School Community News

March 2022

• Monday 14th - Labour Day Public Holiday - No school 

2022 Curriculum Days

• Tuesday 15th March
• Friday 10th June 
• Monday 12th December

Developing staff skills and competencies is a critical component of the school’s success.  A culture of continuous school improvement is embedded at the school. 

Please mark these days on your calendar.  Student diaries have these dates noted for your convenience.

Annual privacy reminder for 2022

Our school collects, uses, discloses, and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

Please take time to remind yourself of our school’s collection notice, found on our website

https://www.jacanaschoolforautism.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Privacy-Policy-2021.docx to your school’s collection notice. For more privacy information, refer to Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in nine community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Information for Parents 

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between students' backgrounds and outcomes.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

CSEF funding is an amount that is used for paying for your child’s excursions, incursions, camps or sporting events within the school if you are eligible. To be eligible you need to be the recipient of a Health Care Card in your name (parent/carer).

Applications for 2022 are now open.  Please see attached the application form.  Applications close on the 24th of June, 2022.

Payments are:

• $125. Per year for eligible primary school students
• $225. Per year for eligible secondary school students.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seekers and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. 

How to apply?

If you have applied for the CSEF at Jacana School for Autism in a previous year, you do not need to complete an application form in 2022, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. 

You will only need to submit an application form in 2022 if any of the following changes have occurred:

• New Student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2022 and you are a current holder of a health care card, or you did not apply at the same school in a previous year.
• Changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number.
• New siblings commencing at the school in 2022 

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about CSEF visit:https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Third Dose Vaccination 

Dear members, 

A reminder that as part of the pandemic orders announced on 25th January 2022, the third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is now required for anyone who attends an education facility for work, unless they have a medical exemption.

The third-dose deadline for anyone who works in a school and who was fully vaccinated on or before 25 October 2021 has now been extended until 25 March 2022. Employees who were fully vaccinated on or before 25 October 2021 must have a booking to receive their third dose on or before 25 March 2022, if they have not had their third dose by 25 February 2022.

The Department of Education requires you to log into eduPay and enter your third dose vaccination status as soon as possible and before the applicable deadline. The following intranet link provides information on accessing your digital certificate and uploading access your digital certificate and upload it to eduPay (login required). You can also refer to the quick reference guide (login required) in eduPay for more assistance.

If you’re yet to book your third dose of the vaccine, you can do so at a pharmacy, participating GP clinic, community health service, state vaccination centre, or Commonwealth vaccination centre through the Vaccine Clinic Finder, or by contacting your preferred service directly.

The coronavirus.vic.gov.au website includes more information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Employees can access up to half a day’s paid release from duty to attend their COVID-19 vaccination appointments. For further information about how employees will be supported to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, contact the Schools People Services general HR phone line: 1800 641 943. 

ORGANISATION thanks you for working with these requirements for the safety of our Victorian school communities. The Department of Education has a range of supports available to school staff, which you can view on the COVID-19 Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Support for Schools intranet page (login required). This includes confidential counselling available to all schools through the department’s Employee Assistance Program.

Find out more

• To read about how vaccine champion, Dr Michael Lyristis, from Bentleigh Secondary College, is helping his school community build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Stories from the Education State. 
• For further information about how employees will be supported to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, contact the Schools People Services general HR phone line: 1800 641 943. 
• More information about vaccine requirements in schools can be found on the Department of Educations’ Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
• COVID-19 Vaccinations – Teaching Service and School Council Employees
• COVID-19 Vaccinations – Visitors and Volunteers on School Sites.

Hayfever Season!

As Hayfever season is upon us, we are finding that we have many students exhibiting these symptoms which could also be masked as symptoms of COVID19. 

As per the current health guidelines, we do have to send any student home when these symptoms present and they do need a negative covid test or doctor's clearance to return. If your child is diagnosed with hayfever this will help us understand the symptoms better. 

Please see the enclosed medical alert report your doctor can fill out if your child is diagnosed with hayfever.

Student Bus Transport

Due to the high volume of traffic currently on the roads, Mee’s buses can be running up to 10 minutes late. Please call Mee’s on 9459 3000 and they will be able to indicate bus times.

Student Transport Contact details

Email and contact details for Student Transport are available on the Contacts page of the Jacana School for Autism website.

Change of residential address

A reminder to parents if you are planning to move residence please contact Frances Hansen at transport@jacanaschoolforautism.vic.edu.au or call the school 9309 6258 and request to speak to Frances. This will enable the updating of your transport requirements including a change of bus stop &/or bus if needed PRIOR to your move. This will assist you to prepare your child and request assistance from the school if needed to help with the transition.

Book Club 

Orders for Book Club close Friday 25th March 2022!