Upcoming Events

COVID-19 Update - School Requirements

As the prevalence of COVID-19 decreases, the Australian, ACT and NSW Governments have begun to reduce restrictions across the community. It is timely to remind our School Community of work and safety expectations that still exist and what has changed in relation to assemblies, sport, excursions, unwell students and staff, and facilities hire.

Initial Advice

Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Australia, CECG has regularly received advice from Governments and health professionals in relation to the operations of our schools. During March, all CECG schools were asked to comply with the following associated actions:
• Postpone or cancel all school excursions, retreats or camps as soon as practicable from Monday, 16 March until further notice.
• Postpone or cancel all school events that involve large gatherings such as assemblies, fetes, parent/teacher nights, open days/nights, sports carnivals, community assemblies and liturgies.
• Children who present as being unwell at school should be sent home with their parent or carer.
• Promote and teach students good hand and respiratory hygiene to prevent the spread of germs.
• Encourage all staff to take reasonable steps of social distancing, staying at home when unwell, regularly cleaning hands, avoiding touching of the face and covering coughs and sneezes.
• Promote and develop extra cleaning routines of areas that may be sites for transmission.

Current Advice

The advice provided previously will remain in place until at least the end of Term 2 or until further notice.

Assemblies

Students are now able to line up on the playground prior to classes beginning in the morning, or times where the school may gather for morning prayer and simple announcements. These morning meetings of students are brief and do not include parents. As adults, teachers should comply with social distancing advice during these times.

Sport

CECG has developed a Return to Sports Guide to assist all our schools with providing access to sporting opportunities for students. The guideline is based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) ‘statement on the resumption of sport and recreation activities’ and AHPPC advice for school leaders engaging with children, parents, teachers and support staff to reduce even further the relatively low risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools. It is also
based on the National Principles for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation Activities, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment and the ACT Government, Return to Sport in a COVID—Safe Environment and relevant NSW Government resources.

The NSW Government has recently announced that children’s community sport will be permitted to resume from Wednesday, 1 July 2020. Organisations and councils have been given four weeks to prepare safety plans for the resumption of competitions and leagues. 

All CECG and MacKillop representative sporting activities have been cancelled for 2020. A letter was sent out to families from the Archdiocesan Sports Coordinator, Sherree Bush, explaining this decision. 

Excursions

In line with the easing of restrictions, one day only excursions can now go ahead. Schools must take into consideration the following:
• Excursion groups must not exceed 20 people (this number includes teaching and support staff and parent volunteers)
• Excursions must be limited to day-trips only – no overnight excursions can go ahead at this time
• Schools should work with excursion providers (including transport providers) to ensure they have appropriate health and hygiene measures in place in line with Australian Health and Protection Principal Committee (AHPP) recommendations
• Physical distancing and hygiene requirements for adults must be adhered to at all times.
Schools should give careful consideration to the need for the excursion as a key learning activity and if the same learning opportunity could be delivered at the school.

Unwell Students and Staff

If any student or staff member has any kind of illness, even if it is simply light flu or cold like symptoms, they must not attend school. If a student is showing any signs of illness, their parents and carers must be asked to collect them as soon as practical. If students are not unwell, but have symptoms due to allergies, families should be asked to provide written advice from their GP so that we can ensure they are not unwell and are able to continue attending.

Students, or staff members, who have COVID-19 symptoms are to seek medical advice as soon as practical.

Facilities Hire

CECG schools hire their facilities for a range of purposes with varying levels of physical contact and associated risks related to COVID-19. The hiring of our school facilities, therefore, needs to take into consideration the nature of the activities being undertaken. With the easing of isolation and distancing restrictions community groups/activities will begin to resume. Community groups and organisations with existing hire/licence agreements should be allowed to resume the use of school
facilities (in line with guidelines below). Requests from new community groups should be considered in line with the current policy and capacity of the school’s cleaning arrangements to undertake additional cleaning.
Activities are now able to resume for small groups, in line with the guidelines below:
• Schools ensure hirers are aware of the responsibility regarding physical distancing and hygiene requirements for adults within school facilities.

Thank you for taking care with your access to the school grounds. Given the current situation with COVID-19 and the building project, your responsiveness to our request is much appreciated. 

Please remember that whilst we are faced with COVID-19, we request that all adult access is limited in the school grounds. This means that unless you have a need to visit the office or have a pre-arranged appointment, we kindly ask that you do not come into the school grounds. This is for the health and safety of our students and staff. Thank you for respecting this request.

Farewell

Today we said goodbye to Nicole, an occupational therapist from Optimum Health Solutions, who has been working with some St Mary's students for two years. Nicole said before she left that she has enjoyed the welcome and support she received from St Mary's staff, students and parents and commented on the great learning environment our students have. Nicole works in many schools in our district.

Nicole will be replaced by another occupational therapist soon.

Counsellor Visits

We have been informed that the School Counsellor will now start on Monday 29 June.

These sessions are a wonderful chance for you or your child/ren to be able to discuss any concerns or worries they have. They can provide strategies to assist with behaviour management, stress, resilience and anxiety.

If you would like to be involved, please contact Belinda via telephone or email Office.Stmarysc@cg.catholic.edu.au to be included on the list.

Please spread the word about our School Tours. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about St Mary's or who has a child ready to start Kindergarten in 2021, we welcome their visit. Social distancing regulations will be put in place for our tours.

Enrolments can now be placed online. Go to https://enrolments.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrol/ to enrol now.

Enrolments packs are available from our School Office or can be downloaded from our website http://www.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrolment.html

The School Explorers Program

Next term our preschool friends will be visiting each Friday afternoon to participate in The School Explorers, our school readiness program.

Attached below is the amended program dates, please share this around!

Term 2 school fees are now overdue unless you have an existing direct debit in place.

Reminder statements will be sent out on Monday if payment has not been received.

If you would like to discuss your fees or arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact Belinda.

Please be advised that effective immediately, all uniform must be paid for before or at time of collection from the School Uniform Shop.

Items will no longer be able to be taken home for trying on for size unless paid for first. There are spaces available in the Office that can be used for trying on. Alternatively items can be exchanged if tags have not been taken off after purchase.

Thank you for your understanding.

FREE!

If you would like a piano, please come and collect.

Striving for EXCELLENCE- Helping others to ‘do their Best’

At St Mary’s and all other Australian schools at the moment, the focus is on assessment and reporting. Students are busy completing assessments and teachers are busy writing reports. It can be a stressful time.

We must always remember that we are the perfect beloved creation of God. We must also remember that we were created in the image of God. That means we were all created to strive for excellence in all areas of our lives as Jesus did … in our work, leisure and relationships with each other and with our God.

As children in God’s family, we also have a responsibility to support each other as we strive every day to be more like Jesus.  

Jesus tells us to “Love one another” and Scripture tells us to do this by ‘encouraging each other and building each other up’ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

With everything we say and do, we influence everyone we meet. Here are some ways you can help others see and realise the best that’s within them:

Believe in them: Having someone believe in you through good times and bad is priceless.

Encourage them: "You can do it. I know you can." Sincere encouragement can help someone ‘pick themselves up’, ‘persevere’ and ‘go the distance’.

Expect the best: Expecting more of us than we think we are capable of can spur us to persevere.

Tell the Truth: And tell it with compassion. We often avoid telling the hard truth because we don’t want to upset anyone. We want to be nice. But telling the truth is a loving act. You may be the only person who can or will say to another what needs to be said. And you can confront someone without being mean.

Be a Role Model: We automatically emulate our role models… and we’re all role models to someone so let’s be good ones. And remember - Actions speak louder than words. What we do has a bigger impact than what we say… and people are always watching and taking in everything about you consciously and unconsciously.

Share Yourself: We were born into this family of God to share our life journeys – the joys, troubles, sorrows. Too often, we miss the value of sharing and in doing so, we deprive others of our experience, our learning and our humanity. When you share from your own experience, especially your failures, you increase empathy and humility in others.

Challenge them: We all need to be challenged from time to time. Remind people of their commitment to being their best. Challenge them to pursue this, while offering support and compassion.

Acknowledge them: If you’re looking for the best in someone, you’ll see it. If you’re looking for their failings, you’ll see those. Catch people doing things right and tell them. When we acknowledge the good deeds of others, they tend to do more of them. Write a note. Send a card. Give them a call. Praise them in front of others.

Spend Time With them: We love what we give our time to. Show others how precious and appreciated they are by devoting your most precious resource to them - your (time). They will value themselves even more and want to do their best.

St Mary’s Mini Vinnies Team

Your gold coin donations for our Superhero Fundraiser day in Week 9 will help raise desperately needed funds for Vinnie’s COVID-19 Crisis Appeal. Donations can also be made online at www.vinnies.org.au/covid19crisisappeal or by calling 13 18 12.

