Newsletter: Term 3, Week 2

Dates to Remember

COVID Update

As you would be aware, following advice from the Acting Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government recently announced changes to the pandemic orders.

There will no longer be a mandated vaccination requirement for staff working in mainstream schools.

With almost 100% of school staff vaccinated across Victoria, this will cause little change to our school.

As part of the changes, from 11.59 pm Friday, June 24 2022, parents and carers who have COVID-19 can transport their non-COVID-19 children via private vehicle to their primary or secondary school when an alternative person is not available to assist. This will include school holiday programs held on school grounds.

This means that parents and carers can leave COVID self-isolation to take their non-COVID-19 child to school or school holiday programs via a private vehicle.

The parent or carer must travel directly to and from the school only. They must always remain in the vehicle unless it is reasonably necessary to safely leave the vehicle to walk the child to and from the school entrance. They must wear a face mask at all times.

Family members are asked to continue reporting positive COVID-19 cases to the Department of Health.

You must also let the school know if your child is a close contact. Students who are close contacts and want to attend should still take 5 RATs over seven days and wear a face mask whilst indoors if they are aged eight years or over.

Students should stay home if they are unwell, even if they test negative on a RAT.

I appreciate your support as we continue to make these adjustments.

We have experienced a considerable spike in infections within our school this week, and therefore we are asking visitors to please wear a mask when visiting our school. In light of the events this week, it is highly recommended that students from years three to six start wearing masks again.

National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

W​hat is the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data? Schools must complete the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year in August. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments or 'help" at school because of a disability.

The NCCD helps governments plan for the needs of students with a disability. Previously Catholic schools in Victoria accessed additional funding for their students with disability through the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) Students with Disability (SWD) program. The NCCD has replaced this program and will ensure consistency across the country, from state to state and from sector to sector.

 To count a student in the NCCD, schools must consider the following:

1. Does the student require adjustments to be made so they can access the curriculum on the same basis as their peers?
2. Does the student have a disability according to the Disability Discrimination Act?
3. Have the student's parents or caregivers consulted regarding these adjustments?
4. Is there clear evidence of the above to support the inclusion of the student in the NCCD?

A huge thank you to Celly Csorba, who coordinates this process in our school.

Parental Consent - Changes to the law (Australian Education Act 2013 and the Australian Education Regulation Act 2013) mean that schools do not need to ask for parental consent to count a student. Further information - Please contact the school if you have questions about NCCD.

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week Celebrations were held across Australia in early July to acknowledge the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. NAIDOC is celebrated in Indigenous communities and by all Australians from all walks of life.  
The Indigenous voice of this country is over 65,000 plus years old. They are the first words spoken on this continent. Languages that passed down lore, culture and knowledge for over millennia. They are precious to our nation. It's that Indigenous voice that includes know-how, practices, skills and innovations - found in various contexts, such as agricultural, scientific, technical, ecological and medicinal fields, as well as biodiversity-related knowledge.  They are words connecting us to the country, an understanding of the country, and people who are the oldest continuing culture on the planet.

Prayer of the Aboriginal People

Creator of all,

you gave us the Dreaming.

You have spoken to us

through our beliefs.

You then made your love clear to us

in the person of Jesus.

We thank you for your care.

You own us. You are our hope.

Make us strong as we face the problems of change.

We ask you to help the people of Australia

to listen to us and respect our culture.

Make the knowledge of you grow in all people

so that you can be at home in us

, and we can make a home for everyone in our land.

Amen

Child safety and Wellbeing

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing.

We have reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view online on our school website and as a hard copy in the school office

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please get in touch with the school office on 53452106

 We are committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment where students are safe and feel safe. 

Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy outlines the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students:

As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at St Augustine's, we welcome and encourage your feedback. 

Please get in touch with us if you have any suggestions, comments or questions about our child safe policies and practices.

Bookweek 2022

The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) first celebrated Book Week in 1946 as a means of bringing words, images and stories into the hearts and minds of Australian children to enrich our nation and nurture a literate, educated and creative society. Today, CBCA Book Week continues to celebrate the incredible quality of books published by Australian authors and illustrators. The theme for Book Week changes each year. In 2022 the theme is:

' Dreaming with eyes open'.

 To celebrate 2022 Book Week, we will have a whole school parade on Friday, August 26, at 9.15 am. It is a day to recognise the power of reading and the places that books can take us, so please come along as your favourite book character.

Parent Teacher Interviews

The mid-year interviews will be held on August 1, 2, 3 and 4. These interviews review your child's progress captured in the Semester One Report and discuss your child's development across the semester. I hope you will find the mid-year conversations a valuable time to reflect on your child/ren's progress during Semester One.

Please note with ever increasing likelihood of COVID spoiling the party, the interviews will be conducted online. The link you require will be attached to the booking system through PAM.

Wellbeing

Parish News

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Christmas in July

Volunteers Ballarat Hospice Care