Wellbeing 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope this edition of the newsletter continues to find you all well.

COVID Update

All staff and students received their eighth allocation of 5 RA tests to take home last Friday. Whilst we are continuing to manage the COVID situation as best we can, recently we have seen an increase in student and staff absence both due to COVID and Influenza. We want to continue to do everything we can to keep all members of the Academy community safe, so please remember:

• If your daughter is displaying any COVID symptoms at all, they are not to come to school, even if their RA Test indicates that they are negative.
• If a RA Test comes back positive, parents will need to notify Jessica Synaphet in Student Services (attendance@academy.vic.edu.au or 9412 7111) and your daughter needs to isolate for 7 days.
• A negative test result after the 7 days will not be required for your daughter to return to school but at this time, she need to be showing no symptoms of COVID.
• Parents are also required to notify the school if your daughter is a close contact. Students who are close contacts are required to wear face masks when indoors at school unless they have a valid exemption.
• If a student who is a close contact returns a positive RAT result, they must also isolate for 7 days.

A reminder that there has also been a change to the advice about testing:

‘From Monday 23 May 2022, it is recommended that RATs are used by students and staff when symptomatic. We do not recommend that non-symptomatic students or staff conduct RATs twice a week in mainstream schools. RATs continue to be required to be used for five days if a student or staff member is a close contact of a confirmed case and they are attending or working at a school. The Victorian Government will continue to provide rapid antigen tests (RATs) for use by students and staff for the remainder of Term 2. 

New Victorian Child Safe Standards

At the Academy we are in the process of updating policies, documents and practices that are compliant and in line with the new Victorian Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order No. 1359 (MO 1359), Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises. This Ministerial Order provides a framework for how schools can action the eleven new Victorian Child Safe Standards which will come into effect from 1 July 2022. This is an opportunity for us to build on our existing child safety policies and practices to address the new Standards.

The key considerations and foci of the new standards remain around upholding the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and, in particular, empowering families, children, young people and staff to have a voice and raise concerns, whilst implementing rigorous risk management and employment practices.

Updated and revised policies and guidelines will be shared with the Academy community and updated on the College website in due course.

Screen Time

As a result of the COVID pandemic over the last two years, the time people spend using screen-based devices has changed significantly. Families are slowly returning to pre-COVID routines, but many are still struggling to restore screen usage boundaries and rules for their children. Some people continue to deal with digital conflicts and ‘tech dependency’ on a daily basis. Latest research and statistics indicate that over 75% of teens spend more than 5 hours a day in front of a screen, whether it be a mobile phone, iPad, computer or even a television. Parents play a vital role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to screen use and helping children navigate the content they see. It is better to model and mentor screen use rather than to monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and emphasize the benefits of screen usage in order to maintain a balanced mindset. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties. 

Please remember that excessive screen time can adversely affect a child's overall health. Parents need to be aware of the potential impact of screen time on a child's social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical spheres and therefore parents need to maintain a solid and consistent approach to managing screen times. Finally, it's also important to make sure you have the right privacy settings to prevent your child from being accidentally exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Strategies and advice and parent webinars can always be found on the Office of the  e-Safety Commissioner website https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Developing a resilient mindset for the remainder of Term 2

It is quite obvious that staff and students are feeling worn down by the unending challenges we are continuing to face in Term 2 and at times we feel like giving up. In this short, 3- minute video, Darren Perrera from Success Integrated gives both staff and students a strategy to hopefully assist in developing a more resilient mindset so we can all cope with the pressures of the next month. Hopefully you find it useful.https://successintegrated.com/online-resources/?utm_source=Schools+Melb&utm_campaign=606b3942db-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_19_12_50_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e8a93967d7-606b3942db-213360622

As always, please remember never hesitate to be in touch should you have any queries or concerns.

Mr Sam Di Camillo

Deputy Principal, Wellbeing & Operations