Dear Parents and Carers,

This week we would have been hosting our Grandparents and special older friends in

a wonderful community event celebrating all they bring to our lives. While they cannot be with us physically, we acknowledge the great treasure they bring to us. They hold the faith, memories and traditions of families and carry with them the wisdom of lived experience.

May God bless all our Grandparents and older friends who have been with us as part of our life journey, may their presence and spirit fill us with hope and courage, and may they be richly blessed.

Safe Return to school

We are nearly there for our K-2 and Year 6 families who will be returning on Monday 25 October. I want to acknowledge what an incredibly difficult time this has been for parents and carers and send my sincere appreciation to you all for the magnificent way you have supported your children. I am also deeply appreciative for the efforts of our teaching and support staff, including the leadership team.

At this time of the year, we are normally wearing Summer uniform see the link for details.

https://www.stmichaelsps.act.edu.au/_d/2833

We are aware that some of our suppliers have had difficulty sourcing uniforms and families have been unable to purchase some uniform items.  The most important thing to focus on now is a safe and settled transition back to school.  Students will continue to wear sports uniforms on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it is important that the children bring a hat and their own water bottle. I know that everyone is doing their best and I believe a few weeks transition to summer uniform is appropriate.

Vaccination

All staff working with children at school are required to have their first vaccination by 1^st November and their second by the 29^th November. As it is a privacy matter, I am not able to provide details about staff vaccination. However, given that children under the age of 12 will be unvaccinated as school resumes, I want to reassure you that measures are already being put in place to ensure your children are surrounded by vaccinated staff.     

Pick up and Drop off/ Masks

Information was included in last week’s newsletter, please follow this link:

https://stmichaelskaleen.schoolzineplus.com/schoolnews?nid=133

• Parents who are walking to school to pick up their children are encouraged to maintain a safe distance and wear a mask; we will ensure your children are ready to meet you.
• Children riding bikes and walking will leave school at 3pm following normal procedures.

Hygiene and cleaning

• Regular cleaning of high touch surfaces (such as handrails and desks), frequently used objects (such as desktop computers), common areas and toilets will continue.
• Cleaning schedules and resources onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
• Provision of extra hand sanitiser across the school.
• Provision of extra hand soap for children to wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch time.
• Frequent reminders to ensure children are practising good personal hygiene. This means, covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks and minimising physical contact.

Sick Students

• No child is to attend school if they are showing any high temperatures or cold and flu-like symptoms. They must remain at home and stay away from school until they are no longer showing symptoms or have attended a GP who has instructed that they are fit and safe to return.
• Any student presenting with high temperatures or cold and flu like symptoms will be supported to put on a mask, directed to the Front Office and parents will be called to collect them.
• If your child, or family members or other close contacts are tested for COVID-19, your child is not to attend school until the results of those tests are known and are negative. Please advise the school if this situation occurs.
• If your child has a medical condition that places them at greater risk from a return to face-to-face teaching at this time, please contact their teacher so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail.

Covid Case

If ACT Health confirms that St Michael’s has a COVID-19 case or is an exposure site, we will immediately follow the direction and advice from ACT Health. The school community will be notified immediately via Compass.  

Further Safety Measures

We have measures in place to separate cohorts of students, including separate play areas and working within the block reducing student contact.

Ventilation has been checked and windows, doors and ceiling fans will be employed to support air flow  

Students not Returning to school

We understand and appreciate that some families may choose not to send their children back to school.

As teachers will be returning to the classroom role, remote learning in its current form will not be available. We ask you to contact us with your situation so that we can make some plans around your child’s learning, noting that teachers may need to modify end of year reporting/assessment.

Please contact me if you have any issues or concerns and I will do my best to address them, as we all know the situation is fluid and health directives can change. We all want to care for and protect your precious children and I’m sure they are keen to return to see their friends and teachers!

Thank you again for your continued support,

Many Blessings

Judy Egan

Principal

Newsletter Week 3 – The Remote Learning Edition 

Religious Education

Remote Learning continues to offer us the chance to explore Religious Education lessons in different ways. The students in K-2 are learning about parables. Parables are stories Jesus told that have a message. In Jesus’ time telling stories like this was a very common teaching method. Other cultures have different stories with a message, like Aeosop’s Fables.  Students in K-2 are exploring the meaning of different parables and considering how the key messages apply to our own lives today. Some of the parables they have looked at include: the mustard seed, the lost coin, the lost sheep, the lost son, the two builders, the Good Samaritan and the unforgiving servant. These children have been very busy!!

Religious Life

First Reconciliation

Books have been sent home for preparation for First Reconciliation in November.  A reminder that registrations are currently open through the parish website. http://cg.org.au/belconnennorth/Home.aspx

Global Schools Partners

Our friend Simon from Global Schools Partners is taking part in a challenge called 20X20 Challenge. He is riding 20km each day for 20 days to raise money for the schools in Kenya. See more about this at: https://www.globalschoolpartners.org.au/events .

Catholic Mission

October is World Mission Month, a celebration of the global work of the Church and the dedication of missionaries, both religious and lay, as they reach out and support children and communities in need around the world.

On World Mission Sunday, which falls on 24 October 2021, parish communities around the world will gather to pray for and raise funds to support the work of thousands of crucial church-run programs. The following Wednesday, 27 October, is Children’s Mission Day, when our school can celebrate fully through Socktober. At St Michael’s we will be exploring different ways we can learn about the work being done around the world to support those in poverty.

World Mission Month is our biggest celebration at Catholic Mission, and it is a special time when we are reminded of the often-unseen work of missionaries in the farthest corners of the globe. 

Sacramental Program 2021

Sacrament of Confirmation – Change of Dates now confirmed

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in the ACT the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will now be celebrated on:

Tuesday 23 November in St Michael’s Church at 12 noon and 6pm;

Wednesday 24 November in St Monica’s Church at 12 noon and 6pm; and

Thursday 25 November in St Monica’s Church at 12 noon and 6pm.

COVID Restrictions - due to Covid restrictions limited people are allowed in the church for each celebration and as some parents are working from home Fr Loi has included midday and evening liturgies to celebrate the Sacrament. This will be 6 liturgies with around 15 candidates per liturgy.

This means the number of people attending is restricted to a maximum of 4 per family and only people who reside in the household (and the Sponsor). Which means the people attending would be, the candidate, their sponsor and 2 other household members. If the sponsor is unable to attend, a parent may stand in as a proxy.

Booking a date for the Sacrament opened on 18 October and will close by 5 November 2021. Bookings are to be made through the TryBooking links on the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Sacrament will be celebrated (5 minute timeslots for each candidate):
9 November in St Michael’s Church from 3.30 to 6pm;
10 November in St Monica’s Church from 3.30 to 6pm; and
11 November in St Monica’s Church from 3.30 to 6pm

Registration for the Sacrament – is open and will close by 25 October 2021. Registration and payment must be made through the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Qkr! App (NOT the school’s app). No further registrations will be accepted beyond the closing date.

Booking a date and time for the Sacrament - is now open and will close by 28 October 2021. Bookings are to be made through the TryBooking links on the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Home Booklets – will be posted home once the registration has been received. Families should work through the booklet with their child in preparation for the Sacrament and prior to school resuming for year 3 students on 1 November.

Purchasing a stole for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is optional and is not compulsory. If you wish to purchase a stole, the cost is $20 and this can also be done via the Parish Qkr! app.

Further Information – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or sue.coll@bigpond.com or check the parish website for updates at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth