We have had a cracking start to the new school year. The first weeks were filled with Opening School Liturgy, the Swimming Carnival and lots and lots of learning. Thank you to all our staff and students for their enthusiastic start to 2023.

Summer has finally arrived and we are about to experience the first extreme temperatures for the school year. Next week promises some very hot days and out new air conditioners will be invaluable as we manage the heat. It is very important that all students have their broad brimmed hats and water bottles to help throughout the day. Out Inaugural Beach Volleyball Carnival will possibly be a 39 degree day so we will be implementing measures to strive to keep our students and staff cool.

The Beach Volleyball Gala day is almost here and a lot of work has gone into preparing the day for students across the region. Thank you to a dedicated group of staff members who are overseeing all the prep and coordination, and to our hardworking P & F who are organizing a food stall. We are still urgently requesting donations of supplies for the stall. We would love families to consider donating – bacon, eggs, drinks, water, gatorade, lollies. These can be dropped to the front office. We will need to assess out supplies on Tuesday to consider what we need to purchase to meet the shortfall. This fundraising venture will be our main one for the term as we will not be hosting a fete in Term One. We are also seeking assistance on the food stall from 8.30 at the beach courts. If you are available to help for a couple of hours we would love to hear from you. Please call 69422612 asap.

The Swimming Carnival was an enormous success. Mercy was victorious in taking our the Champion trophy for another year. One of these days it will be O’Shaughnessy’s turn to again assume the victor’s mantle. We haven’t given up! Congratulations to all out students who enthusiastically participated. We had our best attendance at the carnival for a really long time and we are extremely proud of all our students who came and gave their very best.

As we return to school there are still some COVID-safe protocols that have remained. This list includes the need for parents to remain OUTSIDE the fences at pick up in the afternoons. This helps the teachers to manage the pickup and to monitor the students leaving the school grounds. Please support us in this please.

We are still waiting for details to come through about our new fee finance program. We are aware that many are anxious to start their regular payments and this is appreciated. Hopefully we will know in the coming week when fee statements and regular BPays can begin. A reminder that if you would like to request a fee remission then you need to complete a new application each calendar year. Please contact the Front Office for a 2023 Remission form.

There was a significant omission in last week’s newsletter. I neglected to announce the very important announcement of Ms Liz Verri as the CST (Classroom Support Teacher) replacing the wonderful Mr Ian Bell. Liz has a wealth of experience in student support and we are looking forward to all that she can bring to the position. She will be in touch in coming weeks with parents of students on personalized plans to arrange meetings and to gather more recent documentation

A reminder from last week’s newsletter that is important to remember:

There has been lots of information that has been sent home during this first weeks and many may have reached saturation point. We are trying to ensure that everyone has all the information that they need to be across their child/rens’ learning. If at any time you are unsure about any details please do not hesitate to contact the school on 69422612 and we will strive to answer all your questions. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a silly question.Over the holidays our financial processes were rolled over into a new system called TechOne. There are many many differences and we are quickly learning the differences and procedures that govern the new system. Please be patient as we manage the transformation and work out how best to support our families. BPay is the option for maintaining a regular payment plan and we no longer accept Direct debits. If you had a direct debit in previous years please note that you will need to adjust your payment plan to a recurring direct debit. Payment will also now be possible through COMPASS pay and many of the new events have COMPASS pay options if you would like to pay remotely and online. All permission notes and information will be managed through the COMPASS portal and we will slowly be weaning off paper copies of notes and information. SeeSaw will still be a source of truth for the Infants families and a lot of information relevant only to Infants students will be placed there as well.

In coming weeks you will receive information about the upcoming Information Sessions for different classes and years. We invite all parents to attend these sessions to learn about the expectations and plans for their children this year.

This year we will work to be the kind of school where we strive to be kind all the time!

Remember, if you have to chose between being extraordinary or kind, be extraordinarily kind.

God Bless,

Ms Nicky Trinder

Principal