Good Afternoon Parents 

We are so incredibly excited to be welcoming back all of our St Thomas students on Wednesday 3rd November.  We thank you so very much for your support of remote learning and following the many guidelines for on and offsite attendance.  

The children have returned to find a new addition to the playground, external painting, the set up of the church building site and we wait in anticipation for the poles and cover to be erected on the basketball courts in the next two to three weeks. 

As the children come back to learning at school, our teaching staff will focus on creating learning experiences that are heavily based on the social emotional learning capabilities area of the curriculum.  We believe it is vital to focus on the students’ wellbeing and this will be done through sharing stories and responses, team based activities, daily revision of expectations of students and teachers in learning environments, circle time together with Maths and English learning based on team collaboration.  

The teaching staff will work consistently from week 7 on creating a full learning profile of each student so as to set them up for success with their future learning.  Classroom teachers will begin 2022 knowing exactly where each student is at in literacy and numeracy. 

If your child/ren need to isolate as directed by the Department of Health, please email the principal Mrs Kate Dourley on principal@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au with this information. She will pass on relevant information to teachers so that learning at home can be supported and your child/ren can continue to have regular contact with their teacher. Should a medical or other exemption be sought, please also email Kate. 

If you choose to keep your child at home without an exemption, please email Kate and let her know of your intention.  Please note that parents choosing to keep their children at home without an official exemption, will have limited work supplied by the school. 

Finally, our specialist and classroom teachers are working together to provide some fun experiences for the children in the coming weeks.  Our specialist team is looking into a Japanese themed week complete with fan creation, sushi and more. Kaboom has been booked and the possibility of a local covidsafe excursion is on the horizon.

Please continue to keep your child/rens class teacher up to date if there are any changes to your circumstances over the next couple of months, and we continue to pray for and with each and every one of you. 

Regards

Treasa Barwick

Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching