School Newsletter Term 1, Week 3, 10th February 2023

Principals Letter

Dear St Augustine's families,

Welcome to all our families and students for 2023.

Each fortnight we will issue a newsletter with important information,  reminders and forward dates for your calendars.

Meet and greet interviews- Will be held on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th February. These are 10 minute meetings with your child's classroom teacher to meet each other and for parents to share any information about your child. eg: anxious about anything, medical, concerns with curriculum subjects.Teachers will not know your child yet so they will not be able to share information about their learning but can comment on whether they have settled yet or not. Bookings are made through PAM. If you would like to see your teacher and cannot make either day please make alternative arrangements with your teacher.

Pancake Tuesday and Ash Wednesday Tuesday 21st February is 'Shrove Pancake' Tuesday - all classes will be making pancakes and learning about the significance of this day in the Catholic liturgical calendar. Wednesday 22nd February is Ash Wednesday and we will attend Mass together as a whole school and learn about the significance of this day in the Catholic liturgical calendar.

Beginning of Year Mass - 6pm 23rd February in the church. At this Mass we give thanks for the year ahead as a whole school, our Year 6 leaders walk our new Foundation children in to Mass as a symbol of welcome and we present leadership badges to our 2023 school leaders. More information to follow.

Assembly - Whole school Assembly will occur every Monday afternoon at 2.20pm in the school gym. Parents are welcome to attend.

Canteen - will operate every Friday. Please place your orders using CDFpay by 9:00am Friday morning. These orders will be filled and delivered to each classroom before second break (approximately 1.20pm).

Parking and end of day staggered drop off - Please be aware of traffic safety around our school, 40km speed limit and children must use the crossings. We have a staggered finish time to help alleviate the traffic congestion after school. STAFF ONLY parking is allocated behind the church and tennis courts. Children are using these areas after school and it is too unsafe for public parking.

House allocations  - All children are allocated a House/colour in which sporting teams, cross age activity days are linked. Our Houses' are past priests whom have been associated with our Parish and school. Flanagan - red (Fr Flanagan is currently still with us ), Scanlan - blue, Fiscalini - Green & Arundell - yellow. House colours can be worn on such days and you will be notified of these days.

Breakfast Club - Every Wednesday morning the Marian centre is opened up for Brekkie Club from 8.20am. All children are invited and welcome to come along and enjoy toast and/or a milo and socialise with friends.

Class Dojo - All families should now be connected to Class Dojo. Class Dojo is a direct form of communication from the classroom to home. Please be aware that teachers will not be checking during the school day as they will be teaching so if there is any important /urgent information that we need to know please call the office on 54604440. School story is what is happening around the school and of relevance to all.

P&F Facebook page This FB page is managed by our Parents and Friends NOT the school. It is a great way to also stay informed about P&F news but please be aware that if we cannot identify you as a school family, then you will not be accepted to join. Some FB names can be obscure so if it cannot be recognised let someone know who you are. 

Year 3-6 Swimming sports Our swimming sports will be Monday 20th February at the Dunolly pool as the Maryborough outdoor pool is closed for major repairs.

CAMPS -  The 5/6 camp to Melbourne will be Monday 27th - Wednesday 29th March. The 3/4 Camp will be 29th -31st May. The Foundation/1 camp experience day will be held on Wednesday 22nd March.  

Class Captains and Student Voice presentations - Term 1 class captains and student voice badges will be presented at Assembly in Week 4, Monday 13th February at 2.20pm.  

Absences - Please let the school office know if your child is absent via a Parent Notified Absence through PAM, an email to admin@samaryborough.catholic.edu.au or via phone. If your child is arriving late to school or leaving school  early you will need to come into the office and sign them in/out using the kiosk located on the right of the reception desk. 

PAM - We require ALL families to complete and update their child/ren’s medical details and contact information for 2023 through PAM and throughout the year as changes occur. This information is mandatory and a requirement for enrolment.

School Advisory Council (SAC), Parents & Friends (P&F) - Tuesday 21st March the SAC and P&F Annual General Meeting will take place in the Parish Hall (at the back of our school in Burns St). Nomination forms are attached. Hard copies are available from the school office. 

School Photo Day - is Thursday 2nd March. School photo's are ordered online through the photo company. More information to follow.

Calendar - Please make sure to check the school calendar which is linked to this newsletter to keep up to date with events and school closure days. 

Baby News - Big congratulations to Kyra & Jake Bucknall on the safe arrival of little Max. All are doing well and we wish them every happiness on their journey into parethood.

Wishing all our staff, students and families a wonderful Term 1. 

Many Blessings,

Mrs Sonia Turner

Principal

Happy Birthday to...

