Dear Parents, Staff, Students And Friends

Since the last edition of the newsletter life has radically changed with us all being now in the midst of Stage 4 lockdown restrictions. There is a feeling across the state that we are all over this and I know it is particularly hard for young people who are missing their friends, sport, shopping and access to clubs they belong to. However, we have to remember it won’t be like this forever. We are so fortunate to have the technology that allows us to remain connected to each other. We still have delicious food, our families, friends, the opportunity to exercise: all things we need to feel grateful for. All staff including myself are available via Teams, email or phone for a chat. Please do not hesitate to make contact with one of us when you feel the need. Such a chat can just add a bit of sunshine to your day or can make a difference in lightening the load you are carrying.

Term 3 Video Assembly: A Celebration Of All That Is Wonderful About Frankston High School

As I write this report, I have just finished viewing the Term 3 Video Assembly. It evoked so many strong feelings in me: joy, gratitude, sadness, and all in all how fortunate I feel to be a part of such an inclusive warm community. I can recommend viewing this video as a family and discussing some of the important messages that our students are raising awareness about. It is a great way for a family to spend some special time together. Grab a few treats to share, then follow this link:

900+ Students And Parents Have Completed Course Counselling

We have just completed the mammoth task of counselling in excess of 900 students from Years 8 to 10 as they chose courses for 2021 via cyberspace. Our course counsellors including myself enjoyed the opportunity of catching up with many parents and students during these counselling sessions. Parents were overwhelmingly positive in relation to the quality of the remote learning tuition that is being provided by our fantastic teachers. Thanks especially to Mrs Sharon Bourne and Ms Kylie Williams who played a major role in training counsellors and overseeing such a huge logistical exercise.

Sadly The Curtain Comes Down On 'Chicago'

We held out for as long as we could but sadly due to lockdown restrictions we were forced to make the decision to cancel our 2020 production of ‘Chicago’. Thank you to our Production team of staff who devoted many hours to rehearsing with our stellar cast. At least the cast had this joyous opportunity to hone their talents whilst building friendships across the year levels. Such learning experiences are just as important as actually performing on stage. The happiness that these rehearsals provided helped build resilience in these students for them to remain connected to school and maintain a positive sense of wellbeing during our challenging remote learning periods. I encourage you to view the Assembly video because it features some incredible Chicago performances.

Channel 10 And Herald Sun Promote Chill Out Look About Campaign

Thank you to the Mrs Sarah Bahramis and her amazing LEAD Class for their contribution to the Chill Out & Look About initiative in honour of Dylan Briggs who we tragically lost this year and who was a member of this class. Kai Malcolm (Year 9 member of the LEAD Class) has built an incredible website: www.chilloutlookabout.org

This class has also made a very moving film to raise awareness of the importance of road safety; https://youtu.be/-2uIe3zcTmI What a great achievement in remote learning. It was terrific to have this important message featured in the Herald Sun and on Channel 10 news. Also, Dylan’s family have been so courageous and giving in spearheading this campaign to protect the safety of others in our community, whilst experiencing the distress of such a devastating loss.

The Chill Out & Look About initiative aims to improve road safety awareness for all road users. This important initiative makes us reflect, whether we are drivers or cyclists, that we should never be in a hurry to get anywhere, but we should always look around to make sure all is safe as we drive or ride. This is also a reminder to always have our seatbelts on when in a car and helmets on when riding.

Student, Family And Staff Wellbeing Is Our Priority

To thrive at any stage of our lives we need to maintain a positive sense of wellbeing. This does not mean that at every moment we need to feel happy. There will be times in our lives when things get tough and we experience feelings such as sadness, anxiety and even depression. Certainly during this lockdown many people will be experiencing such emotions and it is important to remind you that you are not alone and such feelings are a normal response to the challenging living circumstances we find ourselves in.

Teachers, The Wellbeing Team and Year Level Coordinators are doing their utmost to provide counselling and programs to support the wellbeing of all community members. I hope some parents tuned into the ‘Lightening the Lockdown load’ seminar by Dr Justin Coulson. Hopefully this session provided a boost to parent morale because being stuck at home and trying to monitor your children’s learning is no easy task. Also, we are offering many activities beyond the classroom to try to motivate students to keep on maintaining a bright outlook on life. We have just completed a STEP challenge for students and now there is another fitness challenge, there is also a healthy eating competition.

Remember to do something special each day just for you, whether it is jumping on the trampoline, dancing in the living room, or making an extra scrumptious breakfast. Also being kind to someone else can help your own wellbeing. Do a good deed each day. Contact your grandparents, send a friend a message that will make them feel great. It is also essential to adhere to a routine. Set your alarm on the phone as a bell to remind you of when each period is. Do your homework in spare periods. Then you can reward yourself when study is over by taking time off to throw a few hoops or continue knitting that beanie. Make sure you set time aside to exercise each day.

I look forward to welcoming our Year 12 students back to school as they complete their essential assessments on site. This is the time when all of us have to keep on keeping on and stay at home following all COVID-19 guidelines. We are seeing the numbers decrease. Well done everyone: lets keep doing the right thing.

Mr John Albiston

Principal

Student Wellbeing