From the Principal's Desk
END OF TERM LETTER
As we come to the end of Term 1, the Director of Schools and I thought it appropriate to take a moment to reflect on what has been one of the most extraordinary and challenging periods in the history of Australian education.
We wish to support you and your family as we commence this school holiday period, clear about what has happened to date and what you can expect when we return in Term 2. With that goal in mind, this letter includes:
- A summary of how Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) has responded to COVID-19
- A reminder of the support available to you and your child
- An outline of what to expect over the holidays and in Term 2
Parents and carers can register for one of these remote access devices by calling the Parent Internet Device Enquiry Line on 1800 512 370 during the registration period (9–23 April 2020).
Operators will ask a range of questions about the students in the home, what devices they have access to and what internet access you have. Parents and carers will be able to opt out of the call at any time. At the end of the call, the operator will explain what will happen next. The information collected will only be used to assess the needs of each family who registers to ensure the appropriate allocation of modems.
If the line is busy or the call is out of hours please leave a message with your contact details. This will be forwarded automatically to the service desk system and logged.
By registering to access a device, parents and carers accept that one of the solutions we are providing includes small modems that contain internet sim cards. These devices WILL NOT be filtered, which means students using them will have the same access to the internet as a typical home internet connection. As a result, monitoring students’ internet use by parents and carers is essential.
During the registration period (9–23 April 2020) we will be collecting information to determine the support needs of families who apply. In the following week, a group of senior leaders will assess the responses and determine what support we can provide to which families. Parents and carers will receive an email during the week of 27 April 2020 informing them of the outcome.
| LINES OPEN |
Thursday 9 April 2020 at 09:00am
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| LINES CLOSE |
Thursday 23 April 2020 at 17:00pm
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| DECISION ANNOUNCED AND MODEMS SHIPPED |
Week of 27 April 2020
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COVID-19 CEDoW INFORMATION CENTRE
| STUDENTS COMMENCE TERM 2 IN SUMMER UNIFORM. WINTER UNIFORM WILL BE WORN FROM WEEK 4, 18 MAY 2020 |
up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it, because not talking about something can actually make young people more anxious. As a psychologist I'd encourage parents to use the conversation as an opportunity to convey the facts, with simple messages, all the while setting a positive, optimistic emotional tone. Parents should be purveyors of hope. The 6 main points to make are:
1. Reassure your child this is a virus not the plague, the fact is that most people only get a mild illness and fully recover within a few weeks
2. Remind them that children very rarely get sick and when they do it is usually just like a cold.
3. Describe what the main symptoms are and encourage them to let you know if they feel unwell.
4. Reassure them that their pets are not affected.
5. Tell them that we all have to change our behaviours, wash our hands more, practice not touching our face as much, learn coughing etiquette, and a foot tap instead of handshake.
6. Let them know about all the scientists across the world who are working together to find vaccines and treatments. If they are concerned about grandparents or others, validate this as a sign of how caring and loving they are and focus on positive messages about the medical care and support available.