Madison H- Foundation        Harry M- Year 6      Elizabeth B- Year 2

Eddie R - Year 2      Noah G  - Year 5     Logan C - Year 6    Penley G - Year 1     Savio A - Year 4   

  Jack S - Year 6      Fateh B - Year 6      Anaya F - Year 5       Jakobi W - Year 5       Hazel L - Year 2     Frederick B - Year 5      Rilee H- Year 1     Alexa R - Year 2      Amelia S - Year 3     

Charlie G - Year 6     Hailey D - Year 2     Amarni M - Year 4     Aisha M - Year 2     Ella M - Year 6     Reef M - Year 3     Alexis Y - Year 1    Harley M - Year 4      

2023 School Fees & Levies

For approved Concession Card holders the CSEF discount will be applied by the end of term 2. 

What's happening in our classrooms...

Book Club Edition 4

 Orders for Edition 4 Bookclub are due in by Tuesday 6th June 2023.

Orders for Edition 3 are on their way.

All orders are to be placed online through LOOP.
Instructions below.

STAR Students

At St Augustine's we are a SWPBIS school (School Wide Positive Behaviour in School) and we have a STAR culture. STAR stands for:

S  - stay safe

T  - take pride

A  - act justly

R  - respond positively

Just like children are explicitly taught academics, acceptable behaviour is also explicitly taught. STAR awards are given at Assembly each fortnight, exceptional STARs are sent a postcard which qualifies them to morning tea with the Principal at the end of the term.

STAR lessons are taught around a nominated behaviour blitz. Children are taught how to be a STAR in all places they go and what the acceptable behaviour looks like. Examples of a lessons: how to stay safe in class, in the library, the toilet, at the bus stop, on the playground or when walking to the swimming pool.

Cyber Safety

Each fortnight we will post helpful eSafety information for students and families here. 

COVID Guidelines

It is strongly recommended that students: 

• Who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days.
• Should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic.
• Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

Where students become symptomatic at school, they should: 

• Be collected by their parents/carers.
• Undergo testing for COVID-19. 

COVID-19 reporting requirements.

The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household. 

Face masks.

Staff and students who wish to wear a face mask will be supported to do so.  Face masks are available for staff, students and visitors. 

The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home. 

Additionally, the department recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test when they need to leave home. 

Students with underlying conditions

Recent and most up to date information for children in schools:

Students with underlying conditions (such as hay fever or asthma)

If a student has persistent symptoms due to an underlying condition such as hay fever or asthma, the student should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are different to or worse than their usual symptoms. Students whose symptoms are clearly typical for their underlying condition can continue to attend school.

Parents/carers should also consider getting a medical certificate from the child’s treating GP to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose.

Young children with persistent mild symptoms

For younger children (in Prep to Year 2) who have had a negative COVID-19 test that was taken after they developed symptoms, the decision about return to school should be made in conjunction with the child’s treating GP. If the GP is satisfied the child has recovered from their acute illness, is otherwise well and does not need a repeat COVID-19 test, the child can return even if they are not completely free of symptoms. Any worsening of symptoms will require review and repeat COVID-19 testing, if considered appropriate by the doctor.

Students with a negative COVID-19 test whose symptoms have completely resolved do not need a medical certificate to return to school.

Student Medical Information

If your child is unwell please keep them at home.

This includes coughs, colds, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea and any other contagious illnesses.  

Coughs & Colds

Children can return to school once symptoms have eased and they are not actively coughing or blowing their nose.  

Vomitting & Diarrhoea

Children can return to school 48 hours after the last episode.

We will send children home if they present with any of these symptoms whilst at school.

Notifying Absences

All absentee notifications should be recorded either through the Parent Access Module (PAM) or directly to the school office by phone or email to admin@samaryborough.catholic.edu.au prior to 9.30am on the day of the absence. Please do not send notes of absence through to classroom teachers on Class Dojo as they may be absent or unable to check messages prior to commencement of class.

If a student is absent and we have not received any form of notification by 9.30am, a text message will be sent to parents asking them to call the office or send a reply text. 

Child Safety

St. Augustine's Primary School Maryborough demonstrates a strong commitment to the care, safety and wellbeing of all students at our school.

Each fortnight we will be sharing information around child safety and the obligations that we have as a school, staff and community.  All of our Child Safe policies and procedures are accessible on our website at samaryborough.catholic.edu.au.

Supervision of Students Information for Parents

Uniform Shop

All orders are to be placed through CDFPay Orders will continue to be filled once a week and sent home with your child(ren). 

We are still experiencing delays with our suppliers. If you have items on backorder these will be filled and sent home as soon as we can. 

If you have any queries or items to be exchanged, please come to the school office. 

