Dear Parents and Carers, 

A big congratulations to our Mini Vinnies and Kitchen Garden Team for a wonderful Soup-er Hero Day on Wednesday. So many of our students and staff enjoyed delicious pumpkin or chicken noodle soup in our own Mini Vinnies Cafe on the lawns. The service was excellent and the kitchen team were busy ensuring the many customers were fed. Thanks to Anneliese Robinson and Jodi Donnelly for the homemade soup and bread, these people lead the way in modelling service to the community. A big thanks to our students for bringing a gold coin donation and many cans of soup for the St Vincent de Paul’s Winter Appeal, such an integral part of our Catholic faith to help those in need. 

Next week, we will be welcoming a panel of external educational professionals to our school to meet with us to continue a process of reflection and planning the next course for our St Mary’s. I thank the families who have contributed to this Cyclic Improvement Inquiry by completing surveys or offering to be interviewed by the panel during the process. The feedback from parents in the Tell Them From Me Survey indicated that our parents feel very welcome in the school. That parents feel their children feel included and safe at school, with incidents of bullying among the lowest reported rates within the Diocese of Wollongong. 92% of families surveyed see our school as identifying clearly as a Catholic School, which is very important to us. It is extremely helpful to have this feedback to guide our planning process, we look forward to sharing recommendations of the panel with you in the future. 

In recent weeks I have had several concerning incidents reported regarding behaviour on school buses, we have been working in partnership with Milton Public School and the bus companies to ensure that the Code of Conduct for all students whilst traveling is followed. We have the further complication of student devices being shared or used on buses without adult supervision. All students have a right to travel on the bus safely and without harassment from other passengers. The Code of Conduct can be found on this link Student Code of Conduct, please speak with your child about these expectations to keep everyone safe and happy. A big thanks to our local bus drivers who do an outstanding job of getting our children to and from school safely each day. 

With the windy cold weather, thanks to parents who are ensuring that their children are dressed for the cold weather and in school uniform. We are always happy to help with the tying of school ties, which look smart and keep necks warm during the day. Please check that your child is wearing their uniform with pride, it instills a sense of belonging and pride to wear our team colours! 

Yours in Partnership,
Laurinda Nelson 

Our wonderful Mini Vinnies team organised a successful Soup-er Hero Day on Wednesday 19 June.

Using fresh produce from our garden our Stephanie Alexander Team prepared Pumpkin Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup and freshly baked bread rolls. Our soup kitchen raised $180 towards the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.

Thank you for your donations of tinned soup for those in need this winter.

Administration of Medication at School

St Mary’s Star of the Sea Primary School has a duty to take reasonable care for the safety and welfare of our students.  This care extends to assisting students manage their medical condition that requires medication, where medication cannot be administered outside of school hours.

If your child requires staff to administer prescription or over-the-counter medication at school, you will need to complete a Request to Administer Medication Form. 

School staff will only administer prescription medication that:

• Has been prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist)
• Is in its original container
• Has an attached pharmacy label to the container
• Has been delivered to the school by the parent/ carer and is accompanied by a completed Request to Administer Medication Form

School staff will only administer Over-The-Counter medication that:

• Is in its original container
• Has been delivered to the school by the parent/carer and is accompanied completed Request to Administer Medication Form including the signature and stamp from a qualified medical practitioner

If your child requires more than one medication, you will need to complete a form for each medication.

ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plans / Asthma Management Action Plans 

If your child is at risk of anaphylaxis, asthma or an allergic reaction, it is important that the school is provided with a current ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan / Asthma Management Plan completed by a doctor.  This plan provides up-to-date information for the school regarding the medical management of your child’s condition. 

If there are any changes in your child’s health care needs, please inform the school as soon as possible.