Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to all our staff, students and families. Term 4 will be a busy term, especially more so as the students ease their way back to school to face to face learning. This week we welcome back to St Bede’s Miss Jessie Callan and Mrs Taureta Gwinn. Jessie did her teaching practicum last year in Year 6 and will be working as relief and Taureta is returning from maternity leave and will also be doing relief when required. At this stage, we will continue to be operating with remote/online learning. St Bede’s will continue to remain open for children of essential workers and parents and carers who are unable to provide supervision for their children at home.

The children who are attending school may wear their winter uniform until the end of next week. Please remember to ensure each child also has their hat. Remote learning packs for Week 2, will be available for collection from St Bede’s on Friday, October 8 from 10 am to 3pm. They will be left inside the school gate for ease of collection.

At this stage we will be operating in a remote/online learning mode until the staggered plan to return to face-to-face learning comes into effect on Monday 18 October, as advised in recent communication to all parents. There will be many requirements in place for the students and changes to drop off and pick up arrangements but we will inform you as we edge closer to return. Parents, please remember to check your emails and/or FaceBook regularly in case there are any changes. Buses are operating as usual.
The plan is for students to return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health approved COVID safe settings on school sites in the following order:

• From 18 October – Kindergarten and Year 1
• From 25 October – Year 2 and Year 6
• From 1 November – Year 3, 4 and Year 5

Next week selected Years 3 to 6 students will participate in the Northern Region Public Speaking Competition. This will be conducted remotely. A special thank you to Ged Galvin for his organisation and we wish all our students participating the very best of luck.

A very big thank you to Cherie and Colin Kilburn, Richard Bunn, Shaye Cooper, Johanna Barling and Noah Rix. They recently arranged for the little stream on the playground to be completed with cement and stones. It looks fantastic along with the mosaic pavers and plants. The children will get a lovely surprise when they return. A special extra shout out to Richard Bunn. He does an amazing job with the mowing. The playground looks pristine.

Congratulations to Willy and Nabila Bernardoff on the recent birth of their baby Forrest. He is a brother for Winston in Kinder. We look forward to meeting Forrest soon!

Please continue to keep in your prayers all those communities that have been adversely affected by this recent COVID outbreak. We pray that all in our Braidwood community stay safe and well.

God Bless
Marylou Gorham
Principal