General Information (2 of 2)

COVID-19 INFORMATION 

We know that the changing landscape for COVID-19 guidelines is continuing to provide challenges for everyone.  Below are the guidelines as they currently stand.

 If your child tests positive:

• Your child will need to remain home for 7 Days.
• Notify the school of their child’s positive COVID test via covid@bhcs.vic.edu.au
• Students/Parents are requested to email teachers if they are well enough to complete school work during isolation.
• Remember to advise us if your child has any siblings.

If your child is a household contact of a positive case you no longer need to isolate, however:

• Parents/carers must notify the school that their child/ren are household contacts by emailing covid@bhcs.vic.edu.au
• Students must take 5 x RATs over the 7 days of the household contacts isolation.
• Students must wear a mask when indoors and in the bus (unless a valid exemption applies or your child is in Prep to Year 2).
• Parents/carers should monitor for symptoms and keep their child home if unwell or has the slightest of symptoms.
• Ensure the student commences isolation immediately if they test positive.
• Students who are household contacts who present with symptoms while at school will be sent home.

You can collect a free pack of five rapid antigen tests at testing centres.

If your child has previously tested positive for COVID:

• They are exempt from undertaking RAT screening and further isolation requirements for 12 weeks after their positive diagnosis.

Parents/carers visiting the school for meetings:

• Parents, carers, and other adult visitors are no longer required to show evidence of a COVID-19 vaccination if visiting for meetings or attending school events.
• Parents, carers or other adult visitors who are ‘volunteering’ or acting as guest speakers are captured by the current vaccine mandates that apply to schools and must be fully vaccinated in order to assist in this capacity.

Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs):

• The supply of RATs will continue for the first 4 weeks of this term.
• DET recommends students continue to test via RAT twice weekly (unless they are a household contact, please guideline above).

Face Masks:

• Students in Years 3-6 as well as staff and visitors of primary school year levels are no longer required to wear face masks.
• Students must continue wearing masks on school buses, including public transport, and when on excursions, or in rideshare vehicles, as per government COVID requirements.
• Staff and students who want to continue wearing face masks are able to do so, including those who are medically at risk.
• Students who are household contacts must wear masks at all times while indoors while they are attending school.
• If during this 12-week period symptoms do develop, your child should take a rapid antigen test and remain at home until symptoms resolve.

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED TAKING ON A WORK EXPERIENCE STUDENT? 

Our Year 10 students are busy trying to find placements for work experience. Would you or your work place consider taking on a student? 

The Official Dates are: 

Monday 20th June, to Friday 24th June 

If you're interested and would like further information please contact

Chauntelle Wolfaardt : cwolfaardt@bhcs.vic.edu.au  or Michelle Visser: mvisser@bhcs.vic.edu.au

RITCHIES COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROGRAM

Families who choose to shop at Ritchies are able to nominate BHCS as their School. Ritchies then provides funding to us through their Community Benefits Program. Simply download the app to get started! 

CYBERSAFETY

Cyber Safety - Passwords

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) talks about passwords as follows:

Passwords are essential for our digital lives. They protect our email, social media, financial, work and school accounts, and other sensitive personal information. 

Remembering passwords for your accounts is a difficult task. Often, people take shortcuts by reusing the same password across multiple accounts, making their private information more accessible to cybercriminals.  

What can you do?

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is encouraging all individuals and businesses to use a password manager to securely store and generate passwords for all of their accounts. 

With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password/ passphrase and the password manager takes care of the rest. 

The ACSC urges Australians to take the following steps when using a password manger: 

1. Choose a password manger that has a good reputation, strong security, good privacy features and maintained with regular security updates. 
2. Make your master password your strongest.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication to increase the security of your password manager. 

Use the ACSC's learning resources

Individuals and businesses can learn how to use password managers to protect their important information and accounts against cyber attacks, by using our easy-to-follow guidance, including: 

• Quick Wins For Your Password Manager
• Passphrase Guidance 
• Passphrase Quiz 

WELLBEING RESOURCES

We know that it can sometimes be hard to find the necessary resources in relation to mental health, bullying and family violence, especially when things are tough. For this reason, the School has a small webpage with links related to health and wellbeing resources. This can be found on the School's website under Other Resources or can be found here.

SchoolTV RESOURCE

• SchoolTV offers parents a fresh approach to the growing issues and pressures faced by Australian youth. 
• SchoolTV is a unique online resource delivering powerful and credible information to empower parents with the skills to address these issues and raise happy, well and resilient kids.
• SchoolTV will be presented as a monthly eNewsletter which will be accessible via your school’s website. Each month a new topic will be presented and introduced by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.

BHCS PARENT HANDBOOK

A friendly reminder to families that the school has a Parent Handbook to help answer any queries you may have, all in one handy place. This handbook has recently been updated and can be found on the School's website.

ISV - THE PARENTS WEBSITE

Belgrave Heights Christian School is part of the Independent Schools Victoria network of schools. Independent Schools Victoria offers an initiative called The Parents Website.  Here you will find a range of articles and newsletters.  To learn more, please click here.

BHCS CANTEEN

JUNIOR SCHOOL : The canteen is available for lunch orders on Wednesday & Fridays.  Junior students (Prep - Year 4) can pre-order lunch orders via the Flexischools app. 

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: Year 5-12s are welcome to order at the Canteen window during recess and lunch breaks from Tuesday – Friday. 

The canteen is closed on Mondays. 

TREETOPS CAFE 

The cafe will be running every day except Wednesday for Senior School students.  At this point in time, use of the restaurant seating will only be available to staff and Year 11 & 12 students. Year 7 - 12 Students are permitted to purchase food from the cafe.

Unfortunately, the cafe is not open for parents/visitors at this time. 

ALINTA (UNIFORM SHOP)

TERM 2 UNIFORM SHOP (ALINTA) HOURS 

NEW DAYS & HOURS

• Tuesday: 8.00am -12.00pm
• Thursday: 12.00pm - 4.00pm
• First Saturday of each month 9.00am -12.00pm (May 7) 

If you have any queries, please get in contact with Alinta.

Email: belgraveheights@alinta.com.au 

Phone: 03 9754 6400 alintaapparel.com.au

MYRTLE THE TURTLE 

Myrtle the Turtle needs a new home

Free to good home, tank and equipment supplied. 

Please contact Mrs Jackie Eastwood via jeastwood@bhcs.vic.edu.au