Dear Families,

How quickly time flies.  It seems only a short time ago we were wondering what this term would like look, then we worked through the hybrid return to school before this week we move into all students returning onsite.  Life always moves so fast and although most of us are pleading to put 2021 behind us, it really is important to take time to smell the roses and enjoy the present.  Out teachers are working feverishly to get our student back on track, both collectively in this classrooms groups but also individually as we drive learning.  Remote Learning has required staff to be adaptable but now the race to Christmas gives them the opportunity in their natural habitat to make have significant impact with all our children.

Aligned to school success is attendance.  We have noticed the growing trend of students being away for a variety of reasons including being proactive around isolating due to potential exposures.  I read of different settings, mainly schools and childcare centres, locally that have had to have various forms of closures due to positive COVID cases.  With the high likelihood that this will either happen to our school or individual families it it critical that attendance rates are maximised.  Related to this is the need for the students to be active when they are in the remote learning phase.  We have found that the students who engage with their teacher and peers online benefit both from an academic and well-being perspective, which is enabling them to be far more successful in regaining momentum as return to face-to-face learning.  Alongside attendance in being a key ingredient to success is also simple things like having a good night's sleep, nutritious lunch and wearing the correct uniform.  Well done must go to all those students who have so quickly got their school mojo back.

SCHOOL CLOSURE ADVICE: If the school is deemed to be an exposure site we will be heavily directed by the various government agencies.  If you have seen the notices from the local schools that have been shutdown you would have noticed that the letter is a template with the same directions.  This have generally occurred overnight which has the potential to catch families by surprise.  A strategy we have planned for is to have the main car park gates closed to indicate an enforced closure, the same process that occurred on the morning of the storm/floods.  Please note that the school's Facebook page will not be the forum for any communication apart from replicating the initial alert to direct families to the authorised school platforms (Schoolzine and PAM).

Yesterday the Church celebrated the Feast day of St.Luke.  Luke is known as one of the Gospel writers as well as having a medical background which has seen him recorded as the Patron Saint of Physicians and Surgeons.  In the current challenges of the pandemic let us offer our prayers to all those men and women across our health system who are contributing to the well-being of our community.  I offer our best wishes and thanks to those parents in our Lumen Christi family who are currently working in this field.

With the changed settings hopefully comes more opportunities to conduct events that have been restricted. Please keep on eye on our school communications as we bring different things back into operation.

Have a great week, Dave