Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of St Catherine’s,
Welcome back to Term 4! I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and are ready for the term ahead.
We continue to be guided by SA Health and CESA regarding restrictions related to COVID. These restrictions continue to have an impact on our day to day lives and it is important that we acknowledge that each person in our community is navigating these conditions in the best way they can. Whilst we have been very fortunate in South Australia in terms of limited lock-downs compared to other states, for many people there is an overarching sense of fatigue created from the ongoing uncertainty. It is important that we remain mindful of those who are struggling and operate from a position of compassion, kindness and care in all of our interactions.
Current SA Health advice is that education sites are currently exempt from density requirements. However, it is recommended that school sites allow for adult physical distancing and observe the following density requirements:
- 3 per 4 sqm density wherever and whenever possible for adult only indoor seated events
- 1 per 2 sqm for non-seated indoor activities
- All outdoor events to stay under 1000 people
In order to adhere to physical density requirements each of the different events planned for this term will need to be tailored to minimise overcrowding. QR Code Check In and the wearing of face masks continues to be required whilst on the school site.
St Catherine’s Instrumental Evening
This week we held an Instrumental Performance evening where the students that learn a musical instrument with one of the tutors at St Catherine’s was able to perform. Students demonstrated their talents on piano, violin, drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, ukulele and voice. It was great to see the courage, perseverance and resilience of these young musicians. Thank you to all our music tutors, Sonny, Caitlyn, Madeleine and Paris for their work with many of our students at St Catherine's and thank you also to the parents and staff who were able to come along and be part of the audience.
Narragunnawali - Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Throughout 2021, Corey Lewis and Narelle Brine have been developing a Reconciliation Action Plan for St Catherine's to support our ongoing journey and understanding of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Narragunnawali RAP framework outlines a whole-scale approach to driving reconciliation by building relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and with the community.
Our RAP has now been approved by Reconciliation Australia and provides us with a guide and actions for moving forward. Further information about Narragunnawali and RAPs can be found at: https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/about
SRC contribution to theSouth Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) Strategy
SACCS embarked on its Strategy for Leading Catholic Education to New Levels of Excellence (the Strategy) in 2015 to strengthen, transform and promote Catholic Education in South Australia. Since the launch of the Strategy, many outstanding achievements have been realised.
At its June 2021 meeting, SACCS resolved to refine the objectives of the Strategy, approving a revised SACCS Commitment Strategy for engagement with stakeholders. The Commission is aware that the Strategy should be refreshed considering emerging national priorities and based on recent experiences and plans for the next period. Recently, our School Board chairperson, Russell participated in a webinar where he was able to contribute thoughts and ideas based on our school context. Last week at our SRC meeting, I talked with our student representatives about strategic planning and asked them for their thoughts and feedback around a series of Commitment statements that have been proposed as the SACCS Commitment Strategy. Students identified a number of actions that they value happen at St Catherine's and used this as a basis for comments around Catholic Identity and Mission, Students, Learning and Teaching, Inclusion and Diversity and Financial Stewardship and Improvement. It was great to hear their thoughtful ideas and comments in each of these areas which have been shared with the SACCS Strategy team.
Term 4 Uniform - Hats
A reminder that students should now be wearing their summer uniform. All children should be wearing a hat whilst playing outside. Should a child not have a hat, they are required to play in the area under the Treehouse or under the canopy outside Sienna Hall.
Warm regards,
John Low
Principal St Catherine's School
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