St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday 3 June, 2021

2021 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 2, Week 7

From the Principal

Dear Families,

I hope this week has been relatively positive with your children's remote and flexible learning.  Thank you for your patience, understanding and for the partnership we share. We are all working towards student learning being enhanced, despite the challenge that remote and flexible learning throws our way. We understand there are many different home family situations within our St Paul's community and at times, your children may not be able to complete learning due to a family situation. Please email your child's class teacher to inform them if this happens.

At the moment we can only assume that we will resume on-site learning on Friday 11 June and we will await further announcements from our politicians next week.

Remote and Flexible Learning

The St Paul's staff are well prepared for remote learning. For remote and flexible learning periods of more than 4 days teachers will provide a Learning Grid that outlines the remote and flexible learning program for the week.  Some learning materials may be provided to you in hard copy form.  Hard copy materials can be picked up from school throughout the day on Monday.  The main online platforms for our remote and flexible learning programs are:

• SeeSaw
• Google Classroom
• Google Meet: Students from Prep-Year 6 will ‘log in’ to their scheduled Google Meets as required.
• Mathletics (Year 2-6)
• Mathseeds (Prep/1)
• Reading Eggs (Junior School)
• Reading Eggspress (Middle-Senior School)
  

We have a Remote and Flexible Learning Plan - CLICK HERE.  We have built a Remote Learning Website and activities are being created and uploaded ready for our students in preparation for next week.  Learning will be uploaded and published each Sunday afternoon/evening that we are in remote and flexible learning, and once published, families will be notified via Schoolzine App and email - CLICK HERE to view the site.

Completing our Learning:  Access to Devices and Home Learning packs

Please ensure your child has the time, support, space and conditions in which to complete their learning.

CHROMEBOOKS AND iPADS:  Collection on Friday 4 June

Each student should have access to a device in order to use online applications.   Devices can be borrowed if families need them.  Families will receive an Operoo eForm asking them to 'sign off' on a Device Borrowing Agreement.

Please note: All Year P/1 students will require a school iPad.  All Year p/1 families will need to sign off on the Operoo eForm.

Some families might have enough devices in their home however, Year 2-6 students can borrow a school Chromebook if they need one.

• For Years 2-6 devices can be collected tomorrow, from the Art Room door which faces out into the undercover area, between 9:00am and 12:00pm. 
• For Years Prep-1 iPads can be collected from your child's bag locker in the corridor outside the P/1 classrooms between 9:00am and 12:00pm. 

If these times do not suit you for collection, please email mwatt@spmonbulk.catholic.edu.au or call the school office on 9756 7201.

Students will be required on a Google Meet at 9am each day next week, and perhaps another Google Meet here and there, but almost all other learning times are flexible. Last year we had students that did the bulk of their learning first thing in the morning, whilst others were engaged in learning later in the day,  and that is fine. 

TAKE HOME LEARNING PACKS:  Hard Copy learning Materials Collection on Monday 7 June

Due to the timing of yesterday's announcement, and the fact that teachers needed to plan their remote learning program for tomorrow, I asked teachers to have any hard copy learning packs that are being sent home, to be ready for Monday.  It was not reasonable to expect staff to have everything ready for Friday's program, and also next week's program, when we were notified at lunchtime yesterday about remote learning being extended.  Therefore, families can collect learning packs any time after the 9am Google meet on Monday, up until 3:00pm. 

Student Attendance:  Taking the Roll in the Remote Context

Schools need to ensure that attendance records while in remote and flexible learning are being accurately kept. Every child is expected on a 9am Google Meet with their teacher each day next week in order to verify 'attendance' at school.

The process is:

1. Via Google meet at 9:00 am each day, staff will record student attendance on our electronic attendance roll - "nForma".
2. Students with an unexplained absence are identified.
3. The school office will send an SMS to the parent/carers, for any unexplained absence, between 9:30am and 10:00am on the same day.
4. We will allow time for the parent or carer to respond.
5. Any absences that remain unexplained will be followed up by the classroom teacher as per normal procedure.

