Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to term 2 of 2022

I am sure we all agree that we hope this term is a ‘smoother ride’ as we enjoy all the special events, co-curricular events and the day-to-day learning programs prepared by our staff to ensure the holistic development of your children.

Over the holidays, our facilities and grounds team have been very busy making improvements and completing upgrades to a wide variety of facilities so that your children can enjoy our beautiful campus locations even more.

This week, our College Executive Team and College Council will be making a presentation to the Block Grant Authority (BGA) to secure funding support for Calvary’s next major project – repurposing the Culbert former library on the Carbrook campus into a modern fit for purpose learning space for students in Years 5 – 8. We displayed the plans and progress so far at the opening of the Cunningham Pavilion at our special assembly this morning, and we will take other opportunities to share this with you over community events in the next few months. 

Parent Voice

Last term, the P&F voted to dissolve the current P&F constitution. As part of the process of determining what format and structures would best serve our parent community, you will have opportunity to contribute your ideas. The College will begin this process during term 2, with focus groups for parents on each campus beginning with parents who are currently actively engaged in P&F related activities. For example, the Junior School class parents on each campus will be invited to meet with College leadership. CAPA, Sport and Show Team parents, will also have this type of opportunity to contribute their thoughts. Following this, all parents will have opportunity to contribute through Parent Forums on each campus as well as making online submissions.

We would like to build with you the way that you find most effectively gives opportunity to hear from College leadership, raise your questions and share your ideas. Some of the ideas proposed so far include the possibility of quarterly forums, possibly linked to other significant events such as carnivals, CAPA productions or topical evening presentations. Forums could also be ‘stand alone’ events.

Please remember that you are always welcome to make an appointment to raise any concerns or ideas you have with our Executive Leadership Team. Heads of School and I are particularly keen to maintain an ongoing conversation with you as we partner with you in the education of your children.

COVID – ongoing

We anticipate that COVID infections will continue to disrupt student and staff attendance at school. It was wonderful to see how well our community managed this disruption in term 1. Continuity of learning for students is a high priority for staff and I am very thankful to all staff for their commitment to ensuring learning design for students continues at the highest standard regardless of our surrounding circumstances.

Please be assured that we are committed to the safety of every individual on our campus, and we appreciate your cooperation in promptly picking up children who become ill at school. Where our students contract COVID, we appreciate your notification of positive test results and your keeping them home for seven days from the first positive test. Our staff observe these same requirements. While the mandate for staff vaccination is in place (and we have every expectation that with schools regarded as high-risk settings, this will continue this term), we continue to observe the complex and often changing conditions required for staff to attend work on campus. Again, please be assured that the safety of our community and learning continuity for our students informs all decisions we make, and we continue to keep you informed of developments as soon as these occur. We anticipate the incidence of COVID infection will continue over the coming months.

In keeping with Health Department advice, mask wearing remains optional. There is evidence that mask wearing offers a degree of protection to individuals but imposing and monitoring effective mask wearing in a school context is very challenging and we have decided not to do so. We will continue to support anyone who chooses to wear a mask and from time to time, you will find community members who do so. It is, however, a health department directive that anyone over the age of 12 who has been in isolation for 7 days with a positive COVID diagnosis, should wear a mask for the next 7 days as they return to the campus. This is not a requirement for close contacts who have isolated for 7 days and continue to test negative.

We look forward to holding our Athletics carnivals on our oval later this term and our facilities and grounds staff are working with consultants to ensure the oval is returned to good condition as soon as possible. The weather may impact this desired outcome and we will notify you in good time if we have to change the date!

This is an important term in the life of our College as we take steps to ensure a healthy and hopeful future for all in our community. You will hear about work on the renewal of our Strategic Plan, development of new look parent engagement, ongoing rehabilitation of grounds after the flood, ongoing upgrades to learning facilities, the project to extend Noah Centre (Kingdom Kids, Springwood), engagement with students who transition to year 7 next year, STEP UP to 7, and the important Subject Selection Evening for year 10 students and of course, our Year 6s are off to Canberra -  it will be a busy term.

I look forward to ‘doing term 2 with you’.

Yours sincerely

Cherylynne Gostelow

Principal and CEO