School Bus incident:

Last Friday afternoon, 1st May, there was a serious bus incident involving the Quambatook school bus and a trailer attached to a truck. Fortunately, no one sustained major injuries. Some students experienced minor cuts from broken glass, and shock. After the incident, counselling and school supports were made available to all those affected.

Recovery is progressing well, and ongoing support continues to be accessible for anyone who may require it.

These minor injuries were largely due to the quick and thoughtful actions of the bus driver who, we understand, was not at fault and I would like to acknowledge the care and professionalism shown in what was a very challenging situation.

I also want to recognise the Senior students on the bus, who showed leadership and compassion by supporting others and helping everyone exit the bus safely, calmly, and in an orderly way so they could be assessed by ambulance personnel.

In situations like this, it’s impossible to predict how people will respond. In this instance, those directly involved responded with remarkable calm, care, and responsibility, and we are very proud of how everyone supported one another.

KTHS incident management procedures were promptly implemented. Despite the seriousness of the event, the response was co-ordinated and effective. Local schools across Kerang were incredibly supportive, ensuring their students were cared for. Having familiar and trusted adults present made a meaningful difference in helping students feel safe and reassured during a distressing time.

We have received very positive feedback from Public Transport Victoria and Regional Emergency Management on our handling of the incident. The NWVR Emergency Management Support Officer shared the following:

“This incident was handled extremely well, with speed, efficiency, care, and compassion by all. You and your team should be very satisfied with how things were handled. The willingness to reflect, identify areas for improvement, and act on them so quickly is also commendable.”

As a community, you can feel confident in the systems we have in place and in the strong collaboration between Kerang schools to respond to and support one another during emergency situations.

Seat Belts:

Following our debrief discussions, one of the key observations raised was to continually

re -enforce the importance of wearing seat belts.

In line with Public Transport Victoria (PTV) guidelines, seat belts must be worn on buses where they are fitted. While bus drivers play an important role in supporting student safety, they are not responsible for directly enforcing seat belt use.

It is important to note that when families complete and sign the Application for Permission to Travel – School Students form, they agree to the Conditions of Travel. One of these conditions clearly states:

“Wear a seat belt at all times (where fitted), except when getting on and off the bus.”

The Bus Transport Guidelines also provide processes to support safe behaviour. Where a student repeatedly chooses not to wear a seat belt, notifications of non-compliance may be issued. Ongoing concerns may result in a review of that student’s eligibility to travel on the bus.

Our shared priority is the safety and wellbeing of all students. With clear communication and consistent reminders, we are confident that students will understand the importance of wearing seat belts and will work with us to meet these expectations. We appreciate the ongoing support of families in reinforcing this message and helping maintain a safe and respectful travel environment for everyone.

Winter Sports:

Last Wednesday, over 150 students participated in a wide range of winter sports, including netball, football, soccer, shooting and badminton, among others. Congratulations to all students who took part. Staff reports highlighted that every team competed strongly, with behaviour across all groups meeting the high expectations of our school.

One highlight was the badminton team, who achieved a hard-fought one-point victory to progress to the next stage. Further reports and photographs on our Sport Page in this publication, but not all Interschool Sports photos and reports were able to be included due to a time shortage. Sorry.

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