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Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for your continued patience, understanding and flexibility as we continue remote learning in a very challenging environment. You have been magnificent, supporting your child/ren in their learning during this period, and staff have been incredible in the way they have adapted to provide a remote learning program.
I appreciate that many of you are dealing with a lot. Some of our families have lost income, some are adjusting to working from home and supporting children with remote learning, and all of us are working hard to maintain our mental wellbeing. It is normal to be worrying about the virus during this time of uncertainty.
As a faith community, we are better equipped than most to support each other and overcome this difficult period of our lives. Please reach out to one another and pray for each other. Please also pray for other communities who are less fortunate than our own.
With the current lockdown in place until Thursday 2nd September, please be assured that I am in regular contact with Catholic Education who provide me with up-to-date information from ACT Health and Government directives. The situation in the ACT has become incredibly serious and concerning and we all have a part to play in keeping our community safe. The case in Gold Creek School (and the impact it has on Holy Spirit School) and St Thomas Aquinas Primary School in West Belconnen, is too close to home. The consistent message from the ACT Government is to stay at home.
Given this information, we are strongly encouraging all students and staff to stay off site and work from home. As a school, we have asked staff to work remotely. As a result, only a small number of staff will be on site each day during the lockdown period to support our students and to prioritise the health and safety of our students and staff. Staff are working in two teams, with two days at school and then two days working from home. We are grateful to our staff for their flexibility and dedication to student learning and wellbeing during these most challenging of circumstances.
Please remember the onsite supervision is for students who are:
· vulnerable and/or
· their parents/carers are essential workers and/or
· they cannot learn from home.
The purpose of this territory-wide lockdown is to minimise the mingling of people from various areas, to thus reduce transmission of infection.
We have been incredibly grateful to our St Benedict’s families for adhering to the ongoing restrictions, and we ask you to continue to be vigilant. We understand working from home and supporting your child with off-campus learning is challenging, but we are all navigating this situation together, and doing what is best for our school community. Please keep in touch with your child’s teacher about ways in which we can support you and your family. We will certainly keep you updated should we receive further updates from ACT Health, the ACT Government and Catholic Education.
Teachers will continue to connect with their students and colleagues via Teams, email, Google Classroom and Seesaw. The work your child’s teacher sets is important, but your family’s wellbeing is more so. Try to keep a routine, and a dedicated space for school work, but don’t forget that much valuable and memorable learning takes place in “real world” situations.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
We are all thinking of you all and praying for your safety and wellbeing during this challenging time.
God bless.
Rachel Smith
Principal
Reminders
Just some reminders/messages:
· Please ensure that all contact numbers and emails are up to date; and
· Please read information sent from ‘Schoolzine App’ (SZapp), COMPASS App and email regularly. Facebook or other social media are not the avenues to communicate important information to parents. Roughly, only 50% open information (either via email or the app) when disseminated to parents.
Absentee Notes
Despite the learning moving to remote learning, there are still requirements to meet the Education Act. It is a legal requirement of the Education Act that students participate in learning (whatever the context) and attend school. Both the initial 9.00am online check in via SeaSaw (K-2) and Google Classroom (3-6) and the daily whole class online video meetings fulfil these requirements. They will serve as both a roll call for students and also a check on their wellbeing. Parents and carers have a legal obligation to notify the school with reason for student absences.
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. We need to begin planning for staffing and class configurations for 2022. Thank you to those who have let us know already, this is very much appreciated. Naturally Year 6 parents need not respond to this request.
Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be postponed until further notice.
Prayer for Healthcare Workers
Loving God, on this day we remember healthcare workers here in our own facilities
and everywhere.
We pledge our prayerful support to all who give of themselves daily in the healing ministry of Jesus. As they work to cure, speak to soothe, and touch to heal in the power of the Holy Spirit, may they be renewed in their commitment of service to the healthcare ministry.
Lay your gentle hand upon each of them as they touch others with your presence.
We pray in your holy name. Amen.
