Community Update # 3.7 Learning Site Links & PatCare

Congratulations to everyone for completing our second week of Flexible Learning. It was great to see so many of you come and pick up resources for next week. 

Stay safe and have a restful weekend.

There is now a new tab on the Learning Community Site called RE / Catholic Identity. The idea of this is to provide families with an opportunity to engage in prayer and to explore life's questions, spirituality and faith in a safe, creative and interactive way at home. To assist this to happen there is a document included, outlining how to set up a prayer space at home. Activities may include short liturgies, songs and prayers.

Our first liturgy on this site celebrates the Feast Day of Mary MacKillop (Mary of the Cross), our first Australian saint. Her feast day is on Saturday the 8th August.

There is also a new link on the Learning Site to the weekly virtual assemblies. 

Go to the Home tab, click on the arrow and there is an assemblies page.
Here is the link to the last 2 weekly assemblies. The next assembly will be shared with the children on Monday morning.
Term 3 2020

Virtual Assembly #7 Week 3 Term 3 2020
Virtual Assembly #6 Week 1 Term 3 2020

For those of you who missed the staff video - "Here we go again." Here it is:

An important message for our 2021 Preps

PatCare

What is PatCare?

 

(PatCare) is a long-standing group that supports members of our local community during times of need.

Its volunteer base is coordinated through the St Patrick’s Parents & Friends Association, but the support is administered

How it works

Liz Hills will engage with families or individuals experiencing serious illness, grief or other hardship to identify what support PatCare would be appreciated, for example a meal or two. We also support families with new babies to help in that initial busy period. Liz will then liaise with our PatCare coordinator, who then contacts the next volunteer on the rotating list. Volunteers may be called upon only once or twice a year, depending on the number of volunteers available. The meal will be delivered to the school, and Liz will arrange delivery to the recipient.

How to get involved

Sarah Luck (mum to William in Prep) is our PatCare coordinator. If you think you can assist, please drop her an email:

Sarah.Luck@Coles.com.au

Are there other ways to help?

If you are in a position to purchase a digital gift card from any of the leading supermarkets, Liz Hill will be able to provide them to those in need. Please email the gift cards to:

lizh@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au

(please also contact Liz if you are aware of community members who might need our support)

How else can I help in my community?

PatCare is not the only way we can all build a more connected community. There are so many ways to show you care – consider using this prompt from Neighbourhood Watch to reach out to vulnerable members of your community.

Community Notices

You can access the St Bede's College letter at this link.

ST BEDE’S COLLEGE VIDEO

Term 3 Community Update # 6

First 5 days of Flexible Learning completed

Congratulations to our children, families and staff for making the adjustment to Flexible Learning this week.

We know it's a challenge for everyone but you have all done so well.

It was great to see all of the children engaged in their Zoom meetings and wearing their school uniform. 

We are aware that many of you had to be extra flexible and patient on Thursday morning when the Learning Site couldn't be accessed for some of you. Unfortunately it was our very first technical glitch. It was complex, especially when we could view the site at school. 

I apologise for the inconvenience.

Thankfully, the problem was resolved and we were back up and running again very soon.

The Flexible Learning plans for next week are all up on the site ready to go.

Parents and Friends

During the week, we held a Parents and Friends meeting. Thanks to Jenny Jones and Kim Johnston for hosting the meeting.

The main focus of the meeting was around potential ways to show appreciation to our parents and carers on Gratitude Day due to the lockdown and potential restrictions for Mothers/ Fathers/ Special Friends celebrations. 

We also discussed ways to raise the Patcare profile. PatCare is a community initiative that provides a meal or support to members of our school community. We will share more about this next week.

Parish Education Board (PEB)

Members of the PEB met via Zoom during the week. It was a great opportunity for the new board to reflect on their role and how they can support our community going forward. Thanks to Victoria Jones our new board chair and Christina Cardillo, the PEB secretary. All members of the board are listed on our Learning Community Site under the PEB tab. 

Here is a slideshow of some of the information from the Principal's report.

Have a safe weekend everyone.

Jenny Hawkins

Principal

Term 3 Community Update # 5

Face Coverings - Latest Update from Catholic Education Commission of Victoria

Earlier this week, the Victorian Government announced that those in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must wear a face covering when they leave home from 11.59 pm on Wednesday 22 July 2020.

Face coverings will be mandatory for people aged 12 and over. These measures will slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and help protect our school community.

Students who attend primary school for onsite supervision will not be required to wear a face covering. Students who are aged 12 by Year 6 will not be required to wear face coverings. The Victorian Chief Health Officer has advised that it is not practical to require some primary school students to wear face coverings while others are not required to. In saying that, it is acceptable for any families who choose for their children to wear face coverings.

