Mr Nicholas Adamou

Principal

Key Dates

Monday, 27 to Thursday, 30 July	Year 10 Careers Week
Tuesday, 28 July	Practice GAT - Unit 4 students, Periods 1 - 4
Tuesday, 28 July	Parent Teacher Interviews 12 pm - 7 pm
Thursday, 30 July	Year 10 Course Counselling Periods 5 & 6
Friday, 31 July	Year 10 Course Counselling
Thursday, 6 August	Year 9 Course Counselling Periods 5 & 6
Friday, 7 August	Year 9 Course Counselling
Tuesday, 11 August	Year 10 Immunisations
Wednesday, 12 August	Year 8 Course Counselling

Welcome to Term 3

Welcome back to another school term, one which, for many schools across the state, will again require different and innovative online approaches to ensuring continuity of education for Victorian students.

Like many of you, I’ve been thinking a lot about the world these last months. About how much our individual and collective choices and actions matter and that nothing stays the same. That uncertainty is a certainty. 2020 is proving to be fertile ground for reflection. Currently we are facing one of the most challenging experiences in our lives and we are facing it together as a community. The NGSC family is a strong, caring and compassionate community, that works together with parents, students, staff and the wider community, in a respectful and synchronised way, placing the best interest and the safety of our students and staff in the centre of everything we do.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has meant some major adjustments to the way our school has operated last term and currently operating under Stage 2 restrictions. We are all aware of metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire going back to stage three restrictions due to the surge of Covid-19 cases.

Up until the relaxation of restrictions, our teaching and learning programs took place online. For many parents and carers, this has meant new insights into how their children were learning, what the curriculum actually entailed and how much could be achieved on Google Meet, on-line teaching. During that time, I received a lot of feedback from parents and carers stating that while their children missed their friends and all that goes on in our school grounds, most of them became more independent learners, better able to focus on classroom activities and instructions, while engaged in a very unique way, seeing the world from a different perspective and in fact, a lot of our students thrived with the quality of learning delivered by our dedicated NGSC teachers. Once again, I wish to acknowledge the wonderful support afforded by parents and carers in assisting their children with the online learning.

Covid-19 Update re: Geelong Schools

The Victorian Chief Health Officer’s advice is that schools continue to be safe places to learn and work and that schools across rural and regional Victoria, including ours, are able to continue operating as normal.

It is worth noting that schools in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire have moved to remote learning for Years Prep to 10 to avoid more than 700,000 students and their families moving around that area.

As you may be aware, some schools in our region have been closed due to confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). However, the health advice is, that unless otherwise directed, schools can continue to operate while observing health measures recommended by the Victorian Chief Health Officer.

This includes implementing a range of measures to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in school settings, including physical distancing for adults, increased cleaning/sanitising during the school day, the use of sanitiser, alcoholic wipes, gloves, masks and Glen 20. The wearing of masks for children over the age of 12 is not compulsory in regional and rural areas. Students who live in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire and attend a school outside these areas are also not required to wear a face covering at school They are only required to wear the face masks when travelling to and from school. However, staff members who live in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire and work outside of these areas, must continue to wear a face covering. At NGSC we encourage all students and staff to wear masks, if they wish.

The Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have introduced comprehensive procedures to manage suspected or confirmed cases in schools. Where there is any risk to the health of students or staff, they act quickly to manage it, including closing the school to allow for contact tracing or cleaning if required.

I’m pleased to see students back at school after the holidays and continuing face-to-face learning, which helps to minimise disruption for students, as much as possible, in what has already been a difficult year.

I understand this is a time of heightened anxiety, however, our school is taking all necessary precautions to ensure a safe learning, working environment and risk minimisation for our students and staff.

Please visit dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus DHHS health site for more information.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Please note: If you, your child, or a family member develops symptoms of a fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, you should get tested at a coronavirus (COVID-19) testing facility asap and stay home.

Student Wellbeing during these challenging times

NGSC is more than a place where our young people acquire academic skills. It is also a place where they can learn to become more resilient in the face of hardship and challenges, feel more connected with the people around them, their families, friends and their school, and begin a journey of learning that will enable them to reach their full potential.

