From the Principals' Desk 

Welcome to Term 3!

As followers of the AFL will know, the third quarter is known as the "premiership quarter" (i.e the one in which the game is won or lost). While there are limits to this analogy, it is certainly true that in Term 3 things tend to get a bit more serious. The introductory work is over, and it's time to tackle the more complex concepts and apply ideas learned earlier in the year to more challenging tasks. 

For our Unit 4 students, and particularly for our Year 12s, this is the last term during which they will be doing significant in-class learning at the school. Indeed most teachers of Unit 4 subjects will be aiming to finish or nearly finish their instruction by the end of this term, so that they can commit the little of Term 4 available to them (about 2 weeks) to revision. 

For these reasons, Term 3 can be a challenging one, especially for our senior students. That's why taking care of ourselves and each other is even more important this term. Coupled with the inevitable increases in winter colds and, this year, COVID and influenza cases, the focussed work required in this term will ALSO require a dedicated approach to maintaining wellbeing and, especially, mental health.

COVID Safety - A Present Need, Not A Past One

While Nossal continues to cope with the ongoing challenge of the pandemic relatively well, this has only been possible because a significant number of staff and students have

• maintained/updated their vaccination status
• continued to wear masks when indoors
• used their RATs twice a week to ensure they are still COVID-negative
• stayed at home when ill (even if it's NOT COVID!)
• continued to pay attention to hand hygiene, ventilation and physical distancing.

I would like to express my gratitude for those who are contributing to the health of both staff and students through their persistence and dedication to these measures. Considering recent reports about case numbers in Victoria, I would also like to encourage those who have, perhaps, let their commitment to these sorts of measures lapse to re-engage for their own sakes and for the sake of their friends and families. Mask wearing and regular (twice a week) surveillance testing are both important ways we can keep our infection rates at school as low as possible.

Mask Update

You may have heard via the media that the three school sectors and the Health Department advice about masks has changed slightly and they are now strongly recommending that all students over eight years of age wear a mask indoors at school, and if they are unable to effectively distance when outside.

At Nossal we were already encouraging this strongly, so I ask that all parents please ensure that their child attends school with a mask and that they wear it indoors where-ever possible. 

The infection rate at Nossal had been comparatively quite low in the past due to the number of staff and students who continue to wear masks and are vaccinated and boosted. 

However – in the past few days we have seen a significant escalation in the number of students and staff who are testing positive for COVID , and many others who are battling colds, flu, and respiratory infection. Mask wearing may reduce the transmission rates of these other infections too. 

Please continue to regularly RAT test and keep your child at home if they are showing any symptoms or illness at all. By continuing to do so we may be able to avoid the impact of high absentee rates on our ability to fully deliver our classes and programs.

Child Safety at Nossal

Some readers may already be aware that the Child Safe Standards have recently been reviewed and, starting on 1 July 2022, the new standards have come into effect. 

In line with this, and in support of our commitment to ensure that all Nossal students feel safe and are safe, we have updated a number of our policies.  

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing. We therefore welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices. 

Our policies are available via our school website:

• Policy & Privacy - Nossal High School (nossalhs.vic.edu.au)

and, for current parents, via the School Documentation section on Compass, but we have provided direct links to the policies affected by this change in legislation below. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact Tracey Mackin (tracey.mackin@nossalhs.vic.edu.au) or email the school (nossal.hs@education.vic.gov.au). 

• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• Child Safety Policy
• Child Safety Responding & Reporting Obligations Policy & Procedures
• Complaints Policy
• Bullying Prevention Policy
• Digital Learning Policy
• Student Wellbeing & Engagement Policy
• Visitors Policy
• Volunteers Policy
• Yard Duty & Supervision Policy

Peter Pan 

I hope that many of you managed to get to one of the three Peter Pan performances last week. This is the first full production we have been able to stage for three years, so the students were very happy and excited that the 2022 production was delivered with no disruption this year. It was a delightfully energetic and happy show, with a large number of students involved both on stage and behind the scenes, and some outstanding and entertaining performances from very talented individuals. 

These events only occur due to the huge additional commitment of time and energy by a large number of staff (and ex-staff members and alumni). I commend Mr Woon for his outstanding work in leading and facilitating this event; it is something that the students will long remember and for many will be a highlight of their time at Nossal. It was great to see so many alumni in attendance and actively assisting with the show.

Berwick Family Fun Day

On Saturday July 23 the Rail Crossing Removal Authority have organised a Family Fun Day at Buchanan Park (adjacent to the University) to celebrate the completion of the Clyde Road underpass. I encourage you all to attend as the Crossing Removal people have been very supportive of our school; Nossal students will be featured performers at the event, with several of our bands and dancers providing some of the entertainment.

Nossal PFA Sausage Sizzle 

On Saturday July 23, after you have attended the Family Fun Day(!), please drop in at Bunnings Fountain Gate where our amazing PFA team will be cooking up a storm and serving hundreds of sausages to raise funds for the school. Please support them by visiting and purchasing a sausage or six.

NEST Native Garden

Thanks to the assistance of the Rail Crossing Removal staff the NEST designed and partially Council Funded native garden is almost complete, and it looks fantastic. NEST have done a remarkable job with the funding, design and construction of this reflective place at the front of the school which pays tribute to the indigenous community. 

During the holidays a large team of workers from the Crossing Authority, spread mulch, formed garden beds, planted native shrubs and constructed seating designed by the students. We sincerely thank them for their assistance, and the City of Casey for their contribution to the project, and to Jason Bell our Facilities Manager for his leadership.

Congratulations to the Chess Club

The Nossal Chess Club has defeated all opponents to take the district Chess Championship Trophy for 2022, and will now progress to the Victorian Championships. We wish Aditya Gautam Bhasker (the team leader), along with Risinu, Ze En, Rory, Pankaj, Aryan, Yazan, Abinesh, Sayam, Changken, Gautam,

and Ashwin well. Many thanks to Mr Bobby Chattrath for his support and leadership of the team.

VCE Premier's Awards

On Wednesday July 20 no less than 5 Nossal students will receive Premier's Awards for their outstanding performances in VCE in 2021. This is an incredible honour as they are being publicly recognised as being some of the highest performers in the state, and having 5 students receive an award is exceptional and a great accolade for their hard work and dedication and for the support and assistance of their families and teachers. As names are embargoed until after the Premier has  completed the presentations we will publish their names later in the week.

PESA

On Friday 22 July Mila Vargas of Year 12 will be competing as a State Finalist in the prestigious PESA (Plain English Speaking Awards) Competition at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, a huge and well deserved achievement. 

Tracey Mackin

Assistant Principal