Need to Know 

St Helena News

The last two weeks have been very busy for our students and staff.   Year 12 Study Camp, VM Sailing Camp, Leadership Sailing Camp, Swimming Sports aka Pool Party, Year 7 BBQ, Year 7 Music Recruitment, Year 9 Morrisby Testing, School Photos, School Play auditions ... and that's just what's happening out of the classroom!  

Next week our Year 7s go out on camp to Forest Edge and I wish them an enjoyable three days building memories and friendships.

Water Bottles

Students will not be permitted out of class to get a drink of water.  Please ensure your child has a water bottle that they can fill and take to class.  

Uniform Support

St Helena is a proud uniform school, and we enforce our uniform code.   If there are financial barriers to getting your child in full school uniform, we are here to help! 

Please fill out the form on our website  :  Uniform & Books – St Helena Secondary College | Eltham North VIC 3095  and send to srl@sthelena.vic.edu.au

Donations will be gratefully accepted at the General Office.  

Air Conditioning @ St Helena

We are very grateful for our wonderful upgraded and new facilities, and are enjoying these vibrant teaching and learning spaces.  However, the Department of Education does not permit schools to allocate funding from their building budgets to install air conditioning in Department buildings which leaves us with a number of classrooms without cooling.   

I thank all of our students and staff for the resilience they have shown during recent hot weather and commend them for taking measures such as bringing water bottles, utilising shade during breaks and dressing suitably. 

Although we do not have the funds to procur the air conditioners necessary to ensure the whole college is appropriately cooled, we will be forming a group of interested staff, parents and students to undertake significant fund raising activities to purchase the units.  If you would like to be involved, please email AskLeadership@sthelena.vic.edu.au 

Same-day notification of unexplained student absences 

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify their school as soon as possible on the day of absence by logging the absence directly using Compass. 

If your child undertakes a VCE or VM program, they will need to supply medical certification if their attendance is below 90% or they have an assessment scheduled. 

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

Why do I need to notify the school if my child is absent?

Schools need to know when and why a child is absent and you need to know if your child isn’t at school. 

From the end of Term 2 2018, all Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

What is your responsibility?

You are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day or you must provide an explanation for their absence. You should let the school know in advance of any upcoming absences or let them know in the morning if your child won’t be at school. In order for schools to implement the same day notification requirement, it’s essential that you provide the school with your most up-to-date contact details.

Generally one notification will be sent per family. Should there be circumstances that require both parents and carers to be notified, please contact the school to make the necessary arrangements. 

What is the school’s responsibility?

The school must notify you of an unexplained absence in relation to your child as soon as practicable on the same day. 

Schools will let you know by SMS or phone call or email. If you can’t be reached because the school does not have your correct contact details (i.e. changed phone number, SMS/email failure notification received etc.), the school will attempt to make contact with any emergency contact/s nominated on your child’s file held by the school. Where possible, this contact will be made on the same day of the unexplained absence.

Roadworks notification 

We’re upgrading the intersection of Ryans Road and Wattletree Road in Eltham North to improve safety and pedestrian access to bus stops and schools.

Works will be completed in two stages, with construction expected to start on Sunday 18 February 2024 and be completed by mid-2024.

When to expect us

Stage 1 works will take place from Sunday 18 February 2024 to Monday 18 March 2024.

Works will take place at night between 8pm and 5am; Sundays to Thursdays. We’re working at night when traffic volumes are lower to minimise disruptions to traffic and keep crews safe.

Please note, these dates and times are subject to favourable weather conditions. No works will take place on public holidays.

What to expect

• Lane closures on Ryans Road and Wattletree Road with traffic management controllers directing drivers.
• A reduced 40km/h speed limit to keep crews safe.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained.
• Low to medium levels of noise. We’ll complete the noisiest works as early in the evening as possible. Crews use modern equipment to reduce noise, however the works will unavoidably emit some noise and light. For the safety of road users and workers on site, reversing beepers are a requirement on all machinery.
• Driveway access will be maintained, however there may be times where traffic management controllers need to safely direct drivers in and out of properties.
• The northbound bus stop at Ryans Road/Parry Road will be temporarily closed. For more information, please visit ptv.vic.gov.au

Please reach out if you have any questions about the works.

Natalie 

Communications and Engagement Advisor

Communications, Operations and ExperienceDepartment of Transport and Planning

DOTroadprojects@roads.vic.gov.audtp.vic.gov.au

Introducng our Secondary School Nurse 

Lauren Pilakis

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Secondary School Nurse (SSN) at St Helena Secondary College, working with the Wellbeing Team. The Secondary School Nursing Program involves the SSN working collaboratively with school leadership and regional health and wellbeing workforces to identify current service support gaps. SSNs then work in partnership with schools to respond to health and wellbeing challenges with the aim of improving health and educational outcomes for young people within schools.

My role in the school includes, but is not limited to:

• Small group work and classroom support focusing on health-related discussion and information.
• Help reduce negative health outcomes and risk-taking behaviours among young people.
• Support the school in addressing contemporary health and social issues facing young people.
• Support health promotion and primary prevention in secondary schools through identifying and building on existing school initiatives and providing appropriate preventative health care. 
• Support the health and wellbeing needs of their students.

HEALTH SESSIONS

• Sexual health
• Drugs and alcohol
• Stress management
• Vaping
• Exam stress
• Safe partying

PROGRAMS

• Year level health promotion days
• Health curriculum support
• Health awareness days – R U OK? Day, IDAHOBIT Day, Wear it Purple Day, International Women’s Day etc.
• Love Bites Love Bites Respectful Relationships Program - NAPCAN

For further information see the Bulletin section: Wellbeing Support @ St Helena

Debutante Balls 2025

Any student who will be in Year 11 in 2025 is invited to register interest for participation in the Debutante Ball/s.  Registering interest does not commit you, but it puts  you on my mailing list and you will receive and invitation to the Information Session to be held in April 2024.

Even if your child does not have a partner secured, they are able to express interest.

One member of each couple must be a current student at St Helena at the time of the ball.

Same-sex couples are welcome.  

If you are interested, please submit your expression of interest by the end of Term 1 here:  https://forms.office.com/r/1AmxvTSMQr    

Reminder re DE Privacy Policy 

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.  Collection_Statement-secondary school.docx (sharepoint.com)

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use technology safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft Office and other school software platforms  please contact the school. 

Staff Merits

Would  you like to nominate a staff member (teaching or non-teaching) who has gone above and beyond for you or your child?  Nominate here     and your nomination will be put onto a Merit Certificate and given to the staff member.  You will make their day! 

https://forms.office.com/r/m3D6a06TMN