November 23rd 2023
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Prayer
- A Note from our Principal
- School Fun Run- Thank you!
- Twilight Fair
- 2023 School Fees and Student Levies.
- Congratulations Zarli!
- Hot off the Prep Press!
- FREE Desktops!
- Breakfast Club
- A special message........
- Canteen Roster for next week.
- Uniform Price List
- 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
Loving and generous God,
on this day we celebrate Jesus as our king.
May we be willing to serve others as Jesus did,
share what we have as Jesus did,
and show mercy and compassion to all as Jesus did.
We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King
Image: Christ The King, by John Benedict Bosito
A Note from our Principal
Ngata Families and Friends,
Thank you to all the families and friends who have sponsored students in our upcoming School Fun Run. The prizes for your efforts have been ordered and will be here before the big day. Stay tuned for more details on what this day will look like.
Tomorrow is the last day of swimming for our Grade 1/2 students. The effort by the students to get themselves organised and into the pool has been very impressive. I'm sure there are many worn out children. Thank you to the 1/2 teachers for their planning and support of this important program.
There are a lot of things happening the next couple of weeks. Please remember to provide permissions for out of school events to ensure that things run smoothly. One of these is our choir performing at Carols by the Merri on Friday December 1st. Your support of this event is appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Stacey
School Fun Run- Thank you!
When: Friday December 15th, which is the last day of school.
Thanks to everyone who made a donation. We can't wait for our Fun Run on the last day of school.
Twilight Fair
Twilight Fair Feedback
The PnF would love to hear your feedback. Please consider filling in the brief survey linked below.
2023 School Fees and Student Levies.
With only 3 weeks remaining of the 2023 school year I am very concerned regarding the level of school fees outstanding which is still over $80,000. I do appreciate that a number of families with an outstanding balance have direct debits in place but unfortunately this is not the case for all families.
For families who have their final child in year 6 or may be transferring to another school, the policy guidelines from our governing body (DOBCEL) are very clear. We do not want to place our families in an agency’s hands, so please contact me so that we can work out a payment plan. Statements and requests have already been sent several times. Our school phone number is 5562 2506. All matters are treated with the strictest confidence.
Anne Kerr
Business Manager
Congratulations Zarli!
Congratulations go to Zarli Best who competed in two athletics carnivals last weekend and achieved some terrific results with her running.
On Saturday Zarli competed in the Geelong Junior Gift and received 1st place in the 100m race.
Then on Sunday at the Regional Relay Carnival team event in Warrnambool, Zarli's team competed in 4 events, winning 4 gold team medals!
The events were - 4x100m girls, 4x 200m girls, 4x 100m mixed and the A medley relay.
What a fantastic effort!
Hot off the Prep Press!
Getting ready for Grade 1!
It is hard to believe that it is nearly the end of the school year - time flies when you’re having fun! This term we have been working hard in getting ready for Grade 1. In a couple of weeks time we will get to move into our Grade 1 classrooms with our new teachers and new friends. Some of the things we know we need to be able to do before we get to Grade 1 is unpacking and packing our belongings in the mornings and afternoons, using ur 5L’s when on the mat, counting big and small numbers, writing lower and uppercase letters and following our norms. We know that we will continue to learn more about writing on dotted thirds, spelling more words and adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing more numbers. We can’t wait to see what Grade 1 is like!
Foundation Fun Week
Just a reminder that next week is our ‘Foundation Fun Week’ which means that we have so many fun things planned. All students need to be dressed in their sports clothes or white polo with their runners on each day. There will be no lunch orders for the Preps next week. We can’t wait to share all the fun things we do with you in next week’s newsletter! Stay tuned!!
Last Call - Learning Journals!
This is the last call for any Learning Journals to be returned to school. Please if you find them at home then send them into the classroom with your child so that their work from Semester 2 can be added. Many thanks!
FREE Desktops!
We have 15 school desktop PC’s to give away to St. Pius parents.
All machines are in good working order, and have Office 2016 installed.
The specifications are;
HP ProOne 600 G3, 21.5-inch screen, Intel i5 -7500 CPU, 3.4ghz, 4core.
Windows 10 Pro.
They must be collected on the 13th or 14th December. [Not before].
First in best dressed.
If you wish to reserve a PC, please call the school office.
No warranty is implied or given.
Breakfast Club
Our Beyond Bank Breakfast club runs on Wednesday mornings from 8:15-8:55. It is a great chance for students to come together and begin their school day with their friends over some yummy toast, cereal or even just a cup of milk or juice.
Tracey has been doing an amazing job with Breakfast Club and will be continuing to do so for the remainder of the year! Tracey will be moving on next year with all her children off to high school which means we will need a volunteer to take over for next year! Tracey will be more than happy to show people the ropes over the remaining weeks of the term. If this is something that might interest you for 2024, please make contact with the office, we really appreciate the time and effort that goes into these roles.
A special message........
The following students will be celebrating their birthdays in the coming week.................
Roneet Singh and Ava Bull.
Canteen Roster for next week.
Tuesday 28th November: Volunteer Required Please
Wednesday 29th November: Anna Reilly
Thursday 30th November: Kristina Vagala
Friday 1st December: Alana Gleeson
Uniform Price List
Important Dates.
Monday November 27th: 5/6 Beach Safety begins.
Monday November 27th: Prep Active Sports Excursion.
Friday December 1st: Dennington Carols by the Merri.
Friday December 1st: Prep excursion: Movies and Library.
Monday December 4th: Transition 1.
December 5th-7th: Learning conversations.
Thursday December 7th: Year 6 Graduation.
Friday December 8th: Transition 2.
Tuesday December 12th: Global Transition Day.
Thursday December 14th: Carols and Celebration Evening.
Friday December 15th: Last day of classes. Fun day/colour run.
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/
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.