NEWSLETTER 1 - 3rd February 2022

Joy, love, happiness; fear, anxiety, apprehension - disparate feelings on the emotional spectrum that drive us, form our actions, subtly develop our character. When we emphasise or we are involved and engaged in a work or home situation, or when we are part of a broader social environment that is dominated by one of these emotional states, perspective is often lost. We ‘wear many hats’ simultaneously - parent; son or daughter; educator; student - and it is perfectly appropriate and healthy to have each end of the above emotional spectrum tempering our thoughts and actions.

In preparing for the 2022 school year - which began much earlier than the chronological 2022 year - significant feelings of joy, love and happiness certainly moderated my thoughts and actions, because working with students, families and staff of St Patrick’s is so very often an experience that fills me with joy. Similarly, the same preparations were overlaid or mitigated by fears - the fear of not providing enough for so many needs and wants; the anxiety of trying to live up to a broad range of reasonable expectations; the apprehension that is associated with setting goals with the full realisation that there are so many variables that are outside our control that have the potential to compromise the best laid plans.

Depending on our state of health, we can be overwhelmed by either the joy, or the fear, that is part of being a parent, an educator. Without being complacent or defeatist, I take heart from Plato’s quote, ‘Courage is knowing what not to fear’. In order to make the very most of this school year, I pray that all in our school community are courageous in setting worthy, realistic goals, establishing the necessary support that may assist in the realisation of these worthy goals, and entering into the experience being fully prepared to experience the joy that comes from achievement, and similarly being aware that the fears that we may have associated with any learning experience may need our individual and collective courage in challenging in order to concentrate on what can be done to concentrate on the joys and to diminish the fears that previously may have hindered productive dialogue, actions and progress. I hope you are as excited about the possibilities of the 2022 school year as I am!

Regards,

Rod Linhart (Principal)

As communicated to families St Patrick’s earlier this year via Compass, our school is implementing the Catholic Education Tasmania’s COVID Safety Plan. Correspondence and information can be accessed via our school web site under the ‘Community’ tab. More information will be provided to families as the school is provided with updates, however, a summary of the actions the school will be undertaking that support the wellbeing of all in our school community includes:

1. Health and hygiene aspects
   1. Staff are to wear face masks inside buildings unless teaching or unless there is a need for greater clarity of enunciation.
   2. Students are not expected to wear face masks.
      1. Primary school students of 12 years of age and over, who travel on buses, will be required to wear masks whilst on the bus.
   3. No social distancing is required for staff and students (unless masks are off for enunciation).
   4. Parent prerogative (choice) regarding vaccination of their child/children: Non-discriminatory inclusion.
   5. Our school is awaiting delivery of Rapid Antigen Tests and facemasks and upon delivery we will provide each member of staff and each student with two masks and two rapid antigen tests. These are to be taken home for support of any student who is sent home or stays home with COVID symptoms. We will have supplies at school to supplement these initial ‘kits.’
   6. Isolation’ protocols (particularly for students and staff with symptoms that have escalated during the day)
      1. Separate from other staff and students, contact families and collect to go home by safe means ASAP.
   7. Classroom doors and windows will be open where practicable to enhance flowthrough of air.
      1. Classroom air conditioners have been thoroughly cleaned by air conditioning cleaning professionals.
   8. Enhanced cleaning protocols, including heightened expectation of hand washing or sanitisation by students and adults upon entering school buildings.
      1. School cleaners are informed our school COVID SAFETY PLAN.
   9. Staff and student health and safety is of the upmost importance and one of our key challenges for term 1 will be maintaining staff attendance and minimising disruption to face-to-face teaching.
      1. Parent morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up is requested to be undertaken outside the school internal buildings (except for parents of kinder and Prep students – see point iii below) please in order to mitigate the risk of further exposure to members of the school community, however, we appreciate your child’s education is a partnership between school and home and this relationship may need to be nurtured by parent-teacher discussions which may necessitate short, in-class conversations between parent and teacher, which we will support provided COVID safe guidelines are in place:
         1. All parents who enter the school building are required to use the QR code app AND sign-in at the school office please; parents should then enter the classroom from the external exit door please (the classroom door that faces a playground or external pathway area) rather than walk through internal corridors.
      2. Adults on site and outside are not required to wear face masks or sign-in, however, please observe 1.5 m distancing.

