Dear Parents and Families,

Welcome to Term 3.

I hope you and your family had the opportunity to enjoy the break from routine over the holidays.  Even though we all probably felt frustrated by the fact we had only just got all students on deck for a few weeks then had to start holidays, it was really important to pause and have some non-school time.  Unfortunately I get the sense that I'm a little like Bill Murray in that classic movie 'Groundhog Day' the way things are going at the moment with growing concern around COVID-19.

Last term we all were confronted with the joys and challenges of Remote Learning, and even though we have no clear advice from Government about where the current situation will lead we need to be sensible in our approach.  As adults we need to be agile and ready to respond to change in our lives, while at the same time ensuring our responses do not negatively impact on our children.  Parenting is such a rewarding thing, but also a real juggling act that is the real challenge at times.  If we have to move back into a lock-down scenario I know we will take advantage of the lessons learnt from last time.

This newsletter includes some important information about key topics, inlcuding information about changes to upcoming events.  We had planned on moving Parent-Teacher Interviews up to Week 2 with the teachers really keen to hear from parents about what they learnt about their child during Remote Learning, as we have already had such positive feedback about how much more informed and empowered parents felt.  As reports are distrbuted this week we encourage parents to reach out to the classroom teachers if they still felt the need to catch up via phone.

The Semester 1 reports will have a different structure due to the impact of Remote Learning.  I'm sure some families have friends or family members at other schools so may have seen different report styles and content over the past month.  As a school we made the decision to try to give parents more information than was set as a standard by the Victorian Government.  To enable this to happen we created a timeline that allowed teachers to continue writing reports until the last day of term, compared to the Semeter 1 report drafts normally completed at the end of May.  Can I thank the staff for their willingness to adopt this generous approach even though last term saw a significant rise in their workload as it was.

Finally, an update about the building program .... the fence is down, the builders have left and we have started the shuffle across.  As different technical and communication systems become operational we will then complete the move over to the new Admin area.

Wishing you a great finish to the week, take care and stay safe.

Dave 

Maintaining site safety is important at all times but the COVID-19 situation has heightened our awareness of hygiene and cleaning.  We have been extremely fortunate to have been able to open as scheduled this term compared to our friends in the western end of our diocese.  As a community we must continue to do everything possible to deflect any risk, a risk that will primarily come from someone in our community becoming unwell.

We ask you to continue to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the Catholic Education Office:

- Under no circumstances should anyone showing signs of the listed symptoms come onsite

- Only Staff and Students are allowed onsite

- Adults should avoid gathering around gate areas at drop-off/pick-up

- No staff or student should attend school if someone in their immediate household has been tested for COVID-19 and has yet to receive a notification of a negative result

As always we ask for families to contact the school by using the online notification, email or phone if your child is away.

We would like to also give notice that the Victorian Government has implemented the use of thermometers by school staff to screen student as they arrive at school.  The Catholic Education Office has put together a Parent Information Sheet that will be distributed if we are advised to begin testing students.

As we continue to deal with changes to our lifestyles due to the pandemic we again must be flexible when it comes to scheduled school events.

Our Parish Sacramental program continues to be postponed.  When in discussion with Fr.James we have prioritised the need to celebrate First Communion with those children who were ready back in March, while we may have to be creative with our Year 6 with how we present the Confirmation Program so it is completed before these students graduate.  If restrictions continue we will have to discuss the option of delaying First Reconciliation until 2021.  Stay tuned!

Events scheduled for next week (Parent-Teacher Interviews and School Photos) will be delayed to later in the term, while Camps and Excursions have also continued to be placed on hold. 

It has been a real positive noting plenty of families using the Kiss & Go area on Williams Avenue, which is potentially due to the raised awareness due to the signage or the fact we have installed the new concrete path to that gate.  This has contributed to the car park appearing to be operating much more smoothly - All of which contributes to a much safer environment for our children.

We would like to draw your attention to a few items:

- All cars should park in a marked space to drop off or collect students.  Please do not pause in the driving lane for your children to jump out as this has the potential to create bottle necks which force students to weave between cars.

- The bus zone on Williams Avenue has signage that restricts cars at pickup and drop off.  Again we ask for your support to create a safe zone for buses to pull in so that the safety of pedestrians is not comprised, and parents do not get a local by-laws fine!

FEE STATEMENTS:

Finance Statements will be emailed out to families next week. We thank families for their support in organising their payments, and remind parents to contact us if you wanted help or advice about setting up a direct deposit payment arrangement. If you have any questions please make contact with Rebekah via finance@churchill.catholic.edu.au

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

If you have any concerns about your financial situation, please contact Rebekah so that we can explore confidential financial support.

This year all enrolments will be completed on documentation provided by Diocese of Sale:Catholic Education Limited [DOSCEL].  This support from DOSCEL enables all catholic schools to have a level of consistency but more importantly met all legislative demands.

These forms are available online via the school website, and can be completed online PDF.  If you require further support or access to the forms for 2021 Prep Enrolments please contact the office.

Click here - ENROLMENT DOCUMENTATION

We encourage both current and new families to make contact with us to ensure your child's placement is secure, while also registered for our transition opportunities.

At present we are not able to host onsite transition opportunities.

By now all families should have completed the process to enrolling their children for Year 7 2021 regardless of what school they will attend.  If you need support to complete this process please contat Mr.Cooper, Mrs.Peterson or Mrs.Dosen immediately