Issue 1, 4th February
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From the Acting Principal
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Covid-19
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2021 Teaching Staff/Teacher Assistants
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School Photos
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Compass
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Forms to be returned
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Fee Remittance
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Uniform Policy
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Medication at School
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Traffic and Students safety
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Allergy Aware School
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Allergies and Anaphylaxis
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Parent Information Sessions
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Religious Education News
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Parents and Friends
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Pastoral Care and Wellbeing
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Setup for Success - Learning Treasures
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Bus Fares
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After School Art Tuition
Welcome back to a new school year! I hope that you were all able to spend some time relaxing with family and friends over the holiday break. A very warm welcome to our new students in various year levels, our beautiful Kinder students, families and staff. I know that you will be as warmly embraced by the St Peter Chanel community as I have been.
It has been a delight to watch the children arrive back at school this week, and to see their excitement and joy as they reunite with their friends and gather in their new classroom with their new teacher, filled with anticipation for what this year will bring.
The school looked fabulous for the return of students. The planning and preparation for the first day takes place in the weeks prior. Teachers have been in, in their own time, to set up classrooms. I have met partners, parents and friends who have been in to assist with classroom set-up. David has been working to prepare the grounds, doing some minor renovations in the canteen, and getting the front paddock ready for the school farm project. Andrea, Brooke and Jenni (Curriculum Coordinator) have met with me during the break to discuss operational matters and curriculum. I have heard Kylie, at the Front Office, greeting parents as they have come in to collect uniforms. Her sunny and welcoming personality has most surely calmed any nerves. Melinda (Finance Officer) has cheerfully guided new families around the school and finalised arrangements for their arrival. Jackie and Andrea have ensured the school is safe and clean. In the three days back for staff last week, we underwent First Aid Training, participated in professional learning about Dyslexia, and teachers and Teacher Assistants finalised room preparations and programs. We are ready for learning! Having been here for only a short time, I can say with great confidence that there is a positive, collaborative culture at St Peter Chanel, and I am excited to be here!
The staff are committed to working in partnership with you to ensure your child reaches his or her full potential. Please feel welcome to make an appointment with your child’s teacher, or school leadership, at any time, should you wish to discuss your child’s learning, social/ emotional development, or ideas and information that will enhance your child’s learning experience.
We will be holding our "Welcome & Information" afternoon next Tuesday, 9th February 3pm - 6pm. A sausage sizzle will be available from 3:30pm. This will be an opportunity to meet with classroom teachers and to find out further information about class routines, goals and expectations. It will also be an opportunity for me to meet you, which I’m very much looking forward to.
We hope to see you all next Tuesday.
There is a lot of information given to parents at the beginning of each year, and there is more following, in this newsletter. We appreciate the time you are taking to read all of the information that will ensure a smooth start to the year. If you have any queries or would like further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.
I trust that 2021 brings a year of hope, happiness and a love of learning. Well done to all staff, students and families on a great start!
Heavenly Father,
We give you our school, St Peter Chanel.
We give you all the teachers and staff who work here,
We give you all the students who study here,
We give you our families who entrust us with their children,
We pray our school would be a place of great discovery, adventure and creativity,
May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love,
A place where everyone is respected, and all are deeply valued,
We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(A modern prayer from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
We ask that families please continue to use the following options of communication with the school rather than face-to-face as follows:
- Calling on 6452 1431
- Emailing spc@catholic.tas.edu.au
- Writing messages in your child’s diary
- Contacting teachers via SeeSaw or email
For Assemblies, we ask that people please enter via the front office and use the hand sanitiser upon entry and sign in once in the Josephite Centre which is a Government requirement. Please adhere to the 1.5m social distancing and refrain from entering the school if you are unwell.
