WELCOME TO OUR NEW FAMILIES FOR 2021

We extend a very warm welcome to the following 20 new families who have enrolled in St Brigid’s and commenced at the start of the 2021 school year: Watson, Lee, Issa, Rustice-Muller, Merenda, Muco, Cassar, Flynn, Fredricks, Gruber, Iacurto, Lim, Mehle, Morrissey, O'Dwyer, Theodossiadis, Wachala, Warren, Whitton and Young.

Our beautiful Kindergarten class of 2021 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.

DIRECTOR'S VISIT 

Yesterday, the Director of Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong visited our school for the day. It was a wonderful occasion for us to discuss the delivery and execution of our school's annual targeted goals and to consider the learning data. Mr Hill also visited classrooms interacting with the students and he had a most valuable discussion with our Year 6 student leaders. It was a wonderful day to celebrate the great things that happen each day at St Brigid's. 

COVID-19 PROCEDURES STILL IN PLACE

• Parents and carers are not allowed on school sites or at off-site school events held during school hours except for the following purposes only:

  1. Essential parent and carer meetings with teachers and/or school executives with a scheduled appointment.

  2. Parents and carers who attend a school administration building or another defined location for the purpose of picking up their child if they are unwell or where they have been asked to arrange for a COVID-19 test after their child has displayed flu-like symptoms while at school.

  3. Parents and carers who need to be on-site for canteen and uniform shop duties or to collect or purchase uniforms.

  4. Parent or carer volunteers required in educational support roles for activities essential to the delivery of the curriculum such as reading groups, music, dance and kitchen garden areas. Schools are required to have scheduled programs in place and remind parents and carers that they must not attend school unless it has been previously arranged.

  5. Parents and carers can attend parent orientation meetings and ‘meet the teacher’ meetings with school staff for all year/stage groups. Meetings should be limited to 1 hour where possible, with a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place.

• Parents may attend P&F meetings held after school hours with a COVID-19 Safety Plan. Gatherings are limited to 30 people indoors and 50 people outdoors for schools within Greater Sydney and Wollongong.

• Schools may organise outdoor events (e.g. morning teas, BBQs, picnics) for staff, parents/carers and community members with up to 30 people for schools within Greater Sydney and Wollongong or 100 people for schools in other locations.

• Schools should conduct parent/teacher meetings, using Zoom video-conferencing where possible.

• Parents/carers should not be at school or school events without the principal’s permission.

CAR ZONE PROCEDURES FOR COVID-19

We desperately seek your assistance in following the school procedures and traffic rules to ensure the smooth operation of our car zone but even more importantly, for the safety and well being of all our families.

Please do not queue and block the traffic in Vickery Street. You must do a lap of the block or time your arrival when the zone is not so congested. Please do not use technology and be on your phone in the car zone. 

The car zone has a 2 minute limit. As we commence calling names from 2:50pm-3:10pm please do not enter the zone until 2:48pm. Heavy fines can be given as a result of parking in this zone.

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING

We strongly encourage the use of the pedestrian crossing that is located on Gipps Street. This is the government funded crossing for our school which is manned by a trained Crossing Supervisor each morning and afternoon. As the safety of students and families is paramount and given the high volume of traffic on Vickery Street, due to our car zone, and the fact that it is not supervised, it doesn't pose as the safest option for crossing. If you have to cross on Vickery Street, please be mindful of the traffic flow of our car zone so that we are not causing a bank up, which in turn, causes some neighbourhood traffic to illegally cross double lines to overtake. 

RESPIRATORY ILLNESS PROCEDURES - GOOGLE FORM

Your support in ensuring the health and safety of the St Brigid’s Community during this global pandemic is evident in the growing number of students who are either staying home with respiratory illness and/or being tested for COVID-19. We really appreciate your vigilance with this.
 
It is compulsory for us to keep a detailed register of the process from symptoms to medical clearance, and so, it is crucial we know when your child develops symptoms BEFORE they are tested for COVID-19. To make this easier for you to communicate all the information that we need, we have developed a google form that will only take 30 seconds to complete and submit.
 
This google form can be found on the St Brigid’s website, as a link in the Brigid Bulletin and by clicking the link in the COMPASS news-feed.

Students and staff who have undergone testing but HAVE NOT been directed to self-isolate can return to school when: they have received a negative test result AND are not displaying symptoms of illness.

PARENT FORM

Please complete it any day or time of the week, including weekends. The information will automatically come to Ms Uroda and Mrs Sammut.

ST BRIGID'S RESPIRATORY SYMPTOM REPORTING

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (SRC)

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 leadership team. 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 decision-making processes,
• empower students to contribute to a positive school culture and
• strengthen the school community through active participation.

It is with great pleasure that I announce the Semester One Student Representative Council for 2021:

A reminder that the parent/teacher night will be held next week in the School Hall. This is an opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher and hear briefly about the term and year ahead.

Due to the Government’s social distancing restrictions we still remain subject to the 1 person per 4sqm rule. Therefore, we can only accommodate 1 parent per child at these meetings.

On arrival you will need to:

1. Sign in using the QR code

2. Hand sanitise and

3. Wear a face mask (optional)

DAY	GRADE	TIME
Monday 8 February 2021	Year 1 Year 2	5:00pm - 5:45pm 6:15pm - 7:00pm
Tuesday 9 February 2021	Year 5 Year 3	5:00pm - 5:45pm 6:15pm - 7:00pm
Thursday 11 February 2021	Year 4 Year 6	5:00pm - 5:45pm 6:15pm - 7:00pm

 

 

SCHOOL FEES FOR 2021

The Primary Tuition Fee for 2021 will be $1,712 per family (per annum) and the Parish School Enhancement & Debt Servicing Obligation (Parish SEDSO) will be $1,076 per family (per annum). The St Brigid's Resource Fee is $233 per student. The first school fee payment/s are due on 28/2/2021. 

Congratulations to Mrs Benoit, whose precious jewel, unique and blessed arrived on Tuesday 12 January 2021. Axel Jack Benoit was born at 9:54pm, weighing 3.745g and  52cm long.

May Axel be blessed from head to toe with love, joy and health.

May Nichole and Nat, who embark on this beautiful life-changing event, be blessed with all the gifts they need to be loving nurturing parents to little Axel.