Community Council Meeting Wrap Up

The Community Council met via zoom for its open meeting on Wednesday 28 October. Thank you to those that zoomed in, it was great to hear from other members of the school community.

We are flushed with excitement to announce the contract for our new toilets is in the process of being signed off. Work is scheduled to commence this month with a projected finish date of March 2021.

We are also pleased to announce the 2020 Year 6 Graduation Mass has been approved to go ahead with children and their parents able to attend. The mass will be followed by an award presentation in the church and a COVID safe celebratory cake. We are currently exploring options to livestream the event. Further information will be provided closer to the time.

The Term 4 Boys and Girls wellbeing Program has commenced. This exciting program, funded by the UNICEF grant program, is being implemented across Years 3-6. Ideas and funding to further expand outdoor play opportunities continue to be explored. 

In Parish news, a review of Sacraments programs is being undertaken. Come and See workshops are introducing people to the basics of Catholic Faith and Tradition. A proposal for a Youth worker, to be employed by the parish and to work in the school, is being explored. Outdoor Christmas Masses will be conducted in Bega and on Tathra headland this year. The parish has received a grant from Bega Valley Shire Council for $250 for heritage work and Father Luke will attend an upcoming Parish Pastoral Council meeting, focusing on initiatives.

A recommendation to call for Expressions of Interest for parent class contacts, before the end of Term 4, was supported. With the intent to begin the role as restrictions further ease in 2021.

Celebrations of Learning during 2020 have looked very different to previous years. Community Council explored meaningful ways to share children’s successes with families. A suggestion was for children to support other students’ success by taking photographs with class iPads of learning in action. Teachers can then approve and share snapshots with families via Seesaw. Other ideas included printing hard copies of the photographs and sending home, creating a short video as well as sharing students’ learning outcomes. A parent survey will be prepared to seek feedback.

Class Teachers will also be supporting students to produce either a major piece of work to take home in week 6 or progressive pieces throughout Term 4. A parent survey will be sent out in week 7 seeking feedback of these approaches.

By now families should have received their free Dance Concert DVD. We hope you will enjoy sharing this exciting celebration of your children with family and friends. Over, and over, and over!

Given the social distancing restrictions between staff and parents, a suggestion to introduce new staff to families via seesaw or the newsletter was discussed. Keep an eye out!

Also, you will have seen a survey circulating recently to gauge parent interest for external educational webinar support. Please take the time to complete the survey.

The Community Council endorsed a 3% fee increase for 2021. We recognise CE has offered many St Pat’s families fee relief this year to support them in response to bushfires and COVID. Also noting, in 2019 there was no raise in resource fees.

The next Community Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 2^nd December and will be our last for 2020. We are here to help so please reach out if we can support you in any way. Take care.

The Community Council Team

Kat, Donna, Antoinette, Wendy, Sarah, Tamara, Carmen, Jo, Caz & Fr Luke