December 7th 2023
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Prayer
- A Note from our Principal
- Carols and Celebration Evening
- School Fun Run Update
- Learning Conversations and Reports
- Transition to 2024
- School Pick Up
- 2023 School Fees and Student Levies.
- Library Books - Please Return
- School Laptops For Sale
- Breakfast Club
- Canteen Roster for next week.
- A special message........
- Important Dates.
- Uniform Price List
- 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
Second Sunday of Advent
The second candle is the candle of peace.
May we be messengers of peace and share the message that we can find peace when we are willing to forgive others and show mercy just as Jesus did.
Amen
A Note from our Principal
Ngata Families and Friends,
Tonight we celebrate our Grade 6 students with a graduation and awards ceremony in our church at 5.30pm. All members of our community are welcome to attend. Parents will then accompany the graduates to Brother Fox. Thank you to Tracey Williams for her coordination of this event.
Next Thursday, 14th December, we will gather as a wider community to celebrate Christmas and to thank and farewell members of our community.
Our Fun Run will take place on Friday. There are more details later in the newsletter. Friday 15th is the last day for students. It will be a 3.30pm finish. This is because it is not the last day for state department schools.
Kind Regards,
Stacey
Carols and Celebration Evening
Save the date!
Our annual carols and celebration evening will be held on Thursday 14th December, beginning at 6pm.
School Fun Run Update
We're very excited about our upcoming School Fun Run.
The Crazy Colour Day is all about Fun! It will be a huge colourful mess and is undoubtably one of the most exciting days on our school’s calendar.
What will the day look like?
There will be a sausage sizzle on the day for first lunch (11.30am). Parent helpers would be appreciated. An order form will be sent home today.
Everyone is welcome to come and watch the run. Please note however, that the Pods will undertake their runs at staggered times. The timetable is as follows:
TIME | POD |
1:50 pm - 2:10 pm | Prep |
2:10 pm - 2:30 pm | Junior Pod |
2:30 pm - 2:50 pm | Middle Pod |
2:50 pm - 3:10 pm | Senior Pod |
Below are some FAQ’s relating to your Crazy Colour Day Event:
What should my child wear to the event?
Students should wear white or light sun safe clothing to get the most colourful experience (old tshirts are great). It's best to also run in old running shoes.
Always remember to Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide!
What should my child bring to the event?
A few things you should pack are:
- A Water Bottle
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- A Towel
- Snacks
- Sunglasses (if preferred)
- A pair of sneakers
If you would like to know what is in the colour, ask the school for a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet.
Here is some other information:
- White t-shirts are best. Please find a cheap one or even an old one to wear on the day. The colour will stain.
- If you don't want to get colour bombed that's fine. Just wear your sports uniform.
- The colour can stain very light/blonde hair.
- Tip: rub coconut oil through the hair before the run and then wash it out with cold water afterwards. it helps the colour not stick to the strands.
- A cheap and easy way to make your Colour Day memories last is to soak your colour stained shirt in a mixture of water, salt and vinegar. This helps the colour powder lock into the cotton and prevent colour running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7awsFZ6fA
The prizes have arrived and will be distributed very soon!
Learning Conversations and Reports
Thank you to our teachers for their preparation of each child's school reports for semester 2. A reminder that these can be accessed via PAM. Just click on your child's name and then assessment report. These are best accessed on a desktop/laptop computer. If you would like a hard copy please let us know.
Thank you also to those people who were able to attend our Learning Conversations.
Transition to 2024
Our first transition experience on Monday was a great success! All children will have a longer time in their new classes tomorrow and then the whole day next Tuesday.
Remaining transition times:
Friday 8th December: 9.30-1.50pm
Tuesday 12th December: All day
Our new 2024 preps have slightly different times.
Friday December 8th 10.00am - 12.30pm
Tuesday December 12th 10.00am - 12.30pm
School Pick Up
When picking up in the streets around St Pius X, please be mindful not to park on nature strips.