The school’s Wellbeing Team (Social Workers, Psychologists, Youth Workers, School Chaplain, Doctors in School), provides a strong Wellbeing Program that complements and supports the ever changing world in which our children live. Our students, along with other students around Australia and the world, are facing unprecedented changes and challenges due to Covid-19. Not surprising, this has left many of us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, uncertain or stressed. We are all wondering what the world will look like post Covid-19. Therefore, more than ever, there is a greater need for to support and direct our young people on how to navigate through the challenges they are currently experiencing.

Throughout this time of reduced physical interaction, extra-curricular activities cancellations and fierce media coverage, it is important to ensure our students have a sense of control and, with the school’s support, to develop strategies to strengthen their health and wellbeing. I encourage any students that are experiencing difficulties and challenges to reach out to our dedicated Wellbeing Team staff, to be provided with any support they may need. Studies show that the health and wellbeing of students is paramount in their future success, as confident, resilient young people with a capacity of emotional intelligence to perform better academically and of course lead healthy lives ensuring a bright future for themselves.

According to Michael Carr-Gregg, in a recent online workshop, the building blocks of a healthy teenager are, sleep, exercise and diet. Once these basic physical needs are observed, it is then important to focus on our thinking about the challenges we all face. He offered the following advice:

See life as it is but focus on the good bits
Be grateful, practice gratitude and count your blessings every day
If you can’t change something, change the way you think about it

Covid-19 is here and life is very different from what we knew. We must stop and reflect, care and practice compassion for ourselves and those around us. As we are going through a new term we need to be cognisant of the DET Covid-19 guidelines. Please click on the following link Victorian School Operations Guide in PDF to download the latest DET Covid-19 guidelines.

Understanding 'why?' and 'how?'

Education and learning are forever changing, especially during these unprecedented times.

At NGSC, teaching staff strongly believe in placing the student in the centre of everything we do. However, sometimes we face some challenges in our quest to provide the best possible Teaching and Learning programs to our students. Here are some challenges we are facing:

linking knowledge, learning and support across school, family and community: how the education triangle of teacher-student-parent/carer produces powerfully positive results
supporting all students through personalised learning: how NGSC and the wider community support each learner as a whole person with specific needs, interests and goals
developing network learning communities and clusters of schools
bridging the gap in attainment between students who experience high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and those who do not
supporting students, young people and teachers in the use of digital tools and technologies, including through online learning within and outside the school.

Even when the ‘why’ of learning partnerships and communities is clear, we may struggle with the ‘how’. This is an issue of sufficient resources and the right support for schools. It is also a matter of:

Identifying and dealing with assumptions that may frame, in limited ways, how parents, teachers, and students see themselves and each other and the challenges and possibilities

Do you have a child with a disability about to move from Primary to Secondary School?

For children and young people, the most significant transitions occur when they start school, move from Primary to Secondary School and from Secondary schooling to adult life. It is a process of change that, for some students, may require substantial preparation, planning, adjustment and support. The following information will assist schools and families to provide a positive transition experience from Primary to Secondary settings.

Transition Framework
Transition Planning
Legislation Requirements and Transition
Parent Support for Students in Years 6 and 7
Other Transition Resources

The transitioning from Primary to Secondary resource is advice/guidance designed to assist schools to support students with additional or complex needs that arise from disability or difficulties in learning, to transition from Primary to Secondary School, so that their experience is a positive one.

The Importance of Transition;

Supporting students with additional or complex needs to transition, involves more than timing and monitoring the physical transfer from one educational setting to another; the endeavour is best described as building a strong, well-engineered bridge that the students can cross.

The principles and desired outcomes that guide effective transition planning for children and young people living with a disability are the same as for all children and young people. What may be different is the need for transitions to be well defined, of longer duration and for schools to be conscious the impact that such changes may have, not just on the student, but also on their parent(s)/guardian(s)/carer(s), their siblings, their peers and their teachers.

