From the Principal 

This month, our school community suffered a great loss in the passing of Ms Rene Luneman. Rene has been a teacher at Heathmont College for many years and, as such, has taught many of our current and former students. She has acted as a mentor to many of our teachers, as her expertise in the Humanities area, particularly, was highly regarded. Rene was a valued friend to many and a valued staff member and the fact that as the news of Rene’s passing broke, we were also thrust into yet another lockdown, has made this situation all the more difficult for our community to both mourn and to connect and share as we normally would at such times. Lockdown has also made it very difficult for us to monitor our students to note any impacts they may be experiencing as a result. For this, we must rely on parents and carers as well as our students themselves, to reach out to let us know that help is needed. 

Lockdown continues 

As you would all, by now, be aware lockdown #6 has been extended with the aim to return on Friday the 3rd of September. We will be continuing with remote and flexible learning as a result. While I appreciate and sympathise with the many students who would prefer to be learning face to face and, especially with our Year 12 cohort who are approaching their key assessment period and the end of their high school journey, we cannot allow students to come on site for anything more than to collect things that they need to then take home with them again. Any students coming onto school grounds to get things from their locker or their classrooms, must sign in using the Compass kiosk in the front office area as well as check in with the QR codes for the Department of Health. 

The VCAA have also postponed the General Achievement Test (GAT) for Year 12 students. This assessment was initially scheduled for the 29th of July, it was then moved to the 12th of August and because of lockdown, it has now been postposed again. We have not yet been informed as to when it has been rescheduled to but as soon as we know, we will communicate this to students. 

Parent Opinion Survey 

It is that time of year when all the DET stakeholder surveys are delivered. Students have already completed the Student Attitude to School survey, staff have been asked to complete the Staff Opinion Survey and now Parents are also being asked to complete the Parent Opinion Survey. 

Kelli MacDonald, Assistant Principal, sent out a link to this survey to all parents via Compass last week. We would greatly value any and all responses that we can get to this survey invitation as this information is then able to be used by the college to identify areas for improvement and possible strategies to achieve such improvements. We are entering an exciting time at Heathmont where we are revisiting our values and vision as well as many aspects of the school and school processes. As you would be aware, we have already made some significant changes to school policies in order to meet the needs of both students and families and we are looking to continue this trend. 

School values revisited 

We are revisiting our school values to ensure that they remain current for our school community. Once we have established these, they will be used to further strengthen our school vision as well as many of our policies and processes.

 After all,

“there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” – Margaret J Wheatly 

We encourage you to be actively involved in the revisiting of our school values and the subsequent redesign of policies and practices at the school.  Please watch the video below and then head to the link here to complete the survey, or visit the Value Survey page later in this newsletter. 

Parent information seminar – Cyber safety

I would also like to draw your attention to some information that Ms Ling -  Assistant Principal, shared on Compass this week. It looks like a highly informative session and is easy to access due to the online delivery. As a parent myself, I will be attending this seminar to learn more about how I can support and protect my own children. I encourage you to do the same, if you can. 

Growing up online with Susan McLean - A cyber safety seminar

In these uncertain times with lockdowns and more lockdowns we, as a society, have transferred much of our lives to an online platform.  To support parents and carers navigate this landscape, we would like to offer the chance to engage with Susan McLean via Boroondara LGA as she talks about cyber safety and the obstacles our young people face in this arena. Join this educational and entertaining session for parents and carer givers. Susan’s unparalleled knowledge leaves audiences shocked at the reality of the online world. It is a wake up call to even the most switched on parent and is delivered with Susan's famous 'no nonsense' approach. The session  will cover the positive benefits of technology as well as what parents need to be aware of.  The seminar recognises the importance of families feeling empowered to have informed and constructive discussions about how teenagers can safely navigate the online world while maintaining respectful relationships with their peers. 

Susan McLean is Australia’s foremost expert in the area of Cybersafety and young people. She was the first Victorian Police Officer appointed to a position involving Cybersafety and young people. Susan is a member of the National Centre Against Bullying (NCAB), a Trusted Education Provider (Office of the eSafety Commissioner) and an ambassador for Collective Shout. A published author, her book 'Sexts, Texts and Selfies', is the definitive guide for parents, teachers and carers to help children stay safe online.This seminar is delivered by School Focused Youth Service, a program funded by the Victorian Government for students from year 5 to 12, their families and school communities, to support young people to remain engaged in education. Link - https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/events/growing-online-susan-mclean-cyber-safety-seminar