Parents and carers will be required to wear face coverings whenever they leave the house, including for school drop-off and pick-up.

Students or staff who have a medical condition – including problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability or a mental health condition – are not required to wear a face covering.

The Department of Health and Human Services website has advice about face coverings, including:

· which different types can be used

· how to make your own

· how to safely wear one

· how to safely remove it.

Thank you for your support in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and keeping our school community safe.

Here is a link to a social story to help to explain to young children about face coverings.

Onsite Intention Forms

Thanks to all families who completed the Onsite Intention forms and included all details as requested. Thank you to those families who sent through letters and emails from employers to support applications. 

If your current booking remains the same for next week and following weeks, then you will not be required to complete a weekly form unless I contact you directly.

If you have a new booking or a change of days, then please email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au for the Onsite Intention Form.

Parent Feedback

Thank you to everyone for providing feedback in relation to your experiences with Term 2 Home Learning. I haven't had time to respond to all emails but I can ensure you that we took them into account and we will respond in the coming days.

We received diverse feedback and worked as a staff to make a range of adjustments and create a balance between student learning and student, staff and parent well being.

Links to all of the changes are shared and explained in Term 3 Community Update #4 and summarised in the 

Flexible Learning Guidelines & Expectations for staff, students and parents at this link.

TeamKids Entry Point
Until further notice we will be using the blue kitchen door for entry and exit to
TeamKids. For before school care you will need to wait at the blue door until
your child’s temperature is taken and a TeamKids educator will sign the
student in. For after school care we ask you that you don’t walk in to the
TeamKids room, we will sign your child out and then get them to meet you at
the blue door.

The TeamKids flag is marking the new entry point.

Thanks for your cooperations.

TeamKids

Stay safe and well,

Jenny Hawkins

Principal

Community Update # 4 Flexible Learning changes

Stay Safe and Well
Unfortunately, the number of Coronavirus cases has dramatically increased and we wish to keep all families affected in our prayers. We pray that everyone can stay safe and keep healthy and well.
During this time of uncertainty and physical isolation, over 300 local churches united together in Australia to sing a blessing over our nation. This is the first time this has happened. We hope that this song will fill you with peace and encouragement. We pray it blesses you, your children, your families and loved ones.

Flexible Learning
The staff worked hard onsite at school this week. We have reviewed the remote learning based on your feedback.

Key changes are:

• Home Learning will now be referred to as Flexible Learning
• Children will be expected to wear their school uniform both at school and at home for Flexible Learning.
• Specialist classes have been moved to one full day to allow for continuity of class teaching on other days.
• Times removed from the Flexible Learning planer to accommodate flexibility for families. 
• Teachers availability has increased (see the Expectations of Teachers below)
• Extra small group sessions and 1:1 or 1:2 sessions will take place (see below)
• Wellbeing and Catholic Identity times have been prioritised

We have developed a set of guidelines and expectations for staff, students and parents.
You can read further details about the key changes and access the guidelines and expectations at this link.
Late on Friday afternoon, staff concluded the week by preparing a surprise video for the children "Here we go again.." We will share this with our families next week.

You can access all learning programs on our Learning Community Site at this link.

Onsite Learning for Week beginning July 20
Applications were reviewed and responded to and are now closed for next week.
Due to health and safety reasons, we will not admit any children without prior notice.
Students will need to wear their school uniform and arrive at school at 8:45 and come to the office to have their temperature checked before proceeding to the supervised classrooms.

Flexischools App will be changed
At the end of last term with no notice whatsoever, Flexischools announced that they were taking over Flexibuzz.
Due to the situation with the pandemic and our concern around the need to communicate frequently with families, we let the automated rollover to Flexischools happen.
To our dismay, we have since discovered that there are advertisements embedded into the new Flexischools app. Please note we DO NOT endorse any of the advertisers.
As soon as we are set up with remote learning, Sandra will investigate and source an alternative school app. At this stage, Flexischools is an interim school app for us.
We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Community Update # 3 Transition to Remote and Flexible Learning

Flexible Learning (Flexi learning )
The staff are busy preparing for the transition to remote and flexible learning for the start of the second week of Term 3.
Last term we referred to "Home Learning".
This term we are going to refer to the learning that takes place for Term 3 as "Flexible Learning". Based on your feedback, we have made a number of changes to our Flexible Learning program and this time around we will all be more flexible. I will share some of these changes with you shortly. Flexible Learning can take place in your homes or back at school. Either way, the staff, students and families are making adjustments to the learning and in doing so are being very flexible.
Hereon in we will refer to Flexible Learning; Onsite (at school) Flexible Learning and Offsite (at home) Flexible Learning.
The tabs on the Learning Community Site will be renamed to Flexible Learning.