Bucket hats will be available for sale from the school office but we are currently waiting on stock to arrive.

Note: There is no longer a designated period for summer or winter uniform. Students can choose what they would like to wear in any season. The only exception is that sports uniform must be worn on designated sports days and bucket hats are to be worn in Term 1 and 4.

PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE

If you call the office and the phone is unattended or busy, please leave a message. Messages are checked regularly throughout the day. Often there is only one person in the office and they may be busy on another call or with a student or parent.  Alternatively you can email a message through to admin@samaryborough.catholic.edu.au or send a class dojo through to Ms O'Kearney.  Please try and avoid last minute end of day changes for students. We understand that things do come up and if a change needs to be urgently relayed to your child/ren, please call and speak with the office so we can make sure they get the message immediately.  

PAM - Parent Access Module

PLEASE LOG INTO YOUR PAM ACCOUNT AND CONFIRM/COMPLETE YOUR CHILDS MEDICAL PROFILE. THIS INFORMATION IS MANDATORY FOR ALL STUDENTS. 

We require ALL families to complete and update their child/ren’s medical details and contact information for 2023 through PAM and throughout the year as changes occur. 

This information is mandatory and vital in the case of an emergency.   It is important that if you have any change to your contact numbers, including work place, mobile, home number, that these be updated through PAM and to advise the school office.

To complete your child/rens medical profile including contact information, go to PAM, click on your child/rens name, go to 'Medical Profile' and click 'Edit Details'. Complete details then click in the box at the bottom of the page to confirm the details are correct and click ‘Update Details’.

If you have any questions or require your login details, please contact the school office.

Canteen

All orders must be placed through CDFPay prior to 9.00am Fridays.   Please ensure you complete all orders on CDFPay and proceed through payment screen to the green receipt screen.

Please contact the office if you are having any issues with your CDFPay account. 

Parking & Road Safety

There are three minute parking bays in Burke Street outside the school entrance.  Your co-operation in only parking in this area for the specified time would be appreciated.  These parking bays are for quick pick up and drop off for students leaving early due to appointments and illness.

Likewise we also ask parents to respect the parking restriction on the disabled parking area.

Parking behind the church & tennis courts is STAFF ONLY parking. Please do not use these areas to park or pickup your children. Vehicle movement in and out of these areas means you are driving over footpaths/walkways which both our students and Highview students are using. This creates a potential safety hazard.

Follow road safety regulations, keep driveways clear, check carefully before reversing and avoid letting your children exit or enter a car whilst on the road or stopped at the crossings. Please do not double park. We all want to keep our families safe so your co-operation is appreciated.

Please observe road rules around our school for the safety of all of our children.

* Schools have 40km zone.

* Parking behind the church & tennis courts is STAFF ONLY parking.

* Please use the children's crossing on Burns, Kars St and Burke St.

* For safety purposes, please avoid letting your children exit or enter a car whilst on the road or stopped at the crossings. Please do not double park. 

Thank you for your co-operation.

Bus Travel

Bus travel on the country buses is available for students at St Augustine’s School and arrangements are made through the bus co-ordinator, Benedict Stewart, at the Maryborough Education Centre on 5461 7900.  Parents of the student/s must organise the pass through MEC at least two days prior to travel. Students cannot travel on the country buses without a pass. The town bus does not require a pass but costs 50cents a trip, payable on the day of travel.  Please advise the office if your child will be travelling on any of the buses so we can update our bus rolls.

IMPORTANT

All bus travel requires parents/guardians to complete a Public Transport Victoria (PTV) Application for Permission to Travel form prior to any bus travel. This form can be emailed direct to Ben Stewart at MEC, Benedict.Stewart@education.vic.gov.au. It is important that this form is completed as these details will be used in the event of an emergency.

Bell times

5 minutes prior to classes commencing there is music played. This signals to the children it is time to start moving to class. This is the time children need to have a drink, go to the toilet etc. so they are lined up and ready to start class when the bell goes. 

8:30am - Yard Care Supervision begins

8:40am  -  Classroom teacher in classroom - meet & greet

8:55pm - School classes begin

9am-11am - 2 hour learning session

11am-11:40am -  First break

11:40am-1:40pm - 2 hour learning session

1:40pm-2:20pm - Second break

2:20pm-3:15pm - 55 minute learning session

3:10pm - Fiscalini & Flanagan dismissal

3:15pm - Arundell & Scanlan, Bus students dismissal

Parish News

Please see link below for the latest Parish Bulletin & readings.

Lunch box ideas

Advanced dates for your diary

School Closure Days

Tuesday 14th March - Staff PD

Monday 24th April - Staff PD

Monday 9th October - Staff PD

Please see the link to the school calendar below for all other important dates.

Community Notices