Principal's Report

Principal’s Message

The New School Year Begins

On behalf of the Mount View Community I would like to extend a very warm welcome to students, parents, community members, teachers and educational support staff. 2020 has seen a tumultuous start with long running bushfires in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, ACT and even Queensland. I pleased to report that all community members who were caught up in the east Gippsland fires have returned safely.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus in late January has affected all of us. Our thoughts are with those most affected by the enforced quarantine measures currently applied in China. I have endeavoured to keep the community updated with a series of bulletins which encapsulate recommendations and guidelines for managing community concerns around hygiene, precautions and support for students and families.

Thank you to the 650+ families who have registered for Home Learning Packs. These packs will be sent home via email by the teachers each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. A total of 450 students have returned to school full time and I am sure these numbers will increase over the next two weeks.

At this time I feel that it is very important that our words and actions support all of our community. Reference to the infection as the Coronavirus or Novel Coronavirus is correct and accurate. While the origin of the virus was in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China is recognised as the origin it is not appropriate to reference the place as the name of the virus.

The last two months has seen the media focus on disaster and fear. We must be mindful that this continued focus is detrimental to the mental health and well-being of our young people. The sustained focus on bushfires, floods and virus has created a pervasive fear in young people. A feeling of perpetual doom and despair is replacing joy and optimism. As adults we must stop fuelling fear through social media where each news item is quickly ramped up to create more fear. It is very important that we think clearly as individuals and question the accuracy of each piece of information which is spread on social media.

I look forward to the resumption of normality in our school. I look forward to a focus on learning, working alongside our classmates and taking on a whole range of educational challenges. I look forward with a sense of optimism. Through our words and actions at Mount View we can work together to ensure an enduring sense of hope in all students.

Glenn Butler

Principal