A reminder that there are no staff supervising down near the church. The safest sport for later pick ups is in front of the school.
2023 School Fees and Student Levies.
With only a few days until the end of term I again draw your attention to our current school fees and
levies position. Your school now has an outstanding balance of $99,593.86
We do greatly appreciate the support of our families who have honoured their fees and levies and
also appreciate our families who are on a regular payment plan.
PLEASE, PLEASE, contact me should you require us to assist in setting up a plan.
Families should understand our governing body; DOBCEL (Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education
Limited) have policies and guidelines that our school must follow and adhere to. These policies and
guidelines also incorporate school fee collection and we are obliged to follow them.
I ask that you please consider your response to this situation should it apply to you.
Anne Kerr
Business Manager
Library Books - Please Return
If any St Pius X families have a Library book hidden in their bookshelf, can they please be returned to school next week.
We will be getting the Library ready for its return next year and would love any outstanding books to be returned as soon as possible!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Alanna Dowling
School Laptops For Sale
The school is currently replacing some of the classroom laptops in the junior school. As a result, we have 17 devices for immediate sale.
-HP 250 G6 Notebook PC, X64, Intel i3-7020U CPU @ 2.30GHZ, Windows 10 Education, Office 2016 included. Comes with charger.
All devices have been taken off the school’s network.
The devices are available from the school office for $100 each. Strictly, no warranty given or implied.
Breakfast Club
Our last Breakfast Club for 2023 was held yesterday and the children enjoyed some yummy pancakes as a special treat.
A big thank you to Tracey Williams who has done an amazing job co-ordinating the Breakfast Club this year.
We are still looking for a volunteer to take over from Tracey for 2024. If this is something that might interest you, please make contact with the office. We really appreciate the time and effort that goes into these roles.
Canteen Roster for next week.
Tuesday 12th December: Lauren Johnson
Wednesday 13th December: Sue Coulson
Thursday 14th December: Sarah Searle
Friday 15th December: Jane Kelly
A big thank you to all our wonderful canteen volunteers this year. You assistance is greatly appreciated.
CANTEEN for 2024
Please consider volunteering to help in the canteen in 2024. The canteen is open at second lunch (1.50pm) on Tuesdays through to Fridays for the sale of icypoles and frozen fruit. You would only be required for a half an hour or so and depending on numbers, may only be rostered on a couple of times a term. A current Working With Children check is required. If you would like to help, please click on the following link and provide your name and preferred day of the week. Thank you for your support.
A special message........
The following students will be celebrating their birthdays in the coming week.................
Letti Jenkins-Smith, Emelia Watson, Quinton Lack, Lilah Jacobs, Mathew Harrison and Kosta Maglaras.
Important Dates.
Thursday December 7th: Year 6 Graduation.
Friday December 8th: Transition 2
Assembly/advent liturgy 3pm in church
Monday December 11th: Extra Brauer Transition
Monday December 11th: Global Transition Day.
Monday December 11th: 5/6 Beach Safety continues
Thursday December 14th: Grade 6 Fun Day
Thursday December 14th: Carols and Celebration Evening.
Friday December 15th: Last day of classes. Fun day/colour run. (3.30pm finish)
Tuesday January 30th: Classes resume
Uniform Price List
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/
Pro Shop Xmas Sale
Our Pro Shop is now fully stocked with the latest racquets and Apparel. Great chance to update racquets for the latest models with 10% discount.
10% off junior and Adults racquets
30% off Clothing and Footwear
Could you make a difference to a young life?
Could this be what you are looking for?
Foster carers come from all walks of life. They can be working, not working or retired; married or single; in same-sex relationships; and can own or rent their home. The most essential criteria are that they care, can provide a safe and nurturing home, and have room in their home to support a vulnerable child or sibling group.
If you would like to know more call MacKillop Family Services on 1300 791 677, visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or ring Alana in our Warrnambool office on 5500 2000.
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.