Principal's Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

COVID-19 Update

On the advice of public health experts from 6 pm on Tuesday face masks need to be worn when indoors and this applies to the school environment. Students should already be wearing a mask if catching public transport to and from school. We ask that parents please support us with the implementation of this requirement. Hopefully it will only be for a short period of time as we work together to ensure our community stays safe. A reminder about the key behaviours required for reducing COVID-19 transmission risk -they include staying home when unwell, washing hands regularly and using hand sanitiser, no sharing of drink bottles or food; and practising good cough and sneeze etiquette. Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm/elbow or a tissue. Make sure you completely cover your mouth and nose; and move away from other people before coughing or sneezing.

Building Program Update 

We continue to remain on track with the two storey building development, despite some wet weather. Crushed rock has been brought in and laid as a ground cover to allow the trucks and required machinery access to our site to continue the work of pouring the second floor concrete slab. After this, the second floor structural steel installation will occur. 

Successful Inclusive Schools Funding application 

The College has been successful in our application for inclusive school funding for the development of a Wellbeing Centre. We have been allocated $196,000 from the State Government and we will use this funding to refurbish the current senior study rooms in D1 and D3 and senior school offices into a Wellbeing Centre. This will include one to one counselling rooms, office spaces for our Wellbeing team, a sensory room and garden and meditation/mindfulness room. 

As previously communicated, once our new two storey Year 7 & 8 Learning Centre is completed, the current Year 7 Learning Centre will undergo further modifications to become the new Senior School area; and then we will be able to commence work on the refurbishment for the new Wellbeing Centre. Thanks to Kate Rhodes, Alexis Reinheimer, Di Douglas, Mel Turton, Megan Furphy and Andrew Moffat for the collaborative work they did to complete our application.

End of Semester – Reminder of Key Dates

As communicated in a previous newsletter, a reminder of some of our key dates for students now that we are nearing the end of Semester One. 

Semester 1 ended or will be ending on:

• Friday 14 May for Year 12 students
• Friday 21 May for Year 11 students
• Thursday 10 June for Years 7 – 10 students

 All major assessments in the form of assignments and projects are to be submitted by:

• Friday 21 May for Years 10 – 12 students
• Friday 28 May for Years 7 – 9 students

Students in Years 9-11 are currently preparing for their end of Semester One exams which will take place next week. All students should have a copy of their respective exam timetable by now. Year 9 students will still attend normal classes around their scheduled exams, whereas, our Year 10 and 11 students have classes cancelled for the week, however, are expected to remain at school if they have more than one exam on any one day. (Note: these arrangement are subject to change depending on the latest advice regarding COVID-19 restrictions in place).

Literacy

Literacy underpins all learning and, as such, we can’t emphasise enough the importance of reading each night and this should be part of all students' homework plan if they aren’t already reading for pleasure. Twenty minutes a day can make a huge difference for a student in developing their use and understanding of vocabulary. See graphic via link below:

Students are able to make requests at the Hub help desk for future purchases if there is a book they would like to read in hardcopy that is not in our current collection and we also have our e-book borrowing system with a wide variety of novels.

Update on Staffing

• Annette Matov – Mental Health Practitioner (Social Worker) currently on maternity leave will be returning on Wednesday 2nd June working three days – Wednesday to Friday. Our current Social Worker, Alexis Reinheimer has been successful in getting a position at Berendale for 3 days a week and continues with us for two days a week
• Lauren Thompson, has returned from maternity leave this week and will be working two days a week in the office administration area
• Indigo Yorke has returned to replace Ariana Nickou for the last five weeks of this term teaching Year 7 Discovery two days a week. Ariana has commenced maternity leave and is expecting her second child in June. Emma Walker, currently on staff replacing Liz Commons, will take over this teaching load, when Liz returns from maternity leave at the start of Term 3.

Celebration Weeks

During Term 2 and 3 all of our Learning Areas will stage a celebration week to include a range of activities for everyone to get involved in at lunchtime. Thanks to Health/Physical Education Learning Area leaders, Ebony Powell and Katie Loynes and the PE/Health team for running a host of activities last week to celebrate Health and Physical Education Week. A highlight was the staff vs student netball match, a close contest in the first half with the staff proving too strong in the second half to win.

Congratulations to Zahra Konisberry of Year 9 who won 1st Place in the U16 All Fired Up 15 km Fun Run. Also congratulations to Sergej Anciferov of Year 7 who came 2nd in the State Championship for Jui Jitsu at MSAC.

Charity Fundraisers

Last week we held our own version of the World’s Greatest Shave. Our students raised close to $3000 for the Leukaemia Foundation during this special event held in the gym at lunchtime on Thursday. Congratulations to Year 12 student, Matthew Wade for raising over $1500 on his own! Thanks to our SRC leaders, Lily Freitag-Kenyon and Laura Gorman for organising this event.

Last Friday, our Food Technology team and some of our Years 8-10 students studying Food, hosted our own version of the Biggest Morning Tea held at lunchtime instead, for all staff to participate in.  We enjoyed some very healthy and tasty treats to raise money to support the work of the Cancer Council. Thanks to Sarah Robinson, Simon Cummins and Jesse Sibly for organising this event.

Michelle Roberts

Principal