THE WAY (Term 2 Week 10 - 21 June 2021)
Catholic Schools Office Farewell
Nadia Pagura, Payroll Consultant with the Catholic Schools Office has announced her retirement with her last day of work being Friday, 24 September 2021.
Nadia has given 39 years of loyal service to the Catholic Schools Office. Her commitment to her role and to the staff in parish schools of the Diocese is highly valued and appreciated.
We wish Nadia all the best for her retirement and know that she will enjoy the opportunities that will come with time to enjoy personal pursuits and her family.
Checkmate at St Mary's Primary, Bowraville
Nambucca Valley Police and Bowraville Fire & Rescue visit St Mary's Primary, Bowraville, for a friendly chess competition and afternoon tea. (27 May 2021)
Students of St Mary's Primary, Bowraville, were treated to an exciting experience when Nambucca Valley Police and Bowraville Fire & Rescue visited the school recently. This special visit allowed students to ask questions over a shared afternoon tea before inspecting a fire truck and highway patrol car.
The sound of the sirens was a big hit with the students. 'My favourite part about yesterday was the police siren,' said student Ciara.
The day provided an opportunity for students to connect with local emergency services in a fun and engaging way.
'Today is about us coming to the school in a positive way and getting the kids to see us as people that they can call upon,' said Police Inspector Anthony Smith.
The visit also included a friendly chess competition against emergency services with the St Mary's Chess Club representing the school. The tournament consisted of fourteen games between the students and the emergency services. 'The chess was challenging and fun. It was actually my dream to verse the emergency services,' said student Martin.
The St Mary's Chess club started in Term 4, 2020, as an opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen existing relationships with their peers. The club began with four chess players and has grown to twenty-five players, with many of the students now using chess as a self-care strategy when they have had a tough day. In addition, students have reported that they have purchased a chessboard for home and have begun playing with their family.
St Mary's students were the overall victors of the day, winning nine out of the fourteen matches. However, our wider school community were the ultimate winners. This opportunity enabled the students to see that emergency services are filled with wonderful and approachable people who will be there to help them in times of need.
You can view the NBN News story here: https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2021/05/27/bowraville-primary-kids-challenge-police-and-firies-to-chess-competition/
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Please note that Catholic Schools Office staff will undertake responsibility for uploading Semester 1 and Term 3 Attendance Data to the Schools Hub site for the Student Attendance (STATS) Data Collection process this year. This process will happen automatically for those schools using Schoolworx or Compass. Schools not using Schoolworx or Compass will be contacted and asked to provide the necessary data.
The painful truth is that serious injuries or death can occur from these types of accidents. The most common types of injuries suffered by workers after a slip, trip or fall are to the knees 20%, ankles 17% and back 13%.
Identifying Risks
School staff can actively decrease accident risks to ensure they have fewer injuries.
Hazards can be identified with regular workplace health and safety inspections on and offsite for events or excursions and by reporting near misses, and reviewing incidents and claims.
It’s important to note some of the main contributing factors are uneven or slippery floors, stairs, and unsecured cables and cords.
Reducing Risks
Making safety a priority requires simple changes to the physical environment, clearing stairs of obstacles, and installing signs and additional power sockets where needed.
Please think about your behaviour and avoid distractions and using devices when walking and when on stairs. People need to be aware of fatigue, work stress and the temptation to rush during daily routines. Actively look for hazards when on excursions and consider appropriate footwear.
Implementing these risk control measures will significantly eliminate or reduce the likelihood of accidents.
Behavioural change starts with safety awareness that all staff in the workplace can adopt.
Information on employment opportunities within the Diocese of Lismore are available via Positions Vacant.
Catholic Schools Office
- Technology Officer
- Company Secretary and Governance Manager
- Transformation Team - Communications Officer
Schools
- Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching (MacKillop College, Port Macquarie)
Staff are reminded to register for all professional learning courses through the My Learning site. The site has the facility to recommend courses to others. This will be potentially useful for Principals and Assistant Principals who wish to recommend staff to register for particular courses.
Staff are reminded that the closing date for courses is five working days prior to the course.
To register, please visit My Learning.
HSC Business Studies - 21CSO-HBS
Participants will undertake a Stage 6 Business Studies workshop delivered by Andrew Athavle (Senior Business Studies marker) to refine programs and assessment practices to more effectively implement the curriculum.
- 6 August 2021 - Coffs Harbour CSO Annexe