Though many children will refuse to go to school at some stage in their lives, school refusal is very different to truancy. It is a more serious condition than separation anxiety and often stems from a child’s anxiety about school. They may be worried about their school work, interacting with other kids, dealing with teachers, playing sports or being away from family. School refusal is a behaviour that can also be accompanied by sadness or depression, physical symptoms and social isolation. This condition is equally common amongst boys and girls, from all socioeconomic groups and across both primary and secondary levels.

Below are some articles from our SCHOOL TV RESOURCES that are extremely well written and beneficial for all families.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE AND LINKS BELOW TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES

Understanding School Refusal: What parents need to know at back-to-school time

School Refusal or Social Phobia? A mother's Story

Kids Matter: Understanding School Refusal

Family Communication Streamlined at Columba

Recently all families would have received a PAM (Parent Access Module) invitation through email this week from the SIMON platform team. This invitation was sent a little prematurely however that is okay as we were moving into PAM over the next 3-6 months. PAM is the parent portal for Columba's communication platform, SIMON. All school in the Diocese of Sale now use SIMON to record students attendance, write reports, create permission slips for excursions etc.

Parents are asked to follow the link in this email to set up a password. Please keep a record of this password somewhere safe! As the school has moved on to the SIMON platform your child's report will now be emailed to you via this system...please sign up! If you require a paper copy of your child's report please email the office over the coming weeks.

PAM is a new parent portal through which parents will be able to

• Access their children's reports
• Get updates on their child's visits to sickbay
• Allow parents to log absences and check absences
• Send and receive permission forms for school events
• Book parent-teacher meetings
• and much more

PAM will replace Operoo in 2023 and the SZ APP has already replaced SKOOLBAG.

This will mean that Columba will have streamlined our online communication processes and will be using three ways to communicate with families

1. direct email to staff accounts
2. Schoolzine emails, SZAPP, Newsletter and School Website (all through Schoolzine)
3. PAM (Parent Access Module)

The feedback we have received from families over the last 6 months has been that they would prefer to have simple and effective ways to keep up to date with their child's progress at school. We know that between PAM and Schoolzine we will be able to provide this.

Thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we work to improve and streamline our communication with home.

Catholic Education Week 2022

‘Spread the Good News’

Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Sale will celebrate Catholic Education Week from May 27 to June 3, 2022. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the ethos of Catholic schools and highlight the inspiring life of Catholic schools today. The theme for 2022 is 'spread the good news'. ‘Go out into the world and spread the Good News to all creation’, from the Gospel of Mark 16:15

Click on the link below to view