• Parents of children in Kindergarten and Prep students are welcome to use the respective external class doors (facing the playground) to enter the classrooms in the morning drop-off period and may work with their child for a short period of time. Kinder drop-off times are slightly staggered for the initial few weeks at least.

2. Programs and routines
   1. Teachers will arrange for the delivery of online learning for those students who have tested positive or are deemed to be close contacts of a confirmed case and therefore need to quarantine.
   2. Teachers will be incorporating activities to support learning in key learning areas such as English and Mathematics, using Seesaw as the online platform and incorporating learning tasks that correspond with the tasks that are planned to be undertaken as part of face-to-face learning and teaching.
      1. A variety of supporting online programs that are part of our whole-school approach to literacy and numeracy will support online learning; these programs include ‘Sound Waves’ (spelling), ‘Wushka’ (Reading), ‘Maths Online’ (Mathematics), ‘LiteracyPro’ (Reading).
      2. If families choose to keep students at home and there are no underlying medical or educational reasons for this, then the school does not need to provide Learning at Home for those children.
   3. ‘Set-up for Success/Inquiring Minds’ Birth to 4 program that we usually offer on Friday mornings has been postponed with a review being undertaken in week 3 to determine when we will be best served to offer this popular initiative. The decision to postpone the date for this initiative is a Catholic Education Tasmania direction and applies to all Catholic Education Tasmania schools.
   4. Adjustment of school events in the first 5 weeks of this term, at least, regarding camps and gatherings.
   5. School assemblies – parents are welcome to attend provided they sign-in at the school office and sign-in using the Check In Tas APP (located on the doors of each room). School captains will be instrumental in leading each assembly and student celebrations and sharing of news and class work will continue to feature:
      6. Monday mornings – Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
      7. Tuesday mornings – Prep, Years 1 and 2.

• Wednesday to Friday mornings – School Captains will provide assemblies via Zoom to classes in their classrooms.

3. COVID notification
   1. If a student or member of staff is seen to be displaying cold or flu symptoms, we will assume COVID infection – the person expected to stay home and take a COVID test. Symptoms include: a cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose.
   2. Close contact due to confirmed case of a household member:

• The person must not come to school – the family is expected to inform the principal and quarantine.
• The person must quarantine for seven days from the date of the contact even if asymptomatic.
  • The person can enter the school on day seven of the quarantine provided two negative RAT results (days 1 and 6 of the quarantine period)

1. Classmates of a confirmed case in the classroom:

• The school will contact parents of children in the class to be alert for symptoms, but face-to-face learning and teaching will continue.
  1. Class outbreak – is defined as 5 or more confirmed cases of a class within seven days:
• All members of the class are provided with RAT (three RAT kits will be provided to each member of the class) and RAT implemented at home by a parent every two days.
• Face-to-face learning and teaching will continue.
• Quarantining only if symptomatic.

4. Community-run sport associations are still supported by school teams provided the respective sport associations COVID Safety Plan supports Health Department guidelines.

Term 1 - Thursday 3rd February - Thursday 14th April

Term 2 - Monday 2nd May - Friday 8th July

Term 3 - Monday 25th July - Friday 30th September

Term 4 - Monday 17th October - Thursday 15th December

One Student Free Day to be confirmed. 

The 2022 class and staff structure is summarised below. Structures in 2022 will include an increased focus on sustainability initiatives, the four members of the school leadership team timetabled support throughout the school to enhance staff welfare and student outcomes, an increase of School Counselling to two days per week, and initiatives that were introduced in 2020 and have proved effective include increasing the profile of Music in the school, and combining Health and Physical Education into the one responsibility area for a specialist teacher. Routines that support early literacy learning, a focus on some numeracy skills and understandings will continue in order to build on the growth of 2021.

• Kinder: Laura Stoessiger (3 days) and Kim Klug (3 days); D’Arne Adams (1 day); Angela Sutton (2 days).
• Prep: Ann Jak (5 days) and Nicole Adams; Kelly Mundy.
• Year 1: Shane O'Brien (5 days) and Anita Tueon.
• Year 2: Kylie Fenton (3 days – Mondays-Wednesdays); Julie Lockyer (2 days Thursday-Friday) and Michelle Lamprey.
• Year 3: Megan Meech (5 days), Tim Lowry (1 day) and Angela Sutton.
• Year 4: Jane Stuart (4 days); Shannon Fraser (1 day) and Kelly Mundy & Tim Lowry.
• Year 5: Erin Moore (2 days); Vanessa Harvey (3 days) and Tammy Hyland.
• Year 6: Karyn Kingshott (2.5 days); Abbey Daniel (2.5 days) and Tameika Anthony.
• Health & PE (HPE): Courtney Hayes: (2 days – Mondays & Fridays.)
• Languages (Japanese): Kayla Lockett (1 day - Thursdays.)
• Music: Leonie Watson-Peters (2 days).
• Speech Program Implementation – whole school: D’Arne Adams.
• Playgroup Coordinator (Fridays): Kim Klug.
• Library: Melissa Carter.
• School Garden: Tim Lowry.
• Religious Education Coordinator: Catherine Dunn (1 day).
• ICT/Early Childhood Education Literacy Coordinator/Literacy Project: Tina Badcock (5 days).
• Student Support: Melissa Marshall (5 days).
• Chaplain: David Angliss.
• School Counsellor: Karlie Lawson (2 days)
• School Utility Officer: David Broos (Tuesdays-Thursdays).
• School Administration Officer: Tameka Harris (5 days).
• School Executive Officer: Lennice Leonard (5 days).
• Deputy Principal: Kurt Atkins (5 days).
• Principal: Rod Linhart (5 days).

• HPE: each Monday and Friday: students should wear their sports uniform on these days.
• Music: K, Prep, Years 1 & 2 and choir each Tuesday.
• Music: Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 each Wednesday.
• Languages (Japanese) for all classes each Thursday.
• Library: Mondays: Years 5 & 6; Tuesdays : Years Prep, 1 & 2; Wednesdays: Kinder, Years 3 & 4 – students are required to have a library bag for borrowing please (this can simply be a plastic bag if other bags are not available.)

Our school routines and protocols are governed by a number of School Policies, which can be located via a link on our school website under the ‘Enrolments’ tab’, in addition to the inclusion of key school policies that are included in the front of the school diaries.

• There is an expectation that all diaries are checked as a part of the morning routine for a parent/carer signature and any communication from home noted.
• Your child is aware that in Terms 1 and 4 they must wear a school sun-safe hat as part of the school uniform. There is a whole school policy of no hat – no play.
• Students have a fresh fruit or vegetable break every morning (approx. 10:00 a.m.) and can have their labelled drink bottle (water only) on their desks. Students also participate in daily meditation after recess.
• The School’s Sports Uniform will be worn on Monday and Friday.
• The Homework Policy along, with several other important policies, are published in the front sections of the diaries.
• These policies provide all in our school community with a structure that supports uniformity of expectations, and also have some flexibility of application for example a parent brief note f explanation regarding why their child may not be in full school uniform, or who may not have completed homework is sufficient communication to the school to avoid any consequences for the child. I encourage you to read the key policies to assist us in school governance.

Every student has been given a special school diary, which will provide an easy and effective means of home-school communication. Please ensure you sign the diary each school day and use it to communicate important messages to your child’s teacher.

Responses from our survey of families late last year regarding our School Newsletter format indicated that many families would like a print format for a variety of reasons that include general accessibility, a greater ability to read school news with others in the family and general presentation. It is also acknowledged that many families enjoy the online School Newsletter format for its ease of access, enhanced option for inclusion of photos and saving paper. As such, Mrs Harris investigated avenues of enhancing the print version of our online School Newsletter and her results are presented in the print copy that each family receives today. Families will continue to receive access to our online School Newsletter and print copies will be made available to any family who requests this print version. If you would like to receive a weekly print version of the School Newsletter, please make a note in your child’s diary. School newsletters will continue to be delivered to families each Tuesday.

Students in Year 6 who are proposing themselves as potential school or house captains for term 1 will be presenting brief speeches during this Monday morning’s assembly. One student from each of the primary classes will also be elected by their classmates during the week for the position of Student Representative Council. Students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, and all staff will vote after the presentations. As a means to allow shared leadership amongst our students, school captain positions will be for a term’s length (students may renominate), and the house captain and SRC positions will be for two terms.

The School Canteen will commence Thursday 17th February. Information on the menu, including prices, will be included in the School Newsletter next week (Tuesday) and will be located in a link from our school website under the ‘News and Forms’ tab.

Our school will be fortunate to have Karlie, an experienced and qualified counsellor, who will visit St Patrick’s on Thursday and Friday of term. Families who wish to use Karlie’s services are advised that a ‘School Counselling Service Consent to Work with Student’ form is required to be completed by both parents prior to any meeting. This form will be made available to families upon request - please contact one of the office staff or Mr Linhart for more information; the consent form is available for download via our school website and the school office will take bookings for Karlie. Discussions conducted between Karlie and families are confidential between these parties reflected in the documentation regarding the School Counsellor.

Formal library lessons begin next week, and it expected that all children will be borrowing books and reading daily at home and school according to their abilities. Mrs Carter, Mrs Badcock and Mrs Marshall have spent time ensuring students who require Home Reader books will have these issued early next week and levelled readers are already available in respective classrooms for students involved in this program.

Welcome back to the 2022 school year! 

In the next few weeks, teachers will begin preparing student learning plans for Terms 1 & 2.  Parent engagement is an important part of the learning plan process.  If your child has a learning plan, you should receive a link today to a Google Form allowing you to nominate whether you would like to engage in this process via Google Form questionnaire or whether you would prefer a Zoom meeting or telephone meeting to discuss your child and their upcoming plan.  Zoom meetings (if this is your preference) are scheduled for next Monday the 7^th of February.  This first Google Form (to nominate one of three options: a Zoom meeting; a telephone meeting; or preference to complete an online form) will need to completed by Friday @ 3pm, in order to set up Zoom meetings for next Monday.

If anyone has any new specialist reports that have been completed in the last 6 months that may be relevant to your child’s education (psychology, medical, occupational therapy, speech/language, vision, hearing or other), please feel free to discuss this with me and hard copies can be forwarded to the school office or by email to stpatslat@catholic.tas.edu.au

Melissa Marshall

This year is going to be an educational, social and physical year of growth for your child.  It will be very rewarding to participate in and to observe your child develop their academic and social skills.  This term we will be learning that words are made up of sounds and the sounds are represented by letters (spelling), and we will progress to learning how to write a sentence.   A significant focus this term will be developing comprehension skills to ensure that students understand what they are reading. To get off to a good start, I strongly encourage each child to read in the classroom of a morning (commencing next week) with an adult and for the students to complete a fine motor (tracing and colouring) activity.  This is a great routine to get into, to start the day in a focused way ready to learn.

In Mathematics we will be exploring numbers (digits), amounts and number words.  We will be learning how to subitize amounts (automatically know a given amount).  In Religion we will learn about our Christian Life and God’s Love.  In History we are going to learn about our own history and the past.

Reading is encouraged every night.   Information regards supporting your child with reading will be enclosed in their Home Reader plastic pocket next week.

Please ensure ALL school clothing and shoes are labelled with your child’s name.

Our Teacher Assistants in Prep are

• Mrs Nicole Adams (Monday to Thursday)
• Ms Kelly Mundy (Friday)
• Mrs D’Arne Adams – speech support 

We look forward to working with you to nurture and educate your child.

Kind regards, Mrs Ann Jak (Prep Class Teacher)

Mrs Meech will be teaching Year 3 from Mondays to Fridays and the class will be supported by teacher assistant, Ms Mundy.  We warmly welcome new students, Lewis Perkins and Miami Bronson to the class. This year we look to cover the curriculum requirements of Year 3 with a focus on:

• Mathematics: the numbers to 10 000, multiplication and division facts and efficient strategies for addition and subtraction.
• English: creating a variety of text types, extending our reading strategies, and further developing our knowledge of spelling.
• Science: Biological & Earth and Space.
• HASS: how things have changed over time and landmarks in Australia. 

