Principal's Report

Proud of our students and staff

We have lots to be proud of at Epping Secondary College and in these times of change it is our students and staff that we must stand up and applaud at this time.  Over the many changes that have been delivered over the last few weeks in response to the COVID pandemic, we have seen our students and staff adjust and pivot to the changing requirements of our broader community and at the school level to pivot between onsite and remote learning.

Congratulations to our students for their quick and successful transition to remote learning.  Over the last two weeks we have seen significant numbers of students continuing to learn and work remotely, this has included regular video sessions with teachers, in addition to the completion of key work and this being submitted online via our XUNO platform.  The attendance rates by our students have been strong and our Year 7-10 students have maintained their momentum whilst seeing our Year 11 and 12 students return on site.  Our Year 11 and 12 students successfully returned on site this time last week and in addition to quickly transitioning back into face to face learning our Year 11 students have started their exam period strongly, with large numbers of students undertaking exams for the first time and quickly settling into the routine and expectations of their senior years examinations.

Thank you to our staff team, who have modelled the adaptability and agility that we wish to instill and develop in our students.  All staff, teaching and education support staff, quickly picked up where they left remote learning in 2020, with the addition of a few changes based on feedback from February this year.  The professionalism of our team in supporting students and student learning has been amazing, as many have juggled the demands of home with the challenges of remote learning.

Finally, a huge thank you to our parents and carers, your support through these times is invaluable.  We know that each family experiences these lockdowns in different ways and we can only imagine the impacts for some, so it is with deep respect and gratitude we say thank you for your ongoing support, the support you provide to your son or daughter and the support that you provide our school.

Return to onsite, face to face learning for all students

The Victorian Government has announced new arrangements for schools in Victoria from and including Friday, 11th June.

Based on advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, schools in metropolitan Melbourne will return to face-to-face learning and teaching for all students from and including Friday, 11th June, 2021.

This means that students will return to on-site learning at Epping Secondary College on Tuesday 15th June, with Friday 11th June being a student free Report Writing Day and Monday 14th June being the Queen’s Birthday public holiday.

From 11.59pm Thursday, 10th June, consistent with advice for the broader community, school staff and secondary school students aged 12 or older, must always wear a face mask at school and Outside School Hours Care, unless an exception applies.

For communication purposes, teachers and education support staff are not required to wear face masks while teaching but those who wish to do so, can.

Face masks are mandatory for all school students aged 12 or older when travelling to and from school on public transport and when in taxis or ride share vehicles.

 Visitors and parents must also observe this guidance.

Thank you for supporting your children and our school staff this past fortnight. We look forward to seeing our students back at school with their friends and teachers, with classes resuming at the standard time of 8:53am on Tuesday.

The wellbeing of all our students is our priority and our school staff and teachers are here to support you and your family. Information that might be of assistance to you in talking to your child about COVID-19 is available. If you are concerned about your wellbeing or that of your child, please contact the school so we can talk with you about how we can best assist. Other sources of support include: Parent Line 13 22 89 and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.

A reminder that if you, your child, or a family member develops symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested at a COVID-19 testing facility and stay home.

Each family should regularly check the list of public exposure sites in Victoria (where a person with COVID-19 has attended), and if anyone in the family has attended a site at the times listed, follow the instructions given.

If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, please check out the website for information and bookings. Getting tested if you have any symptoms and getting vaccinated goes a long way to keeping our communities safe and schools open.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator or contact the school if you have any concerns.

 School Review

As a Victorian Government school we undertake an independent School Review every four years.  The purpose of this review is twofold; firstly to provide assurance of ongoing compliance with the minimum requirements for school registration and secondly, and more importantly, to inform the development of our four year School Strategic Plan.

Initially we were scheduled to undertake this work in 2020 but with Remote Learning last year this was deferred.  Unfortunately, our rescheduled Review for next week has now been postponed due to the current level of COVID restrictions.  We are hopeful that we will be able to undertake our Review early in Term 3, with key review dates set for July 2021.

 As we work our way through this process I will share highlights with you and keep you informed about our strategic intent as we head into 2022 and beyond.

Brad Moyle

Principal