We thank you and value the support that has been shown with our current restrictions and changes in education at the current time.

Change is always challenging and for the past month changes in the way we operate, educate, connect and live have been thrust upon us in order to provide safety for our communities and our families. Covid-19 has forced St Clare’s community to think differently in order to provide an education for students onsite for essential workers children and for those who are being supervised at home.  Teachers began last week to connect remotely through google meets, google classroom and seesaw.  We appreciate that there were some technological issues for some families but overall the first week went quite well.

Thank you to all families for following the request to minimalise time on the school site. For anything urgent please contact your class teacher and make an appointment if needed.

Over the next month there will be challenges with learning at home, as you navigate each week and the schedules sent home.  Our teachers have done an amazing job of organising learning at home and our School Officers are working as the supervisors of learning at school. We currently have just over a third of our students at school. Together we will get through these difficult and challenging times.

Please keep in mind the following:

• Read instructions and schedules from teachers – this should give a clear direction for learning
• If you have difficulty understanding set activities, please contact your teacher through the advised communication methods
• Establish your own routine at home that works for your family
• Check communication regularly
• Read daily to or with your children
• If you are having technical difficulties that you or your teacher cannot resolve go to https://itsupport.cns.catholic.edu.au/
• Provide downtime throughout the learning time as their brains will need a break. Encourage fun and play in between learning tasks.
• Additional activities have been provided by teachers. Otherwise cooking, boardgames and puzzles are good options. Your child might like to make up their own game for the family or do some craft and use their creativity.
• Please check in for roll marking by 9:00am each day as this is when rolls are checked and parents contacted
• If your child is sick they do not attend school and are not required to do the learning at home. Please advise the teacher that your child is sick.
• Keep calm – this is new for everyone
• If your child is not coping or you feel you need support please contact our school counsellor Carmel Parisi on cparisi@cns.catholic.edu.au or let your class teacher know so we can get Carmel to contact you.

Go gently in the weeks ahead. We continue to pray for all those who have been sick or who have passed away from Covid-19.  We ask for God’s blessings on all of us for continued good health.

Narelle Harney