Welcome

Welcome to all new families and welcome back to those who are returning.

It is stating the obvious that this is not how we expected the school year to begin. However, I am grateful for how well the community has adapted to the changes and challenges of this interrupted commencement. Our learners across all year levels have been engaged and cooperative and the feedback, thus far, has been overwhelmingly positive. I want to congratulate all the new Preps, who have coped so well with the disrupted start. Overall, it has been a very promising sign for the year ahead.

I do wish to acknowledge the teaching and support staff for what they have done over the past fortnight that has enabled such a smooth transition for all.  They have spent time planning and preparing lessons, completing mandated student protection, code of conduct, health and safety and first aid training over the past two weeks.  The plans that they had in place have had to change and change quickly. The innovative work of teachers in preparing and adapting the curriculum means that we return to school this week with some momentum.

In welcoming everyone back to school, it is important to draw your attention to the following matters. We return to school while the wider community is learning to live with COVID-19. This means we have to operate school as normal in some regards while also managing the likely presence of the virus in the school. In this context, we are focused on keeping students and staff healthy while also mitigating the risk of further infection.

The fundamental step in this regard is to be clear about our processes and protocols in the Health Management of our community.

In essence:

• If your child shows signs of illness before school, do not send them to school. Have them tested and communicate positive results to the school.
• If your child shows signs of illness at school, they must report to their class teacher and we will contact you immediately to take them home and to be tested. Again, please communicate positive results to the school.
• If your child is deemed to be a close contact, do not send them to school but please communicate this to the school.

It is clear to us that numerous students will fall ill, as will staff, in the coming weeks. Consequently, we anticipate disruption throughout the first term.

As a school community we have all done so well to support each other with Covid restrictions and requirements to date. The beginning of this year has been no different.

We continue to promote our mission of welcoming all.

We encourage our students to acknowledge and accept diverse perspectives so we can all belong and feel safe at school.

The current circumstances with people making decisions and choices about how they are managing Covid-19 and preventative measures for themselves and their family creates an opportunity for us to model and teach our children what being inclusive looks and sounds like.

Please help us to support this inclusive learning environment for all children by having conversations with your child about accepting people will make different choices about how they are responding to Covid. For example some students will wear masks and some won’t.

These conversations might also include acknowledging every individual has different needs, which may not always be obvious.

Remember to have regular check in chats with your child and to remind them of who they can talk to at home or at school if they have overwhelming feelings.

As we navigate the challenges going forward thank you for creating a culture where we support other’s choices.

The following websites might be helpful for you:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for Australians | APS (psychology.org.au)

Return to school after isolation: children | Raising Children Network

Explore the insights psychology and psychologists provide into challenges we face at work, at home and in society. 

Staffing Updates:

We are very excited for  Mss Natalie Lancuba and her husband Mitch, who are looking forward to the birth of their first baby next term.  Ms Lancuba, one of our Year 5 teachers, will be taking parental leave from Term 2 onwards. This position will be advertised shortly, following the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Recruitment procedure. Once the procedure is complete, the successful applicant will be announced to our community. 

In conclusion, over recent weeks there has been extensive planning from the School Leadership Team for the term ahead during what is likely to be a time of considerable uncertainty. I am grateful for these efforts and their commitment to looking after the health and safety of the school community.

Whatever lies ahead, as we set out on the journey of the 2022 school year, we do so as a Catholic school in the Sisters of Mercy tradition. Part of that tradition is to know the value of prayer at all times in our lives, not just in times of uncertainty. But at this time, our collective prayer is to remain a hope-filled community that places our humble needs in the hands of God.

With every best wish for the week, term and year ahead.

Ms Madonna Sleba 

Principal

Congratulations to our two new Year 6 students, Maddison and Nimar who received their Leadership Badges this week.