BHCS NEWSLETTER

General Information (1 of 2) 

BOOM DAY - THURSDAY 11 AUGUST

BOOM Day - Go TEAM!

Our next boom day is coming up! 

When: Thursday 11th August

Theme: Let's get active and support your team/country!

Dress: PE Uniform with your favourite team jersey/top or country's colours

PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS – SEMESTER 2

Information regarding Semester 2 Parent-Teacher Interviews has now been emailed home to all families, and sent out via Flexischools. 

 

All interviews will take place online, via Zoom, as follows:

KINDER INTERVIEWS

Wednesday, 17 August  from 3.50pm to 8.30pm

PREP TO YEAR 6 INTERVIEWS

Wednesday, 17 August from 3.50pm to 8.30pm

YEAR 7 TO YEAR 12 INTERVIEWS

Wednesday, 17 August from 3.50pm to 8.30pm

Tuesday, 23 August from 3.50pm to 8.30pm 

 

Bookings are now open and close at 5pm prior to the day of interviews.

 

Should you wish to make an appointment, please refer to the details which were emailed home. Please contact office@bhcs.vic.edu.au if you did not receive this information.

THE PONG IS COMING!

Get ready for all the fun of BHCS getting involved with the Ping Ping-A-Thon again this year on Thursday 15th September.

Like our special Facebook Page to stay updated on what's happening!

https://www.facebook.com/bhcspongon

CHANGES TO THE KINDER PROGRAM FROM 2023

With recent announcements made by the Victorian Government there will be some changes to our Kinder Program from 2023. We are excited about a number of these upcoming changes and what this will mean for Belgrave Heights Christian School’s ELC. 

3-Year-Old Kinder in 2023

  • 3-Year-Old-Kinder program will increase from 6 to 12 hours a week
  • Sessions will be Wednesday and Friday 9.00am to 3.00pm
  • 3-Year-Old-Kinder class sizes will remain at 22 students

4-Year-Old Kinder in 2023

  • 4-Year-Old-Kinder program will now operate three days a week with students being in one Kinder class with the same teachers
  • Sessions will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9.00am to 3.00pm
  • 4-Year-Old-Kinder class sizes will increase from 22 students to 30 students, with three staff members in the class at all times

Other exciting developments

We are pleased to announce that the Kinder playground will be enlarged and renovated.  As we are just entering the planning phase, please stay tuned for what this will look like. We are super excited about what this will provide.

Other things to note:

  • With the introduction of funded 3-Year-Old-Kinder, the Government has determined that students can no longer repeat 3-Year-Old-Kinder. 
  • A second year of 4-Year-Old-Kinder may be considered if a child shows delays in two or more learning and development outcomes as per the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. 
  • Due to The Department of Education and Training’s ‘Priority of Access Policy’ we are now no longer able to guarantee your child a position if they are currently attending our 3-Year-Old Kinder Program. Although we do not anticipate this to be problematic, we do need to flag this potential issue with you.

If you have any questions about these changes please speak to our Registrar.

COVID-19 INFORMATION 

If your child tests positive:

  • Your child will need to remain home for 7 Days.
  • Notify the school of their child’s positive COVID test via covid@bhcs.vic.edu.au
  • Notify the Department of Health via https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/report 
  • Students/Parents are requested to email teachers if they are well enough to complete school work during isolation.
  • Remember to advise us if your child has any siblings.

If one or both parents test positive:

  • Your child becomes a household contact, please refer to the section below
  • You have an exemption to transport a household member to attend work, education or a health appointment, and/or to obtain essential food supplies. You must travel directly to and from the location, wear a face mask and not leave the vehicle unless you are required to take that person to the location, it is an emergency or it is required by law.

If your child is a household contact of a positive case you no longer need to isolate, however:

  • Parents/carers must notify the school that their child/ren are household contacts by emailing covid@bhcs.vic.edu.au
  • Students must take 5 x RATs over the 7 days of the household contacts isolation.
  • Students must wear a mask when indoors and on the bus (unless a valid exemption applies or your child is in Prep to Year 2).
  • Parents/carers should monitor for symptoms and keep their child home if unwell or has the slightest of symptoms.
  • Ensure the student commences isolation immediately if they test positive.
  • Students who are household contacts who present with symptoms while at school will be sent home.

You can collect a free pack of five rapid antigen tests at testing centres.

 

REVISED ADVICE FOR THE EXEMPTION PERIOD

In line with AHPPC advice, the period when someone is considered a recently confirmed case (and therefore exempt from testing and isolation/quarantine requirements) has been revised to 4 weeks (28 days from the end of their isolation date), down from 12 weeks. This reflects the emerging evidence that new variants of COVID-19 can evade prior immunity gained from infection.

Parents/carers visiting the school for meetings:

  • Parents, carers, and other adult visitors are no longer required to show evidence of a COVID-19 vaccination if visiting for meetings or attending school events.

FACE MASKS

Due to the large amount of absenteeism being caused by a variety of illnesses including COVID and the close confines of Middle School and the SLC, staff and students in these areas are required to wear masks while in these spaces. Emails have gone home to families regarding this. This advice will be reviewed at the end of August.

  • Students who are household contacts must wear masks at all times while indoors while they are attending school.
  • Students must continue wearing masks on all school buses, on public transport, and when on excursions, or in rideshare vehicles, as per government COVID requirements.
  • Staff and students who want to continue wearing face masks are able to do so, including those who are medically at risk.
  • If during this 4-week period symptoms do develop, your child should take a rapid antigen test and remain at home until symptoms resolve.

INCREASING ILLNESS

A reminder that besides COVID-19, Influenza and RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) are also doing the rounds. To minimise the impact on staff and students and for the health and wellbeing of all, we ask that you please keep your child home if they are unwell in any way.