Principal's Report
Term 4
A warm welcome to term 4 everyone! We are looking forward to having staff and students back onsite soon and hopefully we will remain so until the end of the 2021 School year. We thought 2020 was challenging but 2021 has brought a few extra challenges including an earthquake and a severe hail-storm which covered our school grounds so much that it looked like a snow field!
We are now all on countdown until we begin to welcome our students back onsite. The Victorian Government has announced a staggered return this term, with all students planned to return onsite by Friday 5 November (subject to final public health advice)
Staggered Return to Onsite Learning.
On Monday October 18 we will welcome our Prep students back for three days per week (Monday through to Wednesday) as well as Years 1 and 2 for two days per week (Thursday and Friday).
From October 26 all students will return at least part-time. On this date, arrangements for Prep students and Year 1 and 2 students will continue; Year 3 to 4 will attend on Tuesday and Wednesday; Year 5 and 6 will attend on Thursday and Friday.
Remote and flexible learning will be delivered to students on the days they are not onsite.
All staff will return onsite on October 26 and will conduct remote learning classes from school on the days the students are not onsite.
All Victorian Government Schools receive an Operations Guide on a very regular basis. Sometimes this guide is weekly or can be more frequently as determined by restrictions imposed by the Government Health Officer.
A summary of key operational requirements outlined by the most current Operations Guide include:
- Staggered return to school by all students
- Face masks required indoors and outdoors for staff
- Covidsafe routine cleaning
- Community use of school playground can only occur beyond the school day which is 7.30am-6pm
- Visitors to school premises limited to essential school services and operations requirements
- No school tours
- No excursions or incursions
- No assemblies
- No interschool activities
- No singing and no library classes
- No face to face staff meetings
Vaccinations
On the advice of the public health team, all workers in Metropolitan Melbourne –on the Authorised Worker list will require their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by 18 October in order to continue to work onsite, and for their children to be eligible for on-site supervision.
The onus is on the permit holder to attest to the permit conditions and eligibility. Penalties will apply to the permit holder if this information is incorrect.
All staff at BNPS are required to be fully vaccinated by 29 November and evidence of full vaccination must be submitted to the department.
Application for Shade Sail Grant
I would like to sincerely thank Mr Doug Bray who spent several days of the school holidays preparing the application for the recently announced Shade sail Grant. Thanks Doug we all appreciate you giving up your valuable school holidays to prepare and submit this application on behalf of our school community. Fingers crossed we are successful with our application.
Senseless destruction of our OSHC Garden
Unfortunately, we had unwanted visitors to our school on the weekend who totally destroyed the garden that the staff and students attending Outside School Hours Care have been building over several years. As a result of this of this senseless act of pure vandalism hours of work and commitment has been lost. The worm farm has been up-ended, plants ripped out and all of the student painted planters have been destroyed as well as the children’s artwork.
These are a few photos of the On-Site students repairing the damage that was done.
It also appears that a children’s party was held in the grounds of our school on the weekend with lolly wrappers, plastic juice containers and unfinished food left behind on the ground. We encourage families to use our school grounds but with respect. I would like to thank Lee who commenced this clean-up up at 6.30am so that the area was clean before our students arrived for OSHC at 7.30am.
Can we enlist community support in these matters and if you ever have a concern about a person/persons appearing to conduct themselves in an inappropriate manner in our school grounds please contact the police and report the actions.
What many school families may be unaware of is that Lee Skaftouros checks our school grounds every morning before our students arrive. We are very grateful that Lee checks to see that no inappropriate objects have been left in our play areas and building entrances so that the school is safe for our students and their families.
Planning for 2022
We are currently developing the class structure for 2022. If your child is not returning it is extremely important that you let the school know as soon as possible as our student enrolment number determines the class structure and size and the provision of programs. Thank you for your assistance in this.
SHERRIL DUFFY
PRINCIPAL