No 2. Term 1 Week 3, 16th February 2022

Principal's News

We know that strong partnerships between teachers and families creates a shared vision for individual children’s learning, academic achievement and wellbeing. Building rapport and trust and working out how and when you will communicate, are important first steps in developing co-operative parent-teacher relationships that will make a positive and important difference to your child’s success.

As parents, taking the first steps on the road to building strong partnerships with your child’s teacher can be hard. But every child deserves a quality education and with some courage, you can make a big difference. According to some research, many teachers find it just as hard and it’s not unusual that they may experience more anxiety about their relationships with parents than almost any other aspect of their work!

Why is this the case? Well, in many situations, parents and school staff find themselves on a collision course because they come at issues from very different angles and therefore interpret them differently. Working through those differences requires considerable understanding, goodwill and commitment. It is worth the effort though because we all want the best possible outcomes for our children.

The road to building these relationships has well and truly begun if you attended the online Goal Setting Meetings this week. Hopefully in that meeting you discussed how you can sustain a practical approach to communication that works for both you and the teacher. Now, having opened the lines of communication, keep being proactive. Visit the classroom occasionally (when covid protocols allow); send an email; make a phone call or even make an appointment for a video meeting with your child’s teacher. 

We can achieve so much more for our cherished children when we do it together.

God bless.

Jason Micallef,
Principal

Vaccination of 5-11 year old children

It’s been really fantastic to see such excitement about being at school and we want to keep it that way. A crucial part of that is getting as many students vaccinated as possible.

Alongside ventilation and other vital COVIDSafe steps such as regular rapid antigen testing, supporting as many students as possible to be vaccinated will help make our school as safe as possible.

Bookings for children aged 5 to 11 to receive the paediatric Pfizer vaccine are open and we encourage parents and carers to get your child vaccinated, if you haven’t already done so.

The Pfizer vaccine is safe and recommended for children. The vaccine will help protect your child from getting sick from COVID-19, reduce the spread of COVID-19, and ensure kids can have more time at school and playing with their friends.

Vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 years old are delivered at two appointments, eight weeks apart. Children with specific medical vulnerabilities can access their second dose three weeks after their first dose.

If you’d like more information about this, you can read a recent statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI): www.health.gov.au/news/atagi-update-following-weekly-covid-19-meeting-19-january-2022.

To book an appointment

You can book an appointment at your local GP or pharmacy: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking.

You can also book at a family-friendly vaccination centre by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.

You can make vaccination centre bookings for your children online, though you will need to use an email address that has not been used in the system before: https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au.

Helping children to get their vaccination

Vaccination centres understand that children may feel anxious about vaccination or have other support needs. A range of options is available to help children get vaccinated. Please discuss your child’s needs with the vaccination centre when you book an appointment.

Appointments are also available at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.

Find out more about vaccination for kids: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers.

Student Absence 

If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, please let us know by 9.30am the morning of their absence. The best way to do this is via the SZApp Absentee Form.

School Fees

By now, all families should have received their statements for owed School Fees and Levies. An enormous thanks to those families who have either paid in full or committed to a payment plan. Having some certainty about what we can expect to receive and when, helps us to plan and manage the school's operations with confidence. If you have not yet committed to a plan, please contact the office for information on what options are available.

School Fee Support

Concessional school fees are available to any family that meets the below eligibility criteria:

• • of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
  • holding an HCC and eligible for CSEF
  • experiencing severe financial hardship
  • holding a DVA Gold Card
  • identified as refugees and holding an ImmiCard

In order to apply for the concessional rate, please contact the school office and we will send you an application form to fill out.

St. Kevin's Parish News

A message from the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC):

The PPC is a parishioner-led parish group that seeks to address the pastoral needs of our parishioners. 

There are ex-officio members (Parish Priest, Assistant Priest, Deacon, School Principals and Deanery Rep) as well as 9 parishioner representatives.  The parishioners represent 5 different 'clusters' in our parish as well as the youth community and the St Francis de Sales community. 

The PPC works as a team to implement various activities and address various concerns raised by parishioners. There are currently several vacancies for cluster/community reps.  All parishioners in the church and school communities are welcome to nominate themself or others to take up a role on the PPC.  The PPC election process begins on the weekend of 19/20 February. 

Please see the parish newsletter for more information (hard copies are in the church foyer or go to the parish website) or email the current chairperson - denisejlyons@gmail.com.

Welcome Katelyn, our new Psychologist.

My name is Katelyn O’Donohue, and I am the new school counsellor from Catholic Care Victoria, taking over from last year’s counsellor, Claire Adkins. I will be based at St Kevin’s Primary School every Tuesday for 2022. 