QR Code to use for school events. Link here for instructions on how to download the app
Learning Treasures - Miss Lauren Workman / Mrs Jo Cartledge
Kinder - Miss Lauren Workman / Mrs Jo Cartledge
Prep - Mrs Anna Hart / Mrs Thalia Bishop
Grade One - Miss Jenni Sharp (Curriculum Coordinator) / Mrs Tracey Somerville / Mrs Deni Fraser
Grade Two - Miss Kelli Cook / Ms Ange Hall
Grade Three - Mr John van Keulen / Mrs Lynda Ling / Mrs Lisa Fraser
Grade Four - Miss Tracey Fletcher / Mrs Carolyn Dennison
Grade Five - Mrs Rebecca Britton / Mrs Emma Berechree
Grade Six - Miss Montana Bradley (Digital Technologies Coordinator) / Mrs Ebony Fraser
PE/Health - Mr James Britton
Music - Mr Nick Hart
STEAM - Mr James Britton
Leadership Team
Acting Principal - Mrs Kerrie Flynn
Deputy Principal / Religious Education Coordinator - Mrs Andrea Jaffray Morf
Special Learning Needs Coordinator & Aboriginal Student Support Teacher - Mrs Brooke Lardner
Our school photo day will be on the 25th, Feburary. Students are required to be in full summer uniform.
This year photos are to be ordered and paid via the Compass App.
User names and passwords for the Compass App were sent out last year. Please contact the school office if you require these to be sent home again.
This year we are live on Compass. Last year parents were sent home user names and passwords for the Compass app. If you do not have these please contact the office. Compass is an app to communicate with parents. It will allow you to approve or enter absences for your child/ren plus view their attendance information. It will allow you to access information on upcoming events, update your personal information, be able to book parent/teacher meetings, give permission on upcoming excursions, order and pay for school photos and also access your child/ren's Mid-year and End of Year reports as these will no longer be printed.
This week forms were sent home with student that need to be filled out and returned by this Friday 5th, February.
These forms include
- General and Excursion Medical Form
- ICT User Agreement
- Payment Arrangement Form
- Concession Card Discount Form
- Data Verification 2021
All families are welcome to enrol their children in a Tasmanian Catholic school regardless of their financial situation and capacity to pay costs. No student will be refused enrolment, be excluded, or be disadvantaged because of a genuine inability on the part of the parents/guardians to meet financial requirements.
There are two forms of fee assistance for families:
- family discounts for families with three or more children in Catholic schools; and
- fee remissions for families in financial hardship.
In order to simplify the application process for fee remission discount, as a result of financial hardship, families with a Valid Concession Card can present these in order to receive reduced fees. The card must be current and list, as dependents, the students for whom the discount is sought. The card holder must be the person legally responsible for paying the school fees i.e. the person who has signed the enrolment form.
A letter has gone home to all families with further information, detailing the valid concession cards and the process for applying for assistance. If you have one of these cards, so that we can apply the discount to your fees.
If you would like further information, please contact the school. If you would prefer a confidential conversation with the Principal or Finance Officer, you are most welcome to make an appointment at any time.
Please refer to the attached Uniform Policy to ensure all of our students are wearing the correct uniform. Parents and/or carers will need to contact the Principal to discuss any special learning need requirements that may need to be considered in regards to the Uniform Policy. It is important for students to wear a hat when playing outside. Students who do not have a hat will play in shaded areas only.
Since 2014 Catholic Education Tasmania has supported schools in offering children creative play and learning within our school outdoor spaces through our Outdoor Play and Learning Policy.
The purposes of this policy is to support learning and creative play with reasonable levels of risk-taking; offer age appropriate activities and items to encourage development of gross motor, collaboration and risk assessment skills; and enable children to extend their capabilities
Examples of loose parts items students use: Logs, sticks, milk crates, rocks, tyres, mud play, cable reels, pallets, etc.
If you have any queries, or just wish to know more, please contact the office to chat to one of our Leadership staff.
Our school urges all parents to support road safety by obeying signage displayed, and also asks you to remind your child(ren) to be very aware of potential traffic related dangers around the school.
Sometimes, for example, motorists do not abide by road laws on the roads outside of the school grounds. If students are crossing inappropriately (with or without you), or just not aware of their surroundings by always looking either way, there could be an accident.
The education and care of our students is a partnership between the staff and parents. We all need to play our part by acting appropriately and not showing a disregard for road laws, even if only to demonstrate your support to any children watching.
A reminder that we are an Allergy Aware school.
From a lunch box perspective, this means that we have a class-by-class approach for our expectations, particularly around the inclusion of eggs and nuts in cooking.
Due to a known case of anaphylaxis in Grade 4, we ask parents not to pack nuts, or nut based foods in lunch boxes.
If you have any questions, please contact the office.
