Dear families,

Maintaining vigilance with Covid

Over the past few weeks, we have unfortunately seen an increase in the number of students and staff testing positive to Covid19. As we continue to ‘live’ with Covid, it is important that all students and families are actively monitoring for symptoms and if symptoms are present that students are completing either a rapid antigen test or a PCR test. Where any student is displaying potential symptoms, it is important to remember that students should remain home until they are well and should not attend school with symptoms.

The RAT tests have been distributed by the college to students, families and staff and our school community have been following all necessary processes whenever a positive result comes to light. We have been impacted quite heavily with our staffing as a consequence of these positive results and this has been difficult at times to manage.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If your child is not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, they can continue to attend school, but you should monitor for symptoms.

Students who show symptoms of COVID-19 cannot attend school and should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Students should continue with twice-a-week rapid antigen testing on school days.

Students who have recovered from COVID-19 do not need to participate in surveillance testing for 30 days after their isolation period has ended.

For information on symptoms visit: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/symptoms-and-risks.

For more information on how to get tested visit: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/taking-test-covid-19.

If your child returns a positive result, your child has COVID-19. You must:
quarantine your child for seven days
advise the school about the positive result
Your child must stay home until their symptoms have resolved and they are well
Everyone in your household is a close contact and must isolate for 7 days.

Reporting your child’s positive test

If your child was at school when they were infectious you need to report the positive case through the Student COVID-19 Test Portal or you can notify the school in writing or by phone.

You must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398.

Further information for languages other than English

For school information in languages other than English, call TIS National on 131 450.
For translated written information about COVID-19, please visit: Translated information about COVID-19 | Coronavirus Victoria.
Please ask them to call the DET COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663 and they will help interpret.
For health advice in languages other than English, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translated-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19

High Levels of Expectation and Support

We have been delighted to have our students back onsite for the full term. The transition for many young adults can be challenging and we have been very proud of the resilience and adaptability that our students are displaying. We continue to have high expectations of student behaviour and effort so that learning and progress can be maximised. We do this with high levels of support to ensure that students have the strategies and resources to achieve their very best.

One of the most important ways for students to meet the expectations is to use every chance presented to them to learn in each lesson of the day. This begins with attending class on time ready to learn with a positive attitude and all the necessary materials and equipment. Students can fall behind quickly in their learning when they are late to class or absent for a period of time. The College offers many ways of supporting our students to attend class every period and when parents/carers and teachers are sending the same message of high expectations and high levels of support to our students we see the strongest signs of success.

Mobile Phones

It is a rule in all Victorian schools that students who bring Mobile Phones to school must store them in their lockers for the duration of the school day. If students need to make phone calls during the day these can be made at the House Office or at the General Office from the school phone. If parents/carers need to contact their child, please phone the College on 9749 0246 . More information is available via the department website Mobile Phones - Student Use Students who breach this rule are required to hand their phone into the staff member and collect it at the end of the day. Consequences for repeated breaches of the Mobile Phone Policy are outlined in the College Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy.

Compass Access for Monitoring Achievement and Attendance

All parents should have access to the Compass parent portal which gives them access to the following key information:

Permission forms and payment for excursions and camps
Real time attendance monitoring and absence authorisation
Learning Tasks and Progressive Reporting: to enable you to monitor your child’s progress and results throughout the semester
All previous interim and semester reports
Your child’s timetable

Valuables and Personal Property

The College has no insurance for personal property so responsibility for all items brought onto school grounds solely rests on the student. Students are reminded to keep their lockers locked at all times, not to share their locker codes, and not to bring excessively valuable items to school.

When attending P.E. students are to leave their belongings (except PE clothes) locked in their locker.

Students are reminded to keep their bikes locked at all times and to never leave their bikes at school overnight or over the weekend.

Kind Regards,

Simon Haber

College Principal

Game Changers - Employment Support