Livestreamed Online Masses
St Christopher’s Cathedral
12.15 pm Monday to Saturday masses and the 11 am Sunday mass Link:https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/
St Benedict’s Parish livestreamed online Masses- please visit the parish website and Facebook page.
While our churches are closed, Archbishop Christopher would like to invite all to pray the Rosary via Zoom today at 4 pm.
All you need are your Rosary beads and your intentions.
TIME: Every Wednesday and Friday at 4 pm sharp!
(Archbishop Christopher will lead us today in the Glorious Mysteries)
ZOOM DETAILS: Simply click on the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85022458332?pwd=MDZ4ODFhNjIvdnpFd21aVDQzWnAydz09
Or enter in the details below after opening the Zoom app
Meeting ID: 850 2245 8332 Passcode: 543675
Important dates to note for this term are:
17 Aug Online Learning Commenced
(until further notice, all activities below
are either cancelled or postponed.
More information will follow over coming
weeks.)
27 Aug Whole School Assembly, 2.30pm
1 Sep Indigenous Literacy Day
3 Sep Fathers' Day Mass, 10am
5 Sep Fathers' Day
9 Sep Learning Showcase, 2pm to 4pm
9 Sep Kinder Health Screeening
10 Sep Whole School Assembly, 2.30pm
11 Sep Sacrament of Confirmation, 3pm
14 Sep School Board Meeting, 6pm
17 Sep Ways of Being Award Ceremony, 2.30pm
17 Sep Last day of Term 3
Yr 5/6 Camp has been moved to Term 4, Wk 4.
All relevant communication/information/notes have been sent via Compass. Please log
into the Compass Portal to view them. Information on how to log in is the School News section of this newsletter.
TEAM KIDS
COMPASS
We ask parents to log into the Compass Portal as this is the main way of communicating during this time. Please see the information below on how to log in.
A Lens on Learning
Well, how learning and school has changed in the last week!
We congratulate everyone (students, parents and staff) for the way in which you have adapted quickly to remote learning and have continued to support each other in these challenging times. It has been amazing to see our students continue their learning in such a positive way and creative way. Take a look at some of the learning our students have been up to this last week.
In Music lessons, students have been investigating how music and science collide. They were encouraged to look for ‘found sounds’ around the house and experiment with the sounds that they could make. Many enjoyed getting creative.
Have a look at things around you. What can you find to make sounds with? Can you find something that makes a high sound? Can you find something that makes a low sound? Can you play a tune with your instrument?
Student comments about remote learning:
‘Home learning is unfortunate, but if we work together we will get through this. Sometimes it is overwhelming but it is much easier with teacher’s support and the school makes it easy to understand and fun as well.’ Isadora
‘I’ve been doing fun activities on SeeSaw, reading books, colouring and stuff. I like learning this way.’ Eva
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
If you require uniform items please email the school:
office.stbenedicts@cg.catholic.edu.au or contact Mrs McRae with the list of items.
We will endeavour to fill your order and reply to you as soon as possilble.
The Tuckshop is currently closed due to lockdown.
We will notify you when it is back up and running.
St Benedict's Parish
Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 12noon
Phone: 62957879
Email: narrabundah@cg.org.au
Web: website: http://cg.org.au/narrabundah/Home.aspx
Parish Team:
Fr Rembert Fernando MGL
Fr Baiju Thomas MGL
Onela Iruthayaraj (Parish Secretary)
LOCKDOWN
For the extent of the lockdowns, the Archbishop invites all to pray the Rosary as a community via Zoom each Wednesday and Friday at 4pm.
Zoom details: Simply click on the link Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Rosary. Or enter in the details below after opening the:
Zoom app Meeting ID: 850 2245 8332
Passcode: 5436 755 43675
The 12.15pm Monday to Saturday masses and the 11am Sunday mass at St Christopher's Cathedral will continue to be livestreamed as normal at the following link:
https//www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/
Online parish mass link:
https://www.facebook.com/Charismatic-Masses-101083641671136/
