From the Principals' Desk

The bustle of normal school life… mostly!

As we made our way through Weeks 4 and 5 of Term 1, members of the school community continued to enjoy a return to a normal level of bustle and busyness that seemed like a distant memory during some parts of 2020. Our Year 10 students finally experienced their first Nossal camp, spending two nights in Alexandra in the company of their peers - and staff - who got to know their online avatars more than their faces and voices last year. 

The fortnight was not without its challenges, or its reminders that a global pandemic doesn't just "finish" with the calendar year. With the rest of Melbourne, students and staff were asked to make a rapid adjustment back into lockdown conditions during Week 4. I commend them for their resilience and ongoing commitment to our shared social responsibility for maintaining the public health. 

Thankfully, the lockdown was of short duration, and we soon returned to business which was masked, but otherwise 'as usual'. School photos went ahead as planned, and parents who wish to order photographs will find instructions on how to do so later in this newsletter. Alumni were able to visit the school to help train our junior debaters, and to support the teams which are currently preparing for the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO) which will be held on the 3rd of March. Theatre Studies students, accompanied by their teachers, went to the Royal Botanical Gardens to see a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth by moonlight, and our student leaders opened up registrations for new student clubs and societies in preparation for their Club Sign-up Day on Thursday 11th March. This week, half of our Year 10 students will be undertaking programs at Casey Tech, while a group of Year 11 PE students will be departing for the annual surf camp. In combination with last Friday's House Swimming Competition, which was the usual riot of colour and enthusiasm, we are certainly enjoying a return to Nossal's normal hectic, but enlivening, routine.

Slow easing of restrictions

At the time of writing, the DET has just published an updated Operations Guide in response to the Premier's announcement that certain restrictions were to be eased from midnight on Friday 26th March. This will permit somewhat more freedom in the way we invite guests to the school for events and the like, but in terms of day-to-day operations there will be little change. The DET continues to strongly advise the wearing of masks where physical distancing of more than 1.5 m is not possible, which is relevant for most of the indoor spaces in the school (classrooms and corridors, for example). While I understand that our students do not relish the ongoing need to wear masks while at school, we are confident that they will continue to act in the best interests of the community in this matter.

An apology

Last week we were pleased to be able to distribute our year book, The Butterfly Effect, to families with students in Years 10, 11 and 12. This annual publication celebrates the work, achievements and enthusiasm of both students and staff throughout the year.

The front cover was designed for us by Peter Nguyen from Garuda House, currently in Year 10. Unfortunately, Peter's name was not cited as the designer of the cover. We would like to formally congratulate him on having his design chosen for the 2020 cover from an impressive field, and apologise for the lack of attribution in the magazine itself. New versions of the magazine will be printed for Peter's family, and for the school archive, and a patch containing a correction will be made available to all magazine recipients.

Links, Reminders and Upcoming Events

New parents who wish to take advantage of the second round of laptop sales are reminded that the due date for placing orders is this Friday 5th March. This group will perhaps also be pleased to know that a link for the recording which student members of our AV club made during the Foundation Assembly is now available here:

As Mr Page noted in a previous newsletter, the heavy rain did have an impact on the sound quality (especially in the latter parts of the assembly) but our students have managed to capture a sense of this formal start to our year.

Parents of students in Years 10 and 11 will soon be asked to provide consent for a series of on and off-campus activities which will be taking place during our annual Camps & Pathways Week (15th - 19th March). This program is an important part of ensuring that our students understand their options for both future study and employment, and have an opportunity to develop the skills that they will need to pursue their aspirations. We would like to express our gratitude ahead of time for the support of our parents for this program, both practically through the prompt provision of consents, and through their supportive conversations with our students about what they are doing and how it relates to their short- and long-term plans.

PFA AGM and Bunnings BBQ

Finally, the Annual General Meeting of Nossal's Parents and Friends Association will be held this Wednesday 3rd March from 7pm in the Jean Russell Centre. 

Members of the PFA will also be in charge of the BBQ at Bunnings at Fountain Gate  for a fundraising sausage sizzle on 6th March. Community members in the area on the day are encouraged to stop on their way through, say hello to some of their PFA representatives, and buy a sausage to support the school. 

Tracey Mackin

Assistant Principal