From the Assistant Principal

Principal’s Assembly

Last week we celebrated our first Principal’s Assembly for Term 2, which was a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together. I would like to commend our Year 12 Student Leaders for their organisation and leadership of the assembly.  

The College community was privileged to performances by two of our many talented musicians: Ava Sidoti and Annabel Femia. Their performances demonstrated the special gifts that they so willingly shared with the community. I thank Ava and Annabel for their courage and willingness to share their gifts and encourage all students to take part in the College opportunities that are presented so that they too can share their gifts with others.

College Winter Uniform

COMPASS Student Card

It is a College expectation that all students have their COMPASS Sudent ID Card with them everyday. The card is used in particular for students to tap in and out of the College for late arrival or early departure. I ask for the support of parents in ensuring that your daughter/s have this with them every day.  If students have misplaced or lost their card it is a requirement that the card is replaced. Please see below for how to order a new card online.

School Buses

It is imperative that students at the College are using their OPAL Cards when using buses to travel to and from school. Current statistics of bus usage by the students are not representative of the numbers of students relying on buses for transport to and from schools and there is a significant shortfall in the statistics.

The statistics that are gathered do have a significant impact on the number of bus services that are provided to the College and we need to be sure that students are using the OPAL Cards if we are to maintain the number of bus services allocated to the College at this stage and to increase the number.

I ask all parents and carers to talk with their daughters about this important issue. Should you have any concerns related to the travel of your daughters on the buses, I welcome the feedback. Added to this, I ask that you, too, contact the Bus Depot as well to raise your concerns with them.

COVID Update

Can household contacts return to school?

Students who are close contacts and have no symptoms may continue to attend school if they follow guidelines agreed with NSW Health. 

Close/household contacts attending school will need to adhere to the following in addition to the NSW Health guidelines:

• You must notify the school if they are intending to return under this provision via mscw-attendance@syd.catholic.edu.au 
• Conduct a daily RAT and return a negative result each morning before attending school for five (5) school days
• They must wear a mask indoors except when eating or exercising
• No student identified as a close contact will be permitted to participate in overnight excursions, including school camps

If your daughter is COVID-positive, she is not to return to school until she has completed their full seven days of isolation. The medical clearance letter received from NSW Health when a case is reported via the Service NSW app or if the PCR test is positive indicates the isolation period dates. Students can return the day after the end date for the isolation period and no sooner, as long as they are not presenting with symptoms.  

Please send through medical clearance letter received from NSW Health to mscw-attendance@syd.catholic.edu.au 

Travelling to and from school – Masks

I ask for your support as a parent/carer in ensuring that your daughter/s are wearing masks on public transport, which includes the bus and ferry. Please see the communication from the School Liaison Police Officer for the Ryde Area that was sent to all schools in the area: The current Public Health Orders regarding face coverings for students aged 12 years and older are required to adhere to this legislation.

 COVID-19 MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS

Public Health Act 2010

The Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order 2021 was amended commencing 29 January 2021.

A fitted face covering is a mask or other covering that fits securely around the face and is designed or made to be worn over the nose and mouth to provide the wearer with protection against infection. A scarf is not a fitted face covering.

Requirement to wear a fitted face covering

Public transport

A person in Greater Sydney must wear a fitted face covering at all times when:

(a) at a public transport waiting area, or

(b) when the person is in a vehicle, train or vessel that is being used to provide a public transport service and the vehicle, train or vessel is carrying passengers or is in service and available to carry passengers.

Public transport service includes a taxi service, rideshare service and community transport service. A public transport waiting area is a station, including the platform of a passenger railway station or light rail station/stop, a ferry wharf, a bus stop or taxi rank.

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #2, #6 & #8