St Canice's Primary School Newsletter

17th August 2021 Term 3 Week 6

Address: 158 Katoomba Street Katoomba

Phone:     4780 6800

Email:    stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au

Website: stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au

Facebook: St Canice’s School Katoomba

 

A Message from Ms Meaney

Dear Parents, Carers and Members of the St Canice’s Community,

This morning I will keep my message largely to the issue of enrolments. This is the crucial time for enrolling into St Canice’s for 2022. Our lockdown is making it very difficult for prospective parents to engage with us and thus our numbers for 2022 are not yet where we would like them to be. I am seeking your help in acting to increase enrolments  for the 2022 school year. 

How can you help?

Firstly, to parents / carers of children commencing Kindergarten in 2022:

If you have a child who is due to start at St Canice’s School in 2022, please contact the school to arrange a time when we can meet. We may have to meet via Zoom but we are all very good at that by now and it will be wonderful to meet your child, even if via Zoom.

Secondly, to all in the school community:

If you know a family who has a child who starts school in 2022, please promote St Canice’s to that family and ask the parents to contact us. Likewise, some parents need to move children who are already in another school to a new school. If you know families in this position, tell them about us and ask them to talk to us.

Thirdly, to those interested in actively helping to build enrolments:

Are you interested in forming a passionate group of staff and parent members specifically focused on taking action to build enrolments? If so, please contact me or the school office by the end of this week - Friday 20th August.

Fourthly, to St Canice’s parents who have younger children not yet due to start school:

I would like to contact you to find out what your intentions are for your younger child(ren). This will enable me to develop projections related to enrolments and to get a sense of future numbers.

Lastly: to parents and carers- help in promoting upcoming events and Facebook:

As a start, various teachers in the school are connecting with the 7 local preschools next week, between Monday, 23 and Friday 27 August. This is because next week is Book Week. The teachers / students will be sharing a story with preschool children via Zoom. If you have a child in one of the preschools, your child will be able to tune in and join the story-reading, even if at home on that day. So will you! Please support us with our preschool zooms  next week if you can. Please also share our Facebook page posts with people you know who would like a window into the school. 

Many thanks, Parents and Carers. You do so much to make this great school even better. You provide great support to us- we see it daily at the moment. On this occasion I am asking for specific help and I trust that you can answer my appeal.

Miriam Meaney,

Principal

Can you help St Canice's to WIN, a BRAND NEW play-based learning space!

If you register and nomintate St Canice's Primary School you can also win a home prize valued at $2,000! Entry will only take a minute  - remember to include our school details - stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au - Katoomba 2780 https://www.castleandcubby.com.au/pages/competitions Please share with our community to help St Canice's WIN! 

COMPETITION DATES

School 'nominations' close 5pm Wednesday 25th August

Individual 'nominations' close 5pm on Monday 30th August

Winner Announced 10am on Monday 1st September

St Canice's Staff

Many thanks to all of the staff at St Canice’s for their enormous effort in keeping us up and running since lockdown began. Our office staff have been on site from 9-11am each day and working from home for the remainder of the day. A reminder to all that phone calls need to happen between 9 and 11. Our teaching staff have been working both virtually and face to face. You would all know how hard the work is. All of your children have been working with learning packs, in Google Classroom and via Zoom. A reminder, Parents and Carers, that we have a very limited staff on site and can only accommodate the children who must be at St Canice’s because of family work commitments or because they cannot learn at home. 

Sports Update

Sportaus is not only a wonderful resource for teachers and coaches, it is also a valuable resource for parents that has many activities to help keep children and families entertained. You may like to print the resource cards to play continuous cricket or try something different like Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games where you can learn and experience aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

https://www.sportaus.gov.au/yulunga 

PE with Joe are 20 minute  child friendly workouts via youtube.

The workouts are fun and suitable for all ages and even adults can get involved. You don't need any equipment at all. Joe's YouTube channel link is below for all of the PE with Joe workouts. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvrtftiOOVw

NSW Sport - School camp at home

Check out some great activities for kids and families from NSW Sport. They have videos and activity sheets to help you keep your kids entertained during COVID-19 lockdowns.

https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/school_camps_at_home_23042020_final.pdf

Remember to have a break and go outside a couple of times a day. If you can go for a walk around your neighbourhood or a bush walk with the family (see last week's fb post for suitable and local bushwalks).

Stay safe and take care of yourself, 

Kylie Ranson 

COVID Update

Thank you so much for your support as we work together to keep all members of our community safe and healthy. With new COVID-19 restrictions announced by NSW Health, we must remind all families that the expectation is that children engage in remote learning from home.

Supervision will be provided at school only for children of essential workers, vulnerable students, or those who are not at home and have no other options for supervision of their children due to work responsibilities. This learning for these students will be delivered in the same form as for students who are learning at home.

 Thanks again for your cooperation and understanding as we continue to work together to respond to COVID-19.

School Fees

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the circumstances of many families in a sudden and unprecedented way. We understand that the impact will be felt differently by different families. 

