Dear Parents and Carers

This week Victorian Schools celebrated Education Week. This year's theme is 150 Years of Public Education. The week has provided us with the opportunity to commemorate the past, celebrate the present and imagine the future of education in Victoria. We will be posting photos of our week onto Facebook later today.

We continue to experience high rates of absences of both staff and students due to illness. We have been impacted not only by Covid but also by influenza (flu).

I want to reassure you that we are taking this very seriously and continue to follow the expert advice of the Department of Education and Training and Department of Health, to help ensure that our school continues to run effectively.

To help protect our school and the wider community, we ask that unwell students stay home, given the impacts of flu and colds on our school community.

To help reduce the spread of flu, colds and COVID-19, students are being encouraged to:

* wash and sanitise their hands regularly

* avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

* cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze

* get tested for COVID-19 if they feel unwell and follow the current Department of Health isolation requirements if a positive result is shown

* if unwell, stay at home until their symptoms pass.

Face masks are available and can be worn by any staff or students who wish to do so, including those who are medically at risk.

Vaccination remains the best protection against both COVID-19 and flu, and we encourage you to get your child vaccinated. Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

If your child does become sick while at school, please also ensure that we have correct emergency contact details for yourself. This is so we can get hold of you as quickly as possible.

I am aware that this is a challenging situation and we thank you for your understanding and support at this time.

Kind regards,

Mandy O’Mara

Artist of the Month