From the Assistant Principal

Over the last couple of weeks, students have been involved in various College initiatives that have demonstrated all dimensions of the Marist Compass. I am extremely proud of all involved and continue to encourage every student to take part in these offerings at the College. Please take the time to view some of the photos from these teacher driven opportunities.

Year 12 Hospitality 

3-course lunch for 20 people

Chess Club

Friday games

Debating

Friday debates

Feeling unwell at school

With the winter season approaching, it is important that students are following the College process if they are feeling unwell. If a student is feeling unwell at school, they are to:

• seek permission from their classroom teacher to attend the Student Administration Office.
• The staff in the office will then make contact with parents to come and collect their daughter.

Students should not be texting, calling or making arrangements for collection from the College with their parents prior to presenting to sick bay.

Unfortunately there have been a number of students who have not followed the above process, and parents are arriving at the College to collect their daughter/s before they are presenting to sick bay and prior to contact being made by office staff. I ask for parents support on enforcing this process with you daughter/s.

College Winter Uniform

COMPASS Student Card

It is a College expectation that all students have their COMPASS Student ID Card with them every day. 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 everyday. If students have misplaced or lost their Student ID 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 the College 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:

• 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
• 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 they are not to  return to school until they have completed their full seven days 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 nor presenting with symptoms.  

Please send through the 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 below communication for the School Liaison Police Officer for the Ryde Area, which 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