As always, it’s important to reinforce that no child will be refused enrolment at our school due to a family's inability or difficulty to pay school fees’.

if you need to have a discussion please call the office on 4780 6800 between 9am - 11am or email jmacpherson@parra.catholic.edu.au

Change to School Administration Hours

 In our effort to reduce the number of staff on site, the school administration office will only be open between 9am and 11am until further notice.

If you need to contact your child’s teacher please do so by their direct email. A list of staff, their email addresses and rostered working days were sent to all families via the Compass Parent Portal yesterday. Please keep in mind there may be a small delay in response times.

If you have any other queries please email the school email at stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au this will be monitored during our normal office hours of 8:30am to 3:30pm.

Phone contact will only be available between 9am to 11am weekdays. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time. 

Volunteering at St Canice's

We look forward to welcoming parent / carer volunteers into St Canice's in the future.  If you are interested in volunteering your time either in the classroom or at any of the exciting upcoming events, please ensure your Building Child Safe Communities training is up to date.


This module must be completed every two years and is mandatory for anyone wanting to volunteer regardless if you hold a WWCC number or not.

Please follow the link to complete your training

https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/About-Us/Building-Child-Safe-Communities

Compass Parent Portal

Compass is the school management system that St Canice's will use to communicate with parents and carers about our school and your child’s progress.

Compass includes many different features, including the ability to:

• Monitor your child’s attendance and enter an explanation for absence or lateness.

• Download and view your child’s academic reports – as there will be no paper reports distributed.

Compass is accessible on any modern web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) or by using the Compass iOS or Android apps.

To access the parent portal, you will require your unique family username and password. Upon first login, you will be required to change your password and confirm your email address and mobile phone number.

You can download Compass App on iOS and Android devices, search for Compass School Manager in the store

Download

Active & Creative Kids Vouchers

Parents of school-age children are reminded to register for their Active Kids and Creative Kids vouchers. The NSW Government’s Active Kids program provides  vouchers for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year and also vouchers that can be redeemed for creative activities  such as drama & visual arts. Creative Kids vouchers are also available to be redeemed for creative activities and craft supplies.

To find out more information on how to apply please visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher

Your creative kids voucher can be used to purchase items via approved websites, check out the links below.

Creative Kids Wonderland
Artzee Kids

BrickTastics


School Fees

As per Catholic Education Office Parramatta school fee policy, a term's notice (10 school weeks) in writing must be given to the Principal before the removal of a student or a full term's fees will be payable.

One exception is that notice in writing will be accepted at any time during term 4 in relation to the following year's enrolment, that is, the notice period of 10 school weeks will be waved in this circumstance.

Special circumstances that may warrant 6 weeks notice include moving out of area due to employment transfer or sale of house.

2021 Photographic Exhibition

Even though we are not getting out and about as we usually do, Photos don't have to be recent, you can go through your collection and choose something special.

Lockdown is a great time to go through all your photos and share memories with your family.


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St Canice's Mini Vinnies

We are calling for our local community to help raise funds and awareness about homelessness and disadvantage in our very own back yard. Please join our fundraiser or give now to help us reach our fundraising goal which will assist Vinnies provide support for those in our community who need it the most.

All donations can be made on our Mini Vinnies fundraising page.

Mini Vinnies - St Canice's

Kinder Enrolments 2022

We are now taking enrolments for Kindergarten 2022, if you know of people looking for a school for their child (even if it is for the other grades), please let them know about St Canice’s. The power of your words of recommendation has an enormous effect on our enrolments. Let’s keep working together to make St Canice’s that great school that has been in operation for the past 120 years.

NCCD Fact Sheet

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Enrolling Now

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www.stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au

Select “Current Community” click on Newsletter

 

Mass Times

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish

Parish Priest Fr John McSweeney

 Presbytery Contact  Ph: 02 4782 2804

                                     Fax: 02 4782 6090

Website: marymackillopupperbluemountains.org.au

Mass

Monday 8.30am Friday 12.00pm Saturday 9.00am Sunday 10.00am

Confession

Saturday 9.30am Confession outside this time is available on request

Rosary

Saturday Cenacle Rosary and Consecration following benediction after 9am Mass

Stations of the Cross

1st Friday of month, 12.30pm

Exposition of Blessed Sacrament

Fridays (Except 1st Friday) 12.30pm

Benediction

Benediction Saturdays following 9am Mass

Weekly Divine Mercy Hour

Sundays 12.00pm to 1.00pm

Vespers

4th Monday of month - 6pm

KU Bilya Gulyangarri Preschool Enrolling Now


KU Bilya Gulyangarri provides high quality, community-based preschool education for children aged 3 - 5 years old, including: 

An educational, play-based curriculum Qualified, caring and experienced staff A large outdoor environment promoting sustainability Located next to North Katoomba Primary School Rated as ‘Exceeding’ the National Quality Standard 

To learn more, visit www.ku.com.au or contact: 

KU Bilya Gulyangarri Preschool Cnr Verdun and Barton Streets, North Katoomba T 4782 5847 E ku.bilyagulyangarri@ku.com.au
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Early Milestones

KU Bilya Gulyangarri Preschool Enrolling Now

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