Please note that all student absences require explanation in writing.  This can be an email to the teacher or an absence report through our Schoolzine SZApp.

Staff eMails and Working Hours

As is always the case, teachers are approachable and available for our community. You can email  staff with any questions or any matters that require clarification. Teachers will closely monitor emails throughout the day, up until approximately 4 o’clock in the afternoon, on the days that they work.

We understand that parents are juggling homeschooling with their own work lives and that, at times, the most convenient opportunity for parents to contact us is late at night or on a weekend. We are aware of these challenges with remote and flexible learning however, I respectfully request that we wait until during the school day to email our teachers, or schedule send emails to arrive in the morning, and then our teachers will respond. 

Please know that emails received outside work hours will not necessarily be replied to outside work hours.  Please also remember that staff are rostered on-site to supervise students who attend and consequently, will not be available at those times. Thanks very much for your patience and understanding on this.

School Advisory Council (SAC) Update

The next SAC Meeting will be held on Thursday 10 June.  Our SAC Chairperson, Troy Czaja, has introduced an initiative where we intend to ask our community for input into the SAC Meeting Agenda.  

We have created a Google Form to act as an open forum for parents to fill in, providing content for the SAC to review / advise on. Issues or circumstances affecting an individual student would sit outside the purview of this forum and be dealt with by staff, so this is aimed at general concerns, questions and suggestions for the school. Are there any topics that you think the SAC can discuss and advise on?  If so, please CLICK HERE and fill in the form.  You are invited to respond by 12:00pm Monday 7 June.  Thanks!

Prayer Gathering Assembly 2:10pm Monday

Unfortunately, at this time, face to face Prayer Gathering Assembly is not permitted.  Therefore, this Monday, 7 June, we will stream our Prayer Gathering Assembly online.  A link will be sent out on Monday morning.

Sacraments Update

We were scheduled to hold First Reconciliation on Wednesday 16 June however we have postponed this under the current circumstances. 

We are working with the Archdiocese of Melbourne to find an alternative date for Confirmation.  

School Library

The school library is closed for borrowing, and as a learning space, until further notice under the directions from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).

THANK YOU FROM THE LIBRARY

Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased books from the Scholastic Book Club. Your purchases have enabled the library to acquire this lovely haul of books.

School Fees

I wish to reassure families impacted financially by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that we want to assist you in every way possible with regard to school fees.  Like many businesses and careers in Australia, some families may be impacted financially by the pandemic. There may be unprecedented changes to finances for some people, and we have taken a clear position on enrolments:  No parent or guardian who wishes their child to receive a Catholic education at St Paul's will be denied the opportunity to do so because of financial circumstances.

If you have concerns about your financial situation and the impact on school fees, please contact me via email so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements to enable your child’s ongoing education at our school.  We are absolutely committed to working with our families as we get through these challenging times.

Kind regards,

Michael Watt

From the School Office

CDF PAY Online School Shop - Update

Due to the current restrictions the following events will be rescheduled when permitted. 

Once the new dates have been set CDF Pay will re-open for further orders/payments and any payments already made will be applied to your accounts.  Thank you for your understanding.

2021 School Closure Days

P&F News

OSHClub

Out of School Hours Care: OSH Club

Enrolments, Bookings and Enquiries

Parents will need to enrol with OSHClub.  Please visit https://www.oshclub.com.au/ and click on "REGISTER".  You will need to enrol with the Monbulk Primary School service.

Community Notices

Transition Information

To assist your decision making in relation to your child's education for 2022 and beyond, please find below a link to the 136 page March 2021 edition of the Catholic Education Guide.

CLICK HERE: https://victoriaschoolguides.starcommunity.com.au/catholic-education/

Mater Christi College – Belgrave

Mater Christi College is a vibrant, inclusive and warm community where girls feel safe and build supportive lifelong friendships. After another year of leading academic and vocational outcomes, we are experiencing a surge in demand for places.

Parents of Grade 5 students are strongly encouraged to secure a place for Year 7 2023. Visit the College website to apply or arrange a tour.

Families seeking enrolment for 2022 should contact the College Registrar 9754 6611 asap.