Principal Report

COVIDSafe School Audit

As part of the Department’s continued delivery of intensive support to keep schools healthy and safe, last Thursday our school participated in one of the first COVIDSafe School Audits.  The audit was part of the delivery of the COVIDSafe Assurance Program for Schools, designed to provide additional expert advice to help schools implement health and safety strategies that minimise the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in schools. 

The onsite audit was conducted by a trained Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) support officer and an infectious disease nurse from DHHS and focused on 5 key areas:

1. Site details and consultation
2. Working from home
3. Infection control
4. Mental health and wellbeing
5. Occupation Violence and Aggression

I proudly report that through this audit Belmore School has been identified as an exemplar school for demonstrating not only full compliance, but innovation in protecting the health and safety of all students, staff and members of our community.  I take this opportunity to acknowledge our COVIDSafe team led by our school nurses Marcia and Carmel, together with our entire school staff for developing and implementing our exceptional health model to operate alongside our education model.

NAIDOC Week

This week across Australia is NAIDOC Week – a time when the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are recognised not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. There has been a range of learning activities undertaken this week with a focus on this year’s theme, ‘Always was, Always will be’, The theme recognises and celebrates that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

2020 Yearbook

Thankyou to the parents who have returned the permission slip for their child to participate in the 2020 Yearbook, with a special mention to those parents sending in photos of their child learning at home.  In this unique and challenging year we would like to celebrate the many achievements of our students through both learning at school and at home.

Rotary Club Professional Learning Scholarship

Each year the Rotary Club of Canterbury provides a bursary of $1500 to assist our staff to participate in professional learning.  This year due to the impact of COVID-19 our staff have not been able to attend external professional development programs - so this year's funding has been used to employ our specialist speech pathology consultant to support our staff to supplement their skills in supporting our students to develop their communication skills through embedding the use of AAC in their classroom programs.

This week I was delighted to meet with Rotary's Community Service Director Bill Granger to highlight the importance of the individualised communication programs we undertake with our students here at school as well as during the periods of remote and flexible learning at home. I take this opportunity to thank the Rotary Club of Canterbury for recognising the importance of staff professional learning in assisting our students to optimise their educational outcomes.

School Photos - Wednesday 18th November

Just a reminder that our official School Photos will take place next Wednesday 18th November, with all students required to wear their full school uniform.  Due to our small class sizes we are hoping to be able to take a class group photo as well as an individual photo of each student and staff member.

Parent Opinion Survey

One final reminder to complete the Parent Opinion Survey as it closes this evening - Friday 13 November at 11.59pm.