day six.
If another person in your household tests positive during your seven day quarantine period as a household contact (in addition to the initial case), your seven day period doesn't start again.
You can complete the rest of that seven day quarantine period, and you are cleared from quarantine if you have a negative result from a test taken on day 6.
However, if you test positive on day 6 (or on any day of your seven day quarantine period) your quarantine period will start again because you are now infectious with the virus. You must isolate for another seven days following your positive result.
As the term progresses, we will continue to participate in RATs until the end of the term. Thank you for assisting with testing your children twice a week. I think that this has been a good initiative to keep students safe and prevent lockdowns. Please remember to let us know if your child's test is positive and report it using the government code.
We no longer need to sign in with the QR code when you visit the school.
Adults must wear a mask when visiting the school.
Regular RATs will continue until the end of Term 1. We will continue to supply you with a box of 5 RATs per child every fortnight. The dates to expect the RAT's to appear in your child's bag will be on or around:
- Monday, February 28th
- Tuesday, 15th March
- Monday, 28th March
School Rewards at the Athletes Foot
SCHOOL REWARDS At the athlete's foot
We are committed to supporting local schools
and helping our community make the most of every dollar spent,
but we need YOUR help.
HOW DOES THE SCHOOL REWARDS PROGRAM WORK?
For EVERY pair of shoes you or a family member purchase ...
How does the School Rewards program work in-store?
The Athlete's Foot will donate $5 from every pair of shoes purchased
from your local The Athlete's Foot store as nominated on your registration form
by any of the school staff, students or members of their families to your school.
All you have to do is nominate your school at the time of purchase
for the sale to be counted towards the Program Rewards.
School rewards apply for every pair of shoes purchased across the complete in-store range of adults and/or kids' sports, school, work and casual shoes.
A huge thank-you to Erin Tout, who has made this happen in our school.
Lunch Bags
Lunch bags are provided when your child first enters our school, over time, if a bag is lost or damaged, the replacement cost for each bag is $5:00. So please get in touch with the front office to receive your new bag.
Staffing Update
We have employed a new school admin officer to replace Mandy Simpson. Her name is Karen Williams. Karen comes across from the Melbourne zone and brings a wealth of admin experience. Karen will commence her duties on Monday, March 21st.
We have also employed Gersen Moreno to work with a student transitioning from the Philippines to Australia. She will spend the mornings in our year three classroom.
We welcome both ladies to our community. Please take the time over the next month to introduce yourselves and extend a warm welcome to St Augustine's.
Parent Teacher Meetings
These will occur after school on MONDAY, March 21st, TUESDAY, March 22nd, WEDNESDAY, March 23rd and THURSDAY, March 24th. This is an opportunity to chat with your child's teacher to inform them of any relevant information relating to issues that might affect your child's learning. The meetings will take place via a zoom link, more information to follow on times and linkups etc.
Pupil Free Days
A reminder that two pupil free days are scheduled for Thursday, March 10th and Friday, March 11th. Therefore the school will be closed on those days.
