Welcome back!

Wednesday 3 November marked the joyful return of all the children to Arlington (full-time), and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to hear the rooms and our beautiful gardens full of life again. Since our return, a raft of restrictions in school have also been eased and we are now able to recommence a range of activities, consistent with community settings.

On this same day (3 November), we also celebrated a belated World Teachers’ Day to recognise the incredible contributions Arlington teachers have made to the Preshil community and a chance to say ‘thank you’. This year, teachers have continued to show their resilience, leadership and adaptability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They have adjusted their learning environments, supported their students and school community, and continue to share their knowledge with students across the State.

Several families donated money to pay for pastries, fruit and fresh deli items for morning tea. A big shout out to everyone who contributed and to Jo and Karen for setting up the wonderful spread in the staff room, along with the 'thank you' hamper and beautiful messages scattered on the table. It was a lovely gesture and the teachers were very appreciative.

COVID-safe measures

Moving forward, the State government has stressed it is imperative that, as schools return to on-site learning, the requirements put in place to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools are strictly followed. They include following the COVID safe steps of:

ensuring any workers and visitors on-site meet the current vaccination requirements;
taking all steps possible to maximise external air flow and good ventilation;
wearing face masks;
maintaining physical distancing between adults and, where possible, students;
maintaining strong hygiene practices.

Face masks

For all school settings, the Victorian Chief Health Officer:

directs school staff and secondary school students to wear a face mask indoors at school, including Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies;
directs primary school students in Year 3 and above to wear a face mask indoors at school, including Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies;
directs school staff to wear a face mask while teaching wherever practicable, except where removal of a face mask is necessary for effective communication;
strongly recommends students in Prep to Grade 2 wear a face mask indoors at school or OSHC program.

Please ensure that your child’s face mask is labelled, as we are conscious that children may have the same mask as another child or easily forget which mask is theirs. Thank you in advance for helping us maintain compliance in this regard.

Semester Two reports

Requirements for student reporting in Semester Two 2021 will be adjusted to reflect COVID-19 disruptions, noting that they are minimum requirements only. Therefore, this semester’s written reports will have an altered format.

We have done this in recognition of the disruption experienced through the closure of schools for the majority of Semester Two and are working towards providing the most comprehensive reports possible to parents. As we head towards a COVID-safe schooling environment in 2022, we will return to full student reporting,

Semester Two 2021 reports will be published on Tuesday 7 December and a notification will be sent to all families via Compass.

Victor Toufas

Acting Head of Campus

victor.toufas@preshil.vic.edu.au

Preshil - Arlington Argus

Issue 18 · 10 Nov 2021

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