Principal's Post

Dear Parents and Guardians

What a cracking good quote this one is. I know that when we are all going through tough times, trusting in God’s peace is not an easy thing. In fact, this is the part of humanness that God loves. I do not need to write much about this quote, as it says it all. He is steadfast in His love for us. This is what I continue to learn in every moment here at St Col’s and in my life. It is through the storm where we find the support of others carrying us on their shoulders. You know this. You know when it has been tough in life, that there have been others around to hold you up and at times it has been simply the knowing they are there when you need them. In the quietness. I mean, sometimes there does not even need to be words shared. This is God at work.

It is what I love most about being a Principal in a Catholic school, and while there are so many challenges for the Catholic Church currently, I always find myself going back to what is the core for me as a person. The place I always find peacefulness is when I connect back with the bloke upstairs. I mean, I had been so slack in saying Hail Marys, that for the first time in a long time I said decades of the Rosary for a few people on the weekend. I used to do this all the time. I have been so poor at even stopping for a moment in the passageway of the Church when walking through in the morning and afternoon. There have been times in my life when I would say 100 a day, while driving, watching the television, kicking the footy, while riding, even on playground duty. Amazing what a habit it became. You see, there is always someone around us needing prayers, needing a peacefulness. I mean, I even pray for myself, that I keep finding this peace the quote talks about.

For all of us, I wish us moments of peacefulness. I appreciate how hard this can be. I find it hard to stop my mind from becoming overwhelmed with everything we have on and I do not have young children. There are times in the evening when I sit down to relax and I go to myself, how busy would all our families be right now. As parents with young families, you have so much on in your afternoons and evenings. I do not even want to go there for how busy your mornings are, that I get my suggestion that you can find these moments of peace and moments for prayer are not a reality. Leave the prayer bit to me, I will say plenty for all of us, but maybe finding some time for self and being able to find rest is something you make a priority for you. I hope you have a chance to find this.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY

Friday 29 May

Pupil Free Day

COVID-19 UPDATE

I will be sending an update either this evening or tomorrow morning regarding any updates from the Premier and Catholic Education WA. Please read the notice that will go up on the website, under Parent Information and the News tab.

No Entry to the School Grounds –Government Directive

• Parents and caregivers are not permitted on school property. Please drop off or pick up your children from Kiss and Drive options or car park bays.
• Parents walking children to school, must leave their children at the gate at either Milne or Roberts Streets.
• If parents need to collect students during the day – please call the administration (they will sign children in and out) and we will arrange for your child to be at the school office, where they will be directed to you at the front gate. Please do not come onto the school site.
• Only those visitors who are delivering essential supplies are to be permitted on school properties.
• We will do our very best with social distancing during these drop-off and pick-up times. Thank you for your understanding.

DROP-OFF and PICK-UP PROCEDURES

Please note:

As you may have noticed, we have had the City of Bayswater Rangers on-site a few times this week. They have been very accommodating and understanding of our situation. They are providing a presence at the moment as the concern is related to two points:

1. The blocking of the roundabout.
2. Banking up along Roberts Street, back to Guildford Road.

Having said this, they believe the parents and the school are doing an outstanding job considering the numbers we are pushing through. The current timing was also acknowledged as highly efficient as it does allow for low traffic blocks throughout the 45 minutes of Kiss and Drive. The 2.30 pm close for K and PP and siblings, will need to remain for the time being, as if this was to change to 2.40 pm, we would have high traffic congestion for a 30-minute block. This would not be manageable and would be a safety issue.

Recommendation: As the Milne Street Kiss and Drive is less congested and has smooth traffic flow, the Rangers have suggested this could be used by Year 3 students before and after school. If parents of Year 3 students wish to use this option, please feel free to do so.

The Before School Plan: These areas will be supervised from 8.15 am to 8.40 am morning.

• There will be two Kiss and Drive Drop-Off Zones. Milne Street [new] and Roberts Street
• Year 4, 5 and 6 parents are to use the Milne Street Kiss and Drive. This is new and will be located in the set of bays closest to the ramp. Staff will be supervising this area. [Optional for Year 3 students if parents wish]
• PK to Year 3 parents will use the Roberts Street Kiss and Drive. This will also be supervised and PK, K and PP children walked to their classrooms.
• If parents use the car park bays to park and drop students off to school, this is permitted, especially for Kindy students without siblings and our Pre-K families.
• PK and K parents who decide to park, please note we will have staff to assist in taking your children to class from the Roberts Street main gate near the administration.