Please remember to support our St Mary’s Mini Vinnies team in their efforts to keep the poor and homeless warm this winter with donations of the following:

• New thick socks
• New gloves/mittens/beanies
• Warm Coats, jumpers and scarves
• Sleeping bags

 (please make sure any used items are in reasonable condition)

Donations may be delivered to St Mary’s Primary School office.

Principle 6: Who Else Matters during COVID-19? 

During the uncertain time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to take the time to ensure that children and young people’s wellbeing is nurtured and that their views and wishes are heard and considered. There are a variety of ways in which we can be more child centred in our approach.

The best outcomes are often achieved in partnership with others who can assist them in an ongoing way. During periods of uncertainty and change many children, young people and their families can feel isolated and disconnected from their usual support networks. This has been evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the period of isolation, children and young people couldn’t enjoy all the usual routines of life: school, sporting activities, family visits, playing with friends or shopping. They may have been disconnected from formal networks such as workers, teachers, support services or informal networks, including family, friends, neighbours, clubs, churches or the broader community. 

Now that children and young people are beginning to re-enter their communities, they are returning to school, going to playgrounds and parks again, attending parties and connecting with friends. Some children and young people may be struggling to return to the 'new normal' after such dramatic changes. This can leave them feeling disempowered and disconnected from their extended families and communities. 

As our communities start to slowly open up and we get used to a new sense of normal, children, young people and families may require help to re-engage and re-establish their networks and supports. 

Parents, carers and workers can offer support to redevelop and sustain these vital relationships. You can play an important role in supporting children and young people to learn and experience community. Your support can help children and young people build relationships outside their family, understand who to trust, who to respect and how.

This fact sheet is the final in the series based on the Kids Central principles. I hope they have been beneficial to you and your family

https://safeguardingchildren.acu.edu.au/-/media/feature/pagecontent/richtext/safeguardingchildren/_doc/principle-6-who-else-matters-during-covid-19.pdf?la=en&hash=6682C84AF33CCACB630E1347E18A1656

Auditory Processing Disorder

This is the system which transfers and decodes what we hear and sometimes the brain can’t make sense of the sounds that it hears. It is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). One of the biggest struggles is listening with background noise.

An assessment for Auditory Processing can be done by a qualified audiologist. To help children with APD it can be helpful to:

• Break instructions down into small steps
• Sitting close to the person teaching
• Writing instructions down
• Double check with the child for understanding
• Asking the child to repeat the instructions
• Reduce background noise
• A quiet study area at home for homework and reading
• The use of an Assistive Listening Device eg. An FM in the classroom

https://info.learnfasthq.com/what-is-apd?__hssc=202247310.1.1559863374552&__hstc=202247310.c611be00092654db546e922c6110f5ed.1559863374552.1559863374552.1559863374552.1&__hsfp=2155975865&hsCtaTracking=07ad0949-2495-406b-8a03-04c92fc588c3%7C95b48d40-01f5-41fd-b164-08f91ace73c1

No Maths Club

Please be advised that Maths Club is on hold until further notice.

Information from CECG Sports Coordinator Sherree Bush

Tuckshop

Year 4 – Caitlyn Hogan, Marli Selmes and Kaylee Skinner

Year 5 - Aylish Parsons

Year 6 - Jake Cosgrove and Olivia Wong

Live Streamed Marriage Seminars Sundays in June

The local Archdiocese has organised a series interactive live-streamed presentations for Marriage & Family Month immediately after the 11am Online Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral for the next two Sundays (21^st and 28^th June).

Listeners will be able to interact online and ask questions of our impressive line-up of international, interstate and local Catholic couples speaking at 11.45am each Sunday from mid-June. See full program at https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/marriage-family-month-june-2020/

Latest protocols for NSW Parishes

Parish Office

For Parish and Sacramental matters please forward your enquiries to Parish Secretary, Janet Haynes or Pastoral Associate Sr Rosemary via email or call into the Parish Office at the Old Convent Building on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Email: Crookwell@cg.org.au

Website: http://cg.org.au/crookwell/Home.aspx 

Phone: 48321 633 

Address: 55 Wade Street (the Old Convent Building)

Crookwell 200 Years Celebration Calendar

The Crookwell 200 Years celebration calendar is available to purchase at the school office for $10, cash only please.