Newsletter Term 4 Week 7

Dear Families

The End of Year Carols Night has undergone major changes to comply with SA Health requirements.  Please read the information in this newsletter.

In this newsletter you will also find the full staff list for 2022.

As you know, we are farewelling the following staff at the end of the year:

• Cathy Clark
• Toby Moulton
• Liana Marafioti
• Marian Izzo
• Karen Lintern
• Angela D’Amico
• Lisa-Marie Lopresti

Joining our school will be Kelly Stevens (Tennison Woods) and Tamara Golic (St John Bosco).  Our new teachers will spend the day here on Thursday December 2^nd and will meet their students on this day.  This is the day where all students will be meeting their 2022 teacher.

COVID UPDATE - REMINDER

Adults are welcome on the school site but if you wish to enter a school building you need to wear a mask and completed a QR code check in.

END OF YEAR LITURGY/FARWELLS

• This is our whole school celebration for the end of year
• Tuesday December 7^th
• Venue: Green courts – Stella Maris Room
• Whole school attends
• Parents may attend, but will be required to book tickets via QKR and QR code on entry
• Inclement weather plan – hold the event the next day at the same time

MUSICAL SHOWCASE

This Sunday brings us to the conclusion of our musical showcases with our choirs and bands performances.  Congratulations to all our students that have been practising all year and a special thank you to all the tutors for their teaching.  The School Leadership Team have taken turns attending the evenings performances and we are all very impressed by what we saw and most importantly heard.  These events have been coordinated by our Music Teacher Kaya Nicholls, in her first year at SOTS and I would like to offer my thanks to her for all her good work.

REPORTS

A celebration of the learning that has happened over the last semester is coming home on Wednesday.  Congratulations to all our students and thank you to all of our teachers who have spent many hours putting this work together.

Regards
Damian Weeks

To comply with SA Health requirements, we have had to make changes to this night.  We must make sure that the total number attending is below 1000 people at any one time.  While we have explored other options, the best and perhaps only way, we can do this, is by splitting the event into two sections.

Please see attachment below.

Please find attached our Staff List for 2022.

Dear Families

You may have seen in the media the recent SA Government Direction concerning COVID-19 vaccinations for staff in schools and Early Childhood Education Care settings.

This school has acted quickly to inform our staff of these new requirements. It has been our previous position that for the safety of students and the community, those who are eligible, ought to be vaccinated where possible.

The SA Government Direction now specifies that staff in all schools and education and care settings must have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination by 10 December 2021 and show evidence of a booking for their second dose.

The direction also extends to volunteers (including Board and P&F members) and any unpaid workers.

It does not apply to students and parents who are incidental visitors to the school.

You would appreciate that the 2-year journey we have experienced in dealing with the pandemic has resulted in numerous strategies and compliance measures implemented for the safety of students, families and staff.

Throughout the pandemic we have been absolutely lock-step in following the advice of the SA Chief Public Health Officer as it relates to the schooling sector. The Catholic Education Office has strong direct liaison with the SA Department for Education which has meant that each sector has been remarkably consistent in the messaging over health measures adopted at school sites.

We will continue to monitor and act upon any relevant advice and make staff aware of this new government law.

If more information comes to hand that has an impact on the wider school community, I will keep you informed.

From the beginning of next year, if you wish to volunteer in our school community, we will need to “sight” proof of vaccination before you begin volunteering.  

Our front office personnel (Viv, Lisa and Paula) are in charge of this process and will keep a secure file of names of those who have shown proof of vaccination.  You can provide this proof, from next week, if you have it.

We do not need to keep any paperwork in regard to this process, but we do need to “sight” one of the following:

1. An official transcript of your COVID-19 vaccination status

or

2. A medical certificate/exemption form from a legally qualified medical practitioner certifying that you either have a medical exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on either a permanent or temporary basis, endorsed by the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO).

You will be able to download a copy of your vaccination status by following the directions here.  The easiest way to do this is to download your certificate to your phone.

Regards
Damian Weeks

The short answer is that you must be vaccinated if you wish to volunteer at school.

We have released a lot of information about this over the last week, we have repeated this information in today’s newsletter.

1. Events

Parents and families attending parent teacher interviews, events or similar, are not required to be vaccinated as long as they are not working or volunteering at the event and COVID safe measures are followed.

2. Playgroups

Parents and families attending playgroups at CESA sites are not required to be vaccinated unless they are working or volunteering at the playgroup. Please continue to ensure COVID safe measures are followed wherever practicable.

3. Parent programs or groups

Parents and families attending parenting programs, sessions or events at CESA sites are not required to be vaccinated unless they are working or volunteering at the program, session, or event.

4. Community use and facility hire

Community groups that hire or access CESA facilities do not need to meet the vaccination requirements provided it is outside of school hours.

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“When the woman came out of the tent and we saw she was pregnant, I thought, we’re not leaving her here.” John, Vinnie’s volunteer (welcome baby Jake)

Umes from St Vincent de Paul – ‘Vinnies’ came and spoke to our Year Four classes and the SRC about his work with refugees, the homeless and the many who need help. “He was awesome. He made me want to do more”, said one student. Last week 700 calls for help were made in Adelaide, many from the free Telstra phone boxes. This year Vinnies has helped 100,00 people. The children were amazed when they thought of that as almost 200 of our school. So, let’s have one last push for providing goods for those in need this Christmas across the next week. Thank you for your continued support for social justice.

May this season of Advent fill your heart with joy and, for many of us, long awaited family reunions.

Stella Foley
APRIM

Premier’s Reading Challenge was a great success again this year!  Students will be receiving their certificates or medals very soon. Everyone is to be congratulated for being part of the challenge. We have a library brimming with wonderful books for all to discover and enjoy, so it is most rewarding to manage the challenge on the school’s behalf and watch the smiling faces as the certificates and medals are distributed.

As the end of year nears, we ask that all library books and reading texts be returned to the library before the end of Week 8, Friday 3rd December.

Overdue lists, followed by overdue notices will be given to class teachers and individual students thereafter.

If a book is lost or damaged, please get in touch with the class teacher or library staff asap.

Finally, a huge Thankyou to all students, parents and volunteers that have supported the Library throughout the year, with Book Club, PRC and Book Week.

Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.
From Helen Kolaczkos – Teacher/Library Manager
Margret Kluzek & Maria Ottrey – Library ESO’s