Build a community that continues to learn

Through:-   Building a school wide approach to the teaching and learning and increasing teacher capacity.

 Enhance and maintain the wellbeing of all

Our target for the year:- Attendance rates will increase from 88% to 95% across the school, and we will maintain representation throughout the community

 Build a community that is connected

Our target for the year:- Increase family attendance at interviews and open day and introduce Yarn Time sessions

I would like to express my deep appreciation to each family for your continued support to the school, during what has been a challenging time. Thank you for continuing to support your child/ren's learning. Staff have been incredible in providing remote learning in such a short period of time and we have all missed your children and their energy, humour and joy.

From an academic and welfare perspective, it remains our priority to return to face to face teaching when it is safe to do so. Australia’s Chief Medical Officer has continually informed us that it is safe for children and staff to return to school and for those who are not vulnerable. Health experts advise us that children are infected with COVID-19 at much lower rates than adults.

Following extensive discussion, review of the medical and Catholic Education advice and guidelines the following is the plan for St Francis Xavier School:

• Monday 25th May – Learning Meetings - Times available for families to meet with teachers to discuss your child/ren's learning and well-being needs moving forward - please contact the school or the class teacher to arrange these meetings, which can be Face-2-face, via Zoom or telephone
• Tuesday 26th May – All students may return to school - learning will be face-to-face (5 days a week)

 If for any reason there is an increase in the safety concerns for the students and staff before the 25th of May this decision will be reviewed. 

As we prepare to have the children return to school for face-to-face teaching, it is essential that measures relating to personal hygiene and the health and safety of all members of our community are known and understood.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidelines, which aim to establish best practice in relation to health and hygiene at schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be found here:

https://www.health.gov.au/news/australian-health-protection-principal-committee-ahppc-advice-on-reducing-the-potential-risk-of-covid-19-transmission-in-schools-24-april-2020

We hope this will give you confidence in your child’s return to school and assist you in supporting the staff as we welcome students back into classrooms.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION for when the children return to school:-

• Increased cleaning schedules 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 fruit break, recess and lunch time.
• Frequent reminders to ensure children are practising good personal hygiene -  covering mouths/noses when coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks and minimising physical contact
• Bubblers out of use - your child needs to bring a water bottle to school each day
• Sick Bay out of use - No child is to attend school if they are showing any cold or 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.
• 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 the school so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate plan for their circumstances.
• To minimise the possible risk of COVID-19 transmission please make appointments ahead of time and if possible, telephone or use email as the preferred method of contact with your child’s teacher or school.
• DROP OFF and PICK UP - will be through the Grace St gate only.

Strict social distancing measures will be in place, as we want to avoid social clustering.

• There will be no assemblies or large gatherings of students for the remainder of Term 2. 
• If your intention is to keep your child at home please contact the school by Friday 22nd May so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate learning plan for their circumstances.

After 26th May, if a situation arises where it is deemed not safe by health authorities for students or staff to be onsite, we would be able to move back to our comprehensive remote learning program as required

I again thank you for your ongoing support of our school. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any further clarification on any of these matters.

This week in Year 3/4 the students have been learning to make up flashcards using Microsoft Team’s classroom. This is a very different way of learning as so many skills are taught in one lesson and then students must practise and practise to really embed their learning. Skills taught included; making a table, using paragraph alignment, colour fonts and different fonts and  making a new page in Teams. 

Sasha & Jaydn working hard out of their new Text books that have been supplied for remote learning.

Students enjoying this beautiful weather while playing Hocky for Sport.