Principal's Message
Dear Parents
Welcome everyone to 2024, 2024 'the year of more!'
I hope everyone has had a good break and it was great to see smiles on faces as we return to school.
We have a couple of new staff this year at St Anne's. Samantha Sheather has joined us from the Central Coast/Sydney area. Samantha is teaching Year 6 and is taking on the role of REC (Religious Education Co-ordinator) from Cassandra Jones who has returned to the classroom full-time in Year 4. Thanks Cass for all your work as REC over the years and welcome to Samantha. Also Chris Bourke has returned to St Anne's and he has taken on the role of teaching Science from K-6 and ICT. Welcome to Chris and we hope both Sam and Chris have an enjoyable and professional time here as part of the St Anne's community.
Thank you to all our families for your support getting your students to MAI assessments and Best Start interviews in Kinder. These are important assessments that help teachers to know where to focus their teaching for each student.
I welcome Nicole Morton back to Xavier as Principal. Nicole was an Assistant Principal at Xavier before her time as Principal at St John's College Dubbo. Welcome back Nicole.
Currently there is a lot of discussion in the public arena about many approaches to the teaching of reading. I have attached some background information here for your reference and included how we here at St Annes are developing our understanding and implementing our approach to reading.
We have had a change to our break times for 2024. Our new recess break is 11.15-11.40am and lunch break is 1.10-1.55pm.
Have a great week, Bede.
Key Dates - 2024
- Tues 6th & Wed 7th Feb - Kinder Best Start Assessments
- Tuesday 6th February - Safer Internet Day
- Thursday 8th February - First day of the School Year for Kinder
- Thursday 8th February - Kinder Parents' Morning Tea
- Sunday 11th February - Children's Liturgy @ Sacred Heart Church 9.30am
- Monday 12th February - Yr 3-6 Swimming Carnival
- Wednesday 14th February - Swimming Carnival presentation, 2.45pm in the hall
- Friday 16th February - HotDog Day (order via Qkr! App)
- Wednesday 28 February - School fee Instalment Agreements due (otherwise fees due for payment in full by 29th Feb) see details below.
- Wednesday 6th March - School Photo Day
Canteen News
School Fees
School Fee statements were emailed to families last week. Please contact Tina in the office if you did not receive your statement (anyone with a 'Hotmail' account may need to check their Spam folder).
School fees are due to be paid by 29th February 2024, unless you elect to pay by instalments (weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments). If you choose to pay by instalment, please follow the 'Instalment Agreement' link in the fee email to select your preferred option, before 29th February. Please note that BPAY is our preferred payment method, your BPAY reference can be found at the bottom of your statement.
Kinder Parent's Morning Tea
We hope to see all our Kinder parents at our Morning Tea at Cafe Borellas on Thursday!
Medication / Medical Conditions
Every year, we require updated medical plans for our students. Therefore if your child has Asthma, Anaphylaxis, etc, you will need to supply an updated plan, supplied by your child's doctor, to the office.
We also need all Medication Consent forms to be updated for 2024. Therefore if your child takes any medication at school (eg. for asthma, hay-fever, etc.) you will need to complete a new form. Parents need to supply any medications required for their child. Please note that any prescribed medication must be provided to the school in the original, labelled packaging supplied by the chemist. Medication Consent forms are available from the office and must be returned to the office, with the relevant medication, by the parent/carer.
Student Attendance (from CEDWW)
What if my child has to be away from school?
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
- being sick, or having an infectious disease
- having an unavoidable medical appointment
- being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)
Following an absence from school you must ensure that within 7 days you provide your child’s school with a verbal or written explanation for the absence. This can be via Compass or by phone, email or in written form. Parents will receive a Compass notification with a link for parents to provide this information in Compass.
Principals may decline to accept an explanation that you have provided if they do not believe the absence is in the best interest of your child. In these circumstances your child’s absence would be recorded as unjustified. When this happens the principal will discuss their decision with you and the reasons why.
Principals may request medical certificates or other documentation when frequent or long term absences are explained as being due to illness. Principals may also seek parental permission to speak with medical specialists to obtain information to collaboratively develop a health care plan to support your child. If the request is denied, the principal can record the absences as unjustified.
