From Principal Team
Good Afternoon Lakes Community
Welcome back to our tight community, it has been so exciting to see happy faces and feel the energy in the learning spaces. Finally after 11 weeks we have all of our students back in classes and ready to reintegrate back into on-site learning. It hasn’t been easy and there have certainly been challenges for us all but the new learning and growth has been a fabulous positive. People have become engaged in their gardens, learned how to cook and spent more time with family and their four legged friends. Some students embraced the remote learning and became master organisers while others have learned a diary, calendar or timeline might be helpful in the future. Regardless of all joys and challenges we are back to complete the final weeks of school. It was such a joy to see the students come back on-site and re connect with their teachers and friends. A fun approach and a welcoming smile certainly helped students manage the new gate routines and we sincerely thank our community for their support in ensuring this entry and exit process continues for the remainder of the term. Please make sure you are very clear on your pick up points as we have had some confusion with students / parents getting mixed up. We will continue to lock the gates from 3.20 so it is important your children have been picked up, know to walk or bike home or have been enrolled in Camp Australia. Please make suitable arrangements with your children so that they are very clear on your movements or expectations after school.
Some parents have still expressed concern around on-site learning and the impact of the COVID-19 virus. I have included a message from the Victorian Chief Health Officer to hopefully help with questions.
‘As Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and as a member of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, and with the health, wellbeing and safety of students and staff front of mind, I fully endorse a return to on-site schooling for all Victorian schools. Health and safety advice for return to on-site schooling in the context of coronavirus (COVID-19) is available to support schools to continue to provide safe teaching and learning environments for staff and students.
The available evidence largely indicates that transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) between children in the school environment at the current time is very low and that the virus is generally milder in children than in adults.
Caution continues to be advised for students with complex medical needs. It is recommended that parents/carers of students with complex medical needs, seek advice from the student’s medical practitioner to support decision-making about whether on-site education is suitable. It is important, however, that clinical risk be weighed against the consequences of a student missing the opportunity for face-to-face learning, particularly in the context of very low rates of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in Victoria.
An individual assessment is always recommended and decisions regarding school attendance should be informed by the nature of a child or young person’s condition, its severity and intensity of required treatment. The presence of common conditions of childhood, such as asthma, epilepsy or Type 1 diabetes, in most cases should not preclude a student from attending face-to-face learning.
In keeping with national expert public health advice, people with a medically-diagnosed compromised immune system may be at increased risk of the complications of coronavirus (COVID-19). Such an occurrence is rare in children. As a result it should be an uncommon event for a child to be determined by a medical practitioner to be unable to return to school due to an ongoing medical reason raising concerns about coronavirus (COVID-19), outside of an acute illness.
Students who live with medically vulnerable members of the community The risk of transmission in the school environment at the current time is very low. It is not recommended that students who live with someone who is at risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to remain at home at this time. Schools have put in place a range of measures to further reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission and have clear protocols in place to quickly respond and manage a case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in a school.
Adj Clin Prof Brett Sutton - Victorian Chief Health Officer’
Finally, thank you for your support and kind feedback to staff over the past weeks. Messages left on Facebook, emails and communication have been truly appreciated. The Lakes staff have worked over and above their requirements to ensure they have provided the best possible options for you and your child/ren. I ask you to remember that they are all back on school based duties now and will not be able to respond as promptly to your emails or requests as they may have done while working remotely. Keep in mind that every email or question you have may possibly be multiplied by 24 others within the class. While they will always do their best to get back to you, unless it is extreme or urgent, a 48 hour turn around is reasonable. I have no doubt after supporting your own child at home you have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the teacher’s responsibility and role with their class. As always, I wish you a wonderful week and look forward to the final fortnight of Term 2.
Kerrie, Marcus and Bill