St Brigid's College Newsletter

Helpful Information

  

Everyday helpful school advice, right at your fingertips!

Student, Parent and Teacher Conferences

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Student, Parent, and Teacher Conferences (previously Parent Teacher Interviews) on Wednesday 26 March between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The booking portal will be available from Monday 17th March and can be accessed via PAM. These conferences are an important opportunity for you to engage in discussions about your child’s progress, their learning experiences, and help strengthen the important home / school relationship.

We highly encourage you to attend the conferences in person with your child, as this provides the best opportunity for meaningful, face-to-face conversations, and gives students the chance to directly engage with their teachers and parents in a collaborative setting. If attending in person is not possible, we are happy to arrange phone conferences. We ask that your child is with you during the phone call if at all possible.

This day will be a work from home day for students, where they will be provided with independent learning activities for the classes that would usually take place on that timetabled day.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference and to working together to support your child’s growth.

Lifelong benefits of attending a Catholic School

Recent research from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey reveals that individuals who attended Catholic schools experience lasting advantages in employment status, general health, and life satisfaction.

Key findings about Catholic school graduates success include:

• Higher employment rates and wages (4% - 11% more than government school peers)

• Greater likelihood of working in public-serving industries and donating to charity

• Improved overall health and life satisfaction

Professor Elizabeth Labone, CEO of Victorian Catholic Education Authority - VCEA, says: “This research quantifies what we’ve always known—Catholic schools prepare students for life.”

Discover more: bit.ly/43Eh3iP

School Immunisations

The Secondary School Immunisation Program offers free National Immunisation Program schedule vaccines to all eligible Year 7 and Year 10 students.

Year 7 students    

  • Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) 

Year 10 students 

  • Meningococcal ACWY 

Our local council will work with your child’s school to implement the immunisation program and will inform you of the steps you need to take. The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 <http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_reg/phawr2019331/s112.html> authorises secondary schools to provide their local council with student and parent/guardian contact information for any student scheduled to receive a vaccination. This information is only used to assist local councils to follow-up parents/guardians of students with incomplete or missing immunisation consent forms. 

Every day vaccination saves lives and makes it possible for Victorians to live free from the illness and disability caused by many infectious diseases. 

For further information please go to the following links: 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What information is given to local council?

The school provides the following basic student and parent/guardian contact information to the local council immunisation service:

  • student name 
  • date of birth 
  • gender  
  • year level and class group  
  • parent/guardian contact details   
  • language(s) spoken at home.

Why does the school provide this information?

  • To improve communication with parents/guardians regarding their child’s vaccination needs.
  • To ensure all eligible students are offered the opportunity to access free vaccinations at school.
  • To reduce the administrative burden on school staff to follow-up consent forms.
  • To eliminate manual data entry processes.

What do I need to do?

  1. Your local council will provide you with important vaccine-related information, along with either a hard copy or a link to an online consent portal. Please read through the information and complete all sections, regardless of whether you grant or decline consent.
  2. Provide your consent online, such as through the CIRV portal, or return the hard copy immunisation consent form. Consent forms (either online or hard copy) should be completed, regardless of whether consent has been granted or declined.
  3. Your information will be provided to Horsham Rural City Council in March. If you do not wish for your details to be provided, please advise the school in writing before Wednesday 19th March 2025. 

School Lunches!

Cyber safety Parent Information Session

Parent Information Session: Digital Media Literacy & Online Safety Supporting children and young people in the digital world is more challenging than ever. Join us at St Brigid’s College for an essential parent session designed to help you navigate the complexities of online safety, social media, and digital literacy.

This event is for all parents, carers, and educators, whether you are an existing family or just wish to know more on this topic. The session will take place in our Library, located in the STEAM building, with a light supper provided. 

Register via the form linked below.

Register here: https://forms.gle/qCqAwZkYqcCn6PXF8

Date: Wednesday 19 March 2025

Time: 6:45 PM

Location: St Brigid’s College, Horsham

What to expect:

• A valuable Q&A session featuring school staff and student leaders, providing both adult and student perspectives on the realities of navigating the digital world.

• A screening of an insightful webinar featuring two of Australia’s leading experts in cybersafety and youth wellbeing: Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg – Adolescent Psychologist and Susan McLean – Cyber Safety Expert.Topics include:

• New Social Media Regulations

• Cyberbullying

• Online Safety & Fraud

• Exposure to Hate Speech

Complete the form linked above to register your attendance.