From the Principals' Desk

Corona Virus Update

Dear Parents,

As the virus continues to spread and the first Victorian school closes I refer you to the Department of Education information site for the latest updates about the corona virus. Obviously DET and Nossal are closely monitoring the situation and preparing (as best we can) for the potential escalation of the infection and possible school closure.

Nossal is in a very good position to manage such a situation, and due to our experience with online learning and our digital delivery program we believe that (in the short term) we could quite effectively manage a temporary school closure with minimal impact on the students’ programs.

Hopefully it will not come to this but we will be preparing for such a situation and will keep you informed. At this stage there is nothing that you need to do other than heed the advice of the medical authorities and ensure that any medical concerns are appropriately and promptly addressed.

Overseas Travel

The Department of Education and Training has announced that, due to the evolving coronavirus situation, any planned overseas school excursions should not proceed unless they are to New Zealand or Canada.

This is based on advice received from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and applies until further notice. For our school, this means we will no longer proceed with the French and Japanese tours.

We will contact our travel insurance provider and will keep you updated, although at this stage no money has been committed and any money paid to the school will be fully refunded.

We thank you for your support and understanding and encourage you to contact the school should you have any questions about this.

Camps and Pathways week

There are no restrictions on internal (Australia) camps and excursions and our Camps and Pathways week will proceed as planned.

Work Experience

Some of our students had planned to do their Work Experience at a hospital which is now minimising the number of non-essential staff in attendance so will not be taking work experience students until further notice. Students impacted by this may be able to complete their placement later in the year.

Updated Travel Restrictions

The Commonwealth Government has updated travel restrictions this week.

The extension to existing travel restrictions now applies to visitors from Republic of Korea, Iran and mainland China. Visitors who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, or their dependants, will not be allowed entry into Australia.

The Commonwealth Government has also advised that visitors from Italy will also be subject to enhanced health screening and temperature testing arrangements.

Some of our students and families may be affected by the travel advice, and I’d encourage you to support each other.

Everyone can protect against infections by practising good hand and respiratory hygiene.

Here are some tips that we all can follow:

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing with a tissue, or cough into your elbow.
Dispose of the tissue into a bin and then wash your hands afterwards.
Wash your hands regularly using soap and water, including after using the toilet, and before eating.

Please refer to the Department’s coronavirus web page for the latest advice and information.

Roger Page

Principal

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In it for the long haul

We are well past that part of the year which might be called the "start" and, with the onset of the first significant assessment period for many of our senior students in particular, are firmly ensconced in the normal life of the school. It is a time for the whole school community to consider the habits and processes which they have in place to ensure that the rest of the year is a healthy and productive one, rather than a series of sprints from one deadline to the next.

To aid this reflection, the school will shortly go "off timetable" for a major program designed to help our students to embed the relationships and reflect on the big picture ideas which will be important to them this year. While our Year 9s and 12s go on camp, celebrating and enriching the relationships within their cohorts as they both experience times of significant transition, our Year 10 and 11 students will look to their futures and consider how the work they do at school relates to the skills and competencies which they will need when they enter the workplace in as little as two or three years. We are grateful for the support of our families throughout Camps and Pathways Week (16th - 20th March), which we consider an essential element in the development of students at all levels.

A more immediate example of the habit of thinking beyond the walls of the classroom is the current fundraising efforts which our student leaders are spearheading in response to the summer's bushfire crisis. This Friday 13 March will be a free dress day, but that notable contribution to the students' response to the devastation which affected so many in our state over the holidays is just one element in what is planned as a much longer-term engagement with affected communities. Members of our school captain team noted, when addressing the school at the start of the year, that the consequences of the bushfires were long term, and I commend them for moving (with the support of key staff members like Mr Keith Butler) beyond a short term vision to reflect on the ongoing needs of those around them. I encourage staff, students and parents to get behind their efforts on Friday, and in the days to come.

Term 1 Reports

As you are probably well aware, Term 1 this year is a shorter term than the others. While it is always the case that the busy Term 1 program tends to have an impact on the amount of contact time which our staff and students have with each other, this is particularly true this year. In order to mitigate this to some extent, the annual Term 1 Reports will this year be published at the start of Term 2. At the same time, families will be made aware of the process for booking Parent-Student-Teacher conferences in the second week of term.

Rotary International Women's Day Breakfast

Last Wednesday 4 March a group of 8 Nossal students joined Mr Page and myself at the annual International Women's Day event, run jointly by various Rotary Clubs based in and around Mornington Peninsula. The students (both male and female) were prompt to arrive at Mornington Racecourse at 6:45am, and enjoyed an engaging presentation by former Olympic gold medallist Lauren Burns. Her example of confidence and commitment were certainly inspiring. They were also lucky enough to hear from Dr Alice Hill, an economist who was recently appointed president of the Harvard Alumni Association, and who reflected on the structural issues underpinning our processes which can get in the way of genuine equality. Her reflections were focused more on "what works" in terms of moving forward.

Tracey Mackin

Assistant Principal