Assistant Principal

 Report

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2024 school year. We are excited to embark on this new academic year together. Already the new school year is in full swing and it has been great to see the girls engaged in their learning and engaged in our school community. 

A reminder about Uniform Expectations: 

Uniform Expectations 

Students should remember that they are ambassadors for Brigidine and so by wearing the uniform correctly and neatly, they show pride in their school and its good name. It is expected that students will conform to the uniform code as this, in itself, is an exercise in self-discipline. The school uniform is also a sign of belonging to the College and the appropriate items are to be worn as required. 

• The students are to be neat and well-groomed in appearance at all times. 
• The College blazer is always compulsory when the winter uniform is worn.
• When a student is kneeling, the bottom of both the hem of the kilt and the summer dress is to touch the floor.
• Shoes are to be black, lace-ups (with low flat heels) and are to be regularly polished. All variations (e.g. buckles, high heels, ripple soles and sports shoes) are not permitted.
• T-shirts, singlets and any other item of undergarments are not to be visible at the neck of the blouse, or elsewhere. No coloured bras are to be worn under white shirts. 
• Hairstyles are to be well groomed, simple, unsophisticated, appropriate for a school student and of a style and colour that is considered acceptable by the College. Hair that is below the shoulder is to be tied back.
• Coloured nail polish is not to be worn with the uniform. Only clear nail polish is considered acceptable. Nails are to be short to medium length. No fake or acrylic nails are deemed appropriate whilst at school. 
• Makeup - foundation, mascara, fake eyelashes, fake tan or bronzing products or similar - must not be worn with the uniform.
• Jewellery - A student may wear:
  • one small plain gold or silver earring in each earlobe
  • a wristwatch
  • a small religious icon or cross on a thin chain worn inside the uniform and sitting below the uniform’s collar or top button
• Students who choose to wear non-regulation items of jewellery will have these items confiscated. They will be stored in the College safe and returned to the student at the end of that school term
• Tattoos should not be visible
• The College school bag is the only bag permitted.
• No writing or graffiti is to appear on any item of the College Uniform. 
• An appropriate signed note is to be completed if, in the short term, a student is unable to wear the required uniform, and is to be shown to a student’s Pastoral Care Teacher or Pastoral Care Coordinator upon arrival at the College. 
• Any breach of the uniform rules will incur a uniform detention or possible suspension for ongoing infringements. 

The Principal reserves the right to alter and interpret the above provisions.

School Vaccination Program.

This year students in Year 7 and Year 10 will be offered vaccinations by the NSW Public Health Unit - South Eastern Sydney Local Health District:

• Wednesday 8 May - Year 10 vaccinations 
• Monday 26 August - Year 7 vaccinations

Year 7 students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Year 10 students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine. If your daughter is in Year 7 or Year 10 in 2024, you can provide consent online for school vaccinations. 

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Online consent will only be accepted if provided through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program portal. Consent should not be provided to the school via email or other electronic form submission.

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your daughter’s school vaccinations, visit: engage.health.nsw.gov.au https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/      

Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you do not have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.

2. Update or confirm your personal details as required.

3. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your daughter. You will need to:  

• Enter your child’s personal details
    
• Provide the Medicare card details for you and your daughter
    
• Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement 
• Provide consent

The benefits of providing consent online: 

• easily update your daughter’s details
    
• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
    
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
    
  For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.
    
  If you require information in your language, please visit
    
  www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx

Frequently asked questions:

What are the common side effects? How do we manage the side effects?

Side effects are commonly mild and usually involve pain, swelling and redness at the injection site and subside within 2-3 days. Serious side effects are extremely rare. Simple measures such as cool packs at the injection sites, or paracetamol can relieve the symptoms. 

Parents who are concerned about reactions after vaccination should contact their GP. 

My daughter missed out at the vaccination clinic, what can I do? 

Catchup vaccinations are offered at all school clinics. Your school will let you know about the next clinic opportunity. You can also receive these vaccinations for free at your local GP or pharmacy (although a service fee may apply). 

How do I view my child’s vaccination records? 

All records of immunisation provided in the NSW Health School Vaccination Program are uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Can I complete the consent form on my phone?  

The consent portal can be accessed on any device, however, it works best on a laptop or desktop.  

I do not have a Medicare number; how do I provide consent?  

Your child can still receive their school vaccinations if you or your daughter does not have a Medicare number. Please contact the school.   

When can I provide consent?  

Consent can be given at any time throughout the year. Complete the consent form for your child’s school vaccinations as early as possible to avoid any stress of last-minute consent.

  I would like to edit or withdraw my child’s consent for school vaccinations. How do I do that?  If consent has been provided online you can edit or withdraw your child’s consent up to 24 hours before your school’s scheduled clinic. Within 24 hours and on the day of a school clinic you will be prompted to contact your school to advise them of any change or withdrawal of consent.  If you have provided consent via a paper form you will need to call or write to the school to withdraw consent.  

My child is in Year 9, can I complete a consent form for meningococcal ACWY vaccine?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept consent given for students who are enrolled in Year 9. Please complete the consent form for your child once they are in Year 10 to ensure the most up-to-date consent is being provided.  

My child is in Year 8 / Year 9 and missed their Year 7 vaccinations, can I provide consent?

Your child can receive catchup vaccinations at school. Please make sure to check your child’s Medicare Immunisation History statement to see if they are still due for their diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations.  

The consent form is asking for my mobile number. Why do I need to provide it? 

It is important that you provide a contact number if the nurse immunisers need to contact you on the day of clinic with any questions or if an adverse event occurs. Your contact information will not be distributed to any external parties. 

Any email or phone number provided on the consent portal will be used to automatically notify you of any changes made to your consent, provide reminders of upcoming clinics and inform you when your child has received their vaccination. 

Bus Timetable 2024

A reminder that all students are required to “tap on” and “tap off” when travelling on public buses. This provides data on how many students use the services and may indicate that some services are underutilised. 

Students must follow all regulations when travelling between home and school using public transport. The Student Code of Conduct can be downloaded here. 

Finally, a reminder that all regular route and school bus information can be accessed via transportnsw.info  

Changes to the 390x

To ease congestion at our bus stops the 390X will now start at Stop ID 203196 (Coogee Bay Rd near Perouse Rd). The service will then skip Perouse Rd and instead turn left into Avoca St, therefore missing the two stops outside of our school. Students will need to use the Cooge Bay Road bus stop. 

Here's to a successful and productive year for all!

Julie Norman

Assistant Principal