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Dear parents and Friends of St Kevin’s,
Welcome to 2022! I hope that everyone managed some down time during January to re-charge their batteries. So here we are again starting another school year, with lots of fun learning ahead.
The 2022 school year has started a little differently yet again, but everyone has stepped up to the mark and doing their bit to ensure a safe learning environment exists here at St Kevin’s. Thank you to everyone who has utilised the RAT kits, provided masks for students in Year 3-6, abided by social distancing rules, taught children how to wash hands and sanitize and followed advice from our Director Mr Mowbray. When we all follow the rules and guidelines we are reducing the risks of COVID.
The children have returned to school excited and eager to engage academically and socially. On my visits to each class, all students are demonstrating a very positive approach to their learning, willing to meet the challenges ahead and be the best learner they can be.
This year we welcome a 2 new staff members to St Kevin’s. Miss Ella Pappalardo is teaching Year 2. Miss Pappalardo has spent many hours during the holidays preparing her classroom to make it a fun learning space for Year 2. The big pink chair is a huge hit! So welcome Miss Pappalardo, and we hope you have as much fun here as the rest of us do. Miss Bronte is assisting in Kindergarten each morning. We welcome Miss Bronte and again hope she has lots of fun with Kindergarten every day.
We also have some new students. Flynn in Year 4 and Rafael in Year 3. We welcome Flynn and Rafael and their families to our amazing community.
Kindergarten started today too. We have 26 beautiful children in our Kindergarten class. Everyone is settling in and making new friends, playing and listening to stories. Welcome to all the new families in kindergarten, and we look forward to getting to know you over the year ahead.
So once again, welcome back everyone! Here’s to 2022 and whatever it presents ….we are ready! Go gently with Jesus in your hearts, guiding you in your life journey.
Mary-Anne Jennings
Principal
St Kevin’s
COVID UPDATE
Everyone received communication from Gerard Mowbray our Director regarding COVID guidelines for all schools. So what does this look like for St Kevin’s?
- RAT kits distributed and to be used every Monday and Wednesday before coming to school until the end of February. You received enough for the first 2 weeks, and we await delivery of the next shipment.
- Sick children are to be kept at home.
- Children sent home from school because of COVID symptoms will require a negative RAT or PCR to return to school. ( Whichever is easiest to source!)
- Parents are not permitted on site.
- School swimming carnival postponed. Squad students asked to provide their times to progress to the next level of competition. A whole school carnival for children in Years 2-6 will be held later in the year.
- Masks are highly recommended for Years 3-6.
- Students travelling to and from school on the bus MUST wear a mask whilst on the bus - Public Health orders.
Sport
This term sports day is on a Thursday where the students will engage in a gymnastics programme. Please wear sports uniform every Thursday in Term 1.
School calendar
This calendar with all events for the term is available on our website. The newsletter also has a link and lists upcoming events that may impact on your child.
Opening School Liturgy and Investiture of Captains
February 17. The details as to exactly how this will be conducted are currently being discussed.
Sacramental Programme
All parents who enrolled their children in the Parish Sacramental Programme should have received and email for Father Joseph. This is for Confirmation and First Eucharist, and is for children in Years 5, 6 and above. If you have not received this information please contact Father Joseph or Mrs Boudan our REC for assistance. Dates for these Sacraments are February 10,11,17,18,24 and 25 with bookings and reservations required for each session.
News from the Assistant Principal
Welcome, welcome, welcome! Can you believe that we are already 1/12 of the way through the year? Well, it has been a very interesting start to the year with RAT testing and getting our heads around COVID restrictions and ever changing guidelines. However, whatever can keep us at school and learning we will live with …. NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!
1:1 Devices
A reminder that all devices should be labelled and come to school fully charged each day. I have been slowly working my way through the Year 4 laptops and hope to get all computers on the network, with Office 365 and Minecraft Education installed by the end of this week. It takes 2 HOURS to download these programs.... yeesh! And that is if the download doesn’t stall. For the future, a reminder to parents not to install virus protection on 1:1 devices as this will prevent the device from being able to access our system. Please remember that all students in the diocese are entitled to free Office 365 on up to 5 devices (irrespective of whether they are in Years 4-5 and using 1:1 devices, don’t pay for Office or Office 365). If you have any questions regarding this simply email me. kim.hogan@mn.catholic.edu.au
Return to school
Some students maybe experiencing a little anxiety over their movement into a new class or stage. This is quite normal. Please reassure your child that it is okay, to talk to their teacher about any concerns they may be having (generally it will be around more complex work and / or the pacing of the work). Give lots of positive encouragement and ask them about their successes for the day. If the problem persists please make contact with the classroom teacher.
