Dear St Clare's Community,

While it has not been the start we would usually have, welcome to the 2022 school year! We cannot wait to have all our students back on-site from Monday 7th

February, and really get started.

You will be aware that the State Government announced its back to school plan on the weekend.

Following Queensland Health advice over the last two years has served us well, as has maintaining consistency with Education Queensland where appropriate. As such, our schools will follow the same plan as state schools. The plan applies from 7 February until 4 March this year.

In summary:

• The government will deliver Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for staff and students, directly to schools. They will be available to staff and students who are symptomatic on site. Parents, not staff, will be responsible for administering the RATs. Staff and students will get priority from Queensland Health testing centres if symptoms are displayed off-site. 

• The ventilation systems in our schools are designed to meet or exceed fresh air ventilation requirements and are well placed to reduce the risk of COVID. There is no need for windows to be open, although where weather permits, some may be kept slightly ajar for additional ventilation. 

• All staff and secondary students are required to wear masks and mask-wearing is highly recommended for Y3-6 students. Families are required to supply these; however, schools will maintain emergency supplies. Please note, school staff (primary and high school) are required to wear masks while standing or moving about indoors but may remove their mask when seated or if able to maintain physical distancing of 1.5m from others while teaching or interacting with students or children. When outdoors, face masks can be removed if physical distancing of 1.5m from others can be maintained. Secondary students do not have to wear a mask if seated (indoors or outdoors) but otherwise must wear a mask if unable to maintain physical distancing. 

• For the duration of the back-to-school plan, school camps, excursions, assemblies, and large gatherings will be suspended. Assemblies, school masses and liturgies may be held virtually or cancelled.

• Visitors will be limited on-site. Parents may pick up and drop off, and parents of Prep, Year 1 and vulnerable students are allowed on-site. Parents are required to wear masks while standing, moving about indoors or if unable to physically distance from others, and will need to comply with other onsite measures, including sign in, as directed by the school. 

• Cleaning protocols are unchanged and the same as normal, with extra attention to high touch areas. 

• Staff meetings and parent/teacher interviews will be limited and held virtually where possible. If they must be face-to-face, physical distancing will be maintained and consideration given to the size of the meeting room.

Full details of the back-to-school plan are available here: qed.qld.gov.au/covid19/back-to-school

At the moment this plan will be in place for 4 weeks. Pick-up in the afternoon will remain the same with the collection of students at 3pm from the front entrance on Mars St. A reminder that Mars St in front of the school is a stop, drop, go zone. There is a 2 minute limit in this zone. Parents wishing to get out of their cars to collect children will need to park elsewhere and walk into the school.

It is looking likely that we will need to postpone some scheduled school events. You will read further down that the Southern Zone Swimming Carnival has been cancelled already, and we  also need to postpone our Welcome Mass (scheduled for 17th Feb) and our Parent Meet & Greet night (scheduled for 22nd Feb). We will not gather as a whole school for our weekly assemblies for this period of time. With this in mind, communication between school and home will be extremely important.

Ways in which we communicate are:

• School Newsletter - sent out fortnightly on Tuesday’s, even weeks
• Via the Seesaw app - please contact your child’s teacher if you don’t have access
• Our school Facebook page will often have reminders
• Via email and phone

It is likely that the school will be impacted by cases of COVID-19 over the coming weeks. We will no doubt have staff and students unable to attend due to having to isolate. In the event of staff needing to isolate, please be assured the continuation of learning and teaching for our students will be our priority and every attempt will be made to minimise disruptions.

We will update the school community about further developments on a regular basis by including information about the presence of cases within the school community via our school newsletter or through email where required. We ask that you notify the school at your earliest convenience should your student test positive. Queensland Health advice in relation to isolation and testing can be found here.

We will continue to work closely with health authorities to keep our school community informed of any developments and advice. Thank you once again for your ongoing support.

Staff 2022

Staffing for 2022 remains much the same as published late last year.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Sharon Chappel for taking on the role of APRE in Term 1, in the absence of Helen Andrews. Helen remains on leave and I know you will all join me in sending your thoughts and prayers to Helen as she continues to undergo treatment. Helen is very much missed by our community and we hope to see her return later this year. We warmly  welcome to St. Clare’s, Jess Lang in Year 4 & Kate Mason for HPE, and welcome back Temara Giuliany from leave. Pauline Colombini is currently on leave and we welcome and thank Rhiannon Lizzio who will be helping us out.

Karran Burzacott - Principal
Sharon Chappel - Acting APRE
Chris Edwards - Leader of Diversity / Leader of Learning and Teaching
Rosanna O’Kane - Admin & Finance
Antonina Dal Zilio - Admin Support
Vera Borgna - Library Assistant / Admin Support / WHS Officer
Gita Sima  - Prep
Zanelle Collins - Year 1
Georgia Moloney - Year 2
Adam Stubbings - Year 3
Jessica Lang - Year 4
Sharon Chappel/ Jamilla Dressler - Year 5
Kaitlyn Marsilio & Cherie Jenkins - Year 6
Kate Mason - HPE
Jo Wall - The Arts
Pauline Colombini - Student Support Officer
Alicia Johnson - Student Support Officer
Marie Vipiana - Student Support Officer / Tuckshop
Steph Grimaz - Student Support Officer
Jenny Sollitt - Student Support Officer
Carla Low - Student Support Officer
Temara Guiliany - Student Support Officer
Jodie Costa - Cleaner
Paul Taylor - Groundsperson

Uniforms

I understand that some parents are still having difficulty in getting sports shirts. If you find that you do not have one, we have a very small number of second hand uniforms available that might help out in the meantime. The uniform requirements are attached to this newsletter as a reminder of expectations. Please take particular note of the requirements around hair and the wearing of jewellery.