At St Peter Chanel we recognise that education on all aspects of anaphylaxis, is the best weapon we have in preventing an anaphylactic reaction and where possible harm or even death of a person with anaphylaxis. We believe in being proactive and educating all students, not just the students with anaphylaxis. We believe that through education and heightening awareness, we are equipping all students with the necessary knowledge to be more aware of anaphylaxis as they grow towards adolescence and adulthood. To be reactive, and ban all allergens, is failing to equip all our students with knowledge, coping strategies and prevention skills and understanding of anaphylaxis.
- Students will be reminded to wash their hands after eating.
- Students will be asked not to share their food with others and why.
- Table tops and benches where food has been prepared or served will be wiped clean after use.
- To minimise the risk of a first time reaction to nuts at school, the use of nuts and nut products must be avoided in curricular activities including cooking.
- Cooking activities containing known allergens (eg. Nuts and eggs) or causes of intolerances of any class member will be excluded and alternate recipes used.
- Art and craft games must not involve the use of peanuts, tree nuts or eggs or containers/boxes that have included these foods. The presence of other allergens specific to the student attending will be investigated and arrangements made to prevent exposure.
- Students will be discouraged from bringing live insects of potential threat to the school.
- Special Events, Class Parties etc.
Class teachers should consult parents in advance if food is to be served as part of a class activity or class party so that arrangements can be made for the student. On most occasions the teacher will have an alternative treat available.
On Tuesday, 9th February all parents are welcome to come along to our Parent Information sessions between 3pm - 6pm. These sessions will operate in each classroom. These are drop-in sessions, so no appointment is required. There will be a slideshow presentation with the chance to ask the teacher questions.
There will be a sausage sizzle avaiable from the canteen from 3:30pm.
October 1820 – First Catholic School in Australia
The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest John Therry. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students – seven of whom were Protestants. An Irish Catholic convict, sent to the colony being convicted of embezzlement, named George Marley opened the school for Fr Therry and ran it for three years. This school was transferred to the site of the present Parramatta Marist School junior in 1837. Parramatta Marist High School, now located in Westmead NSW, traces it’s origins back to this first school. It seems at least two other Catholic schools were established in New South Wales before the school opened by George Marley. One school is thought to have opened between 1803 and 1806, the second early in 1817. However, both schools were closed by 1818. Photo: Old Parramatta School Classroom, Circa 1900s.
At SPC, we will have special events which will allow students to learn more about the history of our own school and it’s origins. We look forward to sharing our special times in Religious Education with our SPC community, throughout the year.
Pax Tecum,
Mrs Andrea Jaffray Morf
Deputy Principal
Parents and Friends would like to welcome everyone back.
Anyone wishing to join the P&F or just go along to a meeting, the next meeting will be held on the 25th, February at 3:00pm in the school library.
Welcome to the school year of 2021. First day back on Monday we held our ‘Ready to Learn’ sessions in preparation for the New Year. The session from a Pastoral Care and Well-being perspective was “Looking after your Mental Health”. Here we talked about how looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. We learnt how the power of breathing deeply like a monkey on the Monkey Mountain can calm our thoughts. Also, being aware of our thoughts and feelings and realising we can be the boss of our thoughts. We also learnt how believing in ourselves and who we are, can help us feel positive emotions and increase resilience. All these strategies help maintain good mental health.
BREAKFAST CLUB
Welcome back to a new fresh start to the year. Breakfast club is held in the hall kitchenette at the rear of the main building. If your child has missed breakfast or been on a long bus journey to school they are welcome to access this free program of toast with a choice of four toppings.
If you, as a parent, carer, Grandparent, relative or friend are able to assist spreading toast between 8.10 and 9am once a fortnight, it would be greatly appreciated. Contact the office or give me a call on 0418141320 for more details.
Donna Porteus – Chaplain.
Our Birth - 5 years program, Setup for Success-Learning Treasures, is open to all families within our local community and will commence on Monday 8th February, 2021.
All sessions will run on a Monday morning from 9:00am - 10:30 am, throughout each school term in our Kinder classroom, coordinated by Miss Lauren Workman and Mrs Jo Cartledge.
For more information, please contact our school office on 6452 1431. We are very excited to welcome our existing and new families to our school community in 2021.
Please see below a letter from Wells Waggons in regards to town bus fares. This is a service provided by Wells Waggons but rules and regulations are set by the Government. If you are unsure what bus your child is required to travel on please call Wells Waggons on 6452 2900