Over the last few weeks the expectation on COVID-19 management for schools has changed significantly. It’s important that we keep all parents and carers in our community up to date with these changes.

As schools begin to open back up to their communities there are specific rules that all schools are mandated to follow.  Could I please remind all families that as a school we don’t make the rules and create the mandates, however we are expected to follow what has been put in place by the State Government and the Victorian Chief Health Officer.

Our employer, Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL), as the operator of all Catholic primary and secondary schools within the Diocese of Sale, is required to comply with the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) Directions as issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer (CHO).

Compliance with the Directions requires DOSCEL to take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff, contractors, volunteers or parents attending the school site for extended periods who are unvaccinated, who do not have a valid exception or who choose to not disclose their vaccination status, cannot attend the workplace.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS VISITOR OR VOLUNTEERS PERFORMING WORK IN SCHOOLS

Any visitor or volunteer performing work in schools (including parent helpers and other operators such as school photographers) must have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 29 November 2021 or have a valid medical exception to attend on-site. This is a requirement in accordance with the Directions that are in place.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS OF PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND CARERS AND OTHER VISITORS ATTENDING SCHOOLS

Parents, guardians and carers who enter school buildings must be fully vaccinated or have a valid medical exception with the following limited exceptions:

• when attending to administer medical treatment to their own child when the treatment cannot be administered by the school
• when attending to collect their child who is unwell and cannot leave the school building unaccompanied by their parent/carer
• when attending for a momentary period that does not involve any sustained contact with staff or students, for example, to collect a completed art project or similar.

All adults, including parents, guardians and carers attending any school event or activity including, but not limited to assemblies, tours, graduations, transition days or whole of school events are required to be fully vaccinated and show evidence of vaccination.

Meetings and other discussions (such as Student Support Group meetings) with parents, guardians and carers who do not meet vaccination requirements should be held virtually.

Parents, guardians and carers attending school sites for drop off and pick up who do not enter school buildings do not need to comply with vaccination requirements.

It should be noted that the vaccination requirements are in line with the requirements set by the Department of Education and Training and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria due to the high number of positive COVID-19 cases in schools at this time.

The position taken is in consideration of the safety and well-being of students and members of the community who are unable to be vaccinated. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress these requirements might hold.

It is often assumed that humans turn to panic in our darkest, toughest moments or in states of emergency, but the research consistently shows that during tough or challenging times, people tend to act in solidarity and turn toward each other with a sense of togetherness.  We will volunteer, donate supplies, give money, and spread goodwill, strengthening social bonds and helping everyone be resilient together.

Compassion (noticing another person’s suffering and being motivated to provide relief to them) grows early on in life. Five-month-old babies prefer helpers over hinderers. When babies between eight and ten months old see people bump their knees or hurt their fingers, they already show the seeds of empathy with facial expressions, vocalisations, and gestures that reflect concern and a desire to understand others’ distress. By 14 months old, toddlers help others by handing them objects out of reach.

How can parents help their children realise their instinctual capacity for compassion during the coronavirus pandemic? Scientists have suggested three ways that children develop compassion that are relevant to these times.

1. SHOW COMPASSION TO KIDS SO THEY EXPERIENCE RECEIVING IT

During the pandemic, many of our children are feeling uncertainty and upheaval, just like us parents. They miss school, their friends, and playing sports like they did before. For young children who don’t have the breadth of words to express their worries and fears, or older children who don’t have the emotional agility to get through tough moments, it can be overwhelming.

As a result, our kids may be irritable or have more meltdowns and tantrums than usual. But rather than seeing children as uncooperative, parents can consider whether their behaviour is simply an indication that they might be suffering, too.

If we offer children warmth and tenderness when their routines are turned upside down, we can soothe them in their own time of need. Parents can extend compassion by making space to help their children become better aware of and process their feelings. Acknowledging and being sensitive to our children’s emotions can act as a salve and help them to see that this moment of hardship will eventually pass.

