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COVID Evacuation - "Valet" Style
One of the procedures we need to have up our sleeves in this time of COVID uncertainty is to have a manageable Evacuation Plan in case a confirmed case is identified at school. We have put together a plan to move the children off the site in this eventuality. Please read the following plan and take careful note of what to do if parents are notified to collect their children from school.
Later this week or early next week, you will receive a laminated sign with your family name on it. This is to attach to the PASSENGER side visor of your car (See image) in preparation for the trial run through of our pickup procedures in the case of a notification of a positive covid case within, or attached to, the school.
We would like to trial this sometime in the next two weeks, but will let you know with a Compass alert. Initially, it will be at normal pick up time, but if there was to be a school shut down due to COVID, it may be at any time, hence, getting it right from the beginning to avoid confusion and panic.
While it is in its trial phase, we ask everyone for their patience. Feedback will be welcomed as we fine tune the process.
The procedure will be as follows:
- A Compass alert will go out to all parents. Please ensure you have access to this.
- Parents will be asked to drive to Lovell Parade, entering from the Bardia Road end, and travel in a ONE WAY direction down the hill towards school.
- Parents are asked to REMAIN IN CARS, and slowly and safely make their way down Lovell Parade towards the double gate near the chickens (Bottom playground). Flip the visor down so that staff can see your family name.
- The teachers will be able to see your family name on the visor and as you approach, they will organise for your child/children to meet the car and they will be loaded into your car, valet style, by the supervising teacher/s.
- Parents are asked to continue driving along Lovell Parade – no U-turns etc – and make their way to their destination, which, in the case of COVID, would be straight home.
Obviously this will cause some congestion along Lovell Parade, but if everyone follows directions given by staff, we will reduce the time it takes to clear. The only exceptions to these procedures, at the moment, are children who catch the bus, and those families who live within walking distance of school. These parents will be required to remain socially distanced at all times, collect their child/children and head straight home. All other families are expected to drive to pick their children up.
We hope that this runs as smoothly as we anticipate, and we thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
MANAGING BEHAVIOUR
Some of the discussions at recent P&F Meetings have been around our Behaviour Management Policy and Procedures. It was agreed that these needed reviewing and tweaking so as to reflect today's expectations and management. Some of the steps we have taken to move forward are:
- The school executive reviewed the policy in the last holiday and made some suggested modifications and will present a draft at the next P&F meeting for any input.
- Mr Craig Moore, Child Behaviour Advisor, from the CSO Student Welfare Unit, has made playground observations and will be working with staff to incorporate a Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) structure n our policy and practice.
- Staff are working on "new" rules with expectations of and consequences for the children's behaviour around different games and interactions.
- Linking these with our Zones for Regulation program
We look forward to more input and working together for a successful, safe and happy student community.
PUPIL FREE DAY
Just a reminder that Monday 9 August will be a Pupil Free Day. The teachers will be exploring the pedagogy and strategies involved in the writing process from K-6. Writing was identified from our NAPLAN scores as needing some attention. We have previously worked on and continue to improve our spelling skills to be able to use our words correctly in expressing our ideas.
ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
The Annual School Report for 2020 is now available for interested parents. It can be viewed at with this link or from our school website.
Catholic Missions
This term we will be fundraising for Catholic Missions. Each class will organise a fundraising activity that will happen on Thursday during lunch breaks. We will begin this week with Year 2 organising to sell lolly bags for $1. Each class teacher will be in contact with parents if they need items brought in. Each week there will be a reminder sent out via our Facebook page with the cost.
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Catholic Mission Activities |
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Week 3 |
Year 2 Lolly bags |
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Week 4 |
Year 1 Zooper Doopers |
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Week 5 |
Kindergarten Lemonade stall |
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Week 6 |
Selling any leftover items from prior weeks |
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Week 7 |
Year 3 & 4 Ice blocks |
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Week 8 |
Year 5/6 Zooper Doopers |
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Week 9 |
Year 3 & 4 Ice blocks |
Masks
A reminder that masks are required to enter the school gates. Yes, it is an inconvenience, but we need to comply with Health Orders. If you have your mask on when you buzz at the gate, there will be no problem. Thank you for your understanding.
Change to Volunteering at School
The procedure for volunteering at schools in the Diocese is changing. All volunteers are required to have a National Police Check (NPC) registered and full clearance to be approved by the Catholic Schools Office.
In the latest Volunteer Induction Handbook (version 1.6), there is a Statutory Screening Selection Tool for Volunteers in Schools.
Each volunteer is required to complete this form which will determine if a Working with Children’s Check is required (now only required for overnight camps if you are a close relative).
The instructions regarding identification and obtaining the NPC have also changed and this is also included in the handbook. The handbook is available from Admin office.
If you need to complete this booklet you would have had a phonecall this week from the office. If you are unsure please contact Leanne and she can let you know. Any volunteer that has already completed the NPC last year will not need to complete the process again, however everyone else will need to resubmit their handbook and receive clearance.
Kindergarten
In Term 3 Writing, Kinder are learning to extend their writing by including two ideas. To do this they need to use a conjunction (and, but, because, so, or) to join their ideas. This is why we call conjunctions ‘joining words’. We have a visual to help us choose the correct conjunction for our sentences. We also have a visual to remind us to check our writing to make sure we have achieved our writing goals.
