Principal's message

It must feel as though we are pen pals as I send so many updates to the school community. Thank you very much for your patience and flexibility as we navigate through this term. I hope that our students in Years 7 to 10 have enjoyed an extra week of downtime over the break. Whilst there was a temporary reprieve from the restrictions allowing us to travel to locations within our own state, they soon vanished for very good reasons. 

Carol Duggan and I have been visiting the VCE classes in period 1 of every morning and have been taking temperatures as per Department of Education requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date all is well with our students and staff and those who are feeling unwell are doing the right thing, staying home and getting tested. The most important thing we can do for each other, our friends and our loved-ones is to continue to follow the advice of the Premier of Victoria and the Chief Health Officer and remain home if you have been tested and await the results. 

Today we received a delivery of 500 masks from the Department of Education and Training (DET) and Carol and I personally walked around to all of the classes in period 3 and delivered two face masks to each student that needed them. This should get them through until the end of the school week. From Monday 27 July, all students and staff will need to supply their own. DET will not be supplying further masks so it is important that students and staff source their own. It is a delight and a privilege to be able to touch base with the VCE students each morning. They are all highly engaged with their learning and very supportive of each other. 

VCE teachers are now carrying a bottle of hand sanitiser into their classes for students to use as they enter and we have hand sanitiser placed in strategic places throughout the school. This is a very important year for our VCE students and so the more we can take a broad and comprehensive approach to managing hygiene in the school the less chance of a disruption.

This week has seen the students in Years 7 to 10 commence their semester two studies online. I am hearing from teachers that the students are settling in very well. The students are well acquainted with remote learning and so are our teachers. We also have seven new students who have joined us this term and will be meeting their classmates for the first time this week. It isn’t easy to join a class in an online environment but I have already heard from one parent that her daughter has settled in really well thanks to the friendly students in her class.

We have had a few staff changes this term. Deb Jarvis has taken up a position at Beaumaris Secondary College as of Monday 20 July and I wish her all the best in her new position. Deb was a valued member of the Leadership team and teacher at MGSC for many years and I am sure she will contribute positively to Beaumaris SC. I welcome Vana Dimu, Luke DeMunk and Edwige Kozinsky who have joined us this term. 

I wish you all continued good health and wellbeing.

Best wishes

Linda Brown

(This issue's first page image shows the progress of the STEAM Centre build.)