“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matt 16: 16

(from the Gospel for the twenty first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

Dear parents and carers

This week’s newsletter is devoted to adjustments to our management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a challenging time. Thank you for your patience and cooperation with the restrictions and changes to how we operate. We are indeed all in this together.

Yesterday, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) provided further information regarding additional restrictions that all schools within our system need to comply with commencing next Monday 24 August. 

The additional directives are in response to NSW Health. The changes represent a tightening of restrictions across a range of areas, in response to the increased number of cases in NSW, including clusters occurring in schools. The additional restrictions will have practical implications for our community and daily operating procedures. 

Many of the extended restrictions detailed below relate to social distancing. Health authorities continue to emphasize that social distancing coupled with observing good personal hygiene practices is the most effective way to minimise risk of infection. Of course, if your child is ill, your child should stay away from school until symptoms resolve.

1. Morning Assembly will no longer be held- we will be lining up in separate class groups in designated areas in the playground at the morning bell. Children will be supervised to wash hands before going directly to class. We will conduct prayer, birthdays, affirmation acknowledgements and messages via a daily ZOOM meeting in each classroom after 9am. Given we have a number of families at the school who have not given photo/ video permission, we will not be able to share these ZOOM meetings publicly.
2. Adults can not come into the school playground- only school staff are allowed to be on the playground and in the school during the day. If you need to come into the school, please come to the school office. You are asked to use the hand sanitiser provided. Please be advised that the school office staff will wear a face mask when serving you. There is no obligation to wear a face mask. It remains a personal choice. Please be advised that this may change in the future.
3. Morning drop off changes- the morning drop off arrangements need to change. We have allowed parents and carers to drop off and stay for assembly and prayer. During the building project with the modified and more complex access arrangements, we thought it safest to permit this. Most schools have restricted parent access since the return to face to face learning in Term 2. The new restrictions mean that parent access now needs to cease.  Ideally your child should walk into the school grounds unaccompanied. For younger children this may not be possible. If this is the case, you may park in the grass area across from the school or on Garrett Street (NOT in the bus zone or drop zone) and walk your child to the gate at the end of the new ramp. A staff member will be at the gate to receive your child. You must then leave immediately.

4. Afternoon pickup at Innes Road- the staggered pick up arrangement put in place last term remains in place. With the wet weather, we have been opening the large gate near Innes Road. This will now cease. You are asked to arrive shortly before your child’s colour house dismissal time. We have staff at the in and out gates. Please enter via the “in” when your child has arrived and immediately exit via the “out” gate. Please do not linger outside the gates. We ask that you move off to your car and depart promptly. If you pick up your child to walk home, please wait on Garrett Street. The children will be brought out to you with the bus lines.
5. Personal Planning meetings- were planned for Week 9 and 10 of this term. We will now need to postpone these meetings to the beginning of Term 4. Children who have PPs will continue to have those plans enacted and regularly reviewed by teachers.
6. Face to face meetings are no longer permitted- if you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please make contact with us to set up a telephone meeting or potentially a ZOOM meeting. 
7. Sick bay letter- if your child is sent home from school with “‘flu-like/ COVID-like” symptoms, your child will be given a letter. The letter indicates the symptoms noted and whether or not a COVID-19 test is required before returning to school. 
8. Return to school after a negative COVID-19 test- we are now required to sight a negative COVID-19 test. An electronic version of the test result is acceptable. If we do not sight the test result, we can not accept your child back at school. The same provisions apply to school staff.
9. Kinder Transition Playgroup for 2021 is cancelled- as heartbreaking as it is, the transition playgroups have been cancelled in all Catholic schools. The orientation day will most likely be presented via different mode. We will write to all the families with Kindergarten children for 2021 once the details have been finalised at system level.

On going COVID-19 Phase #3 precautions currently in place at St Paul’s until further notice

The restrictions noted above are in addition to the Phase #3 restrictions already in place. The current Phase #3 measures are

• Twice daily cleaning of all high touch surfaces in the school in addition to the normal school cleaning schedule
• No whole school assemblies on Friday afternoon (virtual award assemblies will continue)
• No sporting carnivals or inter-school sporting events
• No excursions or incursions
• Regular teaching and reminders of COVID safe hygiene practices with all children
• “Wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home if you are sick” mantra.
• Continued adherence of social distancing protocols, especially for adults
• No unnecessary visitors at the school
• Students and staff, if unwell, are expected to stay at home until symptoms resolve
• Any child or staff member presenting with symptoms of a respiratory condition will be immediately sent home
• COVID-19 response action plan is established against the possibility of a positive COVID-19 test result in a community member (student, staff, parent)
• Staggered, colour house afternoon pick up from Innes Road

We have provisioned the school with hand sanitiser, disinfectant surface wipes, surgical gloves, PPE and face masks. Should the NSW government direct CEDoW to change our management protocols, be assured we are both ready and well supplied. In all instances, we will of course keep you informed of any such changes.  

Check the CEDoW COVID-19 website for updates

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) has created and regularly updates a COVID-19 specific website to communicate accurate information to all our school diocesan communities. The CEDoW COVID-19 Information centre is available here. We ask that you review this website regularly. A link to the COVID-19 Information Centre has also been placed on our school website home page. 

In following the guidance of our health authorities and the directives for our schools, we can take solace in the fact that adherence to these requirements is directly contributing to the overall benefit of public health and the safety of those most at risk in our communities.

We have more than risen to the occasion so far, and I’m confident that if we continue to look after each other and the students in our care, we will make it through this new challenge that COVID-19 has presented to us.

CROSS COUNTRY postponed until Week 7

We have organised a cross country event for the children. The recent rain has made our oval extremely wet. We will now postpone the cross country until Week 7. We will run a single cross country event each afternoon spread over a week for Year 2 to Year 6. Kindergarten and Year 1 will run their modified cross country after second break on Tuesday 8 September.

Unfortunately due to COVID-19 restrictions, parents and spectators will not be able to attend these planned events. 

Basketball skills clinics: we have organised weekly, class based basketball clinics at the stadium commencing in Week 7 until Week 10. This would involve the children in Year 2 to Year 6 walking down to the stadium for a 30 minute clinic one class at a time. We have worked with the stadium to ensure that we have clear COVID-19 safe protocols in place.

Sport Uniform Days by Class

Your child will need to wear the sport uniform on the following days each week.

Kindergarten- Friday

Year 1- Thursday & Friday

Year 2- Thursday & Friday

Year 3- Wednesday & Friday

Year 4- Wednesday & Friday

Year 5- Wednesday & Friday

Year 6-Wednesday & Friday