Safety
Safety on the way to and from school
St Bede’s College, like all schools in the area, often receives phone calls from concerned members of the local community. These calls report all types of incidents and behaviour. Some we can follow up but unfortunately others may not provide enough information. Maintaining the school’s good name is important but our primary concern is always the welfare of our students. In order to try and get our 1,540 students to school and home again safely we ask the students remember a few basic rules.
BIKE RIDERS – We remind all students that a suitable bike helmet must be worn correctly at all times when riding a bike. For security reasons they should also have a sturdy lock to ensure the bike remains in the bike cage waiting for them at the end of the school day.
TRAIN TRAVELLERS – We have had quite a number of disturbing reports about our students being harassed and even assaulted on the Frankston line trains and at the station in Mentone since the start of the year. St Bede’s College is helping the local police with a number of enquiries but as public transport is not adequately patrolled we ask students to make every effort to not place themselves in harms way.
We ask students living towards the Frankston end of the train line to use Parkdale station whilst students living towards the City end may use Mentone station. Students should try to avoid being isolated in the rear carriage of trains and younger students should make an effort to travel in a carriage with Yr 11 or 12 students. Students not intending to catch the train have no valid reason to be at the Station and most definitely should not be on the platform. The platform at Mentone Station is already very crowded and students must not go there just to socialise.
ON THE BUS – Students catching a bus are reminded about the dangers involved with moving around in the bus whilst in transit. We hope students will refrain from engaging in behaviour that is distracting to the driver or disturbing to members of the general public. Under no circumstances should any item be thrown from a bus.
WALKERS – Students walking to school are reminded to use the correct crossing points at the main intersections around the school. In particular the school crossing at Warrigal Rd must be used. There have been a number of accidents at the Naples Rd intersection and we hope to avoid any of our students being hurt.
CARS – Some of our Year 12 students will drive to school as they obtain their Victorian Drivers Licence. Students driving to school are required to see Mr Jones for a registration form and have parental permission. Student drivers are not to drive on the College property and are not permitted to carry passengers. They may park on the streets surrounding the school and, with permission, in the Mentone RSL car park.
LOITERING - As a general rule we ask that boys do not gather or ‘hang around’ in the Mentone or Parkdale shopping centres before or after school. Students blocking the walkways or creating a disturbance damage the reputation of all the students that wear our uniform. We appreciate the support of parents in our efforts to enforce this.
Mark Jones
Deputy Principal College Operations