Welcome back all. It has been great to see our students back at school for the final term of 2022.

Year 12 students have only a few days until they finish classes and head into their study period before VCE exams. Thank you to the many VCE teachers who ran revision sessions over the recent school holidays.

Congratulations to our VCAL students who finish their studies next week. I am looking forward to celebrating with them all at the Formal tomorrow night and on Celebration Day next Wednesday.

Students have been told very clearly that there will be zero tolerance for any pranks or disruption to the school. I am very confident that this warning is not really necessary, but it is better that students are forewarned!

Important Dates

17-21 October Year 10 Work Experience

18 October Last day of Year 12 classes

19 October Year 12 Celebration Day (early finish for Year 12)

24 October Resources & College Council meeting

26 October Year 12 VCE exams commence (English exam)

31 October Cup Eve - Professional Practice Day - PUPIL FREE

7-18 November Year 11 exams

11-18 November Year 10 exams

16 November Lockdown drill

17 November Year 12 Graduation

21-25 November Year 11 and Year 12 (2023) Orientation Program

28 Nov -2 Dec Year 10 Workshop Week

30 November Year 7 HPV Vaccination

2 December Year 10 last day

12 December Presentation Night

13 December Year 7 2023 Orientation Day

14 December Years 7-9 Big Day In (St Helena Fair)

15-19 December Redemption days for students with unsatisfactory academic results

Principal Art Acquisition 2022

Congratulations to all the students whose work is currently on exhibition at the 2022 Art and Technology Exhibition. I was so proud to see the incredible work and talent on display. I would like to express my appreciation for the Art and Technology staff - for encouraging their students to 'dare to be excellent' and for curating such a professional exhibition. Special mention to Darianne Wilmott for her work.

It was very difficult to select the Principal Acquisition for 2022, but the outstanding piece for me was by artist Bronwyn Knight. Her piece depicting the physical pain of scoliosis, cancer and surgery that the artist experienced first hand moved me greatly. Bronwyn has shown the physical impact of her treatments through the scars and alopaecia that she wears on her body. The top piece depicts tiny aliens falling towards her, symbolic of the range of emotions that accompany trauma. Bronwyn's piece will be professionally framed and will join the collection of student artwork proudly displayed in the College.

Lyrebird Nominations

Breaking news! Our 2022 College Play "And Then There Were None" has just received an outstanding TEN nominations in the Lyrebird Youth Awards.

This is a fantastic achievement for the cast and crew and we are very proud of you all! Whether or not they win, it is an incredible honour to have their work and talent recognised with nomination.

Best Sound - Zac Armstrong Sara and Elliot Dixon

Best Lighting - Kadin Hawker and Peter Heath

Best Set - Patrick Matthews

Best Costumes - Cathie Murphy

Best Cameo Performance - Jarrod Farrow

Best Performer in a Supporting Female Role - Melissa Pritsis

Best Performer in a Lead Female Role - Stella Heard

Best Youth Ensemble

Best Youth Play

and of course lead by.......

Best Director - Amanda Egglestone

They have also WON a Judge's award for Best Mise En Scene.

Congratulations all - I look forward to cheering you on at the Awards ceremony.

School Day Changes 2023

A couple of months ago I wrote about the need to change the structure of our school day to accommodate changes to the teacher industrial agreement. We have finalised our structure for 2023 as follows:

Period 1 8.30am-9.30 am

Period 2 9.35am-10.35am

RECESS 10.35am-11.05am

Period 3 11.05am-12.05pm

Period 4 12.10pm-1.10pm

LUNCH 1.10pm-1.55pm

Period 5 1.55pm-2.55pm

Flexi-ride is coming to our area - and it will impact us

Overview

The Department of Transport is introducing FlexiRide to your local bus network and is seeking your feedback on where the FlexiRide hubs should be located.

FlexiRide is an on-demand bus service that has no fixed route and only operates when booked. Passengers can book a trip from a location near their home and be taken to key local destinations (hubs) such as train stations and shopping centres.

One of the benefits of introducing this type of service is that FlexiRide uses smaller buses, making it perfect for the steep and narrow streets characteristic of the area. This means that in the FlexiRide service area more people will have access to a bus closer to their home.

We’re seeking your feedback about the key destinations (hubs) FlexiRide should travel to within the 13 square kilometre service area.

To allow for the introduction of FlexiRide, changes will need to be made to some routes on the current network.

These proposed changes are part of Victoria’s Bus Plan that aims to deliver a modern, productive, environmentally sustainable bus network that offers passengers a simple, safe, reliable and comfortable journeys.

Current bus network

Three train stations (Greensborough, Montmorency and Eltham) and eight bus routes currently provide public transport in the area. These are Routes 343 Hurstbridge – Greensborough, 385 Mernda North/Whittlesea – Greensborough, 514 Eltham via Greensborough, 517 Northland – St Helena, 518 Greensborough – St Helena West, 580 Diamond Creek – Eltham Station via Ryans Road, 901 Frankston – Melbourne Airport and the 902 Airport West.

Thanks for your time this morning. Here is the link to the Engage Vic website, that outlines the FlexiRide proposal. FlexiRide Greensborough | Engage Victoria . This includes an online survey that invites the public to participate in.

Here is the link to the Engage Vic website, that outlines the FlexiRide proposal. FlexiRide Greensborough | Engage Victoria . This includes an online survey that invites the public to participate.

