Dear Parents, Friends, Students and Staff
On behalf of the staff, I extend a very warm welcome to all our students and families, including those working from home and those attending school, as we return for the commencement of Term Two. This is indeed a unique start to a new school term. However, I have been delighted to see the enthusiasm with which students have returned. The work produced over the first few days of the term has demonstrated the commitment of our students to their learning. We have seen excellent examples of students engaging in their learning at home and wonderful work produced by the students at school. On your behalf, I thank our teachers, most sincerely for their efforts in preparing an engaging, rigorous and effective remote learning program that provides equity for all our students, regardless of whether they are working from home or from school. I also thank our support and administration staff who have also worked during the holidays preparing for the return to school and ensuring communication to parents has been timely.
I am always proud to work in a Catholic school in Western Australia. Our system is progressive, supportive and a leading example of a Christ centred community. This has been most evident over the past few weeks as Catholic Education has consistently reminded us that our first commitment is to the pastoral care of all those in our community. This has been most evident during this transition back to school with the information about equity of education provision, support for families experiencing financial hardship and an emphasis on the health and safety of students and staff. I assure our parents that the school will do all it can to support you and your children and I encourage you to reach out should you require any assistance at all.
CEWA Letter to Parents and Caregivers for Start of Term 2
Playgrounds
You may have noticed that the playground structures continue to be roped off so they are not accessible to the students during play times. We do not have the capability to clean the play structures twice each day, as recommended by the WA Chief Medical Officer. Therefore, they will remain off limits for the time being. The students continue to be provided with sport and other play equipment each day. We have a system in place to ensure sport equipment is cleaned after recess and lunch each day to ensure the health and safety of our students, as much as is practically possible.
Canteen
I am pleased to let you know that the canteen will be operational once again this term. As from next week the canteen will operate a revised menu each Tuesday and Friday. I encourage our families to support the canteen as much as possible and I thank Mrs Honter for preparing the canteen to open this term. A basket for lunch orders will be available outside the administration office each Tuesday and Friday morning. Students will need to drop their lunch bag orders in the basket provided. We will provide plastic zip lock bags next to the orders basket for money to be placed into before it goes in the lunch bags. This is one added step to add to maximise hygiene for our students and staff.
Term Two Events
Until further notice we have been directed to cancel or postpone all extracurricular and whole of school gatherings. For us at Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School this will affect the following events for the time being:
- All Assemblies, Masses and Liturgies will be cancelled until further notice.
- The Faction Cross Country Carnival-postponed.
- Mother’s Day Mass and Morning Tea will be cancelled.
- School Photos have been rescheduled to Term Three.
- Interschool Cross Country Carnival – cancelled.
- First Eucharist Workshop – postponed.
- Pupil Free Day scheduled for 2nd June – cancelled.
We are only planning for the first half of the term for now. Things could change so we will tackle events for the second half of the term in a few weeks’ time.
Uniforms
Thank you to our parents for sending the children back to school smartly dressed in their Winter Uniforms. Please be reminded that the Uniform Shop is open on Friday mornings when Mrs Denys is able to follow up uniform requests.
Reading Books Outstanding
Parents are reminded to return all reading books to school as soon as possible. We have a number of reading books outstanding from Term One. Please check your children’s rooms at home and return reading books to your child’s class teacher, prior to the end of the week. The cost of reading books not returned will be invoiced to parents. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
Anzac Day
Whilst Anzac Day ceremonies were a little different this year, I was moved to be part of the Anzac Driveway Service, along with other families on our street. The commemoration of Anzac Day, quite rightly, is important to Australian culture. The students have completed some excellent work to reflect upon the meaning and significance of Anzac Day and we will have a modified Anzac Day Service at school on Friday.
God of love and liberty, we bring our thanks this day for the peace and security we enjoy, which was won for us through the courage and devotion of those who gave their lives in time of war. We pray that their labour and sacrifice may not be in vain, but that their spirit may live on in us and in generations to come. That the liberty, truth and justice which they sought to preserve may be seen and known in all the nations upon earth. This we pray in the name of the one who gave his life for the sake of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Finally, thank you to our parents for their diligence in keeping their children home when they are sick. This is particularly important in this time of the Covid 19 pandemic. Thank you, parents, for your concern of our staff and for your cooperation in dropping and collecting the children from the gates for the next few weeks. Thank you to our staff for their dedication to their work and for returning with such enthusiasm and optimism for the start of the new school term.
Warm regards
Therese Hussey
Principal