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Dear families,
This newsletter was scheduled for distribution last Friday, however the announcement that Victoria would enter a 5 day circuit breaker lock down delayed publication.
A huge thank-you to all families and staff for your support and adaptability over the last few days. We look forward to seeing all students back at school tomorrow. Please note the Health and Safety protocols in place prior to the circuit breaker lock down will continue. They are outlined later in the newsletter.
This week the Liturgical season of Lent commences in the Catholic Church. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday pave the way for the Lenten season that encourages reflection and renewal. Rituals are an important part of Lent and the sharing of pancakes and distribution of ashes next week carry deep meaning and symbolism. The cooking of pancakes links with the early Christian's preparations for Lent while the marking of ash on our foreheads reminds us that we are entering a time of contemplation. The season goes for forty days echoing the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, preparing himself physically, mentally and spiritually for what lay ahead.
Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's major awareness and fund raising initiative and provides us with a way of taking action during the weeks of Lent. Caritas Australia is a Catholic Aid agency whose vision is for a just world, at peace and free of poverty, where all people live in dignity. Their work nationally and globally is amazing and through the coming weeks students, staff and families can become more familiar with this work via the caritas website and weekly stories we will share through the newsletter and dojo. These stories are short, real and inspriational, making them well worth viewing as a family.
Take care,
Nick
The students in year 3/4 were asked to image looking through a hole in the fence and write creatively about what they could see. Here are some examples of their brilliant work.
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that requires immediate medical treatment. These can be food allergies, or allergy to other materials in the environment.
At St. Patrick’s we have students who have been diagnosed anaphylactic. Cashews, pistacchios, bee stings, eggs and kiwi fruit are the confirmed allergens for these students.
A key strategy in minimising the risk of a reaction is to raise awareness with students and the wider community. The following key messages have been communicated to all students and I ask families to also reiterate the importance of these with your child/ren.
Awareness Raising – Key Messages
- always take food allergies seriously – severe allergies are no joke.
- don’t share your food with friends.
- wash your hands after eating.
- know what your friends are allergic to.
- if a schoolmate becomes sick, get help immediately.
- be respectful of a schoolmate’s Epipen.
- don’t pressure your friends to eat food that they are allergic to.
- Wash hands before and after food.
Although St. Patrick’s is not a ‘nut free’ environment, we ask that families are aware of the above allergies when packing school lunchboxes.
At St. Patrick's we have some students who have comprimised immunity. To support the health and safety of these students, families are asked to notify the school office if one of your children becomes unwell with a communicable illness/disease such as chicken pox or influenza.
When your child is unwell and will be absent, please report the absence via the link on the website.
Please note if a child is absent without a reason, we are required to contact the family.
St. Patrick's is commited to providing a healthy and safe environment for everyone. Below is a summary of the protocols/actions in place in response to COVID-19 that were communicated to families at the start of this week.
- Enhanced school cleaning.
- Practical measures to assist physical distancing.
- Hand hygiene practices.
- Victorian Government guidelines will be followed.
- Limiting the number of visitors onsite.
Parents/Carers Access (Drop off and Pick Up)
Families are welcome to enter the school grounds at pick up and drop off times should the need arise. If you do so, all adults are required to maintain physical distance, practice hand hygiene and follow sign in requirements.
Due to density limits, we ask parents/carers not to enter classrooms, bag lockers and hallways.
Pick Up and Drop Off Zones
Merrick Street entrance (front of school): Foundation students and siblings
Dixon Street entrance (off the basketball court): All other students
Blackburn Street entrance (behind the church): Bus travellers
Unwell students
Students who are unwell must not attend school. Students who have any of the symptoms of COVID-19, however mild, are encouraged to seek medical advice and get tested.
The symptoms to watch out for are:
- fever
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss of sense of smell
In certain circumstances headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may also be considered.
Please also note that if you or your child is being tested for COVID-19 and you have other children attending a school managed and operated by Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL), including St. Patrick’s, then all your children in your household should remain away from school until a negative test result is provided. We do require medical confirmation of your child’s test results when returning to school.
Face Masks
Families/visitors entering the school, and unable to physically distance, will be required to wear a mask. Families/visitors entering school buildings, including admin, will be required to wear a face mask.