The Department of Transport will be doing face-to-face consultation at the St Helena Marketplace next Tuesday October 18th, between 12pm-2pm and 4pm-6pm. They will be in Eltham shops on Wednesday October 19th. Further details are inside the link. Consultation closes on October 23rd.

In the Q&A section where it says, “Will there be changes to school buses? ” and the Answer says, No, school buses will remain the same, this is not quite correct. DoT, Dysons in consultation with St Helena, will look to make best use and modify if required, the existing school services operating in the area between the school and Greensborough Plaza, that are relevant to this proposal , namely the S1873-AM x2, and S1874-PM x1. All other school services are not proposed to change, for example, the many others that come from outside the Proposed FlexiRide area.

Management of Covid-19 - Changes

COVID-19 isolation requirements have changed

The Victorian Government has announced the end of the Pandemic Declaration and associated Pandemic Orders.

The following settings, based on advice from the Department of Health, will apply from 11.59pm Wednesday 12 October 2022.

It is strongly recommended that students:

who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days
should not attend school after 5 days if still symptomatic
who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school
advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result

Where students become symptomatic at school they should:

be collected by their parents/carers
undergo testing for COVID-19

It is strongly recommended that staff:

who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days
should not attend after 5 days if still symptomatic
who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school
report their positive test result to the school and through eduPay

Reporting positive COVID-19 test results

The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, schools and household.

Parents and carers will therefore be asked to continue to report positive student COVID-19 cases using the VicED COVID Tool.

COVID-19 vaccination changes

The current mandatory vaccination requirement for staff and visitors, contractors and volunteers working in specialist schools will cease to apply from 11.59pm Wednesday 12 October. COVID-19 vaccination, including booster doses, continues to be strongly recommended for all school staff.

Face masks

Staff and students who wish to wear a face mask should be supported to do so, and schools should continue to make face masks available for staff, students and visitors.

The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home.

Additionally, the Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19, for at least 7 days after a positive test, when they need to leave home.

Basically, if your child is unwell with symptoms of Covid or any other illness, they should not be at school!

Signing students out

Please note that the College does not approve students being "signed out" so that they can go over to St Helena marketplace at lunchtime. We have a duty of care to our students, and whether they have parental permission or not, that duty extends if they are off site during the school day.

Similarly, please do not order Uber Eats or similar to be delivered to your child during the school day, or deliver McDonalds or other fast food to your child at school. It is disruptive to the work flow of our office staff to facilitate the deliveries, students are not permitted to meet external visitors during the school day, and it is not necessary. We have a canteen with a wide variety of foods on offer.

Help save the Eastern Lowland Gorillas

Eastern Lowland Gorillas are critically endangered. You can help protect wild gorillas in Africa by simply donating your old mobile phones. We are going to collect old mobile phones from Tuesday 11th October until Friday 18th November. You can drop your old mobile phones, tablets, chargers and headphones at the collection point of the Front Office. Mobile phones/tablets do not need to be in working condition.

How can donating an old mobile phone help the endangered gorillas?

Coltan is a mineral used in electronic devices such as mobile phones. Coltan is mined in locations including critical habitat for Eastern Lowland Gorillas in central Africa. The threats gorillas face as a result of mining include:

Deforestation - Mining leads to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, reducing areas where gorillas can survive.
As a result of habitat loss, gorillas come into contact more frequently with humans, increasing the likelihood of competition for space or resources.
Disease - with increased human activity, gorillas have increased exposure to human illnesses such as the flu, some of which can be fatal.

When you recycle your phones, there are several environmental benefits, including:

Your phone will be saved from landfill, with over 95% of the material recovered through recycling.
By recycling through this program, you can raise essential funds for gorilla conservation. This program supports the Gorilla Doctors, which helps treat ill and injured gorillas in Africa.

Who are the Gorilla Doctors?

Gorilla Doctors are the only organisation permitted to provide life-saving veterinary care to the endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas in East Africa. The organisation leverages years of knowledge and experience with gorillas to solidify further a unique primate partnership in which two species - gorillas and people- can continue to thrive together.

What could be our impact?

Every mobile phone donated helps the Gorilla Doctors provide health checks and medical care for gorillas and preventative healthcare to National Park staff and the surrounding community to reduce disease transmission to gorillas.

5 phones = a life-saving dose of antibiotics for an ill baby gorilla

10 phones = petrol needed for Gorilla Doctors to reach the forest to monitor the health of gorillas

50 phones = anaesthetic to provide vet care to an injured or ill gorilla

100 phones = full set of rain gear, allowing Gorilla Doctors to work in bad weather

500 phones = a computer for the Gorilla Doctors, helping to study health trends and predict diseases and outbreaks.

Please keep in mind the following:

Please keep the batteries in the device where possible. Any loose batteries should be wrapped in plastic or tape over the terminals. Then rubber band all loose batteries together top to tail.
Data security - all data contained on mobile phones is destroyed in the recycling process. However, for peace of mind, Factory Resetting and clearing is recommended before donating your mobile device. You can follow these links for tutorials on managing your data:

Android https://vimeo.com/289779048
iPhone https://vimeo.com/289794564

For further information on the program, They're Calling On You, please head to the link below:

https://www.zoo.org.au/theyre-calling-on-you-phones/If you have any further questions, please contact Caitlin Fecondo at cfo@sthelena.vic.edu.au

From the Principal

Dare to be Excellent

Term 4 Weeks 1 & 2 · 13 Oct 2022

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