Sport Term 1: Gymnastics
Sports Day is THURSDAY! We have been lucky enough to secure funding again under Sporting Schools, this has allowed us to engage Primarily Active to deliver an 8 week gymnastics program ( all equipment supplied with qualified coaches). To allow this to occur we do need a parent contribution of $21 per child. We are setting this payment up through Compass Pay. This will be our first online payment for the whole school and should make things easier for both parents and the school office. You should notice this Compass event in your Compass account. Whilst both parents can apparently see this payment advice, I have been advised that only the fee paying parent is able to make payment using this method. You should see this on your landing page (it takes about 5 secs to load). We really hope this makes life easier!
God Bless
Kim Hogan
Kim.hogan@mn.catholic.edu.au
Yaama Ngindaay! (Hello everyone)
Welcome to the 2022 school year. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break despite the various Covid related challenges.
In 2022 we have 12 Aboriginal students at St Kevin’s across the grades. We welcome 4 new students in Kindergarten and their families.
My ancestors and cousins are from Caroona, near Quirindi, on Gamilaraay Country. I will be at school every Wednesday and Thursday, working in classrooms to help students and teachers. Primarily I assist our Aboriginal students with their literacy and numeracy skills.
I also assist teachers with their planning and teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. This is a cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum. The curriculum states that… ‘the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.’
At St Kevin’s we have a very supportive community where we respect all cultures and celebrate diversity. I look forward to working with our staff, students and families again this year.
Mooki River at Caroona, near Quirindi (Gamilaraay Country).
Artwork by Kayleb John Waters-Sampson 2020
St Kevin’s Catholic Primary School acknowledges the land upon which we work as traditional Awabakal Country.
We pay our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present. |
Phil Taylor
Aboriginal Education Teacher
Last Friday, the staff of St. Kevin’s gathered to begin the new school year in prayer. Our beautiful liturgy focussed on HOPE. We shared our personal hopes for 2022; for our school community, for our students, for our colleagues, for ourselves, for our families and for our world. We were inspired in our hopes by a beautiful photo by Mads Nissen called “The First Embrace”.
This touching photo was named the 2021 ‘Photo of the Year’ by the World Press. The image features Rosa Luzia Lunardi (85 years of age) being embraced by nurse Adriana Silva de Costa Souza, at Viva Bem Aged Care Home in Brazil. The photographer captured the first hug Rosa had received in 5 months due to strict Covid restrictions which prevented millions of Brazillians visiting their elderly relatives and carers from having any non-essential contact.
The ‘Hug Curtain’ that you can see in this image, made safe physical contact a possibility. What a wonderful invention and one that must have brought great hope to many people.
When you have a moment of quiet, take some time to look at and ponder the image. What do you notice? What catches your attention? What feeling does the image evoke in you? What do you hear God saying to you? What are your personal hopes for 2022?
The Diocesan theme this year is Fully Alive! The St. Kevin’s staff will be nourishing their own faith during 2022 through considering many themes under the banner of Fully Alive!
- Created and Known by God
- Building Relationships
- Growing in Commitment
- Living Within the World
Together these themes offer an exploration of what it means to be human within the context of our Catholic faith and we are excited to have begun this journey.
As Catholics, we believe that human beings are most fully alive, most in touch with their inner selves, when they can acknowledge deep connections between themselves and God, others, and the rest of creation.
I look forward to sharing our journey with you throughout the year.
May God’s Spirit be with you all each day.
Mrs Jasmina Boudan
Religious Education Coordinator
From the Office of Safeguarding
Complaints and Grievances
Staff make decisions every day and many are directly concerned with your child.
Professional judgement, educational guidelines, school policies and experience are just some of the factors used to frame these decisions. However, what is consistent in all decisions is the genuine care the staff have for your child and the fact that they always have their best interest at heart; regardless of whether it is rewarding a positive action or giving a consequence to an inappropriate choice.
With that said I accept that not all decisions, although made with every good intention, are absolutely 100% correct and from time to time disagreements and conflict may arise which may result in complaints and grievances being expressed. St Kevin's, like all schools – in fact most workplaces has a “Complaints and Grievance’ Policy. In short, it outlines appropriate and acceptable procedures to express dissatisfaction, so that mutual respect and fairness are ensured and that the dignity of those involved is maintained. I stress that the office foyer is not the place to display anger and frustration.
All matters should be dealt with in a calm manner and preferably in a quiet place. A copy of the Complaints and Grievance Policy is available on the school website and by request from the school office.