Onsite Flexible Learning
Students will be learning from home, except for those in the following categories:

       • children of essential workers on days or parts of days when they are not able to be supervised at home and no  other arrangements can be made

• any student identified as a vulnerable and are receiving PSG (Program Support Group termly meetings) support at school

Onsite provision will be available but only for students in the categories listed above, for the purpose of providing continuity of teaching, learning and support. 

When onsite flexible learning is provided, temperature checks will be conducted , hand sanitiser will be available at entry points and education will be provided on hand hygiene. 

Physical distancing will be implemented in classrooms to the extent feasible and unwell students will be excluded from attending. The Chief Health Officer has not recommended the use of face masks in schools.

Students learning onsite will be supervised by school staff onsite, but follow the teaching and learning program provided by their classroom teacher. 

The On-Site School Intentions Form must be completed and submitted by 12 noon on Friday of each preceding week.

Here is the link to the Onsite Intention Form
If you require a word version of the form then please email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au

School Device/ Equipment Loan Agreement
During Term 3 we will also be able to loan devices to families who need support. We have a limited number of devices to loan. We can also loan out school furniture and other equipment.
We ask that any request be emailed directly to lizh@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au
Upon collection, you will be required to complete a loan agreement form to take responsibility for the safe return or damage to the device or equipment. We will try to arrange to coordinate the device and equipment pick up with the tub collections below.

Collection of Resources for Flexible Learning - Thursday and Friday
Because of the lack of notice provided for this time of flexible learning, students do not have access to all of their materials. Therefore each child’s tub or book box including their books, pencil case and other resources required will be made available for collection this week.

We ask that families with surnames from:

A to K collect their child’s/children’s tubs between 2-3pm on Thursday 16 July

L to Z collect their child's/children's tubs between 2-3pm on Friday 17 July

School gates in the back yard and front yard will be opened and year level tables / trolleys will be spread out in the back and front yard to assist you to adhere to safe social distancing.

If this is problematic for you, please contact the office on 9569 7487 to make alternate arrangements.

Prep parents are asked to return any prep readers into the return tub at school.

Community Update #2 Preparing for Term 3 School Instructed Home Learning

Dear families and carers,

Today Premier Daniel Andrews announced a return to ‘at home’ learning for students in Prep to Year 10 (Monday 20 July until at least Wednesday 19 August) to limit the number of people moving across our state to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Here is a link to the media release from today.

St Pat's school implemented this type of learning successfully last time and I am confident that our community will work in partnership again to maintain this level of commitment to successful learning for all. The State Government has extended the school holidays by one week to allow staff to prepare for this mode of learning.

I wish to clarify that the arrangement of Team Kids as the provider for families of essential services for the extended holiday week is an approved decision made in consultation with the Regional General Manager of Catholic Education Melbourne. 

Your arrangements are in line with the premiers message that schools should be open for families as noted for supervision and/or holiday program. Many schools are implementing the same arrangements as yourself by enlisting an external provider to offer a holiday program. There is no instruction from the premier that teachers must be the supervisors of that holiday program.This week is for an extended school holiday and is not for remote learning. 

Commencing tomorrow, every staff member will be available onsite to fully prepare for an improved home learning programme in response to your feedback from Term 2. To help you understand what this means, I have prepared a change2flourish post listing the changes we will work on as a staff during the coming 5 days. You can access the changes and the feedback from parents and students at this link.  There is still an opportunity to provide further feedback as mentioned in the article. 

Onsite supervision will be available for students from the July 20. Parents and carers will be asked to apply for onsite supervision via a reviewed form which will be made available on Wednesday.

Staggered drop off and pick up times will be allocated to students who attend school for onsite supervision and these times must be adhered to. Temperature checks will be in place again.

Please be mindful that onsite supervision does not mean onsite teaching as our teaching staff cannot be teaching online and face-to-face at the same time.

More information regarding collection of devices and learning materials will be made available in the coming days.

St Patrick's school is committed to the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community. It is important that we follow the State Government directives to ensure that we all stay well.

Stay safe and please ensure you read all community updates. 

Please be assured that the staff of St Pat's will rise to the challenge to support all students with the best learning instruction we possibly can in the coming weeks.

We will get through this together.

Jenny Hawkins

Principal