Safer Internet Day
Library News
Our school participates in the Scholastic Book Club program. Approximately twice per term, a catalogue will be will be sent home showcasing a wide range of books available for purchase. Our school receives a commission for all purchases.
Online ordering is quick and easy using the LOOP platform (see last page of the catalogue). Alternatively, return the completed form with the correct cash to the school office.
The current issued can be previewed here. Copies of the catalogue will be sent home this week and orders are due by 9am on Wednesday, 14th February.
Sacred Heart Parish News
Lenten Groups
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on 14 February. Once again it is our intention of offering Lenten discussion groups as a way of enhancing our personal and communal faith.
We intend gathering on a Tuesday (begins 13 February) in the Parish Hall at 7.00pm. If you would like to participate in this group please add your name to the list at the Swan Street entrance or contact our parish office by email / phone.
If you wish to lead a group in your home or at another time / venue please let us know and we will organize reflection material for you.
“A Resurrected Life” - Daily Reflections for Lent will be available for collection next weekend.
Sacred Heart Parish Morning Tea
Our monthly morning tea resumes on Sunday 4 February at the conclusion of our celebration of 9.30am Eucharist. A special invitation is extended to those who are new to our parish, to those moving or returning to our local area. You are most welcome to be involved in the life and ministries of this faith community. For the faithful regulars, please make an effort to introduce yourself to a new face.
Sport News
Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival
Our Carnival will be held on Monday, February 12th at Lavington Swim Centre. You should by now have received a notification via Compass for further information and to make payment.
If you are able to assist with timekeeping duties for part of the day, please email Mr Hollard at hollardj@ww.catholic.edu.au All volunteers with a WWCC (Working With Children Check) will need to submit their details to the office by midday this Thursday. Volunteers without a WWCC will need to complete and submit a Declaration Form by Friday (please contact the office to have a Form sent home to you). Please see "Volunteering at School" at the end of this newsletter for further details.
Competitors may withdraw from particular races on the day if they no longer feel they can take part. They can also add their name to events if required.
If you wish to take your child home from the carnival you will need to sign them out with Mr Goode at the pool. Collecting a child other than your own, after the event, will not be possible unless the office has been notified by both parties and the necessary forms have been completed in full and submitted to the office by Thursday (this will include the driver providing their WWCC or Declaration Form, driver's licence, car registration, comprehensive insurance and CTP green slip details).
Presentation of ribbons, the winning House Team and notes for Deanery will be presented on Wednesday, February 14th at 2:45 in the school hall. All are welcome to attend.
Upcoming Trials
Basketball
Good luck to Mannix, Emmi, Tilly, Lila and Bodie who have gained selection at the MacKillop Basketball Trial on Friday, February 23rd.
Netball
Nominations have been called for from girls in Years 5 and 6 for Netball. We will conduct school trials this Friday to select representatives for the Albury/South West Trial to be held in Albury on Tuesday, February 20th. Nominees should play the sport and be of representative quality. Transport is the responsibility of the parent/s. Please talk with your child regarding their interest and availability for this event. Nominations are due to Mr Lewis by this Friday morning.
Boys AFL
Nominations have been called for from boys in Years 5 and 6 for Australian Rules Football. We will conduct school trials on Tuesday and Wednesday next week to select representatives for the Albury/South West Trial to be held in Albury on Monday, February 26th. Nominees should play the sport and be of representative quality. This is a contact sport. Transport is the responsibility of the parent/s. Please talk with your child regarding their interest and availability for this event. Nominations are due to Mr Lewis by Monday, February 12th.
Girls AFL
Nominations have been called for from girls in Years 5 and 6 for Australian Rules Football. A regional trial will be held in Albury on Monday, March 4th. This is a contact sport. Transport is the responsibility of the parent/s. Please talk with your child regarding their interest and availability for this event. Nominations are due to Mr Lewis by Monday February 12th.
Other Sports
Nominations are being called for from girls and boys in Years 5 and 6 for Diocesan Trials in the following sports:
- Rugby League: 11s, Opens - Monday, March 4th
- Touch Football - Tuesday, March 12th
- Hockey (MacKillop) - Friday, April 5th
- Soccer (Football) - Thursday, May 2nd
- Rugby Union - Thursday, May 23rd
Nominees should play the sport and be of representative quality. Transport is the responsibility of the parent/s. Please talk with your child regarding their interest and availability for this event.
