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Dear Parent Community.
Once again we have started remote learning with the challenges that brings both at school and home. We have probably all learnt something from our first experience of it so hopefully it is a smoother operation. The staff worked incredibly hard last week to get things up and going.
Community Café: As a way to stay connected we are introducing a “Community Café” every Friday at 11:00 am to check in with each other. So grab a coffee and join us online and tell us how you are going. So join us every Friday at 11:00
Meeting ID is meet.google.com/ddt-tmdn-ews
Building Update: Our Builders have started removing the contaminated soil. It is all completed under strict protocols to make it safe for everyone. When it has been removed hopefully we can move quickly through the rest of the project.
Communication: Thanks for the positive feedback on the newsletter. Connecting to the app is the next stage. On the newsletter page it shows you how to add the app. The CODE is 2951. I know many have connected this already. This will become our official app and later we will stop using the Schoolbag app. We will have a transition stage where both are being used as we learn all the features of the new app. This week we hope to have our school calendar linked to it and learn how to do push notices.
Nudel Kart: Our Nudel Kart (https://www.nudelkart.com/) was due to be delivered this week, but unfortunately due to the restrictions that has been delayed. This will be a great item to have in our school that will give our students more things to do in the playground. In schools, many of the clashes occur when students find it difficult to join groups and games and occupy themselves. The Nudel Kart will be a way of giving students more options, especially those students who are not that sporty. We have also thought about starting a walking club at lunch time, where once or twice a week a group of students is taken for a walk at lunchtime. Please let us know if you would in interested in helping with that.
School Board/ P and F: Our School Board meets this Thursday evening and our Parents and Friends Organisation met on Tuesday evening. Both were/are online meetings. News about what is happening with the Fair and Jogathon and other events will be in next week’s newsletter.
God Bless and stay safe
Anthony
Religious Education (From our Archdiocese)
1000 ways to love your neighbour during Coronavirus
“I want to pray for all of the priests, the creativity of priests who think of a thousand ways to be with the people so that the people don’t feel alone.”
Pope Francis in his 15 March Angelus address.
As the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, normal life in increasingly disrupted. Restrictions on mass gatherings are now a global phenomenon with many libraries, museums, restaurants and schools closing. We’ve been told to wash our hands much more and see people much less, leaving our homes only when necessary.
Archbishop Peter A Comensoli has encouraged us to get creative with the ways that we reach out to others in our community. At this time of uncertainty and possible social isolation, the people of God in Melbourne and beyond are invited to lead the way in loving and caring for each other and for those vulnerable people in our communities (while social distancing).
It's a time when each of the baptised should intentionally commit to this affirmative action during the coronavirus pandemic. Some are calling this the ‘Me & You + 2’ response. This simply means: take care of yourself and your loved ones, and one other potentially vulnerable person. Everyone--young, old and in-between has this calling and capacity.
Fortunately, our digital age provides a raft of ways to reach out and love our neighbour during the threat of Coronavirus. Here are some suggestions:
Make a call
‘Every hand we don’t shake must become a phone call we make’. Be generous with phone calls, text messages, emails with photos, Facetime, WhatsApp. Kids, call your parents and grandparents; parents and grandparents, call your children and grandchildren. It's especially important to take the time to call people in your life who you might not speak to very often.
Send a letter
Tried and true ways are also necessary. Rediscover the lost art of letter writing with friends and family in addition to phone calls and FaceTime. Send get well cards, letters and if you feel particularly artistic, try sending a drawing.
Do the shopping
Get in touch with elderly or vulnerable people in your community and offer help with their shopping. Ensuring they have adequate provisions in this time is one of the most valuable acts of service you can offer.
Join or set up a volunteer help group
During this time when supermarket shelves are often empty, community groups are springing up across Facebook finding ways to provide excess food supplies and toilet paper to people who need it, and providing up to date information on shops that still carry stock of various items.
Shop local
Local business owners are our neighbours too, and while national corporations will be able to weather these rough times, smaller businesses may struggle over the next few weeks. Where you can, shop local.
Fight the hoarding impulse
Over-stockpiling leads to a shortage of essential provisions for more vulnerable communities that don't have the means or opportunity. Buy in moderation, so others are also able to meet their needs.
Ask how you can help
Check in with neighbours and people who may be socially isolated and ask how you can help. Particularly if you’re in a lower-risk group, reach out to people in your community and see what you can do. It might be picking up groceries or prescriptions or offer a chat, or a photo to make them smile.
Create care packages
With members of your parish, create care packages for people in your community who are isolated, especially those who may suffer financial strain over the coming weeks.
These suggestions are aimed at inspiring action. Feel free to expand or adapt it for use at the local level and incorporate a community database with names of those needing assistance. However, you go about loving your neighbour, together and individually we can create a strong web of love to hold and care for everyone as this crisis unfolds.
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are my members of my family you did to me.” Matt 25: 40 NRSV
Parent Education
Parents and the Home Environment they create are the single most important factor in shaping their children’s achievements and prospects. Research has shown that in order to raise achievement, parents need to be both involved in schools and engaged in learning (Harris and Goodall; 2007)
Here are four ways to help motivate your child and improve their learning:
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Communicate
Discuss the topics they are learning and what is expected of them. Your interest will help boost your child’s self-esteem, which will increase their learning potential. -
Bring fun into learning
Talk to your child about the topics they are currently learning, to see if there are supplementary fun activities you could do with them that will help with their learning. This could be anything from a trip to a museum to watching a DVD together about dinosaurs. -
Errors are opportunities to learn and practice works wonders
Explain to your child that making errors and learning from them is one of our most powerful learning tools. Talk to your child about the importance of practice, which allows the learning from errors to be applied -
Praise
Most children thrive on authentic encouragement and compliments, so praise them for their efforts and achievements.
Class Representative
We will be electing Class Representatives for Term 3. Being a Class Rep will look a little different as we are starting term 3 as remote learning. Class teachers will discuss the role with their class and students will be given the opportunity to nominate a Class Representative. Certificates and badges will be presented once we return to school. The names of the Class Representatives will be shared with the school community in the Newsletter.
Student of the Week Awards
Teachers will be awarding a Student of the Week award this term. Teachers will share with the class who the award is presented to on Friday and a certificate will be sent in the mail to the student. The list of Students of the Week will be announced in the Newsletter each week.
Fun Finishing Friday
The Remote Learning school week will look a little different this term. Teachers will be allocating Friday as a finish off and fun day to end the school week. Each year level will organise a fun focus for the day and provide students the opportunity to finish off any learning or take a break from set learning tasks. Teachers will provide some activities for the day and it is also an opportunity to complete specialist tasks such as Art or STEM.