So, when initiating transitions for students with disabilities, elements to be considered are:

the nature and severity of the student’s disabilities,
the impact of a disability on the student’s access and participation
the extent to which existing transition programs take account of the individual needs of the student, their family and the receiving setting.
good practice programs that support students with additional or complex needs that arise from disability and difficulties in learning to transition from Primary to Secondary School, have a number of things in common. They begin well in advance of the point of transition, are person-centred and tailored to the individual needs of the student, are collaborative and involve parent/guardian/carer(s) as vital partners, provide the student and parent/guardian/carer(s) with information to make an informed choice about future educational settings/options, are adequately resourced and are facilitated by a ‘Transition Coordinator’ who can communicate across sites, ensure that collaboration between the sites is effective and that all aspects of the transition planning process are addressed, and support the student and parent/guardian/carer(s).

The resource has drawn upon existing practices of schools, as well as research by, and recommendations from, disability and educational experts. The processes and plans suggested are designed to align with existing practices in schools. The intention of this resource is to provide information and support documents in one accessible location.

North Geelong Secondary College provides excellent transition processes and programs that promote positive transition experiences for all students. For more information about the NGSC transition program of students with special needs, please contact the school and speak to Ms Melissa Fitzgerald - PSD Coordinator.

Find out more information here:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/diversity/Pages/transtosecondary.aspx

Child Safety Code of Conduct

NGSC is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Our school community recognises the importance of, and a responsibility for, ensuring our school is a safe, supportive and enriching environment which respects and fosters the dignity and self-esteem of children and young people, and enables them to thrive in their learning and development.

This Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce any opportunities for child abuse or harm to occur. It also assists in understanding how to avoid or better manage risky behaviours and situations. It is intended to complement Child Protection legislation, Department policy, school policies and procedures and professional standards, codes or ethics as these apply to staff and other personnel.

The Principal and school leaders of NGSC support the implementation and monitoring of the Code of Conduct, and will plan, implement and monitor arrangements to provide inclusive, safe and orderly schools and other learning environments. The Principal and school leaders will also provide information and support to enable the Code of Conduct to operate effectively.

All staff, contractors, volunteers and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work are required to comply with the Code of Conduct by observing expectations for appropriate behaviour below. The Code of Conduct applies in all school situations, including school camps and in the use of digital technology and social media.

Acceptable behaviours

As staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work, individually, we are responsible for supporting and promoting the safety of children by:

upholding the school’s statement of commitment to child safety at all times
treating students and families in the school community with respect, both within the school environment and outside the school environment, as part of normal social and community activities.
listening and responding to the views and concerns of students, particularly if they are telling you that they or another child has been abused or that they are worried about their safety/the safety of another child
promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of students with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
promoting the safety, participation and empowerment of students with a disability
reporting any allegations of child abuse or other child safety concerns to the school’s leadership
understanding and complying with all reporting or disclosure obligations (including mandatory reporting) as they relate to protecting children from harm or abuse.
if child abuse is suspected, ensuring as quickly as possible that the student(s) are safe and protected from harm.

Unacceptable behaviours

As staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work we must not:

ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse
develop a relationship with any student that could be seen as favouritism or amount to ‘grooming’ behaviour (for example, offering gifts)
exhibit behaviours or engage in activities with students which may be interpreted as abusive and not justified by the educational, therapeutic, or service delivery context
ignore behaviours by other adults towards students when they appear to be overly familiar or inappropriate
discuss content of an intimate nature or use sexual innuendo with students, except where it occurs relevantly in the context of parental guidance, delivering the education curriculum or a therapeutic setting
treat a child unfavourably because of their disability, age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality or ethnicity.
communicate directly with a student through personal or private contact channels (including by social media, email, instant messaging, texting etc) except where that communication is reasonable in all the circumstances, related to school work or extra-curricular activities or where there is a safety concern or other urgent matter
photograph or video a child in a school environment except in accordance with school policy or where required for duty of care purpose
in the school environment or at other school events where students are present, consume alcohol contrary to school policy or take illicit drugs under any circumstances

Student accident insurance, ambulance cover arrangements and private property brought to schools

Parents and Guardians are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students.

Parents and guardians of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs.

In some circumstances, medical or other expenses will be paid by the Department where it is assessed that it is likely, in all the circumstances, that the Department is liable for negligent (careless) acts or omissions of its staff/volunteers.

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from some commercial insurers, and can be obtained by School Councils on a whole-of-school basis, or by parents/guardians for individual students.

Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage.

NGSC Newsletter

Issue 10 · 24 Jul 2020

In this issue