COVID Update
The return to the 2024 school year has seen an increase in students and staff contracting COVID. This is in line with media reports of another spike in numbers in the next few weeks and the return to school. At Our Lady of the Visitation School, we continue to follow the advice of government agencies concerning how COVID impacts students, staff and parents. Our focus is on minimising risk and ensuring we do all that we can to ensure our communities are safe.
Our message is that students and staff should stay away from school if they are unwell or are displaying Covid-19 symptoms. This remains the most effective control against an outbreak of COVID-19 in a school community.
To protect our school community, staff and students should note:
- If you are unwell stay home
- If you have cold or flu symptom get tested for COVID (RAT Test)
- If you have COVID stay home until your symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, fever) have cleared.
Please report any COVID case to the staff in the Front Office, because we need to keep track on the numbers in a class, as the numbers require a different school response. A COVID Update was sent home on Monday 4 February with more details.
Parent Information Night
I’d like to thank all the families who came along to the Parent Information Night last week. It was great to see so many parents and caregivers come along to support their children, the teachers and the wider school community. As I have mentioned previously, the staff at Our Lady of the Visitation School are here to work in partnership with you, working together to educate the students in our school community.
Parent-School relationships are so important. Parents play a vital role in the education and development of their children. There are many benefits to a parent-teacher partnership. When parents and teachers work together it sends a clear, consistent, and positive message to students that school is important, that learning is important and that achievement is expected.
If you wish to discuss any concerns about your child’s education and needs, please in the first instance communicate with your child’s teacher, or staff member who is most directly involved with your concern. Communication can be in the form of an e-mail, a telephone call or by coming in to see your child’s teacher. Please note that if you are coming to see your child’s class teacher, please make a mutually convenient time to meet as teachers often have commitments before school or after school and are often surrounded by other students and parents, which can make discussing complex issues difficult.
By dealing directly with your child’s class teacher, you as parents will be able to develop a relationship built on trust. Also your child’s teacher is in the best position to share with you their observations and deal with your concerns. If after speaking with the teacher, you are not satisfied with the response, then please feel free to contact me.
Stage 2 Building – Renovations & Upgrade to St Francis Hall & Year 2 & 3 Building
Works to this area are making excellent progress. Footings are currently being dug & all the demolition work has been completed on the St Francis Hall. The completion to Stage 2 should be late July / August. Once completed the 4 transportables will be moved off site. Mossop Builders have been instructed to have all deliveries and trucks come on and off site out of pick up & drop off times. They have been excellent regarding this but I ask for your understanding as not all drivers will follow this directive unfortunately.
2024 Student Residential Address and Other Information collection notice
This notice is from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department), to advise you that the department has requested that your child’s school provide a ‘statement of addresses’, in accordance with the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth) (Regulation).
Purpose of the collection
This collection is routinely used to inform Commonwealth school education policy, and to help ensure that Commonwealth funding arrangements for non-government schools are based on need, and are fair and transparent. The information collected in the statement of addresses will be used to inform school funding calculations.
For more information please refer to the following document.
Mrs. Linda Caldinez – your new APRIM at OLV
Well, who am I? I was born in the UK and travelled to Australia in December 2006 to start a new adventure with my husband of 35 years, Wayne, and our two beautiful girls, Courtnie and Monique. The girls, now adults and 29 and 25 respectively, both work in schools. Courtnie is a primary school teacher, and married to Daniel, a wonderful addition to our family, and Monique is a social worker in a primary school setting.
I feel blessed and privileged to be part of OLV’s community, given that I am local to the area, living in North Haven. Because of your warm, welcoming nature, I certainly do not feel like the ‘new girl’ – THANK YOU. It truly makes the transition from one school to another so much easier. I have only ever taught in Catholic schools, both here and in the UK. My teaching experience spans over a number of decades now and I certainly know the importance of life-long learning having completed my Masters in 2019 and now contemplating a PhD.
When I am not glued to work, which I love, I enjoy cooking, walking, cycling, socialising, and the gym. I find each beneficial, in their own right, and each contributes to my positive well-being in a variety of ways. Personal well-being is important to me contributing to good mental health and life satisfaction. I believe, the more satisfied you are with your life, the more you will get out of each day and be a positive influence to so many.
I am a practicing Catholic and I am known to the OLV church community and Fr. Roderick. I am an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister and enjoy the variety of roles this ‘allows’ me to perform at church, offering a firm foundation to my APRIM role. Church affords me the opportunity to pause, slow down, reflect and to give thanks for the many gifts present in my life.
I am excited to see what 2024 unravels for me, and you.
However, enough about me……back to work……
We hosted our Beginning of Year Mass with Fr. Roderick on Thursday 1st February at 9.30am. It was a wonderful community celebration of coming together and a delightful way to start 2024. All students and staff were asked to reflect on their God given gifts and talents, which was the Mass’s theme, and how the gifts and talent one possesses might be shared and used this academic year – ‘let our light shine for the world’.
Please note the following dates:
Tuesday 13th February – Shrove Tuesday – celebrating the day with pancakes. A GOLD COIN DONATION is required. All proceeds will support our Term 1 outreach – Project Compassion.
Wednesday 14th February – Ash Wednesday – Celebrating the start of Lent. 5/6AM and 5/6LI will host Mass in the church at 9.30am. ALL welcome.
Project Compassion boxes will be distributed during Week 3. You are invited to make a gift and return the box to school at your earliest convenience.
Lastly, welcome back to school. I trust 2024 will be as productive as 2023, again full of great learning, wonderful achievements, positive friendships, and a whole load of fun.
God Bless.
Linda
Nude Food Tuesdays
Nude Food Tuesdays are back for 2024! Last year many students proudly came to school with Nude Food every Tuesday. This year our goal is to reach 80% participation!
What is Nude Food?
Nude Food is simply food that is not wrapped in foil, plastic or commercial packaging.
You will need:
Reusable containers for putting all of your food, snacks and drinks into.
Lunch boxes that have lots of separate sections can be useful to avoid lost lids or containers.
Try to avoid:
• Plastic bags, plastic wrap or aluminium foil
• Packed drinks, single serve yoghurts and cheese
• Single use plastic forks and spoons
• Prepackaged food, i.e. biscuits, snack bars and chips
Music Instrumental lessons 2024
Piano/keyboard, flute vocal and saxophone lessons are offered though George & Angela (music tutors who visit the school). These are private lessons primarily given during school hours (fees apply)
Both tutors are highly experienced, qualified and approved to teach. They are eager to receive inquiries from parents for Term 1 2024.
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