Dear Parents
Today’s announcement by the Premier of a staggered return to school next term will be welcomed by our parents, just as it is by our staff. The return date of Monday 25 October is for Kindergarten and Year 1 students. Years 2 and 6 will return on Monday 1 November followed by Years 3, 4 and 5 the following week. I have been informed by our Director of Schools, Mr Danny Casey, that a statement will be sent to parents today with further information. I will endeavour to keep you updated as more information comes to hand over the next few days.
St Monica and St Augustine
The feasts of St Monica and St Augustine occur today and tomorrow. St Augustine is the patron saint of the order of priests who look after our parish. St Monica was the mother of St Augustine. Both are highly regarded in the Church. We wish our priests a happy feast day. Please keep them in your prayers as they also endure the challenges of lockdown, unable to fully serve our community as they would wish.
Trivia Night
Last Saturday evening’s St Kieran’s Trivia Night was a tremendous success. There were approximately 40 families involved in the three rounds of questions. The intermissions were filled with dancing, music and even a saxophone performance by Darcy B from Year 5. Congratulations to the Roy (1st place), Covich (2nd place) and Kirkham families (3rd place). The winning colour house was Yellow followed by Green, Blue then Red. Many thanks to Evergreen Music for hosting the night. Maybe another night in Term 4?
P&F Executive and Class Parent Meeting
Each term, the P&F executive meet prior to the general P&F meeting. Class Parents also meet, usually once per term. This week we combined this meeting on Zoom to address a few items that have come up regarding P&F funds, HBL+ and how school is operating during this time. The P&F committee has provided a summary of the meeting which can be found in the newsletter.
HBL+
CSBB has responded to requests from the Catholic School Parents representative body (CSP), as well as schools themselves, for further resourcing for Home Based Learning initiatives. The provision of these resources is referred to as HBL+. St Kieran’s has requested extra resources to assist in meeting the needs of students who may be more vulnerable in their learning, as well as addressing the social and emotional impact of HBL on our students.
As we enter Week 8 of the school term, it is very evident that our whole school community has been impacted by learning from home. Our teachers are aware of the fatigue that is setting in with many of the students and will be adjusting the work accordingly over the last couple of weeks of the term. If you feel you need to speak to the school counsellor about any struggle you or your child may be facing at present, please contact the school office so that the counsellor can contact you. This is done with the utmost confidentiality.
You will have received a message from the class teacher regarding assessment or priority tasks. These are activities that the teachers will be using to monitor student progress this term. It is important that the children complete these tasks independently so that the results reflect the student’s own ability. More information regarding Semester 2 reporting will be communicated in Term 4.
Home Packs
A message sent yesterday via Compass offers optional Home Packs for students. These will be available for pick up in the foyer each Monday morning. Remember to register via the Google Form.
Supervision
A reminder to complete the Google Form if you need supervision for your child next week. This form will be closed at 5pm this evening.
A wise person said to me a week or two ago, that while we endure the challenges of lockdown and HBL, each new day is one day closer to the end of lockdown. Please stay safe and look after each other.
God bless,
Michael Gallagher
Principal