Term 3 Week 7 Monday 22nd August

Acknowledgement of Country

St Colman’s acknowledges the Girai wurung people as the traditional owners of the land on which our school stands and we respectfully recognise elders both past and present.

Our Prayer this Week

Prayer for Justice

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Author Unknown

This upcoming Sunday is Social Justice Sunday

From the Principal

Dear Families,

It's hard to believe that we're already up to week 7! It's going to be another big week. Thanks to Jenny Stapelton for her coordination of the Book Week Celebrations. It's fantastic to celebrate books and the joy that they bring to our lives. Helping us to learn new things, dream of places unknown and to escape reality. I can't wait for our dress up day on Thursday. 

A reminder to our SAC members that we will be meeting on Thursday night. An agenda will be circulated in the coming days. 

A reminder that our next school closure day is coming up on Thursday September 8 (week 9). 

Keep well and have a great week. 

Kind regards, 

Stacey

Kaboom!

What a great experience! It was great to see everyone involved and having a great time at St Thomas' on Thursday. Did you hear about the flying chickens? The slomotion dancing? The pumping music or the circus tricks? This was a great chance to have some fun and get moving all at the same time. 

More photos can be seen on our Facebook page. 

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3/4 Hooptime

On Friday the Grade 3/4 students will be heading to Terang to participate in Hooptime. This competition is specifically designed for those students with minimal basketball experience with the emphasis being on learning new skills and having fun. 

Permission will be circulated via PAM. Students are asked to wear their sports uniform and to pack a jacket to wear. 

Thanks to Brianna for her organisation. 

Happy Book Week!

This year Book Week will be celebrated during week 7, August 22-25.

Dress Up Day- Thursday 25/8 9am

Dress up day will be Thursday 25th August with the parade being held at 9am. Visitors are welcome. The parade will take place outside. Children will be invited to talk about their character. To assist with this, a form will be sent home for children to fill in with their family. 

On this day children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character or as the theme for Book Week, which is 'Dreaming with Eyes Open'.  It is important to remember that this is not meant to cause stress in families but that it is an opportunity to celebrate books and the joy that they bring.

When selecting a costume, please remember that some children may be scared by things that other children enjoy including characters from scary movies or tv shows (such as Pennywise). We want to ensure that our Book Week celebration is enjoyable for everyone. 

Children will then engage in a number of activities connected to the nominated books.  The best book borrower in Grade 5 will also be awarded and the winners of the colouring competition announced. 

Book Fair

The book fair books will be on display towards the end of this week. Throughout the week, students will develop a 'wish list'. Children are made aware that this does not mean that they will necessarily get these books, but it is a guide to help them in their decision making. Books will then be on sale after the parade or on the Friday. 

All books must be paid for at the time of collection either via card or cash. Unfortunately, it is not possible to put these books on school accounts. 

If parents are unable to come in with their child, please put some money in an envelope and write the name of the book to purchase on the envelope as well. 

Nominated Books

The books that have been nominated for the awards will also be on display at school and on the facebook page. Families may wish to select a book to pay for and donate to the school. 

A big thank you to those people who have already selected a book to donate. 

Meals on Wheels volunteers needed

St Colman's is rostered on for Meals on Wheels next week (29th  August to 2nd September). We need five volunteers to provide this important service. Please indicate the days you would be available below. Volunteers will need to provide a copy of their Working with Children Check. Please call Jane for more information.

2023 Intentions

It's hard to believe, but planning for 2023 is underway. If your family has a new Prep to enrol or you know that your circumstances will be changing next year, please contact the school as soon as possible to let us know. 

Awards

Congratulations to our award winners this week Ryan, Layla, Noah, Nat, Leo, Bella, Alex, Adia, Isabella, Leo, Hayley and Scarlett. 

Father's Day Breakfast

Our Father's Day Breakfast will be taking place on Friday 2nd September for all our dads and special men. If your dad can't make it, mums are welcome to come along too. 

Share your pics: We're hoping to have a visual display of our dads, so please email a picture of dads and their children to principal@scmortlake.catholic.edu.au or text the school mobile on 0490 539 167.

