Welcome back to 2022 Newsletters!

We have made it to the end of Week 2 and despite all the additional challenges of the first couple of weeks; COVID cases, close contacts, black outs and no internet we have actually had a fabulous first couple of weeks.

Our new students have experienced a warm and friendly welcome and to all reports are already very important members of our school community. In the coming weeks the Primary classroom teacher or Secondary PCA will make contact (if they haven’t already) to check on your feedback and to answer any questions or discuss any issues. We are appreciative of the efforts of our students and staff to make all our newest community members feel welcome.

COVID continues to impact our classes but the numbers of cases have started to decline. We pray that this trend will continue and we can resume a relatively normal school program. Close contacts and children with COVID will be provided with work (if they are well enough) and can email teachers if they have any queries or would like additional work. Thank you to all the parents/guardians who have collected the latest instalments of the RAT Kits. Please continue to test Mondays and Wednesdays until further notice. We have distributed another 5 tests per students for the next two weeks and will advise if, and when, we have to persist with the testing routine. Don’t forget to contact the school if your child registers a positive test and also make sure you inform NSW Health. Remember, a day is a long time in a pandemic and things, expectations, protocols and procedures seem to change quick quickly. The most current advice is that if your child test positive they must undergo 7 days isolation. If they are symptom free after the 7 days they may return to school. There is no need to continue to test them for the next 28 days as there is the possibility that they may register a positive test despite being COVID free. Close contacts must test at the end of isolation and if they return a negative test they may return to school. Please continue to monitor for symptoms as the NSW Health considers it probable that they may still contract the virus. Also of importance is that for each new case in a household the close contact isolation DOES NOT reset unless they are positive.

Unfortunately, the number of COVID cases meant we needed to postpone our Opening School Liturgy/Prayer Service. We hope to be able to conduct it in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further information but at this stage it will be two separate celebrations – Primary and Secondary – in the outdoor COLA area in Sutton st and limited to invited guests only.

At this stage our Swimming Carnival will continue as planned. We will reserve the final decisions about spectators until the last moment as we are hopeful of having more than one spectator able to enjoy the carnival. Ms Withers and Ms Van Kerk Oerle have spent an inordinate amount of time preparing for the smooth running of the carnival. Long distance events will be conducted this Monday and parents should consult the information that was sent out over the past days. We have also been given the opportunity to host the Western Region Swimming Carnival at the request of Lake Cargellico. Please keep an eye out for the request for parent helpers (mindful that COVID protocols apply).

As I sit here in the bus shelter handing out RAT kits to families I recognize that we are truly blessed to be navigating this COVID experience as a community. The positive attitude and willingness of people to be helpful and to follow procedures graciously is refreshing. Our students are amazingly resilient in their embracing of the constant changes and flux in their routines. Our newest and littlest kinder students are excited and not daunted by all that is happening around them with staff comings and going and are keen to learn and be together. Our new teachers are already an important part of our team and have much to offer our school.

As Bishop Desmond Tutu said… “Do your little bit of good where you are; It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”coup