St Canice's Primary School Newsletter

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

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 3. I am deeply grateful to our parents and carers who have been navigating lockdown and the stresses associated with that on a daily basis since the beginning of the school holidays. Let us all hope and pray that our numbers improve and that a return to school learning will be possible in a few weeks’ time.

My newsletter is short this time as I have posted a video to Facebook which captures what I have to say to you all.

Firstly, let us remember Sister Mary Aikenhead this week, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity, who in turn founded St Canice’s. Much like Mary MacKillop, Mary Aikenhead sought the poor and the marginalised and put herself and her Sisters to work educating them and caring for their health, as Jesus would. We continue to prioritise education and health care workers; in fact they form the backbone of our workforce as essential workers. On Thursday, the feast of Mary Aikenhead, let us pause to thank her for her work in health and education internationally and in Australia and let us be grateful for the opportunities we enjoy as a result.

Secondly, a big thank you to all for your efforts with online learning. Everybody’s response to our first lockdown last year was good and this time, I believe we have been great! Students, parents and teaching staff all working together is a wonderful recipe for learning and whilst online learning is not ideal, there is great strength in this team. Our capacity to use Zoom for learning is more nuanced this year. We have been able to harness Zoom this time to engage students in learning with and from teachers and peers, in groups and as a whole class. There also have been opportunities to simply catch up and keep in touch, which is so important.

Thirdly, two invites. 

First Invite: Coffee and Chat Zoom Friday 23rd at 11:00am

I would like to invite parents and carers to a Coffee and Chat Zoom on Friday this week at 11:00am. I have copied the Zoom details below. I would love you to join me and please encourage others to! The invitation has been sent via Compass and I will send it again later this week.

Second Invite: Grandparents Day Assembly, Monday 26th June at 9:30am

The second invite is to our assembly on Monday next week, Monday 26th July at 9:30am. We were to mark the feast of St Anne and St Joachim, Mary’s parents and Jesus’ grandparents by inviting grandparents on site. Now that we cannot do that, we are hoping that parents, grandparents and those who are loved as grandparents by our students, can join our special Grandparents Day assembly. If you have somebody in your family or among your friends who fulfills the role of grandparent and would like to join in, please pass on the Zoom invite to them. If you have somebody who would like to participate by speaking or sharing a reading, please let us know! 

Many thanks, Parents and Carers, for helping us to make our Facebook site so exciting. Keep up the great work sending material to stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au 

My other request to all is that you help us to encourage enrolments into our beautiful school in the weeks ahead. This is a critical time in the school year for enrolments for 2022. Lockdown is not helping us but we all know that word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool of all. So please help us by spreading the word and encouraging anybody who may be looking for a school in 2022 to contact us.

All the best for the days ahead. We are only a phone call away if we can help you in any way. Let's keep communicating and keep connected!

God bless,

Miriam

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.

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

 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. 

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would love the opportunity to catch up with you for a chat on Friday this week, 23rd July, at 11:00.

Bring along your coffee, be ready to have a chat and to say Hello to others you have not seen recently.

The Zoom invite is copied below. Looking forward to seeing you,

  https://parracatholic.zoom.us/j/62411253381?pwd=NHc5WmtWc3loTGx6TTFKMVgyajBnZz09    Password: 808706Join from SIP/H.323 room system:    SIP: 62411253381@zmau.us    H.323: 202.177.207.158 (meeting ID: 624 1125 3381)   

Password: 808706

Sadly we have had to postpone the following events that were scheduled for Term 3.

 

Week 2

Athletics Carnival - Tuesday 20th July

Classroom Volunteer Meeting - Wednesday 21st July

Stage 2 History Excursion - Friday 23rd July

Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 Excursion to the Zoo- Friday 23rd July

 

Week 3

Stage 3 Games Night / Pyjama Day - Friday 30th july

 

We will do our best to reschedule these events as soon as possible.

St Canice's will host a Grand Parents Day Prayer Assembly  via zoom

on Monday 26th July at 9:30am

to celebrate the Feast of St Joachim and St Anne.

All Parents and Grand Parents are invited to join we ask that all who participate, light a candle with us.

Mr White is putting together a  " What it means to be a Grandparent" video to be shared with all during the assembly.

We invite any Grandparent who would like to pre record a video message  answer what it means to you to be a Grandparent ( approx 30 sec). These videos can then be emailed to stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au by Friday 23rd July to ensure they are included in the assembly.

We also invite any Grandparent  to read a prayer live during the assembly, if this is something you are interested in, please email the school and Mrs Wedesweiler will be in touch.

Zoom Link

Grandparent Liturgy

 Password: 199292

Ms Magann (Kay) will take Long Service Leave for Term 3. You would know that Kay lost her brother early in Term 2 and has had some health concerns. We wish her well and keep her in our prayers as she has time to refresh and renew.

I am pleased to advise that Mr Patrick McCarthy will be the fulltime classroom teacher in Stage 3 Blue in Term 3, replacing Ms Magann Monday to Thursday and Ms Morley on Fridays.

Ms Morley will join the Diversity Team on Fridays, working with Mr White in providing inquiry-based enrichment and extension in Stages 2 and 3.

Ms Honeyman continues to be unwell. We wish her a return to full health and hope that she can rejoin us.

Mr Chris Scanlan will work in Stage 3 as an additional teacher on Monday-Thursday each week. Mr Scanlan is well-known to our Stage 3 students, having worked here on several occasions this year.

We ask that our school community keep the Hargraves and Pereira Families in our prayers as they spend time with  close family members who are unwell.

We send them love and stregth during this difficult time.

The 2021 August Census will be conducted on Friday 6th August 2021 as per advice from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) and Catholic School New South Wales (CSNSW).The August Census collects information on both students and staff.Please see the Parent Privacy Noticed attached or use this link

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

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 

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.

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

Monday 19 July	Tuesday 20 July	Wednesday 21 July	Thursday 22 July	Friday         23 July No Assembly
Monday        26 July Grandparent Day Liturgy 9:30am	Tuesday 27 July	Wednesday 28 July	Thursday 29 July	Friday          30 July Olympic Assembly

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.

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