Welcome to 2024

To our Corpus Christi Community

           Welcome Back for 2024! I hope it's been a relaxing break and the children are eager to return to school (almost as much as the parents!).

The staff have been working hard to prepare classrooms, programs and resources, and I thank them for their dedication and preparation during their holiday break.

I am excited to be returning to work. My daughter Amelia is now eight months old, keeping us busy and bringing us endless joy.

I want to share my immense appreciation to Mr Michael Punch for his leadership and care for the Corpus Christi community during 2023. Michael's work with the leadership team and the staff have ensured an easy transition for the school into 2024. Mr Michael Deed (Assistant Principal) will share the Principal role with me this year in addition to his other roles., as I take on a flexible work arrangement for 2024.

Principal Role 2024

Mrs Katie Kingsford katie.kingsford@mn.catholic.edu.au	Mr Michael Deed michael.deed@mn.catholic.edu.au
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday	Thursday, Friday

We are both contactable Monday-Wednesday. However, please note that on Thursdays and Fridays Mr Deed will be the primary contact. 

Please see below our beginning of year updates,

I look forward to seeing students and parents at school!

Katie

Here are a few key dates ahead of our first Newsletter:

Thursday 1 February – Years 1-6  commence

Monday 5 February – Kindergarten students commence (Further detail regarding Kindergarten's first week will be published in the coming days)

Tuesday 13 February - Norths Region Swimming Carnival (Representative students only; information published on return to school)

Tuesday 13 February 6:30 pm - P & F – Annual General Meeting 

Wednesday 14 February - Ash Wednesday

Thursday 22 February 9:15 am - Opening School Mass - Church

 A formal newsletter will follow next week, along with the publication of a term calendar.

Parent Handbook

Our updated Parent Hanbook is available on our school website

Code of Conduct

Our School Community Code of Conduct is available here

Our 2024 Year Begins

           We are excited to have our students in Years 1-6 back at school with us on Thursday.

When the students arrive:

Years 1 & 2: Hang bags up outside of their new classrooms

Year 3 & 4: Place bags in the undercroft

Years 5 & 6: Place bags in the Library

Supervision from 8:20 am

At 8:50 am, we will gather for a brief assembly in the undercroft.

Any child that arrives after 8:50 am must be signed in at the office by a parent/carer.

Security Gate Access to the School

We have upgraded the office entry gate to a secure automatic lock accessible to parents by a doorbell to the office. There is a video camera to identify parents, students and visitors to the school during the school day.

The gate will be open for:

Before school entry

After school exit

For access to the School Site 8:50 am-2:50 pm:

If you are entering the school for a late arrival or early pick up or to access the office. Press the silver button on the front gate to call the front office, and staff will grant entry to the office.

All students who arrive after 8:50 am must be accompanied to the office by a parent/carer and signed in on the Compass portal as a late arrival.

Parents need to report to the office to access the classrooms.

Staffing Information

We welcome several new staff this year

Miss Shelley Back - Year 5

Mr Shaun Suridge - PE

Mrs Lainie Fletcher - Year 2 Thursdays and alternate Fridays (REC Release)

Miss Nellie Connolly - Year 1 Tuesdays - Term 1 (GEM Release)

Mrs Karina McGregor - Aboriginal Education Teacher  

Mrs Diane Apap - Learning Support Assistant

We are also excited to welcome back Mrs Chapman, our Creative Arts teacher, following her extended leave in 2023.

New students

We are excited to welcome seven new students to our school in Years 1-5. It is remarkable that our school is so highly recommended by parents throughout the community.

Morning and Afternoon Routines

Before school

Morning Drop off:  Parents are welcome to enter the school grounds with their children and depart prior to the 8:50 am bell.

If you are entering the school, please avoid parking in the Platt Street 5-minute zone (where possible). We aim to improve road safety in our school zone area to help protect children on their way to and from school. If parents use this space as a drop-off (kiss and ride), we can move more cars through in an orderly fashion.

Late arrivals after 8:50am: All parents are required to sign their child in at the School Office using the Compass Kiosk 

Please note that official supervision commences at 8:20am. Students should not be on site prior to this time. Teachers are not required on site until 8.20am (30 minutes before the commencement of school).

Afternoons: We ask that parents wait outside the school gate as we call students to cars and parents/carers for collection. The students and staff are familiar with this routine, which ensures safe exits from the school for students accessing buses, OOSH, parents in cars, and walking/cycling home.  

Canteen

My thanks to Di Holley and our canteen volunteers for getting our canteen up and running during 2023. To start the year the canteen will open on Friday 12 and Friday 19 February. We look forward to returning service to two days a week pending volunteer availability—more information to come. 

Please see the information at the end of this newsletter regarding new volunteer registration.

 Fees

We ask that any families with outstanding fee accounts finalise ASAP before our 2024 billing cycle commences in February. The CSO Finance department will now generate monthly statements for your reference. 

We require regular payments on school fee accounts (fortnightly, weekly, monthly) or payment in full by 30 June.

Assemblies

Please feel welcome to join our assemblies.

Monday mornings (weekly): 8:50 am in the undercroft (weather permitting). Parents are welcome to attend as we share weekly messages and celebrate student birthdays.

Friday Assemblies (fortnightly commencing Friday 9 February): 2:10 pm in the Hall.

Volunteering

I encourage all parents to complete the volunteer registration process. As part of our safeguarding practices we require all parent volunteers to be registered with the Diocese. Part of this process is a National Police Check. 

Please begin your registration application by clicking on the link here: http://www.mn.catholic.org.au/people/volunteer/