Dear Viewbank College Community,

We are reaching the mid-point of term 2 and getting closer to the winter months.

A couple of timely reminders that flu season has come early and Covid is still cycling through the community.

If your child is unwell and has cold/flu-like symptoms, please keep them at home.

As a College, we continue to keep in place safety measures such as sanitizer, air purifiers and airflow in rooms, it is much harder to contain the spread of flu and Covid.

I have added some more advice at the bottom of this report.

This week has been Education week.

During this time, we want to acknowledge the work of all our teachers, school leaders and our Education Support staff.

Education Support Staff Day (May 16)

We have 28 Education Support staff at Viewbank College, who undertake a range of roles in Administration, IT, International Students Program, Library, Careers, Art and Food tech support, maintenance, and teacher aides.

These staff make an enormous contribution to the lives of our young people and the work of teachers in the College. Their efforts often go unrecognized.

IDAHOBIT Day:

The College is committed to ensuring that our school is a respectful, safe and inclusive place of learning for all of our students.

Today, Friday 17th, we recognize the International Day against LGBTIQA+ discrimination (IDAHOBIT).

This is to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer, questioning and asexual people in our community, in accordance with the Department of Education’s equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policy and obligations to Child Safety standards.

We value diversity of all members of our community and uphold their rights regardless of background, characteristics, or beliefs.

As a College, we will continue to educate our students about acceptance, safety, respect and inclusivity – all important parts of our pledge.

For more information, refer to the IDAHOBIT website.

If you have any queries, you can contact the department by email: enquiries@education.vic.gov.au

State Budget:

As you would have heard in the recent State Government budget, all families will receive additional funds for uniform purchase and to cover the cost of excursions and camps.

This funding will be processed through the College and not given directly to families. There will be more information to come later in the year.

With current economic conditions and a tightening of the State Budget, we continue to wait for more funding to improve our facilities.

In the meantime, we will look for opportunities to improve our buildings and grounds through smaller projects.

Thank you to all families who support the College Building Fund.

This allows us to continue to improve our environment.

Your financial contributions to the College allow us to provide the high-quality educational program that our students deserve.

Autumn Festival:

The College celebrated our Autumn music festival last night.

Yet again I am proud and excited about the quality of our music program and the community engagement in the evening.

A huge thanks to our music teachers who work incredibly hard to build the program and the growth of our students.

See photos in the Music News.

Stay well this winter:

Symptoms of influenza (flu) can hit very quickly and may last several weeks.

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting the flu.

Keeping our school community well:

Parents, carers and students are encouraged to practice prevention measures, including:

· washing and sanitising hands regularly

· avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

· covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing · staying home if unwell and consulting a general practitioner (GP) or Nurse-on-call as required

· staying up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Flu vaccinations:

Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over.

Some people are more at risk of complications from flu and are eligible for free vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program.

COVID-19 booster:

The 2024 COVID-19 booster dose is available for everyone aged 18 and above.

Getting your booster dose remains the best way to prevent severe illness or hospitalisation, especially in people aged over 65 and those at higher risk of severe illness.

Children aged between 5 and 17 years who are at risk of severe illness can also receive a 2024 booster dose.

You can get your next dose at your local pharmacy or GP.

To find one near you, refer to the vaccine clinic finder.

Find out more:

For more information about preventing flu, and immunisation, refer to:

Better Health Channel influenza flu immunisation fact sheet · Getting vaccinated against influenza.

Sharon Grimes, Principal

Emma Ford, Assistant Principal

Rachael Smith, Assistant Principal

Anna Crosswhite, Assistant Principal

Penelope Cleghorn, Assistant Principal

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