Dear Parents and Carers,

This week our school received a COVID-19 update from NSW Health and Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn that will be in place for the rest of Term 3 or until otherwise advised. The big change was any staff or student who present with flu like systems are now required to have a COVID-19 test and can’t return to school until the results confirm that it is not the virus and these results must be provided to the school.

Other changes that came with this update include:

• Activities such as choirs, chanting and the use of wind instruments in a group setting are not permitted.
• Dance activities will require risk assessments and a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
• Only external providers essential to the delivery of curriculum may continue.
• Kindergarten orientation and transition to school activities remain on hold until further notice.
• No activities that result in the mixing of students from different schools and from different regions, such as sporting-related activities, drama and debating are not allowed.
• Parents should avoid routinely entering the school building where possible but can attend scheduled school events and meetings with teachers. Physical distancing and hygiene measures still apply.
• Board and P&F meetings can continue online, no social events at all are permitted.
• Professional development for staff should not be conducted face-to-face unless absolutely necessary. Staff gatherings should be minimised and, where they must occur, limited to the minimum amount of people required to achieve educational outcomes.

At St Mary’s these updates won’t have a huge impact for Term 3, however if these restrictions continue into Term 4 the school will need to make some alterations to planned activities.

Some key events in Term 4 include the 2021 Kinder orientation, 5/6 excursion, intensive swimming program, end of year performance, speech night and Year 6 graduation celebrations. More information on these events will come towards the end of this term or early next term. The school is committed to give our students every possible chance to participate in these activities, even if they need adjusting to meet COVID-19 restrictions.

On a positive note, our teachers will participate in the Western Region Elevated Learning days next week. This professional learning was postponed and we are excited to have the opportunity to gain some valuable learning in the art of teaching mathematics.

Our P&F have been hard at work organising the Cookie Dough fundraiser and the Father’s Day stall. Both events are going ahead as planned and the school is extremely grateful for all the work the P&F does for us.

Once again thank you to our entire school community for understanding the continuing changes with the COVID-19 restrictions. St Mary’s will continue to be a proud and agile school that is committed to delivering the best experiences for our students no matter what comes our way.

Phil Nielsen

Principal