From the Principal's Desk
WELCOME TO OUR NEW FAMILIES FOR 2020
Our beautiful Kindergarten class of 2020 has settled in magnificently to daily life at St Brigid’s. Thank you to the parents who have been so supportive of our teachers in preparing for this special time. The first day of school is always an exciting time and seeing the Kindergarten students begin their school days is indeed very rewarding for us all.
We extend a very warm welcome to the following 18 new families who have enrolled in St Brigid’s and commenced at the start of the 2020 school year: Black, Curcio, Dobson, Drury, Fiumara, Fyson, Hurrell, James, Jordeski, Kutzner, McPhail, Mortlock, Rajan, Randall, Sharon, Stojanovski, Thommen and Vimal.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
This year we have introduced a Student Representative Council (SRC) consisting of eight students from K-6 who were elected by their peers and teachers to represent their class. The SRC works as an advocate for the needs of the school community, and as a point of contact between the student body and the school. It addresses relevant issues and sets achievable goals which support the school. The SRC aims to:
- develop leadership skills
- provide opportunities for students to create and to implement
- give students a greater voice in the decision-making processes,
- empower students to contribute to a positive school culture and
- strengthen the school community through active participation.
The SRC will have a strong social justice focus, and most of the projects they will undertake share an underlying theme of helping others and promoting equality in the school and the wider community. The SRC meets three times a term with the Year 6 SRC Chair, Hudson S, and a member of the School Leadership Team.
It is with great pleasure that I announce the Semester One Student Representative Council for 2020:
| SRC Chairperson | Hudson S |
| Year 6W | Alina L |
| Year 6G | Devrim T |
| Year 5 | Edwina J |
| Year 4 | Grace D |
| Year 3 | Bailey C |
| Year 2 | Sarah M |
| Year 1 | Ruby G |
| Kindergarten | Semester 2 only |
CLIMBING FOR THE SUN PROJECT - SOLAR IS SWITCHED ON
During January, the much anticipated installation of a 42kW Solar Photo Voltaic System was completed and connected. We have now become the first primary school in the Illawarra to be virtually electricity independent. Thank you once again to Levi Gibson for his amazing effort in Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and of course the St Brigid's community for raising the remaining funds during the colour run. What a magnificent achievement for our small school leading the way in sustainability and making a difference to our planet.
Week 1 - In 10 days we generated 2, 059kW hours of solar energy, equating to $430.00 in savings.
You are invited to attend our combined Catholic Schools Week celebration and Welcome event on Monday 2 March 2020. See the details below. Food can be pre-ordered on QKR! next week.
| TIME | WHAT | DESCRIPTION |
| 4.00pm | Guided Tours of the School | For new families seeking enrolment in 2021 |
| 4.30pm | Open classrooms K-6 | Students share their learning with parents |
| 5.15pm | Liturgy in Hall/Church | Celebrating Catholic Schools week |
| 5.40pm | Family picnic in playground | Pizza van, P & F BBQ, gelato, milkshakes, icee van, coffee van |
Thank you to parents for filling in the reflection sheet this week. A reminder that the parent/teacher night will be held on TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2020 in your child's classroom. This is an opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher, browse the learning space and hear briefly about the term and year ahead.
| Session 1 | 5:15pm - 5:50pm | Kindergarten, Year 3 and Year 4 |
| Session 2 | 5:50pm - 6:25pm | Year 1, Year 2, Year 5, Year 6 |
Following the ‘meet and greet’ sessions, the P&F Annual General Meeting and Term 1 Meeting will be held in the Hall from 6:30pm – 8:00pm. You are very warmly invited to attend.
SCHOOL FEES FOR 2020
The Primary Tuition Fee for 2020 will be $1,678 per family (per annum) and the Parish School Enhancement & Debt Servicing Obligation (Parish SEDSO) will be $1,025 per family (per annum). The St Brigid's Resource Fee is $220 per student.
- For families who pay annually, payment in full is due on 28 February 2020.
- For families that have submitted a Request to Pay by Instalment or who previously had a School Fee Agreement in place, a schedule of the required payments and the due dates will be issued with school fee statements. The first instalment payment will be due on 28 February 2020. Parents may commence payments earlier if they wish, however, it is important that any existing regular payment is equal to the instalment amount provided on the schedule and that payment is made on or before the due dates on the schedule. Reference should be made to the Request to Pay by Instalments on the school’s website for conditions relating to payment in this manner.
- For families who have a Fee Concession in place, you will be contacted prior to your review date to complete annual documentation and arrange an interview with the Principal. If you have a current payment plan in place, and you are unable to increase your payments to meet your 2020 school fees, you may continue to make these payments until your next review date.
- Parents should be aware that our new accounting system will send automatic reminders for overdue payments.
The following documents are available on our St Brigid's website for the information of families:
- Diocesan School Fee Management Policy
- Diocesan Frequently Asked Questions
- Diocesan Request to Pay by Instalments
- Information regarding school Fees
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AT ST BRIGID'S
At St Brigid’s, our Bring Your Own Designated Device (BYODD) is the iPad. The iPad was introduced to support and transform a student’s learning opportunities and experiences. No other ICT device is permitted to be brought to school, worn or used by students, especially any item that has the capability for communication e.g. Smart watch and smart phone. If a fitbit is worn, it must be a simple type that cannot be connected to the WiFi or connected via Bluetooth to access data.
If students travel to and from school by themselves and require a phone for safety, it is recommended to purchase a phone that will only call and text and does not access data. If a parent deems it necessary for their child to bring a phone to school then it is an expectation that it is turned off and handed into the office upon arrival. It will be locked away until the conclusion of the school day.
The leadership team are currently updating policies that are due for review and these will be available on the school website over the coming weeks.
UNIFORM and SUN SMART POLICIES
Please ensure that you are familiar with and support the school to ensure that both these policies are implemented correctly. They can be found on the school website:
https://www.sbgdow.catholic.edu.au/parents/policies-procedures-forms/
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR TERM 1
| 11/2 | Parents Meet the Teacher | From 5:15pm |
| 11/2 | P&F AGM | 6:30pm - 8:00pm |
| 13/2 | Commencement Mass | 9:30am |
| 24/2 | Swimming Carnival | 8:45am |
| 25/2 | School Photos | All day |
| 26/2 | Ash Wednesday Mass | 10:00am |
| 2/3 | Welcome Event for CSW | From 4:00pm |
| 6/3 | Cathedral Car Parking | 6:00pm |
| 15/3 | Cathedral Car Parking | 3:30pm |
| 20/3 | Project Compassion Fundraiser | All day |
| 25/3 | PP meetings with parents | Appointment times |
| 3/4 | Pupil Free Day - staff retreat | All day |
| 9/4 | Cross Country Carnival | From 9:30am |
| 9/4 | School term ends | 3:10pm |
| 27/4 | School commences for Term 2 | All day |
2020 SAVE THE DATE
| 14 August | P&F Trivia Night from 7:00pm |
| 15 - 16 October | Year 5 and 6 excursion to Canberra |
| 10 December | End of year Christmas concert in the playground from 5:30pm |
| 15 December | Year 6 Graduation Mass/ luncheon/prize giving/ringing of bell from 11:30am |