Stick around: Classrooms will be open and there will be some sporting equipment out if you'd like to stick around and experience some of what happens at St Colman's. 

Bring your travel mug: feel free to bring along your mug and help yourself to an extra cuppa to take away if that's your thing. 

Please RSVP: this helps us to get the catering right. 

School Refusal

Please find following some information around school refusal that some families may find useful. Thanks to Clare for providing this information. 

Footy Tipping Competition

The results are in! What a final round! I hope your team made it to the final 8 and if they didn't, well, there's always next year! 

Congratulations to TicketyBoo (aka Tim Bourke) for taking out the Footy Tipping for 2022 on a score of 145. It was an amazingly close competition with only margin separating the top 2 and four tippers only one behind. 

Congratulations also to Arlo842 for being the best performing junior on 144. A fantastic effort. 

Well done to Jenn Finn who managed to make a late dash by tipping 9 in the final round. 

A big thank you to Brianna who has coordinated the footy tipping. Keeping track of those not using the website, of money and all the other queries. We all appreciate her efforts.

The final spreadsheet is attached with students in red.

The top 10 tippers for this year are: 

Holiday Progam

Free opportunity

Key Dates for the Diary

Term 3

25th August- Book Week Dress Up Day 

25th August- SAC Meeting

26th August- 3/4 Rookies Basketball

2nd September- Father's Day Breakfast

8th September- School Closure: Liturgy (Religious Education) 

9th September- Enrolments Close

12th September- MRC Discovery Day 

16th September- Last day of term 

Our Lady of Mercy Parish News

MRC Care Raffle

COVID Reminders

A few reminders:

* Masks are highly encouraged but not mandated.  They are required on the bus. 

* Positive cases must isolate for 7 days and report these cases to school.

* Positive cases do not need to test again for 4 weeks. 

* RATs are still available and are to be used when someone has Covid symptoms. 

* Close contacts can attend school if they test negative on a RAT each school day. Close contacts must wear a mask indoors. 

Rapid Antigen Tests.

The Victorian Government is continuing to provide Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) in Term 3 and again in Term 4 to schools. Household contacts are required to test negative using a rapid antigen test on at least 5 out of 7 if they are attending or working at a school onsite.

Schools will be able to provide these RATs to parents/carers, staff or students on request, as the previous settings that required weekly or daily testing of students and staff have ceased. 

Staff and students are only required to test for COVID when symptomatic or if they are a close contact of a confirmed case. Individuals who have tested positive are not required to test for 4 weeks (note this has been 12 weeks during last term). If you require RATs please contact the school. 

Face Masks.

We have been asked to remind staff, students and families that the current advice from the Victorian government is that it is recommended face masks are worn in indoor settings (except for close contacts, who must wear a mask indoors unless an exception applies). Everyone including students aged 8 years and above must wear a face mask when travelling on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles.

COVID-19 reporting to the school community.

Principals must notify staff and the school community through a daily email (where applicable) when a student(s) or staff member(s) have returned a positive COVID-19 test result and had attended the school.

The following still apply:

Managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 

As soon as a staff member or student becomes aware of being a suspected case - that is symptomatic (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of smell or taste):

• The suspected case is required to leave the school site, or be isolated on-site until they are able to leave.
• The suspected case is required to be tested with a rapid antigen test (if at home). A positive test result must be reported to the Department of Health.
• Positive cases must be isolated for 7 days.
• Positive cases can exit isolation after 7 days without testing. 

Close Contacts

A close contact (a person who has spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID 19 inside a house, accommodation or care facility) is no longer required to isolate as long as they follow the additional safety measures:

• Notify the school if returning within the 7 day period.
• Undertake RAT testing on school days within the 7 day period (unless the 12 week exemption applies)
• Wear a mask indoors if an adult or a student Yr 3-6.
• Not visit hospitals or care facilities.
• Avoid contact with people at higher risk of infection.
• If symptomatic take a RAT or PCR test.