As an introduction, I would like to share a little bit about myself. I started my studies in 2012, and I have since completed a Master of
Educational and Developmental Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy program at Monash University. I absolutely love my job as a school counsellor and have worked in primary schools for nearly three years in counselling and psychological assessment roles. Outside of work time, I enjoy exploring nature and spending quality time with my friends, family and puppy.

If you have any queries regarding school counselling for your child, please contact the school
and they can help connect you with support. I am very excited to start at St Kevin’s for 2022
and I am looking forward to working with this welcoming school community.

Safer Internet Use

In 2022, our school is excited to share that we are participating in the Inform & Empower cyber safety program. This means your child/ren will be tuning into live cyber safety incursions each term. These shows aim to help children better navigate the online world and become more informed and empowered digital citizens. The shows will focus on issues including cyberbullying, unwanted contact, unsafe or untruee content, balancing screen time with "green time" and sharing personal information.

You, the parents and carers will also be given resources to support you to continue the conversations with your children at home and build your awareness of possible cyber safety issues. So be on the lookout for your resources.

Save this date and time: WEDNESDAY MAY 4, 7pm, to participate in an an online Cybersafety Information session for parents.

UPSCHOOL by St. Kevin's launch!

Upschool by St Kevin’s is designed to keep you engaged with our school and inspired to live, learn and play as a happy, mindful and sharing community. Our is aim is to share positive, inspiring and educational messages with our community so we can help change OUR world for the better.

So be on the lookout each week on Facebook and each fortnight in our newsletter, as we publish useful video content.

This week, our first Upschool Video features our Principal, Mr. Micallef sharing information about all the ways we communicate  with you, our families. You can see this video below or check out our Facebook page where this video has already been published.

Home - School Communication

In our first Upschool by St. Kevin's video, Mr. Micallef talks about all the different ways communication can take place between home and school.

Medical Reminders

Medication 

Medication of any kind, sent to school with a student, must be handed in at the office along with a written permission note providing details of its use. Children are not permitted to administer their own medication. Medication must be  administered with adult supervision and written parental permission.

Asthma Management Plans 

Parents of students who are known to be asthmatic; be it  occasional or regular, are asked to provide the school with an Asthma Management Plan and their own named personal medication. 

Do we have the most up to date Action Plan for your child?

If your child has an action plan and there have been recent updates or changes, you need to  provide updated your copy.

If your child has a new diagnosis with an Action Plan for Asthma, Anaphylaxis or any allergies you need to notify the office and ensure we have access to this plan on Operoo as soon as possible.

Safe and healthy travel to and from school

It's no secret that the carpark is a very busy place, especially in the afternoon when we farewell nearly 550 students at the end of each day. However, it has to be said that on the whole nearly every parent / carer who uses the carpark is patient, cooperative and follows the directions of staff. Your diligence ensures that traffic moves safely and efficiently. Thank you!

Ofcourse, while the weather is on our side, why not consider some alternatives to driving?

Why not walk or ride to and from school?

Not only is it healthy practice, but is also a great way to educate children on safe practices when walking and riding as well as getting to spend time together.

Or perhaps park and walk?

This means that instead of driving directly into the school, you park a little further away from the school to enjoy a short walk, avoiding congestion and parking pressure.

Benefits of Active Travel

Walking to and from school is a great way to fit physical activity in your kids’ everyday lives. But it does more than just benefit their health – it also helps kids spend time with other kids, have fun, and become connected with the community around them.

Be sure to click on this link to learn more about walking to school.

http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/be-healthy/when-is-the-right-time-for-kids-to-walk-to-school

A reminder that there is no parking for parents behind the Parish House unless you have a Parish Issued Permit. Also, please be mindful not to park in designated disabled parking spaces unless you have a disabled parking permit.

School Uniform - Wear it proud!

Thank you to all our parents and carers who make sure their children arrive at school in the proper school uniform. We are really proud of our school uniform and the way it is worn speaks of the proud we have in ourselves and those we attend school with. From time to time, we see trends creeping in where increasing numbers of children are not wearing correct school uniform—mainly this is children wearing runners instead of school shoes or perhaps leggings under their dress. Furthermore, our expectations around uniform extends to hairstyles and jewellery, below is a reminder of the uniform and expectations for ALL our children.

• Footwear with uniform should be black leather school shoes - not runners unless it is a PE day.
  
• Extreme hairstyles, including coloured, dyed hair are not suitable for school. For health and safety reasons, hair longer than collar length should be tied back off the face. 
  
• No wearable, smart technology like iWatches.

Out of School Hours Care