Parents can also frequently talk to their children about all the members of their extended family and broader community who have cared for them both recently and in the past. For example, parents can tell and retell their children stories of neighbours who brought gift baskets after their pet died or dropped off dinners when a grandparent was in the hospital. These conversations serve to remind children that they are connected to a network of people who are a generous source of compassion from which they can draw strength during times of suffering. Receiving compassion offers kids a firsthand experience of what it feels like.

2. TEACH KIDS TO PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

In turn, just as children receive compassion from parents, they can also learn to offer it to themselves.

When children are having a hard time during the pandemic, parents can encourage them to listen and respond to their bodies and minds with greater awareness, acceptance, and kindness. For example, parents of older children can teach them to take self-compassion breaks to handle stressful moments.

For younger children, this might mean guiding them to first pause and notice their tense muscles, rapid heartbeats, and racing thoughts. Ask them to recognise that they’re having a moment of hardship and children all over the world are having these kinds of moments, too. Teach them to breathe deeply from their bellies and offer themselves words of tenderness and support.

Parents can also encourage their younger children to cultivate self-compassion by planning enjoyable activities to look forward to after a hard day of home schooling or after realising various plans and events have been cancelled.

Self-compassion allows children to process and cope with difficult emotions. Eventually, it can help them see their common humanity—that everyone suffers sometimes—and know that it’s all right to feel bad.

Tending to their intense emotions helps children be restored and renewed, which in turn prepares them to serve others. Overwhelming personal distress can make children singularly self-focused and less able to attend to others’ suffering. Self-compassion practices can help them be more able to orient toward others and extend compassion to them—which is the last step.

3. ENCOURAGE KIDS TO EXTEND COMPASSION TO OTHERS

During the coronavirus pandemic, even though children are inclined to help, it can be hard for them to know exactly what they can do.

Children can start with small acts of compassion as a family—sending kind thoughts to essential workers, regularly Face Timing with isolated older or immune compromised family members, or helping gather canned goods for the local food banks. Parents can have a family meeting to help inspire children toward compassionate acts for others.

Research suggests that small differences in language matter when we’re encouraging our kids to help. Parents can nurture young children’s motivation by inviting them to “be a helper,” which can instil in them a compassionate self-identity. But there’s a catch: When tasks are too difficult and children experience a setback, those who were asked to “be a helper” are less likely to try to help again compared to children who were simply asked “to help.” So, in circumstances when children might not succeed at helping with something, it’s better to just ask them “to help.”

Even young children have undoubtedly picked up on their radar that life right now is quite a bit different than it used to be. What if this pandemic became an opportunity for them to learn that being human during hard times involves transformation and resilience, and that compassion helps us all to thrive?

2021 CLASS STRUCTURES

We have finalised our class structures for 2021 school year and they will be as follows:

3 x Foundation

3 x Grade 1’s

3 X Grade 2’s

5 x Grade3/4’s

4 x Grade 5/6’s

It is important that there is a collective understanding by both parents and children that being in the same class with their ‘best friends’ or social acquaintances outside of school is never a given.

Teachers will use their professional judgment on what they see each day within the cohort and more importantly the positive or negative impacts that friendships can have on an individual student learning.

PARENT CLASS REQUESTS FOR 2022 CLOSE THIS FRIDAY

Parents are asked to place any class requests specific to the needs of their child/ren based on the following understandings and guidelines:

• All requests for consideration must be directed in email to principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au no later than Friday 19th November. (requests received after this date will not be implemented)
• The request must be based on individual student needs and not for preferred teachers, friendships groups or social relationships that occur outside of school
• We do not offer any guarantees with parent requests. Factors for consideration will help to inform our process of grouping students – the request via a parent does not guarantee student placement
• Requests from parents will be only considered for the upcoming school year.
• I will meet with and inform all relevant staff of parent input prior to formation of classes

We appreciate the parent input and will do our best to make things work for your child, so long as the request is deemed fair and in line with the guidelines above.

Once groupings have been decided and announced to the school community in mid-December, there will be no changes made to classes as it creates a domino effect across the level.