Term 3 Week 10 Monday 12th September

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

The Season of Creation begins on September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.

The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical celebration of prayer and action for our common home.

Let us Pray.

May God who established the dance of creation,
Who marvelled at the lilies of the field,
Who transforms chaos to order,
Lead us to transform our lives and the Church, to listen to the voice of all creation,
That reflects God's glory.

Amen
(The CTBI Eco-Congregation Programme)

From the Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome to the final week of third term. It has certainly been a busy term and has gone by quickly. We will celebrate the end of term with a Footy/Netball Colours day on Friday. 

Everyone will now be aware that Tim Bourke has been appointed as the ongoing principal of St Patrick's, Camperdown. We congratulate Tim on his appointment. I am currently in discussion with Tim as to how we might thank and farewell him. Stay tuned for more details next term. 

Next term Mikayla Owen will be taking 2 weeks leave from her position. Anna Bourke will be helping to cover Mikayla during this time. 

Enjoy the break and thanks for your support of our school this term. 

Kind regards, 

Stacey

Footy and Netball Colours

To celebrate a great term and the upcoming finals for football and netball, we'll be having a footy/netball colours day on Friday. 

Children are encouraged to dress in the colours of their favourite team. This can be an AFL team, netball team, soccer team or any other team of their choosing. 

AFL 9s

On Wednesday, Ms Stacey Atkins and Brianna Barr will be accompanying the Grade 4s to the AFL 9s in Noorat.  This is a mixed team competition. 

Then on Thursday Mrs Rosie O'Connor and Brianna will be heading back to Noorat with the 5/6s. The girls will be participating in AFL 9s and the boys in a netball competition. This is the first time that the netball has been offered for the boys. In the past, this day has been girls only. 

AFL 9s is a modified game of AFL where players need to stay in their zone. There is also only 9 players and contact is limited. 

Parents are asked to provided permission via PAM. 

Please remember to:

• pack warm clothes and a change of clothes in case of wet weather. 
• plenty of food for the day. 

Parents are welcome to call in to cheer us on. 

Community Consultation

Families are asked to complete a short survey in regards to the appointment of the new principal for 2023. All feedback will help the selection panel to formulate questions for the candidates and thus, select a new principal. 

The survey does not take very long. 

Please find it linked here. 

Please find the letter from Lee Schlooz explaining the process following. 

Covid Update

As of Friday 9/9, if you test positive

Report your result and isolate for at least 5 days.

If you tested positive using a rapid antigen test, you must report your result to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398. You don’t need to report your result if you tested positive from a PCR test.

Your isolation period begins on the day you took your positive test.

How long your isolation period goes for depends on whether you have symptoms, which include a fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you must isolate for at least 5 days from the date you took your rapid antigen test or PCR test. For example, if you took your test on Monday, you can leave isolation on Saturday if you have no symptoms.

You must isolate whether you have COVID-19 symptoms or not.

When you may leave isolation.

If you are in your 6th day of isolation and you have symptoms – no matter how mild – then you must continue to isolate. If you have a sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, you may still be infectious and you may infect others with COVID-19.

If you have no symptoms on the 6th day of isolation, you are free to leave isolation on that same day. You do not need to take a test to leave isolation. For example, if you tested positive on a Monday, you may leave isolation any time the following Saturday.

If you are in your 7th day of isolation and you have symptoms – no matter how mild – then you must continue to isolate. If you have a sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, you may still be infectious and you may infect others with COVID-19.

If you have no symptoms on the 7th day you are free to leave isolation on that same day. You do not need to take a test to leave isolation. For example, if you tested positive on a Monday, you can leave isolation any time the following Sunday.

If you leave isolation after 5 days, there are important rules you must follow for those two days:

• you cannot visit a hospital or aged care facility
• you cannot attend work at a hospital, residential aged care facility, disability care facility and in-home care premises (including disability and aged care in the home).

For more information about isolation rules for COVID cases click here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-cases

Hats are Back

It's hard to believe, but we are heading back into hat wearing at school. Term 4 is hat term, so please try and locate your child's hat during the holidays. 

School Wide Positive Behaviour

At St Colman's, we use the School Wide Positive Behaviour approach to teach appropriate behaviours. 

This week we are focusing on Welcoming. At assembly on Friday the children identified that welcoming means including people, asking people to join in and saying hello and using people's names. 

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. 

If your circumstances have not changed then no action is required. 

Key Dates for the Diary

Term 3

12th September- MRC Discovery Day 

16th September- Last day of term , 2.15pm finish

Term 4

7th October- Bell Shakespeare performance at Mortlake College

10th October- Emma Stenhouse, artist in residence for the week

17th October- School Closure Day- literacy PD

2nd-4th December- Gr 5/6 Camp to Dunkeld

24th November- St Colman's Feast Day

5th and 6th December- Gr 3/4 Camp to Halls Gap

6th December- Global transition day (MRC and Mortlake College)

9th December- St Colman's Transition Day

16th December- Last day for students

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Mason and Imogen who celebrate their birthdays during the holidays. 

Our Lady of Mercy Parish News

State Election and Catholic Education

Little Athletics

Free Autism Workshop

Garden Program for Children

Netball Term 4 ‘Covid Cup’

Holiday Fun

Free opportunity

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 a minimum of 5 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 5 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.

Isolation rules: If you test positive

Report your result and isolate for at least 5 days.

If you tested positive using a rapid antigen test, you must report your result to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398. You don’t need to report your result if you tested positive from a PCR test.

Your isolation period begins on the day you took your positive test.

How long your isolation period goes for depends on whether you have symptoms, which include a fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you must isolate for at least 5 days from the date you took your rapid antigen test or PCR test. For example, if you took your test on Monday, you can leave isolation on Saturday if you have no symptoms. You must isolate whether you have COVID-19 symptoms or not.

When you may leave isolation.

If you are in your 6th day of isolation and you have symptoms – no matter how mild – then you must continue to isolate. If you have a sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, you may still be infectious and you may infect others with COVID-19.

If you have no symptoms on the 6th day of isolation, you are free to leave isolation on that same day. You do not need to take a test to leave isolation. For example, if you tested positive on a Monday, you may leave isolation any time the following Saturday.

If you are in your 7th day of isolation and you have symptoms – no matter how mild – then you must continue to isolate. If you have a sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, you may still be infectious and you may infect others with COVID-19.

If you have no symptoms on the 7th day you are free to leave isolation on that same day. You do not need to take a test to leave isolation. For example, if you tested positive on a Monday, you can leave isolation any time the following Sunday.

If you leave isolation after 5 days, there are important rules you must follow for those two days:

• you cannot visit a hospital or aged care facility
• you cannot attend work at a hospital, residential aged care facility, disability care facility and in-home care premises (including disability and aged care in the home).

For more information about isolation rules for COVID cases click here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-cases