Only late this afternoon our school has received COVID-19 updated advice from NSW Health and Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn. The updated advice and additional measures attempt to provide greater specificity around the protocols to help manage the risks posed by COVID-19 to school communities.

These new restrictions and guidelines are to be implemented at the school by Wednesday 19 August 2020. A significant change to the guidelines is in regard to COVID-19 testing requirements. We need to continue to exclude any students (or staff) if they display any flu-like symptoms, even if mild. Students (and staff) with even mild flu-like symptoms are now required to be tested and can only return to school upon a receipt of a negative test result that must be provided to the school.

Sacred Heart continues to remain fully operational and all students are expected to attend face to face classes. Thank you for your understanding and support in these challenging times. They have determined that there is to be no mixing of students from different schools. Logically this has now necessitated that we will not be able to attend the Tag-league competition that was to be held in Young. This has also meant that we will no longer be able to hold our normal transition 2021 activities in their current form at this stage. We are hopeful that when the current situation eases then we may reinstitute many activities for Term 4.

Tonight we will break new ground and host our 2021 Year 7 Information Session for prospective students and their families online using the virtual ZOOM platform. Until such time that we can invite large groups of adults onto our campus this will be the way forward for any of our information sessions and presentations. All Year 6 students have been issued with an invitation and a link on their Google classroom which will allow them to join the presentation. Ms Marsay, Secondary Coordinator, has put together an informative and entertaining presentation about all that we offer here at Sacred Heart. The current Year 7 cohort have also put together an impressive recommendation of the Year 7 experience. If your Year 6 child has neither the invitation nor the classroom link please ring the school as soon as possible and we can give you the link.

The weather still promises to be wet and bleak in the coming weeks and we will continue to insist that the students are decked out in the winter uniform. They are only to wear the sports uniform on the designated days and they are very well aware of the days when sports uniform is permitted. If it is unavoidable that there are uniform issues then students need to present Mrs Thompson with a signed permission note from a parent or guardian. We are diligent in checking the authority and legitimacy of notes and have had reason to question the authenticity of some notes. Above all else we encourage our students to be honest in their behaviour and interactions. A reminder that school photos are on 8th September. This year all photos will be taken in WINTER UNIFORM regardless of the weather. There will be an expectation that students will adhere to the correct uniform policy in terms of hair and makeup and all of the elements of the winter uniform including the tie. Payment envelopes and online orders need to be returned/completed by photo day and this includes the payment and orders for family photos.

Don’t forget to return all tickets in the 600 Club $5000 in the hand. This is the only fundraising venture that the P&F has been able to organise in these COVID times. We hope that our school community supports this by returning the tickets sent home. All tickets must be returned regardless of whether they have been sold or not as a legal requirement. We will draw the raffle in week 1 of Term 4.

Remember if you can be anything…. Be kind!

God Bless

Nicky Trinder

Principal