Principal's Update
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Stay well and keep safe
Dear CHS Community
It has been an incredibly difficult end to term one with such an abrupt finish on Monday for students and some uncertainty about whether schools will re-open at the start of term two. It seems increasingly likely to me that schools will have to temporarily turn to remote online learning at the start of term 2 but we await advice from the Department of Education / Department of Health.
In terms of work and livelihoods, many families are now, or may soon be, experiencing financial hardship. These are unprecedented times both here in Victoria and around the world as governments declare a State of Emergency and take rapid action to try to curb the spread of this coronavirus. I know that the last two weeks of term have taken their toll on students, staff and families as the social distancing measures have been rolled out and have become progressively more restrictive both here at school and out in the community.
The social distancing requirements are serious. Many countries around the world are already in complete lockdown to slow down the rate of infection. Some seem to have acted too slowly and the number of cases has begun to explode. Our government and health authorities have made it clear that here in Australia we also need to buy time to boost the capacity of Intensive Care Units (ICU) in hospitals, produce additional ventilators for supportive respiratory care, manufacture additional masks and protective equipment for health care workers, establish more effective testing to identify and isolate confirmed cases, and to try to prevent our hospitals from becoming swamped with a surge of cases in the coming weeks.
As we all know now, this coronavirus (covid-19) is not just the flu. Because it is new, we are all susceptible to covid-19. Fewer people are susceptible to seasonal influenza because we have a vaccine for the flu and most people already have some degree of immunity from vaccination and from past bouts with the flu. We also have antiviral drugs for the flu that are somewhat useful. However, because this coronavirus is new, nobody is immune. As yet we don’t have antiviral drugs that are effective against it although medical researchers are certainly trying out the existing ones. They are also working on a vaccine and that is likely to succeed eventually but will take time.
A small number of countries seem to have turned the corner and slowed down the spread of the virus but even there the fatality rate has been ten-fold higher than influenza. In other countries, including those with well-established and high-quality medical systems, the number of cases has begun to increase exponentially and their hospitals are becoming overrun. For example, for Italy during WWI about 260 lives were lost on average per day but right now in Italy the number of coronavirus deaths are over 600 per day.
It is terrible to see the world in distress. However, these are the circumstances we are in. We have an amazing biomedical research community here in Australia and they are working on effective therapies and a vaccine in collaboration with research institutes overseas. Ultimately, when the global medical community succeed in developing a safe vaccine, the social distancing measures will truly end. We wish them well in their critically important work. In these circumstances, there will be no substitute for victory.
In the meantime, the best thing we can do is to follow the expectations that are being put in place by the government and health authorities and to do everything we can to limit the spread of the virus and to support the most vulnerable people in our community.
'Community' is one of our four core values at CHS. All members of Coburg High School—students, staff and parents / carers—have a collective responsibility to uphold our school value of Community and to take individual action to protect the health and safety not only of ourselves but those in the wider community. As the Premier and the Prime Minister have said, we have to do this for ourselves, our loved ones, and for the loved ones of all Australian citizens. It will save lives.
I know that Coburg High School students can be incredibly responsible and we trust that you will be able to adhere to these unprecedented social distancing requirements from the government and health authorities. It is imperative that we all abide by them. Today, the Victorian government has moved to Stage 2 restrictions on non-essential venues and activities. Until otherwise advised, this means that we are all expected to remain at home unless we have to go to work or need to go to the supermarket, petrol station, bank, post office or medical practitioners. Those essential services will all remain open but it is critical that we avoid social mixing for the time being.
Clearly, these holidays are not going to be normal. While being restricted to our homes for a while may sound a bit grim, it does not necessarily have to be. We can still communicate with friends and extended family on the phone and online. For students, it can also be an opportunity to hone some of your emerging talents, develop a new skill, work on projects, create art and music, learn to code, learn to cook, read great books, view great films, practise your writing, and more. Some of the most famous and creative artists, designers, musicians, writers and inventors in history have credited their success to periods of forced isolation as the catalyst for them to work on significant projects such as a great music album, a screenplay or a scientific breakthrough for an extended time without much interruption. Limited options can sometimes concentrate our attention and make us more productive.
As you know, the first day of next term is a student-free day. At this point we are looking forward to welcoming you all back to school on Wednesday 15 April. However, the government may decide that you cannot come back to school on this day and if this is the case, we will be moving to remote learning. Either way, I will contact everyone to let you know.
Rest assured that all teachers and support staff are working hard this week to thoroughly prepare in case we are directed to teach remotely. I am re-attaching the snapshot overview of remote learning (below) but further information about remote learning will be provided to everyone in due course.
For VCE students, the latest VCAA update indicates that formative SACs may be undertaken remotely if we are forced to teach and learn online at the start of term two. We will provide more information about what this means in your individual subjects soon. As further updates come through from the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA), we will immediately share them with our senior students and families and unpack what any such adjustments mean for you.
While there is still some uncertainty ahead for all students, including of course our Year 12 students, I urge you to not overly worry about the immediate future. We are here to support you. All our teachers are completely committed to supporting you to achieve your best this year. They will have already provided you with guidance and for VCE students the best thing you can do is to continue to study, revise and prepare for your upcoming SACs. Regardless of the mode of learning we engage with in term 2, we are prepared to continue and we expect that you will keep in step with that.
Even though it will take time, we will get through this pandemic. I wish everyone the best break you can possibly have in these challenging circumstances.
If you need support or help, please do not hesitate to contact the key staff indicated in the attached guide or to email me, Gary or Belinda directly.
Finally, here is a photo of some of our wonderful Year 12 students in their commemorative Year 12 tops (which arrived