Dear Parents/Carers,

There has been a lot of focus on essential workers during the lockdown. There is no denying that there are certain occupations that must maintain their normal operations as they cannot be done at home. We are particularly grateful to those workers who are putting themselves at a higher level of COVID risk due to the nature of their job. Of course, there is so much more being done by many other people in order to maintain an income, to care for others and to keep a sense of calm and positivity. This is especially true for those of you working from home while also supporting your children's wellbeing and remote learning. We are so grateful to each of you as well.

This clip (link) is a beautiful meditative piece which helps us to reflect on the most extraordinary work being done by so many ordinary people.

Parent Zoom Workshops

Following the recent survey that may parents completed, we have organised three Zoom Workshops for parents based on the three most popular topics selected. The details of the workshops are listed below. If you cannot attend at that time, we will make the recording available for you to watch in your own time.

Monday 30 August 11.30am: "How do I engage my child in remote learning?"

Wednesday 1 September 11.30am: "Helping my child with Mathematics"

Friday 3 September 11.30am: "Helping my child learn to read"

The Zoom links will be pushed out on Compass on the morning that each workshop will be held.

Remote Learning - Seesaw

For those of you who have children in Kindergarten - Year 2, you may notice on the Seesaw app that the number of activities that are incomplete increases over the course of a week. For some, this is a source of anxiety with children thinking they may be in trouble for not having done all the tasks. As has been mentioned previously, the priority is on your child's wellbeing and for them to complete what they can each day to the best of their ability. 

Teachers are archiving tasks at the end of each week, so that the number of tasks goes back to zero for Monday morning.

Parish Sacramental Programs

In today's Newsletter you will see a letter from Bishop Brian. He is conducting a review of the parish sacramental programs and is seeking your input. You are encouraged to complete this survey, even if your children have not participated in any of the programs.

End of Term 3

Our 'Dates to Remember' section of the Newsletter this term has indicated that Term 3 will end on Thursday 16 September. Friday 17 September will be a pupil-free day, as staff will be engaged in our annual Spiritual Formation Day. This will be held off site so there will not be any staff at St John's on that day. Aspire will be open on Friday 17 September to provide care for your child if you are an essential worker.

I continue to pray for all of you during this challenging time.

Paul Moroney

Principal