Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you to those parents who attended our online Covid meetings last week. In total, we had around 30 parents, which was great. As I spoke in this meeting, there is a lot of information to have our heads around and often, it can change quickly. To support you with this, I have pinned a post to the top of the Compass Parent Portal, which will be updated as soon as anything changes. I will also keep a standing item in the newsletter as another anchor point.
StFA Alumni
A former student deserves a special mention after running in the final of the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Jaydon Page was a student at our school several years ago and has won a silver medal in the 100m. Congratulations Jaydon on this fantastic achievement. If you want to watch his race, we have linked it on our Facebook page.
Lisa Conroy
Yesterday we participated in a whole school thanksgiving mass for Mrs Lisa Conroy after she retired earlier this year. It was unfortunate we could not invite the wider school community; however, the love and adoration for Lisa were definitely evident in the special messages she received for her memory book from the wider school community. Lisa received a beautiful picture which was painted of the school church and blessed during mass to mark her contribution to the community. We thank Lisa for her contribution to the school community over the last 22 years.
First Eucharist
It was lovely to attend our First Eucharist Parent Meetings last week as the first step in the journey of our Yr 5 students receiving the most blessed sacrament. These students will now attend a commitment mass with their families before undertaking a home preparation program. Congratulations to all these students and their families we look forward to journeying with you.
Athletics Carnival
We look forward to hosting our Athletics Carnival next Tuesday at Calwell playing fields. Similar to our cross-country carnival, we can host the event with parents in attendance as it is off-site, outdoors and low risk. We will ask you to continue to use proper hygiene measures and not attend if you are unwell. The day should be great fun and a good opportunity for parents to be involved in the school community. If you are able, please consider volunteering some time on the day. Thank you to Lauren McDonald for coordinating this carnival.
ThinkUknow
We are hosting a parent workshop called ThinkUknow to support parents and their children in using digital devices at home. This workshop is presented in conjunction with the AFP and Industry professionals to upskill parents around the best ways to keep their children safe online. Please consider enrolling to attend as it will be an extremely valuable workshop for all parents to learn more about young people and the online environment and how you can help them to be safe and responsible users of technology.
Please don’t wait until your child experiences issues online before attending the workshop. The best way for parents to support their kids is by having the knowledge and skills to support them through whatever difficulties they may face online now and into the future. If you would like to attend this event, please register your interest using this link https://forms.gle/oLbTLW7CXiDBjoGa9 by C.O.B Monday 8th August.
Pupil Free Day tomorrow
As previously communicated, tomorrow is a Pupil Free day for all ACT primary schools. Our teachers will be using the day to complete self-directed Professional Development and classroom admin time. To continue school operations, our school has had to draw upon all resources during periods of heavy staff absence, and this has seen teachers lose preparation and professional development time as well as teach extra students. This day is invaluable in supporting teachers to recoup this lost time and support them in what is forecast to be a difficult remainder of the term. There will be another Pupil Free day scheduled for Friday, September 9th.
Blessings and best wishes for the week ahead
Kind regards
Sean Rutledge
Principal