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Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome again to Term 3, we have had so much necessary communication already this term due to the evolving COVID Restrictions therefore my Newsletter will be brief this week. As one of six schools open in the Diocese of Wollongong we are mindful of communities in lockdown and children who cannot attend school in person. We are so grateful for living with freedom and in such a beautiful God given natural environment. Please do all you can to support our local businesses and many of our St Mary’s families who are weathering such challenging times again with travel restrictions.
On Friday, we will be hosting our Athletics Carnival on our own back oval, after several unavoidable cancellations, the carnival will be a modified version. We are moving quickly to hold the carnival in the unlikely circumstance that we are also forced into remote learning, in coming weeks. The marking of running tracks will be challenging, our best but not quite Olympic standard! We will not be able to run High Jump or Long Jump as we do not have the correct equipment or trained personnel to run these events on site. We are working towards offering an opportunity for students who wish to participate at Diocesan Level in these events off site trials in the coming weeks. The Sausage Sizzle organised by Year 6 parents will go ahead, all food will be prepared off site and delivered. Sadly we cannot have parents on site but there is of course limited ‘drive in’ style parking outside our school fence if you are around. If you are spectating please remain in your car and /or observe all social distancing measures.
Homework is often a contentious topic within school communities, we are currently reviewing our homework policy and practices and would like you to have your say. We ask that this survey is completed by this Friday 16th July. Please find the link below and press SUBMIT when complete.
Parent Homework Survey
Thanks for responding so quickly and efficiently to our resumption of COVID protocols. I look forward to seeing you dropping off in the morning or picking up in the afternoon, if you have any concerns as always please do not hesitate to call.
Yours in partnership
Laurinda Nelson
Principal.
Changes to our COVID-safe practices while the restrictions are in place
Our priority will always be the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and our school community,
and ensuring we provide the best possible faith and learning experience under the
circumstances. The following COVID-safe measures will be in place until further notice:
● While at school, face masks are recommended in all indoor settings for all staff,
masks are optional for Primary students.
● With the exception of students, from the start of Term 3 every person who enters
the school will need to sign in using the ServiceNSW app in addition to our existing
iPad sign-in process. Parents/carers who are dropping off or picking up students
outside the school gates do not need to sign in or use the Service NSW QR code.
● Parents and carers and non-essential visitors are not permitted on the school site
(except where specific circumstances apply, e.g. vulnerable students or students with
disability).
○ We will resume COVID Drop off at the front gate and Afternoon Pick up from the
hall.
○ Parents and carers are asked to maintain physical distancing by avoiding
gathering outside of school gates.
● The following activities are currently not allowed:
○ Camps and out of area field trips
○ Overnight stays
○ International excursions
○ Student visits to aged care facilities
○ Community events within school hours.
Staying safe and informed
Our success during this difficult time will depend on our collective efforts, as a state and a
nation, but also as a school community. Throughout the pandemic, your support and
appreciation for our teachers and other staff has been a source of great comfort and
encouragement. Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding as we once again
adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19.
We can all continue to play our part in keeping our schools and one another safe, including by:
● Keeping your child home when they are unwell, even with very mild symptoms.
● Informing the school immediately if your child is self-isolating or undergoing testing, and
informing us of the result as soon as possible.
● Following sickness with flu-like symptoms, ensure your child is free of symptoms and
can present a negative COVID-19 test, before they return to school.
● If your child suffers from another medical condition that results in flu - like symptoms
please provide a letter explaining the condition to the school.
We will continue to provide you with timely updates as the situation evolves. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact the school office and we will do all we can to assist you.
Please be mindful that these dates are Covid pending and may be subject to change.
Friday 16th July- Athlectics Carnival
Wednesday 28th July- NAIDOC Liturgy and Assembly 9.30am Join us on Zoom (link via Compass)
Thursday 5th August - School Photos
Friday 6th August - Assembly 12.00pm Join us on Zoom ( link via Compass)
Wednesday 11th August - ICAS Digital Tech
Wednesday 18th August - ICAS English
Friday 20th August - Assembly 12.00pm Join us on Zoom (link via Compass)
Wednesday 25th August - ICAS Science
Thursday 26th August - ICAS Spelling
Wednesday 1st September - ICAS Mathes
Friday 3rd September- Pupil Free Day - Staff Professional Learning
Impatiently, the class stumbled out of the bus and then they saw it. A cliff, sea pool, and… fossils! Astonished, as I stood lifeless looking at this glorious sight, I quickly ran to the Marine Rescue building. It was a race against the violent grey, spooky clouds that were about to burst. Everyone was squished in the room that was almost the size of a cheap apartment building. The man told us some of the names of the fossils that can be found in Ulladulla Harbour. Stage 2 urged the man to start the scavenge, we were split into 3 equal groups. My group was the first to leave. Our fossil guide broke a huge rock, it was a spectacular sight. Everyone rushed to get at least a glimpse of the fossil which was shattering like fireworks instead of rocks. “ What out!” our guide yelled, as pieces of rock flew around us. Every once and a while, we would stop to look at fossils that were stuck in the rock platform.
Imogen Harrison- Year 3.
Bouncing and flooding with excitement, stage 2 were planning what to do when they arrived at Ulladulla Harbour Fossil Walk. They leaped on the bus, wanting it to zoom there in half a millisecond. When they arrived, the teachers thought they couldn’t get the excited children into the Marine Rescue shelter. We went walking, with the advice of our guides of course. On the walk, we heard a band, and it turned out that someone in our group slipped and fell on the slippery rocks. It was all okay, that person said “I wanted to get wet anyway”. Before we came back, my mind wandered to stones and cliff faces. We got back to the shelters, had lunch and we were set a task in the sand- create a dam wall. We slowly got back on the bus- sandy, wet and tired, but at the same time, we were still excited. It was the best excursion ever!.
Max Chard- Year 3.
PB4L Celebration Corner
Class Merit Awards Week,
Kinder – Oscar O , Brody B
Year 1 – Ariana C, Clay C, Benjamin W-G.
Year 3 – Henry K, Ryder L
Year 4 - Milla G, Tristan P
Year 5 – Noah H, Ella H, Cooper G
Year 6 – Xavier B, Luke W
Super Star Awards for Week,
We care for Ourselves
Arlo D, Isla P
We Care For Others
Jackson L, Liam R, Ross K, Chiara G, Issac
We Care For Our Learning
Louis R, Ella R, Gage L, Isabella L
We Care For Our School
Parker M-J, Sadie N, Torin D, Angelo A,
Principal Award
Isabelle S, Ally S
St Mary’s Pennant
Keiley P
All Stars Award
Year 6
The Sausage Sizzle organised by Year 6 parents will go ahead. All food will be prepared off site and delivered. Sadly we cannot have parents on site but there is of course limited ‘drive in’ style parking outside our school fence if you are around. If you are spectating please remain in your car and observe all social distancing measures.
