Dear Community,

Welcome back!

It was nice to see the student's smiling faces walk through the gates on Tuesday morning. I hope that students had a nice break and that you and your family were able to spend some quality time together. My family and I spent some time in Orange and Bathurst in the first week of the holidays. The second week was spent between home and school. 

As we enter another school term, we are again faced with ongoing challenges surrounding COVID. I will continue to keep the lines of communication open with you, when new information arises. 

In case you missed my email on Tuesday, here is the information that was contained in it. 

COVID Update:

• Now that COVID is starting to re-appear in some areas of the country, we have been sent some guidelines that we need to follow here at St Anne’s. We appreciate your support in advance and apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause you.
  • Schools continue to be safe and operations are in line with AHPPC and NSW Health guidelines. Schools continue to monitor and plan for any changes in local circumstances.
  • All students should be learning on-campus unless they are unwell.
  • Non-essential visitors are not to enter school grounds.
  • Parents must physically distance themselves from one another and staff at pick-up and drop-off. Unfortunately, we also request that you do not enter school grounds at pick-up or drop-off times.
  • If you need to enter school grounds, you must attend the front office and sign a “Visitors to School Site Form”. This applies to anyone helping out at the canteen as well.
  • No excursions.

Parent/Teacher/Student Meetings

• We apologise, but due to the updated restrictions, we will not be holding face-to-face meetings with you next week. However, we will be calling you at the time you requested.
  • Most staff will need to use their personal phones to call you and therefore we kindly ask that you answer the call if it displays the “no caller id” message.
  • Please be close to your phone at the booked time.
  • We would like your child to be present during the phone call as well.
  • If you miss the phone call, your child’s teacher will attempt to call you again. Please do not call the school office as the teachers will be in different parts of the school on other phone calls.

Showcase

• Unfortunately, we will not be able to run showcase this year. This decision was not made lightly and I am sure that it will be received with disappointment.
  • The current and foreseeable restrictions do not permit us to congregate in such a large number or organise such events.
  • As you can appreciate, showcase requires a term of preparation and we are not able to predict what the COVID restrictions will be like.  
  • We have thought about alternative methods of conducting Showcase, but we continue to hit hurdles.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast Day of Saints Anne & Saints Joachim.

Dearest Saints Joachim and Anne,
Pray that our families may grow in holiness and that our homes may become grace filled sanctuaries of love.
By your powerful intercession, protect and guide all grandparents that they may be great examples of faith.
In these current times of pandemic, Lord, please protect our Church, take care of our families, our parishioners and those who are sick.
Lord, we commend to you all those who are dear to us, especially at this time our parents and grandparents.
Amen.

Take care,

Grant