Dear Parents and Carers,

As a parent, you are the major provider of your child's education from birth through adolescence. You guide the development of their character and mental health and help form the foundation from which they will develop lifelong attitudes and interests. Your home is the primary environment in which your child's potential and personality will take shape, it's important to make sure that you create a positive, open atmosphere that will not only support what goes on in the classroom, but will also instill the desire to learn.

It is through your love and encouragement that your kids will become motivated — first to please you, and then to please themselves. This leads to self-confidence, curiosity, the enjoyment of mastering new tasks, and other healthy attitudes, all of which contribute to successful learning.

As you know you will not be the only one teaching your child science or geography and while it's true that all of the facts, skills, and concepts your children learn at school are influenced by what you do at home, your child's education is equally impacted by the relationships you form with their teachers. Building an effective relationship with the teacher is a critical task, and, like you, every teacher wants to achieve this goal. As with any relationship, mutual respect, the ability to listen, and lots of communication form the foundation.

When parents and teachers work well together, everyone benefits. Parents and teachers can provide each other with unique insight and different perspectives about the same child, culminating in a more complete understanding of that child, their abilities, strengths, and challenges. The teacher will know much more about the curriculum and the school culture, while you know more about your child's personality, tendencies, and family life. A successful parent-teacher partnership also shows a child that an entire team of adults is on their side. For parents and teachers alike, the goal is to play active roles in your child's life and to work towards forming a real bond. The child's best interest is always served when they have lots of people supporting them and all the pieces of their life fit together. A strong home-school connection will set the stage for a child who will grow up with a love for learning.

Whilst we are unable to welcome parents into the school grounds at the moment, teachers are still keen to establish relationships with the parents in their class. Please feel free to make contact with your child’s classroom teacher via email or a message to the teacher through the front office.

Thank you to those families that joined in the parent information sessions online last night. Teachers will be sending out a Term 1 letter today, through the Compass app, which provides further information about your child’s learning and grade level routines this term.

We have a great year planned and look forward to working with you all to help our young students to  ‘flourish’.

God bless.

Rachel Smith

Principal (Acting)

Principal’s Notes

St Clare of Assisi Community Council

Are you interested in connecting and working with other parents to support the school community? Then please consider joining the Community Council. The Community Council has a major role to play in our school by helping to build community, develping partnerships between parents and teachers, fundraising, developing and maintaining the grounds.

If this is something that interests you please contact the Front Office. The Community Council's first meeting for the year is next Tuesday, 15th February at 6pm. 

COVID Safe Measures

With the level of transmission of COVID-19 in the community in the ACT, we have in place a layered approach to COVID-smart measures that have been developed to help to minimise transmissions at school. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our priority and these measures are designed to help keep our school open and our students learning in the classroom.

These measures are based on ACT Health Guidelines that have been endorsed by the Chief Health Officer and apply to all school settings, outlining risk mitigation strategies that have been developed and refined to enable our school to manage cases as they arise and where possible avoid closure. Many of the measures in these Term 1 arrangements are very similar to the measures that were in operation in our school during Term 4 of last year.

Measures include:

• provision of rapid antigen tests
• two per week for all school staff and students for the first four weeks of term
• compulsory use of masks indoors for all adults in schools
• masks for Years 3-6 encouraged
• cohorting of children and staff
• maximising outdoor learning and ventilation in classrooms to ensure good circulation of fresh air
• increased cleaning across the school, including high touch surfaces
• restrictions to visitors on site during school hours; parents and carers will only be allowed on school grounds for scheduled essential appointments
• restrictions on school events – events that bring cohorts of students together will not go ahead
• restrictions on excursions

While this has not been a typical start to the school year, we know that being together in the classroom is the most effective way for students to learn and grow. Your child's relationship with their teacher is important, but as we manage potential disruptions to staffing due to COVID-19, they may get to meet more teachers than usual.

Beginning of the Year Reminders…..

• Starting time is 8.45am. Students arriving late will need to be signed in at the Front Office.
• Supervision commences at 8.30am and no student should be at school before 8.30am. Students arriving before 8.30am are unsupervised. Please use before school care if necessary.
• St Clare of Assisi has a NO HAT NO PLAY rule. Students without a correct school hat will be asked to sit in the shade.
• Students who are collected by their parents during the day for appointments must be signed out/in at the Front Office before and after the appointment.
• Please ensure the school always has up to date contact and emergency details for your children. These can be updated using the Compass app.
• Medical details must be updated and sent to the Front Office.
• Afternoon messages regarding changes to the afternoon routine must be received by the Front Office by 2.30pm or we cannot guarantee your child/ren will receive the message.
• Afternoon pickup reminders Children in Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 are the only ones to be picked up at donut. If they have an older sibling, they are to be collected at Front Pick-Up. Donut pick-up will commence at 2.45pm for K – 2 and 3.00pm for Year 3 students. We ask parents with students in Year 3 that you do not arrive till 3.00pm.
• All Years 4 - 6 children, and their younger siblings, must be collected at front-pick up. If they have K - 2 siblings, this can be from 2.45pm. If they have no younger siblings, it will be after 3.00pm.

• Carpark - Please remember to be patient and considerate of others when driving in the car parks. School carparks are notoriously dangerous, and ALL PARENTS are asked to be patient and alert. If you are in a hurry, collect your children early or wait until after 3.10pm when the carpark is less congested.
• Absences from school – it is a legal requirement that all absences are explained. Please notify the school of your child’s absence by either:
  • Using the App.
  • Calling the Front Office.
  • Emailing the Front Office or the class teacher indicating your child’s name, class, reason for absence and date.
  • Sending a note to the classroom teacher indicating date and reason for absence.