August 10th 2023
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Prayer
- A Note from our Principal.
- Second Hand Uniforms-New Coordinator
- Carpark Safety
- 5/6 Roses Gap Camp
- Hot off the Prep Press!
- School Fees and Levies.
- Arts News
- Grade 6 Hoodies for Sale
- Twilight Fair: Friday October 27th
- A special message........
- Breakfast Club
- Footy Tipping 2023
- Canteen Roster
- Important Dates
- Before & After School Care
- Parish Contact
- COVID 19 Arrangements
Acknowledgement of Country
The St Pius X Parish School Community acknowledges the Gunditjmara / Marr Nation people who have educated children on these lands for thousands of years.
Prayer
God of Love,
You created us and you call us to live as one family.
Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace.
Help us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother, sister, friend.
Amen
This week, we remember the first tragic use of nuclear weapons in war.
Photo from the Hiroshima Peace Park.
A Note from our Principal.
Ngata Families and Friends,
Last Friday night many children gathered in our function room to watch 'The Lorax'. Nothing beats hanging out with your friends, sharing snacks and watching a movie in your oodie. A big thank you to those adults who were able to help out and assist with cleaning up. We appreciate your support.
We are all very excited about Book Week coming up. I'm going to be working on my costume over the weekend. I'm planning to go as a infamous school principal from one of my favourite books. I have fond memories of my grade 5 teacher reading me this book (which was a long time ago). I wonder if anyone will be able to work this out?
Many children have been arriving at school very early. Many staff arrive early to ensure that they are prepared for the day ahead. There is no reason for students to be at school prior to 8.30am. If you need to drop your child early please consider booking them into TheirCare please.
A reminder to our SAC members that we will be meeting tonight at 7.30pm.
Kind Regards,
Stacey
Second Hand Uniforms-New Coordinator
A big thank you to Anna Reilly (Mum to Will and Luke) who has kindly volunteered to take over the co-ordination of the 2nd hand uniform store. Please see Anna's contact details below.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Angela Verspay for her hard work over the last couple of years, it is very much appreciated.
Carpark Safety
Last week there was a near miss in the carpark.
Thank you to those people who have worked to address the following:
- Collecting their child from the school entrance
- Ensuring children walk with an adult through the carpark.
5/6 Roses Gap Camp
The year 5 and 6 camp is a much anticipated event on the senior school calendar and this year is no exception. This year will be our first year attending Roses Gap Camp on September 13th, 14th and 15th 2023 (the final three days of term 3). All information regarding this camp and parental consent is on PAM. We ask that consent is completed by Friday 11th August so we can finalise our booking with Roses Gap Camp. If you have any queries please feel free to contact your child's teacher.
Hot off the Prep Press!
Data, Data, Data!
Over the past couple of weeks we have been learning about chance and data. We have been collecting, reading and interpreting different sets of data and having lots of fun whilst doing so. This week we did an activity where we rolled the dice a number of times to see which number was the most popular. We did this as a whole class and then individually. Everyone’s data was so different. We then made a human graph that showed our results. The number 5 was the most popular number and number 3 was the least popular. Check out our human graph showing our results!
Missing Jumpers!
Since the beginning of term we have had a few school jumpers that have gone missing from the classroom. Sometimes we misplace our jumpers by putting them in the wrong school bag or the wrong bag box. We have even had some jumpers go missing that are not named which makes it very difficult to have them returned. Please check the jumpers in your house to make sure they belong to you. Thanks so much!
Art Attack!
Our art studio is up and running and wow! We can see that we have some very talented artists in our room already. We have looked at and recreated our own interpretation of Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. This week we have looked at the work of Claude Monet and his stunning artwork of ‘Water Lillies’. We have started creating our own pieces and they are still a work in progress. We can’t wait to share our masterpieces with everyone. Check out these artists - Evie H and Quinn!!
School Fees and Levies.
As we are into the third term, it is timely that you please review your school fees and levies.
Last week, statements were emailed to all families and I thank those who had a query for their contact.
At this stage the total owing on Fees and Levies is $248,727.49. This amount places the school budget in an awkward position.
Children have obtained their Chromebooks in Yr. 5 and 6, others have been on camp and excursions and all stationery supplies have been provided to your child. IT equipment has also been provided to all classes along with sporting equipment and cleaning and maintenance of all facilities.
Just like your accounts our gas and electricity costs have increased significantly.
The school has covered all these costs and we would greatly appreciate payment of your fees as soon as possible.
If you are on a Payment Plan please continue as agreed, ensuring that your account will be finalized by the end of the year. For families who have finalized their fees already we are very grateful of your support.
Again, I wish to advise you that if you have any concerns or require further clarification contact me.
Anne Kerr
Business Manager
5562 2506
Arts News
This term in the Arts we are excited to be raising money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation by taking part in the Busking For Change fundraising event.
The idea is that all of our St Pius X students (led by our Mini Vinnies team and school Choir) will learn the song, with the chorus sung in an Aboriginal First Language-Kriol. The song is called ‘Words Make the World Go Around’ and we will be performing it for you on September the 6th at 3pm in the Function Room. Please put that date on your calendar and join us.
