Dear Parents/Carers,

This has been a challenging week for the Brisbane community where we have all been reminded that Queensland is not protected from the effects of this pandemic.  We celebrate Book Week today and watching staff and students smile at all the wonderful costumes, helps everything feel semi-normal even if we are without our costume parade and the fantastic support of our parent community. It was lovely to see our Year 6 “fairies” greeting children on Hamilton Road this morning so that parents dropping off or driving past could join in some of the excitement. We will share some photos in this newsletter and in the recorded assembly of this happy day where all year levels will have the chance to celebrate books.

It is therefore with a heavy heart that in the light of recent circumstances, I have had to make the decision to not allow parent participation at the upcoming Cross Country and Athletics Carnivals.  By placing these events late in the term, it was my hope that restrictions would continue to ease. I have looked at the “COVID Safe Event Checklists” every which way, however, it seems that recent events will not allow me to guarantee a safe event for everyone.  We intend to take photographs and video footage of the day to share with you all and the staff are sad you can’t all be there to share the day with us, as we rely and value the parent assistance and support offered at these carnivals.  Mr Heidrich will share the program so you can encourage and discuss the events with your children before and after the event.

Facilities
Next week Year 6 teachers will start packing boxes ready for their move out of their block ready for its refurbishment which commences at the beginning of Week 9. The building will be completed two weeks after the school holidays. The roof of the Year 5 building will commence in Week 9 also and will be completed by the start of the school holidays in time for the roof of the Office building to commence. We are fortunate that we have classrooms and other excellent teaching spaces to move to whilst this important work is taking place.


UPCOMING EVENTS

• On Friday and Saturday of this week the leadership team will be joining other Brisbane North Schools at the QASSP Strategic Planning and Collaboration Event. These two days provide the leadership time to look at the strategic direction of the school so far this year and projecting into next year as well as the opportunity to look at staffing and resources. A number of joint projects with other schools come out of this event as well as the sharing of ideas across our common priorities. There will be Delegated Officers in Charge who will operate the school in the absence of the leadership team.
• Prep Experience Days will take place in the last couple of weeks of this term where Prep students in very small groups will have the opportunity to spend time in a Prep classroom in preparation for their start to school in 2020.  We intend to hold more events in Term 4 ensuring we can ensure these are COVID-safe.  At this stage, it looks like we will have 4 Prep classes for 2021.
  
  
• A focus for the remaining weeks of the term will be year level planning for Term 4 units and ensuring that consistent grading of year level tasks occurs through teachers meeting to moderate them.
  
  
• A reminder that Friday September 4 is a Student-Free Day. Parents will need to make alternative arrangements for the care of their children that day.

Have a good week and take care of you and yours at this difficult time,

Kathy