July 8- College update on COVID-19

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians of St Patrick’s College,

This week’s announcement from the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, regarding the return of restrictions for the residents of greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire highlights that COVID-19 remains a significant health concern for all of us and that as community we have a shared and ongoing responsibility to ensure that we are all following the prescribed guidelines regarding hygiene and personal health.

Please note that the changes specific to the extension of the Term 2 break, the return of Years 11 and 12 students and a possible return to remote learning for Years 7-10 noted in these announcements do not apply to schools in regional and rural Victoria and we are looking forward to welcoming back all students and staff for the commencement of Term 3 classes on Monday, July 13.

As we have done throughout 2020, St Patrick’s will continue to closely monitor the issues and events relating to COVID-19 and is ready to respond appropriately to any Federal or State Government advice through the Chief Health Officer.

The school’s hygiene protocols are now well-established – our rigorous cleaning program continued throughout the term break and we have ensured that our easily accessible supply of hand sanitisers provided in all classrooms are ready for use. We expect students and staff to continue to comply with our stringent hygiene practices, implementing appropriate social distancing practices whenever possible and staying home if unwell.

We expect all students to arrive for classes as normal next Monday in full winter uniform, clean shaven and with appropriate hair styles. Note that all hair longer than the collar must be tied up neatly. The College will also be rigorously enforcing expected behavioural standards.

This letter also updates and details several key changes which have been brought about due to the ongoing pandemic. Please read through this information carefully, taking particular note of changes which may affect your son.

 Semester One reports:

The End of Semester One 2020 Statement of Attainment reports will be available via the Parent Access Module (PAM) from 4:00pm on Friday, July 31. PAM also provides access to the Student Assessment area which allows parents and guardians to view and download Mid-Semester and End of Semester reports for this and previous years.

 Term 3 Parent/Student/Teacher interviews:

Parent/Student/Teacher interviews have been rescheduled to take place in Week 6 of Term 3. Parents will be able to book online interviews with their son’s teachers for times on Tuesday, August 18, Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20. Bookings will open through PAM from Thursday, July 30 and further details will be communicated closer to this date. A reminder too that Monday, August 17 remains as a student-free day.

Camps/Excursions:

The Year 9 Melbourne Experience, scheduled for July 20 – 24 and the Year 8 camps, scheduled for August 10 -14 have both been cancelled.

At this stage, the only camps/excursions which may proceed in Term 3 are those where assessments are directly related to the data/experiences collected on the excursion, such as in subjects like Outdoor Education and Environmental Science.

2021 subject selection information nights:

Due to the pandemic, all scheduled parent and student 2021 subject selection information nights have been moved to an online environment. Further details around access to these resources will be communicated.

 BAS Sport:

At this stage, Term 3 BAS Sport will proceed as outlined in the schedule below:

 

	Sport	Commencing	Time	Day
T2	1st XVIII Football	22/6, 29/7, 3/8 (TBC)	3pm	Wednesday
	Inter Basketball	commencing W3 29/7 – 7 weeks	4pm	Wednesday
	Junior Basketball	commencing W3 28/7 – 7 weeks	4pm	Tuesday
	Junior Soccer	commencing W3 30/7 – 7 weeks	4pm	Thursday
	Squash/Racquetball	commencing W3 30/7 – 7 weeks	4pm	Thursday
	1st XI Hockey	commencing W5 11/8 – 5 weeks	4pm	Tuesday
	Table Tennis	commencing W5 11/8 – 5 weeks	4pm	Tuesday
	1st XI Soccer	commencing W5 12/8 – 5 weeks	4pm	Wednesday
	Senior Basketball	commencing W5 13/8 – 5 weeks	4pm	Thursday
T2	A Grade Badminton	One day event – WK 5 10/08	10am – 3pm	Monday
T2	Badminton Singles	One day event – WK 5 10/08	10am – 3pm	Monday
	BAS Road Relays	W6 – Thursday August 20	4pm	Thursday
	BAS Cross Country	W7 – Wednesday August 26	1.30pm	Wednesday
	BAS Lap of the Lake	W8 – Tuesday September 1	4pm	Tuesday

Calendar changes:

There will be constant changes to the College calendar as the pandemic continues. Please monitor this closely on the College website and do not rely on the annual printed College calendas which were published in December last year.

In the first two weeks of Term 3, events such as the planned Chris Nolan Academic Assembly, the Boarders’ Family Dinner and Mass and the Music Tour to Sydney have all been cancelled.

Canteen:

The College canteen will continue to operate as it did late last term. Boys can order lunches online through the Ultimate Schools portal or can walk up and pay by card. No cash transactions will be accepted.

Staffing changes:

With each new semester we welcome back some returning staff members and bid others a farewell as they enjoy some extended leave. We also welcome some new staff members to the St Patrick’s College community.

For Term 3, changes are as follows:

• Claud Procaccino will return from his long service in Term 3 and Brendan Dix will conclude his contract. Thanks to Brendan for his efforts over a very strange Term 2. We have already arranged for Brendan to return in mid-Term 3 to cover Brett Earl accessing a period of long service leave.
• Ros Rajki has extended her leave for all of Semester 2 and Shane Armstrong will continue in her role for the rest of the 2020 school year.
• Sarah Kochskamper will return from her maternity leave in Term 3 and Julie Delaney will continue with a part time role for the rest of the 2020 school year.
• Ash Giampaolo will return from her maternity leave in Term 3 and Katelyn Clark will finish up at the College. We thank Katelyn for her efforts over the past 12 months, including in the relatively new Psychology subject.
• Shannon Thompson will return from her maternity leave in Term 3 and Maree Boyle will continue with a part time role for the rest of the 2020 school year.
• Andrew Agardy will be accessing long service leave for Term 3. His teaching will be covered by new staff member, Richard Carroll.
• Art Nicholls will be accessing leave for Semester 2. Art’s role will be covered by Margie Dodd. Margie’s teaching load will be covered by Markus Freiverts.
• The College’s new First Aid Officer, Melissa Geyle, will commence on July 13.

I thank all staff, students and parents for your ongoing support and co-operation during what continues to be a very challenging year. One of our great strengths as a community is the way we work together to assist, support and be present to each other when challenged by issues such as those we are encountering in 2020. This concern for all is a special gift and a true blessing that makes St Patrick’s such a great learning community!

Your sincerely,

Stephen Hill.