We just ask that you make a small gold coin donation at the door. Alternatively you can log into our busking for change site here and make a small donation to support this worthy cause. Our goal is to raise $250.
We also ask that your child brings a gold coin donation to school on the day of our busking.
Many thanks for your support and we look forward to busking for you.
REMINDER
Mini Vinnies are still collecting toys and books for our Book stall in Week 6. We are hoping to raise money for a refugee family that is coming to Warrnambool to live. Please have a look at home for any books or toys that you no longer need, and deliver them to JP6 as soon as possible. We would love to pay the love forward.
Grade 6 Hoodies for Sale
We have surplus stock of 2023 Grade 6 Hoodies which are available to purchase from the office if you would like a spare.
There is 1 x size 14 and 4 x size adult XS and they are $15.00 ea.
Twilight Fair: Friday October 27th
Save the date!
The PnF are currently seeking volunteers for the different stalls that we have. If you would like to coordinate a stall (perhaps with a friend) please email Stacey. Prizes for the raffle and any other suggestions would also be appreciated.
principal@spwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au
A special message........
Wishing the following students a very Happy Birthday for the coming week.............................
Alfie Couch, Zoe Kent, Alexis Edge, Haley Howe-Betts, Luke Reilly, Mia Kent, Freya Corbett
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club continues to be a hit during these cold Wednesday mornings! If you arrive at school before 8:50am, head down to the function room for some yummy toast, cereal, fruit, milo and lots more!
Helpers are always welcome, even if it is for a morning, every little bit helps! If you’d like to volunteer please contact the office!
Footy Tipping 2023
A much more predictable round (almost!) with some very accurate tipping across the board. Many people tipped 7 and a lot of people played their joker. The cream is rising to the top now as the late joker players start to make their move! Letty Parkinson is still on top, but has played all of her jokers now. Can any of those behind her bridge the gap?
Our top 5 tippers are:
- Letty Parkinson-160
- Seurens-155
- Stacey Atkins (woo hoo)- 154
- Fynn20-154
- World Class Woodwards-153
Canteen Roster
Tuesday, 15th August: Lauren Johnson
Wednesday, 16th August: Leonie Neale
Thursday, 17th August: Cherie Geyer
Friday, 18th August: Alana Gleeson
Important Dates
Thursday 10th August: SAC meeting, 7.30pm
Monday 14th August: 3/4 Hooptime
Tuesday 15th August: Feast of the Assumption (Mass 10am)
Friday 18th August: Book Week Celebration Day (Dress Up)
Friday 18th August: 5/6 Hooptime
Sunday 20th August: Sacrament of Eucharist
Monday 21st August: St Pius X Feast Day
September 13th-15th: 5/6 Camp
Friday October 27th Twilight Fair
Advance notice:
Term 4 school closure date/ pupil free day Friday November 3rd
Before & After School Care
We remind everyone about TheirCare, our outside school hours care provider. Bookings can be made at https://theircare.com.au/
Please select St Pius X Warrnambool as the booking location.
Parish Contact
Sunday Mass 10.00 @ St Pius X Church. School families are always welcome.
The Parish office can be contacted on 5562 2231
Other information and contact details can be found on the Star of the Sea South West Coast website: https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/parish/southwestcoast/
COVID 19 Arrangements
All famililes are asked to familiarise thesmselves with the updated COVID 19 regulations.
Managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19
- It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:
- have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild
- are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19
- are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.
- The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398.
- Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.
- Staff or students who are positive are strongly recommended to stay home and isolate for a minimum of five days.
- Symptomatic students or staff should not attend school, even if failing to test positive on a RAT or PCR.
Communication
There is no longer a requirement for schools to inform their communities of positive cases. All health information is held in accordance with the school’s privacy policy.
Masks
Staff and students who wish to wear a mask will continue to be supported to do so. Masks are available from the administration office for anyone wishing to obtain one.
Any staff or students who are close contacts are recommended to wear a mask indoors.
Any staff or students returning from isolation are recommended to wear a mask for 7 days after returning to school.
RAT Kits
RATs are available for all Victorians from council sites. Individuals can obtain two free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each household member. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.
The RATs are available at the Civic Centre (25 Liebig Street) and the Archie Graham Community Centre (118 Timor Street).
Vaccination
St Pius X strongly supports vaccination for all in our community who are eligible. There is no requirement for adults entering the school to declare their vaccination status.
All community adults are reminded of the child safety requirement to sign in when attending the school between 9.00am and 3.00pm
Transport
Parents who have tested positive to COVID 19 are permitted to drive children to and from school during their 7 day isolation period. They are required to return home immediately afterwards and not attend other locations.
Medically At Risk Students
Students who have chronic health conditions, especially affecting the respiratory system ie Asthma, must have up to date health support plans. Families who are unsure about the status of their child’s plan should make contact with teh school administration office.