It has been a good start to Term 4 with students and staff continuing their excellent work in managing the demands of remote learning and teaching. No doubt, everyone; students, teachers and families are more than relieved that the end is in sight. It will be good to hear and see students around the school, squealing, laughing and catching up with friends and staff. It has been a quiet place for far too long. We are certainly looking forward to welcoming everyone back.

Return to School Guide

This will be posted on the College website on Friday 23 October and emailed to all students. Families will receive notification through our normal communication channels.

Planning continues to ensure that the return to school is as safe as possible. We monitor advice from MACS and the Department of Health carefully and adjust our processes and protocols as new information comes to light. Parents and carers who are currently onsite in a workplace will understand that this is a fluid situation.

Staggered return to school

To manage the risks associated with the return to school and the opening of Victoria, there will be a staggered return to school. Students will be onsite as follows:

Students return to onsite learning from Tuesday 26 October, on the following days:

Year 7:   At school every day

Year 8:  At school on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Year 9:   At school on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Year 10: At school on Thursday and Friday.

Online learning will continue on the days that students are not at school.

All students return full time to onsite learning from Friday 05 November.

MACSSIS Surveys: Thursday 07 – Thursday 28 October 2021

Information about the MACSSIS survey was sent home to all families in the first week of term. We would really appreciate families taking the time to complete the survey. The feedback is important and assists us in planning. It is good to get a cross section of voices. The survey can be accessed in a number of languages.

If you need assistance, please contact the office and we will direct you to a staff member who can assist.

Planning and Key Dates for Term 4

We have included only a limited calendar of dates in the newsletter. As with all things this year, these are tentative and could well change as the term progresses.

Like everyone in Victoria, we are watching closely the easing of restrictions to see what we can and cannot do, what events and activities will be possible, whilst continuing to ensure everyone is as safe as possible.

Year 10 students, in particular will be wondering what the end of year will look like. At this time, CRC Sydenham is intending to have the Orientation program, from Monday 29/11/21 to Thursday 02/12/21 as planned. We hope to mark the end of student’s time at St Albans in a special way. What all this will look like depends on how the restrictions ease. Stay tuned. Plans A, B and C are in development.

Enrolment for 2022

Enrolment at the College continues automatically from year to year. However, if a student in Years 7, 8 or 9 is not returning in 2022, we ask that families notify us as soon as possible. Please email echalmers@crcstalbans.com.au or ring Eileen Chalmers on 9366 2544 with this information.

Your assistance with this is much appreciated as we have a waiting list at some levels and would like to let these families know sooner, rather than later.

Term 4 Uniform

From Wednesday 03 November, all students will need to be in full summer uniform.

The College Sun Smart policy is available on the website.

As we are now well into spring, forecasts of UV levels are predicted to reach three or higher during the period from now to the end of April. UV radiation is a major cause of skin cancer, and UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with the risk of skin cancer later in life. We encourage families to speak with their child about ensuring they are Sun Smart during this time, including:

• wearing appropriate clothing
• wearing a broad brimmed, bucket or legionnaire hat while outside
• applying SPF30 or higher broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen approximately 20 minutes prior to going outside and re-applying every two hours while outside, or immediately after physical activity and swimming
• remaining in the shade during times when you are not involved in a specific outdoor activity, or if you are unable to follow the above recommendations

We also encourage all adults, including parents/carers, to adopt a SunSmart approach for themselves, not only to protect themselves from the dangers of UV radiation, but to also act as role models for our students.

For more information on sun protection, please go to the SunSmart website: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/

Cup Weekend

Families are reminded that there are no classes on Monday 01 November or Tuesday 02 November due to the Cup weekend. 

The break provides students with the opportunity to prepare for the final weeks of Term 4. It is a good time to catch up on work and hopefully time for families to have a break. Whilst we will still have restrictions, it is the first holiday in a while where we will not be in complete lockdown. 

Fee Relief

The financial impact of lockdown varies from family to family. Some continue to work and are unaffected; however, other parents / carers have been stood down or had their work hours reduced.

We are keen to support families as much as we can. Fee relief is available to all affected families. Please contact our Bursar, Anne Ross so that adjustments can be made. Her contact details are as follows:

PH:   0427 036 925               Email:  aross@crcstalbans.com.au

Newsletter

The newsletter is published fortnightly on Day 10 (Friday Week 2).

Newsletter Days for Term 4 2021:             

Fridays:    15 October,    29 October,    12 November,     16 November,    30 November

The newsletter is available on the College website at http://www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au