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Dear Parents and Carers
Staying the course in COVID times
COVID-19 continues to test us in ways that were unimaginable at the start of 2020. It’s becoming the defining event of this generation and a reference point for decades to come. We’ve had depression kids, war kids and now we have COVID-19 kids.
The impact of COVID-19 is felt differently across the country. Currently, Victoria is in Stage 4 lockdown while other states are on high alert. Not every student is working from home, but most students are COVID conscious, knowing that they’re only a corona cough or virus-filled hug away from remote learning.
Encouraging kids to stay the course when they’ve been denied access to the classroom, peers and community activities is now a common parenting challenge. Denial is generally tolerable in the short term, but the novelty of changed circumstances soon wears off. The following strategies will assist both parents and kids to stay the COVID long course:
Accept difficult emotion
‘There’s nothing so bad that we can’t talk about, but there are behaviours that we won’t accept’ is a mantra that serves families well. It’s okay for children to feel frustrated, annoyed, angry or upset about their change of circumstances due to the pandemic but that doesn’t give them permission to behave disrespectfully, miss school requirements or fail to assist at home. It helps if parents validate how their children feel, then encourage them to focus on fulfilling school and family expectations.
Encourage acceptance
Some children and young people will protest the COVID induced changes that have been imposed upon them. In some respects, it may be admirable for children to push for a better deal, but the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic means that the individual needs to bend toward the greater community good. This is simply a case of accepting and making the best of the situation at hand.
Take it one day and week at a time
On family bush walks my young children would rarely complain when the tracks were windy. The complaint levels rose when paths were long and straight as the finish line seemed such a long way off. In a similar vein during our current times it’s smart to keep kids focused on getting through each day and week rather than look too far ahead. Six weeks of Stage 4 may seem intolerable, so it’s better to focus on getting through each day and week.
Be the hope person
Help children and young people understand that they will get through difficult times. “This too shall pass” is perhaps the most apt meme for our times. If your hope bucket is emptying out, seek out positive friends and relatives who can top it up. Our own resilience needs nurturing if we are to last the distance.
The internal parenting manual that guides us probably doesn’t include chapters dealing with remote learning, lack of peer interaction and kids’ disappointment. Most of us are treading new parenting ground so it’s best to be open to change, accepting of difficulties and forgiving of inevitable parenting stumbles.
Father's Day - Sunday 6 September 2020
We wish all our Father's a Happy Father's Day for this coming Sunday.
Year 3 Remote Learning
Year 3HS have been designing 'Array Cities'. Read the number stories attached and then challenge yourself to calculate the number stories for the cities without their number story.
"We are investigating how living things adapt over time. We have learnt important facts along the way and would like to share them with our community."
Year 6 Remote Learning
Foundation Remote Learning
Monday 14 December |
Year 6 Graduation |
Wednesday 16 December |
Final School Day for Students |
Friday 18 December |
School Office Closes |
SCHOOL FEES - If your situation has changed meaning you now have a pension or health care card please let us know at the office or email finance@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au This can make a substantial difference to you school fees.
Families who have concerns about their financial situation are asked to contact the school via email finance@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au, so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements.
DIRECT DEBITS 2021 - For those families who havea direct debit set up, a letter will come home with the students later this week outlining the new direct debit amount for 2021. if you have any queries please contact the school on 5940 6777 or email finance@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au
VISITORS TO SCHOOL - For the safety of all, visitors to the school are being kept to a minimum and entrance to the office is only when essential. Please contact the office on 5940 6777 if you have any queries or require assistance.
EARLY PICK FROM SCHOOL - For those students who are being supervised at school, should they need to be collected early we ask that parents ring the school once they have arrived at school to collect the child. We will then arrange to bring the child out to you in the "kiss and drop zone". We ask you to also bare in mind that from 1.30pm to 2.10pm the students are outside. While we can call for them over the PA System, the students do not always hear it while they are playing.
· Parent supervision is required when students are online at home.
· Students must be dressed appropriately at all times during a Google Meet. No pyjamas please.
· The Google Meet session is set up for connection of Learning Groups. Parents are asked not to interrupt a Google Meet session and to respect the privacy of all students at all times.
· Students click on the Google Meet link to join a meeting, they must ensure their microphone symbol is kept on mute to avoid ‘feedback’ during the Meet. If a student would like to speak, they need to raise their hand and wait for their teacher to call their name before they click on the microphone symbol to turn the speaker on and click on the microphone symbol to turn the speaker off.
· The link to the Google Meet must not be shared with other students and there is to be NO recording of the Google Meet or any uploading to social media.
· To leave the Google Meet the student must click on the telephone symbol.
· The teacher will wait for all students to leave the Google Meet to ensure the session has ended and no students are left in the online space.