Principal's Report 

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Term 4. While we are still in ‘remote learning’ there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our Year 12 students have been back on-site since last Wednesday and next week we welcome 8 of our Lower Primary classes back to on-site learning (2 classes on Monday-Wednesday and 6 different classes on Thursday-Friday). In the following week, commencing the 25th, all our year levels return on particular days. Please see the tables below for further details.

 

While students will be returning on-site, under the current guidelines there are significant limitations on the programs that we are able to offer with assemblies, PE in the gym, incursions, excursions, camps and inter-school activities such as sport not permitted. Hopefully these restrictions will decrease in a few weeks and we may be able to proceed with events such as our Graduation ceremonies and Secondary Spectacular in some form.

COVID SAFE PROCEDURES

As you will know, our school has been closed twice now during the pandemic. The entire school was closed last October and just before the recent school holidays our Watsonia Campus was closed. To minimise the risk of a whole school or campus closure, to minimise the number of people having to isolate for 14 days and to protect the health of our school community, we are enacting new procedures in line with Departmental policy. These are to reduce contact between students in different sections and with community members. Please read the following information carefully.

Parent/Carer Pick Ups in the Afternoon at the Bundoora Campus

Buses

  • In the morning, students will leave the buses one bus at a time. When all the Bundoora students have exited the Watsonia students will move to the relevant bus.
  • In the afternoon, students will leave each section at the following times at Bundoora.

        Upper Primary      Secondary 7/8      Secondary 9/10      Secondary 11/12

 

    2.50PM                      2.53PM                       2.56PM                             3.00PM

 

VACCINATIONS

Staff Vaccinations

From next Monday, 18th October, every staff member at school will have had at least one vaccination, will be booked in for their first vaccination before 25th October or will have a medical exemption for vaccination. From 29th November every staff member at school will have had two vaccinations or will have a medical exemption for vaccination. 

 

Student Vaccinations

We encourage all students to be vaccinated as soon as this is made available for their age group.

 

Please note that the Department of Health’s Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) are available to help people with disability access their COVID-19 vaccination. The DLOs can help people with disability to:

  • book a COVID-19 vaccination
  • get a vaccination if they’re not able to attend a vaccination centre.

From Friday 8 October, all state-run vaccination centres are accepting people with disability without a booking. For latest information about accessing a vaccination, refer to Vaccine information for people with a disability

STAFFING NEWS

This week Mara McAlley (teacher – Upper Primary) commenced Family Leave and Lauren Bassetto (teacher – Lower Primary) and Rachael McKeown (Outdoor Education) commence Family Leave next week. We wish them well and welcome Madeleine Thomas (for Mara) and Kathleen Donovan (for Lauren).

UPCOMING PUPIL FREE DAY 

This is just a reminder that Monday, 1st November (day before Cup Day) is a Pupil Free day and no work will be provided either remotely or on-site.

SCHOOLING FOR 2022

It is already that time of year again when we are asking you to confirm for the school what your plans for are 2022. If for any reason you plan to enrol your child in a different school next year then we ask that you inform the school of this proposed movement. We will soon be preparing class lists for 2022 and it is important for us to know how many students will be in sections to ensure suitable class sizes. We really appreciate your cooperation. 

 

Principal Award-  Daniel Santello

Despite all of the challenges presented by remote and flexible learning, Daniel has shown enormous growth this semester. He always turned up to daily Webexes ready to learn and completed all of his activities to a high standard. He demonstrated strong resilience throughout the semester and was able to maintain a positive disposition that provided a strong role model for his peers. 

 

Daniel particularly engaged with learning activities that required creativity on his part, such as making trash puppets or a bird feeder. The highlight of his semester was when he confidently presented his bird feeder at assembly and answered all questions asked of him in an articulate manner.   

 

Congratulations to Daniel !

 

 

"Students striving to be the best they can be"

 

Jason Coningsby

Principal