In Week 2 we wrote a sentence using the conjunction ‘and’. We are becoming more independent with our writing. Check out our writing samples.
Year 1
We've had a busy start to Writing in Term 3! In our 'Fractured Fairy Tale' unit, we've been discussing changes within characters, and soon will be comparing characters from different stories. Last week we wrote about the changes in physical appearance between Cinderella before she went to the ball, and then at the ball. We also wrote about the changes in her feelings...from disappointed and lonely, to happy and excited.
In English groups, we've introduced a couple of new activities this term. One of the new activities is sentence building with magnetic boards and magnetic words. We create our own sentences with the magnetic words, with a focus on correct sentence structure, and then rewrite the sentences underneath with our whiteboard markers. The Yr 1 children are really motivated by the new activities that we've introduced. Well done, Year 1!
Year 2
Year 2 English
This term Year 2 are looking at characters. We have read a story called Once Upon a Time which is about a writing competition. One of the main characters is Bear. This story has no pictures, so the aim of the task below was for the children to draw Bear and use descriptive words to describe the character. We found out that some of our ideas are inferred because the actual story did not tell us in words that the character was feeling this way it was our impression.
Year 3
Year 3 has been reading the narrative ‘Possum Magic’ by Mem Fox. We analysed this narrative by finding and discussing important details that the author used to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings. We also looked for transition words, and how the author provided a sense of closure.
Other tasks we have completed that have related to Possum Magic are writing our own narrative with Australian animals as characters; completing a report on possums; writing an acrostic with the word P-O-S-S-U-M.
Attached are samples of the children’s work.
Year 4
Year 4 have worked on improving the start of our Narratives to use more descriptive language. We discussed a picture and talked about how we could add interesting detail.
We used the stimulus picture below of a house in the country.
Here are some samples of our efforts.
Year 5/6
In Year 5 and 6, we are working on making clever word choices to SHOW the reader what is happening, rather than telling them. We are getting really good at this and Miss Payton and Ms McGann are very impressed.
| Kinder | Jemima K, Charlie M, Thomas O, Allison A |
| Year 1 | Khal D, Gibson F, Amerti S |
| Year 2 | Max B, Grace G, Daniel Z, Jesse M |
| Year 3 | Joseph B, Shammah N, Virginia V, Heath F |
| Year 4 | Deegan C, Harrison S, Summer P, Max G |
| Year 5/6 | Annalise F, Caleb J |
| Captains | Ava G, Georgina H |
| Lexia Awards | Bea D-Level 2, Lucy C - Level 3, Erleen S |
DIOCESAN ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Well done to all the children that represented the school and the Region Athletics Diocesan Carnival yesterday. It was a great day of skill, energy and joy and our children participated with all of them. Well done!! We are very proud of you.
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday
| Kindergarten | Josie B |
| Year 1 | |
| Year 2 | Toma'Akino V, Max B |
| Year 3 | Virginia V |
| Year 4 | Deegan C |
| Year 5/6 | Breanna M, Elsie O |
Congratulations and we hope you had a happy day.
Summary from P&F Meeting 19th July 2021
- The P&F would like to donate funds for a program to promote student mental health and wellbeing. The school is currently researching suitable programs. How the school is enhancing student well-being will be discussed next meeting.
- The Father’s Day stall is planned for Monday 30th August
- We are currently thinking of ideas of Term 3 fundraisers and experiences for the children. Please contact the P&F if you have any ideas
- We are also looking to spend some money that has been raised from fundraising events. This will be further discussed at the next meeting.
Next meeting: Monday 23rd August at 7pm in the school library, all welcome.
Father’s Day Stall/Raffle
- Father’s Day stall is planned for Monday 30th August, order forms and details for ordering will be sent out closer to the time.
- A Father’s Day Raffle is planned to be drawn the Friday prior to Father’s Day. If anyone has a business or knows a business who would like to donate a prize for this raffle please contact the P&F via olvparentsandfriends@gmail.com.
Uniform Pool
If you are requiring items from uniform pool please do the following:
- On an envelope write your child’s name, class and the items required, enclose the money (CASH only) for the items inside the envelope. Send the envelope into school with your child.
- Each Monday the uniform pool co-ordinator will collect the orders and process with the uniforms required being sent home with your child.
- You can send orders in on any day, however, please note - orders will only be processed/filled each Monday.
Stickybeaks Lunch Bags
Our Stickybeaks lunch bags are now in stock. They are black with a variety of trim colours including blue, yellow, red, green, pink, and purple. If your child has an allergy we also carry the orange trim allergy alert lunch bag.
The Lunch Bags are at a cost of $10.50
If you wish to order lunch bags they are available through the uniform pool following the above instructions.
You will be able to access the school newsletter here and notifications will come through Schoolzine. Please DO NOT use the old SkoolBag App. It is no longer used for communications of notifications and messages..
Go to this link to download the Schoolzine App:
Check out this link for more info on St Nicholas OOSH.
How to enrol for our OOSH Services: