Stay Healthy
I hope you are keeping healthy, warm and avoiding the coughs and flus so common this time of year. As restrictions in Canberra ease we must continue to be vigilant about hand washing and physical distancing. Please remind your children, each day, of how important this is.

Our routines regarding drop off and pick up remain in place and I will let you know as soon as anything changes. Also, to ensure everyone’s health, if your child is sick please do not send them to school. Thank you for abiding by all these precautionary measures for the good of all. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me.

School Starting Time
Imagine if, at the end of the year, you were “given” a whole extra day?

A child who is 7 minutes late to class each day (dropped off 5 minutes late, 1 minute walk to the classroom, 1 minute to unpack) will have missed more than 23 hours of schooling in the year!

When late, children miss important announcements, social interactions and vital learning time. It also disrupts the entire class, as the teacher needs to stop what they are doing to welcome the child and repeat directions.

We know that unexpected delays can happen. A road accident, a sick pet, or even a broken dishwasher can all cause us to be late. Please though, try to do the best by your child, and the others in the class, by having children at school BEFORE 8.50am each day.

Our “warning bell” starts ringing at 8.55am, which allows students and teachers to move to morning assembly, ready to begin at 9.00am. On a practical note, the busiest time in the school car park each morning is at 8.45 – 8.55am.

Carpark Etiquette
We ask that all parents and carers using our carpark for pick up and drop off please do so with caution. With the increased use of the carpark we must all work together to ensure the safety of all our students. Please drive slowly through the carpark and park front in into a designated carpark. When reversing please be mindful of those around you and the flow of the traffic. The carpark space is limited and not designed for cars to turn around and go against the flow of the traffic. Thank you for your help with this.

Facebook
We try to use our Face Book page to give a snapshot of what happens each day at St Benedict’s. Please follow us at @stbenedictsnarrabundah

School Reports and Optional Interviews
School reports will be sent home with students next Friday, 26^th June. Optional interviews will be available for parents Monday 29^th June and Tuesday 30^th June. A note for requesting an interview with your child’s teacher will be included with their report.

Leaving St Benedict’s
If you anticipate that your child will leave St Benedict’s at the end of this year, could you please notify the Front Office where they a heading to. We need to begin planning for staffing and class configurations for 2021. Naturally Year 6 parents need not respond to this request.