Finally, there seems to be quite a lot of mosquitoes around at the moment. You may wish to spray your children before school in the mornings. We ask that students do not bring sprays to school with them please.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns and I look forward to seeing all our students back next week and catching up with you all over time. Wishing everyone good health and keep safe.

Warm regards,

Karran Burzacott
Principal

Welcome   Community   Hospitality

We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school next week, particularly our new staff, students and their families, and especially our new Prep children who bring so much joy and energy to our school! If there is one thing we have become accustomed to in recent years, it is the need for flexibility in such an ever changing environment. As acting APRE, I am looking forward to supporting our school community as our needs change over the coming months. I thought this prayer was quite fitting to our current circumstances.

Sharon Chappel

VISITOR REGISTER - SIGN IN 

All parents and visitors are required to report to the school office before entering the school grounds between 8.10am to 3pm. A Visitor Register is located at the door entrance for you to sign in and collect a visitor badge. When you are leaving the school you will need to go to the office and sign out and return the badge. Please include any children who are with you also (younger siblings). This is a requirement in the case of school emergencies.

STUDENT COLLECTION REGISTER

Parents must report to the school office before collecting students. A Student Collection Register is located at the door entrance for parents to sign out their child during the school day.

If the student is returning back to school you are required to sign them back in.

LATE ARRIVALS

The late arrival book is located at the door entrance.  Parents use sign in book / Give " Late Slip to student / Student to give to class teacher.

(Indicate Reason - Personal, Appt / Notified - who is dropping the student - Mum, Dad, Grandma etc).

SCHOOL MESSAGE BOX 

We have a message box in the school office (counter) for any school fees payment, class notes, messages etc. Please make sure all notes are named with child’s class and any money or cheques are to be placed in a sealed envelope with date, name, child’s class, correct money. 

School Calendar 2022

2022 Term 1 fees will be sent out in week 4.

Invoices will be sent by email to all parents. Please contact the school office if you do not receive the invoice so we can check your email address, or if you require a hardcopy of fees to make payment.

                  Please check your junk or spam mail.

Families have the option of paying weekly or fortnightly. Internet banking, or direct debit can be arranged with your bank. 

Please note:-

There is NO EFTPOS available at the school office. 

• Preferrably no cash but if paying in cash, we appreciate that correct money be given as we do not carry any change in the school office.
• If paying by Bpay or EFT direct debit or internet banking, please use the school bank account details shown on the term one statement.
• IMPORTANT: Please use your Ref: 966000….....(under Biller Code). This number is to be used when paying by Bpay, or EFT -direct debit, internet banking.
• Remittance slip at the bottom of the school account to be returned to the school office with ALL payments. (cash, cheque, direct debit or internet banking).

Thank you.

Catholic School Fee Discount for 2022 

Dear Parents/Carers

In 2022 Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Cairns will provide a discount on tuition fees for holders of means-tested Health Care and Pensioner Concession Cards. 

The discount applies to tuition fees only and not to school levies and charges.

This year for term one and two a discount of 70% on tuition fees will apply to holders of eligible cards.

The cards must be current and list as dependents, the students for whom the discount is sought. 

Parents and carers should now present their eligible card to the school office for verification. The office secretary will make a copy and provide a Health Care Card Tuition Fee Discount Scheme Form for the Parent/Carer to complete.  The fee discount will then be applied to tuition fees for term one school fee for 2022.

For families with children at other Cairns Catholic Schools; this process will be repeated for each school.  The discount arrangement will expire on the expiry date of the card or at the end of the school year. 

Parents/Carers receiving the discount have a duty to inform the school of any renewal or change in eligibility cards.

Families seeking a discount on tuition fees must visit the school office to verify and copy their Heath Care/Pension Concession Card and complete the Health Care Card Tuition Fee Discount Scheme Form no later than next Thursday, 10th February in order for the discount to be applied to Term 1 school fees.

For those who applied in 2021 a form was completed in the office and a copy of HCC card was taken for their 2022 application. For those with an expiry card (end of 2021) please come into the school office to complete a new form and copy of new HCC card is required by next Thursday.

Thank you to those who have completed their forms for 2022.

IMPORTANT: Once the Fees are generated, unfortunately we are unable to process any claims for the respective term. Full fees for that term will be charged. (no credit can be done for that term).

Please make sure you come into the school office and complete the form with your HCC card by next Thursday. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to phone (40659550) the school office.

SCHOOL TIMES -  2022

The first Book Club catalogue for 2022 will be arriving shortly. Book Club is an easy and affordable way to access a wide range of books and hands-on activities for children to enjoy. Every order placed also earns the school reward dollars that we can later use to purchase new resources for the school.

Orders can be placed by visiting the Scholastic Australia LOOP website scholastic.com.au/loop or app and following the Wizard to set up your profile. You will be able to select your school(St Clares School (Tully)), your child’s class and complete your order and payment online. 

As from 2022 we are cashless.

All books will then be delivered to your child’s classroom. If you need any help at all, please feel free to give me a call- 0427 920 109.

Happy Reading,

Steph Grimaz