From Our Principal Mrs Janelle Heffernan
Dear Families,
I would like to welcome everyone back to Term 3 and I trust that the holidays, (they seem so long ago!), were a happy and restful time to recharge the batteries. We were certainly blessed with beautiful weather and also some very frosty winter mornings!
Covid 19 restrictions remain in place as per Term Two. I thank our parents who have so willingly adhered to these for the safety of our school community.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting some of our new families enrolling their child into Kindergarten next year. What a delight it is to see the smiles on the faces of the children as we talk about their transition to 'big school.' When I ask our new parents why they have chosen St Carthage's for their child they have unanimously said that they have heard great things about the school. All the advertising in the world can't make up for personal recommendations from someone who speaks positively about their experiences at our school!
Athletics Fun Day
On Friday we will be having our Athletics Fun Day. This is an opportunity for our students to compete in athletics events as well as some fun novelty events. Unfortunately we are unable to have any spectators at this event this year. We ask that if you need to pick your child/children up early on Friday to come to the school office and we will bring them back to the office to meet you.
There will be NO CANTEEN operating. Students will need to bring their own morning tea and lunch.
We will be following all of the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for our students and staff.
School Reports
Teachers are in the process of finalising student's reports which will be sent home this Friday. As you know our reports will look quite different this semester as they will not have grades attached to Key Learning Areas. They will consist of an English, Mathematics and General Comment only.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
We are very aware that, with the current restrictions on parents entering school grounds, there has been less contact with parents and carers concerning student's progress. We view this as a vital means of sharing success and informing parents about areas that require further work and consolidation. Guidelines from the Catholic Schools Office advise; Parents and visitors are to avoid attending school premises unless under extraordinary circumstances as deemed appropriate by the school principal. Events involving groups of parents or visitors should be reconsidered.
Adhering to these guidelines we are in the process of organising phone or Zoom meetings with parents and carers. These will look quite different to our normal interviews in that each grade will be allocated a day from 12.00pm onward to conduct these interviews. We will still use the online booking platform where parents/carers will choose an appropriate time that will work for them, write their name in that time slot and then indicate by answering a question about your preference for either a Zoom or phone meeting. You will receive an email confirming your day and time.
We realise that this will not be as efficient for families with more than one child as each child's interview will be on a different day. We understand that this may cause some inconvenience but believe that it is important at this stage to connect with our families and this is our best option in the current circumstances.
We have allocated the following days for each grade;
Year Three - Monday, 10th August
Year Four - Tuesday, 11th August
Year Five - Wednesday, 12th August
Year Six - Thursday, 13th August
Kindergarten - Monday, 17th August
Year One - Tuesday, 18th August
Year Two - Wednesday, 19th August
Mrs Mumford's EMU and STAR groups and Mrs Taylor's LLI groups - Thursday, 20th August
A further note will follow as these interviews are finalised.
I share the following reflection, Beatitudes for Teachers, as they prepare these reports for their students:
Blessed are you who are called to teach, for you walk in the footsteps of the Master.
Blessed are you who sow peace and harmony in your school, for yours will be the joy of the Lord.
Blessed are you when you share your faith with others, for your name will be written in their hearts.
Blessed are you who plant seeds of hope in youthful hearts, for your legacy will be the harvest.
Blessed are you who are sensitive to the cries of youth, for you will become their voice.
Blessed are you who anguish now when your students are difficult, for your effort will be their light.
Blessed are you when you leaven your teaching with patience and empathy, for this is to teach as
Jesus did.
Blessed are you when you reach out for your students, for you will find God and rejoice.
Blessed are you who lead your students in the ways of all virtue and love, for yours is the Kingdom of God.
School Improvement Survey
The Catholic Schools Office, in partnership with Diocesan schools, has a continued focus on the improvement of school effectiveness and student outcomes. As part of that process school staff, our Primary students and a random selection of parents will be invited to be a part of a School Improvement Survey process from today until Friday 7th August. The data collected by the staff, student and parent surveys will assist school staffs and the Catholic Schools Office to benchmark key school culture factors and track changes over time. The survey results will provide key information for schools and the system to use in bringing about improvements. The survey data will be analysed by external specialist consultants from Insight SRC, who will prepare reports outlining key areas for development and improvement for each school and for the system as a whole. Insight SRC is a professional, experienced HR consultancy group. They will ensure that the data is collated and analysed accurately and independently and kept confidential at all times. Insight SRC has broad experience in the Catholic sector across Australia.
The survey will be live from today. The students and staff will complete the survey online. A number of our parents will receive the DOLSIS survey today to complete on our behalf. The survey period concludes on 7th August. If you are able to assist us please either complete the paper copy and return to school before 7th August OR complete the online survey at the link supplied in your envelope. We have randomly assigned families to receive this survey. Thank you for your assistance with this. If you prefer not to complete the survey please return the envelope to school so that we can offer another family the opportunity.
Change of details
Please be mindful of informing the school of any diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child so that school health plans and records are current and accurate. This is especially important for those students with Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and other medical issues.
Enrolments for 2021
We would like to remind families of prospective students, that it is now time for any new enrolments for next year to be lodged. If you have family or friends who are intending to enrol students at St Carthage’s, please let them know that enrolment packages are available from the Office. All enrolment applications should be completed as soon as possible.