Principals Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to all our staff, students and families. It was wonderful to see all our students return eager and enthusiastic for the term ahead. Term 3 has bought with it some new challenges with the COVID-19 and it is vital that all parents and carers read the newsletter each week and check FaceBook for updates as requirements can change rapidly. All students have coped well with being dropped off and picked up at the gates. Please ensure that your child/children know their arrangements for pick up, especially if there is a change from the everyday routine. Just to ensure that you are all well informed, below is a very explicit outline of the latest requirements.
Current Status of School COVID-19 Requirements for CECG New South Wales Schools
CECG’s NSW Schools are currently classified as a Level 2 risk, where Level 4 is the highest risk requiring remote learning and Level 1 no restrictions.
- If parents/carers, children or school staff have visited the Greater Sydney area on or after Monday 21 June, they must follow the stay-at-home rules for 14 days from the date they left the area. Please check the NSW Health Guidelines for further information.
Parents need to:
- Stay in the car when dropping off and picking up students where it is safe or practical to do so.
- Maintain physical distancing and not gather outside school gates.
- Remain outside of school grounds where practical (some exceptions may apply for families of students with additional needs).
- Use the school’s mandatory QR code when entering the school. Please also remember to sign in, at the front office, using the standard visitor process and follow mask wearing requirements.
- Are not required to use the mandatory QR code if they are not entering the school.
- Should keep 1.5 metres apart from each other wherever possible, unless they are from the same family group. Visitors to schools are restricted to visits for essential purposes only.
- Students are not required to social distance or wear a mask if under the age of 13.
- Canteen can continue with COVID safe practices in place.
- Parent/Teacher interviews are not considered an essential activity and will be conducted remotely at this time.
- School and community events are not permitted during school hours, but school assemblies may be conducted without parents/visitors.
- Excursions may be conducted within the local area.
- Covid19 testing remains the same as previously advised with staff and students to be tested if displaying symptoms and only attend/return to school when symptom free. Medical clearance needs to be provided to the school upon return.
- School sport can continue although parents/carers are not able to attend school to watch sporting activities (in school hours).
- Masses can be conducted noting physical distancing requirements of the location where they are conducted and the Church’s COVID-19 Safety Plan.
We appreciate your understanding with the changes and thank you all for being compliant and ensuring that we all stay safe and well.
This week, the Year 6 students voted for our Captains for this term. We are pleased to announce that Clare Tooth and Charlie Yewdall are our new Captains and we congratulate them both on taking on this significant leadership role for St Bede’s. We thank our outgoing Captains, Bayden Noye and Benjamin Allen who did an admirable job as our Captain’s for Term 2.
Jennie Marsh and Ann Monkhouse commenced this week as Year 5 teachers and we welcome them both to this role. Mrs Jade Tinberg commenced her final year practicum in Year 3 this week. We welcome Jade and we are certain she will enjoy her time at St Bede’s this term and gain ample experience under the expertise of Mrs Johanna Barling.
This week we have celebrated NAIDOC week. Each July we celebrate the history culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanded peoples. The theme for this year is 'Heal Country'. Each class has participated in a range of activities during the week in recognition of this event. We thank Mrs Barling for organising the class activities.
During the holidays a parent who wishes to remain anonymous, raked up all the leaves in the courtyard and fixed some leaking taps. A very special thank you to this parent! The playground looks smick! We are extremely grateful to him and all our parents who are so supportive of our wonderful school.
Have a great week and keep safe!
God Bless
Marylou Gorham
Principal