Students require a library bag for borrowing and PE uniform may be worn on Mondays and Fridays.  Homework will commence in Week 2 and will include Home Reading, Spelling and Mathematics.  Students should be spending no more than the equivalent of 30 minutes a day.  Homework is to be returned to school each Friday.  Parents are expected to view, sign and return the school diary daily.  If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via a note in the school diary or phone the school office.  Ms Mundy and I are looking forward to working with the Year 3 students and having a happy and productive year. Regards, Mrs Meech

Welcome to Year 5 families and students.  This year we will be learning many key concepts such as place value, budgets, perimeter and fractions.  In English we will be working towards improving our punctuation, spelling, writing and presentation skills. We will explore the biological world, our democracy and maps and use data across many learning areas.  We will endeavour to ‘Make Jesus Real’ in our classrooms, our school community and our families.  To maximise our learning, we will be encouraging students to become organised, self-directed and responsible for their belongings and classroom spaces.  As part of our organisation, we ask that students have their diaries each school day and that parents/carers sight and sign them each evening.  These diaries will be the main communication tool between school and home. In the first week of school we will be establishing class routines and working together to name classroom expectations so we can all achieve great things.  We look forward to a year of amazing growth and opportunities for all. 

If the first day of the new school year is any indication of the year ahead for Year 6 (or should I say ‘Team A-OK’) the prospects are very exciting. ‘Team A-OK’ consists of Mrs Anthony (Teacher’s assistant Mon – Fri), Mrs O’Brien (Teacher Wed – Fri, even weeks) and Mrs Kingshott (Mon – Wed, odd weeks). This year, in Year 6 the big focus will be on developing leadership, goal setting and teamwork in readiness for the next step in the students’ educational journey onto high school.  We welcome two new students, Hamish and Omar to our classroom, and we look forward to getting to know them and having them here with us to share the wonderful experiences that lie ahead for the Year 6 students in their final year at St Patrick’s Primary School. As Year 6 students the expectation is that we all display leadership through positive attitudes and genuine role modelling based on the school’s WEST values. There are more formal and privileged opportunities existing in the roles of School and House Captains, as well as the Student Representative Council. We are very excited about being part of and witnessing the growth of our Year 6 students both on an academic and social level. In English this year there will be a focus on the ‘Seven Steps of Writing’ and ‘Probe’ will be utilised to further extend the student’s reading abilities and comprehension. Our initial Mathematics Unit will involve Number & Algebra and Measurement.  Let’s go Team A-OK! It is time for each and every one of the Year 6 ‘Gemstones’ to be polished, shine brightly and lead the way.

We will continue the tradition of acknowledging students in all classes throughout the year, in regard to recognising attitudes that support our WEST, PBS and Mercy values.

‘Inquiring Minds’ Birth to 5 program - a ‘Set-Up for Success’ Catholic Education Tasmania initiative.

Usually, our ‘Inquiring Minds’ birth to 5 program operates each Friday during school term time from 9.00am to 10.30am; However as detailed in our Covid school safety plan the directive from Catholic education Tasmania states that this program will not operate for the first five weeks of this term. 

This program involves a considerable focus on communicating to parents the learning intentions of important activities that are associated with early years learning. Mrs Klug will be working to engage parents in early years learning experiences that will ensure children who are enrolling in Kindergarten, will be informed in regards to developing key social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills and understandings.

Please be aware when taking photos of your own child that it is important to ensure, where possible, that faces of other students are not in the photo. This is especially important if you plan to put a photo of your child on social media. It is never appropriate to put a photo of another child on social media or upload it to the internet without the express permission of that child's parent/s and/or guardian/s.

Latrobe Basketball Association - Commencing week beginning 7th February at the Latrobe basketball Stadium.

• U/12 Boys: Mon, 5-6.30pm and Sat 11-12pm.
• U/12 Girls: Wed 6.30-7.30pm
• U/14 Boys: Thurs 3.30-5.00pm
• U/14 Girls: Wednesday 3.30-5pm & Sat 10-11am.

It is now a requirement, as part of our COVID Policy, that any adult that visits the school must sign in using the 'Check in TAS App'. 

Please view the below PDF for information regarding how to install and use the Check in TAS App.

We have QR codes at the office, school hall, entry doors and classroom doors that can be scanned using this app when you enter a school building.

If you do not have a smartphone or device that will let you install this app, you will need to visit the school office so that we can check you in.