The After School Pick-Up: These areas supervised from end of day to 3.15 pm [Milne] 3.20 pm [Roberts]

• The two Kiss and Drives will be set up as a repeat of the morning. We will stagger the end of day for students during the afternoon.
• Kindergarten and Pre-Primary, plus their siblings are moving to the Kiss and Drive at 2.30 pm. Year 1 to Year 6 will move to Kiss and Drive areas at 2.50 pm.
• We appreciate this is a new procedure, so we ask for patience in seeing how this all works. Please feel free to delay collecting students from K & D till around 3.05-3.15 pm as this will spread the traffic congestion.

No use of the OSHC Gate except by the parents of essential workers using the OSHC. Jess Scott will email details for protocols of no entry into the school grounds.

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SCHOOL UNIFORM

I wish to thank parents and students for doing their best as we transition into the winter uniform. Next week, will be the last week of transition, however we do appreciate in the changeover to JFE operating the school uniform shop, there may be some delays in items. We are all very understanding of this, as we are Ubuntu, and we meet all situations with kindness and compassion. So we must stand true, however we do have the following expectations. We do our best to meet these, but we also know there is always a story behind why things are how they are, and that we always take care of the human first that stands in the uniform.

1. Predominantly white sport shoes. Term 1 was outstanding in this area of the uniform, however, I know what happens after a long lay-off with uniform and this may be one of the items that slips in standard.
2. Black school shoes, not black sport shoes are part of the academic uniform.
3. School ties are part of the winter uniform. I will give this a couple of weeks as I know they go missing. Trying to find these at home can be a challenge since last winter, and I appreciate how busy you all are at the moment.

Please Note – School jumper orders have been delayed due to COVID-19 transport restrictions. These will be available in a few weeks. If your child is waiting on this order, please allow them to wear their school sports tracksuit top.

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PARENTS and FRIENDS’ MEETINGS

At present we will not be resuming Parents and Friends’ Meetings until further notice. This is due to COVID-19 restrictions at present. We look forward to hopefully returning to regular meetings in Term 3.

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SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM UPDATE

The Year 3, 4 and 6 Sacramental Programs for Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation remain on hold for 2020. When directives come through regarding any updates on this matter, we will inform parents of our plans.

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WELLNESS DOG

As you may be aware, our St Col’s Wellness Dog, Donnelly, is slowly being brought into school life. Donnelly’s name come from a place near where St Columba’s has history in Ireland. He is a ripping good dog, so lovable. I have attached a letter to the newsletter for you to have a read through about why we have brought Donnelly into our school and the benefits he can bring. I have already seen this with staff. One example was that while on a TEAMS meeting yesterday for COVD-19 and Catholic schools, Donnelly fell asleep on my lap. Talk about chilling me out, I nearly dozed off myself.

The Final Word

Thank you again for all the support with the Kiss and Drive, the early finishing and the patience displayed with any traffic congestion. Your kindness has not gone unnoticed. You are true to Ubuntu. One thing that has been so apparent is the high respect you have for our protocols. We have so many parents waiting for their little guys on Roberts, and the way you stand back patiently is what speaks volumes for who you are as St Col’s parents. Milne Street continues to flow well due to this same high level of respect for each other. Ikigai continues to live in every moment. For this I, along with all our staff, are extremely grateful.

All the best for the rest of the week and your weekend. Goodness your way!

Art

P & F News

Library News

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME  2020

Wednesday 27 May

National Simultaneous Storytime 2020—Every year a picture book by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around Australia and New Zealand. Now in its 20th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy.

This year classes will be sharing Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas written and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford.

We are looking at having a colourful, vibrant, fun event and feel on the day.

Students and staff are encouraged to add a bit of sparkle to the day, with a disco feel.  For example, students and staff might add a feather boa, sequins, bow tie, glitter, sparkle, tiara, bling etc on the day.  Please note normal school uniform applies and items are extras.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in their sparkly best!

Pastoral Care

Scholastic Book Club

To help make this Virtual Book Club a success, the link to the latest Book Club Catalogue is below. Click-and-go directly to the fantastic issue we’ve put together and place orders via LOOP—just as you always have.

Here is the link to copy and paste in your browser:

scholastic.com.au/book-club/virtual-catalogue-1/

Community Notices

Join Dr Bronwyn Harman, Senior Lecturer Psychology and Criminology from the School of Arts and Humanities for a discussion on “Throwing the parenting manual out the window: Surviving social isolation.”

In a time when social distancing, self-isolation and uncertainty has taken control of our daily lives, ECU’s researchers provide some comfort and practical advice on how to manage life through the COVID-19 pandemic.

This short 20-minute webinar will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in social isolation in many homes, and how this has affected day to day parenting.

In addition, we look at how the pandemic has caused anxiety among many sectors of the community, especially in children and how one of our duties, as a society, is to help children be less afraid of an uncertain future.

Please register for this event HERE to receive login details.

Classifieds