Our Lady of Grace Newsletter No images? Click here When we aren't sure, God, help us be calm; when information comes from all sides, correct and not, help us to discern; when fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the order of the day, slow us down, God; TERM 1 WEEK 8 - 25 MARCH 2020 PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGEDear Parents, The Two Great Commandments; Love your God with all your heart and your mind, love your neighbour as yourself, should guide our actions, emotions and thoughts in these complex times. Pray daily and in the great tradition of our Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth – find God in the everyday. Finding God in the everyday is a good antidote to the tide of information swamping us out at the moment – Where is God in your day? I remain grateful and inspired by the students and staff at Our Lady of Grace. At the gate each day I see confident, happy children finding their way to organized, bright and safe classrooms. For our families who are in essential services and who choose to send their children to school we are open and our normal quality school program continues. I am also grateful and respectful of those parents who have made the decision to keep their children at home either for 14 days initially or indefinitely. Parents who have chosen to keep their children at home to reduce exposure or because of the current COVID-19 situation will be supported by provision of 2 weeks worth of school work, reading books and materials. · You must inform the school of your child’s absence and reason for absence in writing admin@olg.wa.edu.au If a child is unwell (symptoms other than COVID-19) normal absence processes occur and your child can return to school when they are well; · For children who have vomited or have diarrhea they MUST remain away from school for 24 hours after the last event. We are indeed fortunate to have talented staff who have been working very hard to continue our education of children should we be asked to close. If in the case of school closure we are going to move to online learning; · Our Pre Kindergarten children will be provided with a take home pack with many materials to help keep little fingers and minds busy. In preparation for possible school closure Our Lady of Grace School has developed the A.C.E Model. I am very grateful for Mrs Lloyd’s leadership in this work. A.C.E. YOUR DAY THE OLG WAY! is a suggested timetable for home learning. If we are instructed to close our school, Kindy - Year 3 students will also be able to “A.C.E. their day the OLG Way” and a suggested flexible day timeline will be adapted to suit early years. · Parents have full capacity to organise the day the way that suits their family Thank you for your trust and support as we navigate these uncertain times. We are fortunate to have parents who have provided great feedback about our processes so far and who have expressed concern for the wellbeing of all children and our staff. We are also very fortunate to have an Archbishop, the Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, who cares for us as the leader of the Perth Archdiocese. I have attached Archbishop Costelloe’s letter for you to read. Another we are conscious of caring for our Catholic Education family, is in the area of fee assistance. Please find attached a letter from the Executive Director of Catholic Education Dr Debra Sayce addressing this. God Bless, Gabrielle Doyle Merit Award Winners Congratulations to those who received a merit award at last week's assembly. Reachout The Our Lady of Grace Reachout program operates with the support of the P&F and offers short-term emergency help to families in need within our school community. This help may range from providing meals - the school operates a ‘casserole bank’ - to assisting with cleaning, lifts to school and babysitting. To volunteer, simply download the Commitment Form. You may be asked to provide a meal or cake once a term, home help - transport assistance is only rarely required. Scholastic Book Club - LOOP This payment platform is easy to navigate, and your order will be directly linked to the school when you pay via credit card. It is also available as an app. Thank you for your support! Uniform Shop PLEASE NOTE - The Uniform Shop will be open on Thursday, 9 April from 8.15-9.15am (last day of Term 1). It will not be open during the school holidays. Masses and Sacraments Please note parents of children in Sacramental Years 3, 4 and 6 ALL Sacramental programs have been delayed. I met with Father Hyigenus and the Parish Sacramental Co-ordinator, Clare Broad, this morning to discuss action required. We fully support the Archdiocese’ action and will be ready to restart and implement the Sacramental workshops, programs and retreats once we have instruction from Archbishop Costelloe. Parish Centre The Parish Centre opening times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am-1pm. Tuesday and Thursday Canteen - CLOSED As of week 8, the Canteen will be closed on Tuesday and Thursday's ONLY, for the remainder of Term 1. Lunch and recess orders are still available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please find attached the 2020 canteen menu and Term 1 Roster. Ordering is available via https://quickcliq.com.au/ We acknowledge the original custodians of this land, the Nyungar people, and show our respect for their ancestors and traditions. Our Lady of Grace School |