St John the Baptist Ferntree Gully Newsletter

Letter from the Principal

Tuesday September 14th 2021

Dear Families

I think you can be forgiven for feeling like you may have run a marathon as we come to the end of both a rewarding and challenging term 3. Congratulations to everyone in our community for the graciousness and courage with which you have managed the term. It has been wonderful to receive positive emails and phone calls from many families expressing what they are grateful for. So many have noted that whilst some days are hard they know that they have been fortunate to spend so much time with their children. Families have also recognised the amazing work that our staff do on a daily basis. We certainly have an amazing team of experts educating your beautiful children. Well done to our children for their efforts day in and day out to stay motivated and remain connected to their school community. I am particularly proud of the children who have sought all the support that is available to them from their teachers. It is such an important skill to know when to ask for help.

Term 4

At this stage we are unaware of the arrangements that will be in place regarding students returning in Term 4.  I will communicate with all families via email as soon as we are informed of any changes.

R U OK? Day

Last Thursday was R U OK? Day. R U OK? Day is our national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” and support those struggling with life's ups and downs.

How to ask someone if they are OK (when they're clearly not)

  • Look for signs of distress. Sometimes it's not hard to tell that a friend is going through a rough time. ...
  • Time it right. ...
  • Make sure you're ready. ...
  • Listen carefully. ...
  • Speak with care. ...
  • Offer help. ...
  • Share your story. ...
  • Remind them how much you care.

ZOOS Victoria Virtual Excursion

Not being able to go places certainly is not going to stop us having fun.  The children have a wonderful Zoos Victoria incursion to look forward to this coming week.

Footy Finals Fever

Good luck to Melbourne and Western Bulldogs who will be competing in the AFL grand final. St John the Baptist will be celebrating footy day this Friday. All children are encouraged to wear their favourite footy colours. I’ll be proudly wearing the black and white for the mighty pies. Hopefully 2022 is our year. Go Pies! 

Fun Run - Prizes can be collected now!

Please read information below regarding collection of items

Fun Run prizes can now be collected from the school at any time during office hours. In order to limit numbers entering the school office unnecessarily, we ask that families park in the top carpark, ring the school office on 9758 1013 and we will deliver them to your car.  If possible, we would like prizes to be collected by the end of this week, prior to the school holidays.

Scholastic Book Club Orders

Book Club orders can also be collected via the same method as above for the fun run items.

Royal Children's Hospital Videos

Thanks to Jacinta (Mum of Finn) who shared these videos from the Royal Children's Hospital on the following topics. They provide the latest thinking from leading experts at the Royal Children's Hospital on the topics of the effects of COVID-19 on children's physical health and how to support our children with their mental health during these difficult times. 

Effects of COVID on children

Supporting Children

Nutritional Advice

Thanks to Angela (Mum of Noah 5/6CR) who has kindly shared some vital nutritional advice to support our children's health.
Download

QR Code Check-In and Face Masks

Everyone over the age of 12 years of age (with the exception of our enrolled students) is required to wear a face mask both inside and outside as per Victorian Government COVID restrictions. 

The Government has recommended that primary aged children wear masks This has not been mandated, however, we will support children to wear a mask if families feel like this is something your child can manage.

If you are entering any school buildings it is a Victorian Government mandate that you check in via our QR code. We are limiting access to buildings for our families until we have further easing of restrictions. We are also asking families not to gather before or after school. Whilst this is hard as we enjoy being together hopefully our caution will keep everyone in our community safe and hopefully able to gather once more in the not too distant future. Thankyou for supporting us to implement our COVID safe plan by observing these protocols. 

Stay home when unwell

The most important action our school community can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. 

Students with underlying conditions (such as hay fever or asthma)

If a student has persistent symptoms due to an underlying condition such as hay fever or asthma, the student should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are different to or worse than their usual symptoms. Students whose symptoms are clearly typical for their underlying condition can continue to attend school. Parents/carers should also consider getting a medical certificate from the child’s treating GP to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose. 

Young children with persistent mild symptoms

For younger children (in Prep to Year 2) who have had a negative COVID-19 test that was taken after they developed symptoms, the decision about return to school should be made in conjunction with the child’s treating GP. If the GP is satisfied the child has recovered from their acute illness, is otherwise well and does not need a repeat COVID-19 test, the child can return even if they are not completely free of symptoms. Any worsening of symptoms will require review and repeat COVID-19 testing, if considered appropriate by the doctor. Students with a negative COVID-19 test whose symptoms have completely resolved do not need a medical certificate to return to school.

Camp Australia News

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