From the Principal Class

Dear Members of the Viewbank Community,

For the first two weeks of Term 2, we have been coming to grips with the challenges of remote learning. For the most part, I believe the transition has been a success although the goal posts keep changing!

In part, the success of the transition can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of all of our staff - the committed teachers, our Education Support staff and the Leadership Team.

We also want to acknowledge our students and families for their willingness to adapt and try to make this a positive experience. Our students have been getting on with their learning under difficult circumstances.

We are constantly reviewing issues relating to screen time, workload and supporting students with their learning and welcome your feedback.

We are still supporting onsite learning for those who are unable to work from home. If your circumstances change and this becomes a necessity for you, please contact me at the College.

ANZAC Day

I would love to be able to report on the wonderful event that would normally take place at the beginning of term 2. Our ANZAC Day ceremony is a highlight. Our middle and senior school leaders have put together a presentation and slideshow and I encourage all students and families to follow the link on the next page and share in our acknowledgement of the sacrifice made by our ANZACs over time.

Year 6 to 7 Information Evening

We are also in the process of creating a virtual information evening for our prospective new families. Anyone interested in attending should check the College website for more information.

NBN Education Package

The NBN™ has recently announced a $150 million COVID-19 relief and assistance package, which includes a range of initiatives to support the community during this difficult time. Approximately $50 million will be directed to helping internet providers support low-income households with school-aged children who do not currently have an active NBN™ connection at home.

NBN Education Package:

Parents who meet the following criteria may be eligible for the NBN Education Package:

reside in an NBN serviced area
do not have an existing NBN service
have school aged children living at the residence
are in receipt of a Job Seeker Allowance or Family Tax Benefit

Accessing the Education Package

To date there have been two ISPs who have established this service for disadvantaged families.

These providers are:

Superloop - https://www.superloop.com/education/. This service can only be accessed by the family.

Aussie Broadband - https://www.aussiebroadband.com.au/. This service requires a school to register interest before families can access. It is expected that other ISPs will offer similar packages over the coming weeks.

Please contact the College viewbank.co@education.vic.gov.au if your family meets the criteria and would like to apply for the NBN Service.

Any Associated Costs

If there are any charges for the education service, they are expected to be considerably lower than normal internet access packages. Families with unspent CSEF amounts are able to use these funds to access an internet service, however further CSEF funding for camps and excursions will not be available in 2020.

Staff working from home/school

I miss being at school and seeing everyone which means that I’m always so excited to be able to connect with students during online meet-ups and classes! This is certainly different but my favourite part of my day is still working with my classes. My students have also been great in helping me navigate and implement all of this new technology too!

At the start I did struggle with keeping track of bell times though so I’ve had to set alarms to remind me when periods start and finish! This was a suggestion from my Year 7 students and it’s definitely helped me out during the week!

Ms Pontes

Ms Brown. Mr Varley & Ms Watson put this together for Yr 8 Drama

These photos show the Principal Class working hard, lightening the mood and trying to beat the cold!

There is currently no heating in admin block!

Students learning/working from home

Ms Stray's Food Tech classes

Anne-Marie (Year 11)

Callan (Year 8)

Jack (Year 9)

Claire (Year 11), Reuben (Year 8) & Sarah

Learning from home diary entries

Time is really different these days. I am used to getting up and going to school but today we have to socialise with technology and not socialising in real life. It is a bit sad since we can’t often go outside just to play with friends.

After all I still get to see my friends online and my class mates online so it’s not all that bad. I really thought that online classes would be more fun but it is actually just much more stressful and tiring.

Tai 8F

Wow, this is crazy. It's a tough time for everyone, with the COVID-19 breakout. Everyone in my house feels safe, though we are still very nervous. To pass the time, we go outside and play, sometimes totem tennis or on the trampoline. My brother and I also play video games, and I read a lot. Getting isolated or lockdown during these times is a great way to understand hygiene and how to keep yourself healthy. I miss a heap of things, including going to school, because I get to see my friends or help out it the library. I also miss being able to go out, even if it's just to go to the shops, because I loved to explore the books and see what's available. The people I'd like to see the most are Grandma, Papa and Baba. I wish I could see them now, but unfortunately I can't because they're in lockdown.

I hope they're ok and I also hope my friends are safe in this difficult time

Natasha 8F

# Food@Home101

Here’s a link to some tasty Canned recipes using Aussie Canned products https://spc.com.au/recipes/

Stay safe, healthy and happy!

Principal Class Team