What an amazing end to a challenging first half of the year we have had! It is hard to believe that Friday will mark the midpoint for the school year.

Last week, the school was treated to a visit by Tara Cheyne MLA. Tara wanted to meet the students and thank the staff for all of their efforts, particularly during remote learning. She was impressed by the way all members of staff were able to quickly adopt new methods of teaching to deliver lessons into students’ lounge rooms. Staff spoke about the challenges they encountered as they had to quickly adapt to a changing educational landscape while all the while looking for ways to maintain a connection with their students. Tara was very interested to hear about our Zoom/Teams lessons and Zoom assemblies as a way of maintaining this connection.

During this visit, I was able to talk to Tara about how our parent community continued to be involved with the school despite not being able to come into the building and how the staff were overwhelmed with the gratitude expressed by so many of you during this challenging time. We spoke about the way our community, like many across Australia, took the challenges presented by COVID in their stride and just got on with the job as best we all could. We recognised that it was a difficult time for many families who not only had to adapt to remote learning, but to remote work as well, and juggling the competing demands on parents’ time, not to mention the home Wi-Fi!

Last week, I sent out a letter to the community, outlining what the easing of restrictions will mean for us at St Thomas Aquinas.From beginning of Term 3 - subject to government advice:

• Parents/teacher interviews can occur face-to-face, however all adults must adhere to appropriate social distancing and must sign in via the front office
• Parent information evenings can occur in line with government advice around numbers of adults in a given space. All those who attend must sign in
• Volunteers are welcome to begin volunteering at the school once again
• Children will begin to attend the Parish Mass as a grade
• Excursions are able to occur
• Incursions are able to occur
• Pick-up procedures will return to pre-COVID processes, however adults must maintain appropriate social distancing and will not be allowed to enter the school building (unless they have a meeting booked or have made prior arrangements with the school, in which case you must sign in at the front office)
• Student assemblies can occur, however at this stage parents will not be able to attend due to the school technically exceeding number restrictions with students and staff
• School discos can occur with modifications to current procedures so as to adhere to government restrictions

The easing of restrictions also means that many of us can travel over the school holidays. If you are travelling over this break, I wish you a safe journey.

I look forward to seeing you all again for hopefully a less socially restricted second semester.

God Bless