Nominations for all sports may be made by students to Mr Lewis.
Centacare Flyer -
Bus Travel in 2024
- St Anne's students who had a bus pass in 2023, and remain eligible, should automatically receive a new pass for 2024 (there is no need to reapply).
- A new application will need to be submitted for any student who is applying for the first time, or if the request relates to additional travel entitlement because of new shared parental arrangement (e.g. joint custody). These applications can be made here.
- Students who have changed their home address will need to have their details updated here.
Absences for after-school-care
If your child attends after-school-care and they are absent from school, please remember to advise the care provider. We often have providers waiting/searching for children who are absent from school.
Extended Leave
A reminder to families that if your child will be away for 10 or more consecutive school days (eg. for a family holiday), then you will need to submit an 'Application for Extended Leave'. See the 'Compass Attendance' information towards the end of this newsletter for further details.
Volunteering at school
We are very grateful for the assistance that parents/grandparents provide in our school. Any helpers/volunteers (including canteen, sport, fundraising and classroom helpers) will need to either -
- Provide the details of their Working With Children Check (if they have one). We require full name, date of birth, WWCC number and WWCC expiry date. These details need to be verified before a volunteer can help in our school, so please email this information to the office (sana-info@ww.catholic.edu.au) well in advance.
- Complete a CEDWW Volunteers Declaration and show an identity document (eg. drivers licence). These forms are available from the office. This declaration needs to be completed annually, therefore anyone who completed a form last year will need to complete a new form.
Uniform Shop
Our Uniform Shop is open each Friday from 3-3.30pm. Please email sana-info@ww.catholic.edu.au with your requirements if you can't make that time and we will pass your request on to Luisa to process.
We have lots of good quality second hand uniform items for sale as well as new hats, bags and art smocks.
Qkr! App
Our Qkr! App is the platform that we use to process transactions for our Canteen Orders and some special events, like the School Disco.
Qkr! is an efficient and accurate way of tallying our daily canteen orders and a brilliant time saver when collating and organising our students' lunch orders.
Recently we have had several students report that they have not received their lunch orders, only to find that the canteen has no record of their order. We would suggest that parents check their receipt on the Qkr! App to ensure that their order has been processed for the correct date and for the correct menu items and quantity.
Compass School Manager
Our Compass School Manager is the platform that we communicate with parents about all aspects of their child's school life. Our school attendance, calendar, news feed, student reports, parent teacher conference bookings, event consent/payments and many other services are accessible.
We strongly advise all parents to ensure that they have access to their Compass account on a mobile App or a desktop computer. All parents are issued a username and temporary password when their child is enrolled at St Anne's. If you are experiencing any difficulties accessing your account, please don't hesitate to contact Karon on grimmerk@ww.catholic.edu.au.
Compass Attendance
A reminder that all students who arrive at school after the morning bell at 8.55am, must be accompanied by an adult into our office to sign in on our Compass kiosk. This is a legal requirement and students may not sign themselves in. You will now be asked to provide a reason for the late arrival.
If you are picking up your child during the school day, for any reason eg. medical appointment or early departure, please send a written note in with your child to their teacher with all relevant details. Compass can not be used to notify teachers of early pickups. Compass is only to notify the school of full day absences. If you arrive at school to collect a child without prior notification, please allow extra time to locate your child on the school grounds, especially during break times and when at music, science or sport.
Parents/carers are required to submit an attendance note for any full day absences of their child from school. This can be done in the Compass App or in the Compass portal online. Please ensure you provide all the relevant details for why your child/children are not at school, as any notes added without a comment or details will be recorded as an unjustified absence. Please see the relevant link below for guidance on how to record an absence on the Compass App.
When families take students out of school during the school term for holidays, there are strict legal requirements that need to be met. If a student is going to be absent for up to 9 days, no formal application is required and parents may enter the absence on Compass under the 'Travel' option. If the absence is for 10 days or more, an application is required to be completed by parents prior to travel and approval will be required by the Principal or officials from CEDWW. If the leave is 21 days or more, parents are required to provide an educational plan to the school for approval. Extended leave forms are available from the school office.
Bus Pass applications
Bus Pass applications for travel between home and school, can be made via this link