Acting Principal

Mr Chris Grimmer

Welcome Back

I would like to welcome students, staff and parents to the 2020 school year.  I would especially like to welcome the many new families who have joined the Merbein P-10 College community and we look forward to working with you to ensure your child achieves success in 2020.

Staffing

I would like to welcome our new members of staff to our school. I’m sure they will enjoy working with students across the college and developing strong relationships, which is the key to successful teaching and learning.

Preps

An excited group of Preps started school yesterday morning.  The children settled in very well, thanks to a comprehensive transition program conducted by our Early Years team last year.  We wish the children well in their future education journey and look forward to working with parents and carers in this very important first year of schooling.

Victorian Government's New Mobile Phone Policy

The Merbein P-10 College Phone Policy for 2020 outlines the way in which mobile devices will be used from the first day of the 2020 school year and beyond. (The new policy appears on the school website and is available as a hard copy at the front office.) I strongly recommend that all families take the time to read the policy and speak with your children to reinforce the expectations for 2020 if you haven’t already done so. This is a ministerial order and therefore must be followed by schools across Victoria.

All secondary students were spoken to yesterday about the new guidelines and expectations regarding phones at school. Locks were provided for all lockers to ensure students who still need to bring phones to school have a safe locked area for storage during school hours. I would like to thank all students and families for your support for this new government initiative. Arrangements for our primary students remain the same as in previous years with students handing their phones in to teachers during the day and collecting them after the final afternoon bell.

Coronavirus Information for Parents

As you may be aware, the situation regarding the emerging outbreak of novel coronavirus has continued to evolve.

The Commonwealth’s Chief Medical Officer and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer have this morning recommended a stronger precautionary approach to managing coronavirus for travellers returned from Hubei province.

A fact sheet with all the most up to date advice has been included in this newsletter to ensure all members of our school community are kept abreast of the current situation in Australia.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Factsheet for School Students and Children

Last updated 29 January 2020

An outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was detected in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. Cases have been reported predominantly in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, as well as some other Chinese cities and countries, including two confirmed cases in Victoria, Australia.

What is this virus?

Coronaviruses can make humans and animals sick. Some coronaviruses can cause illness similar to the common cold and others can cause more serious diseases, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

The virus seen in Hubei Province, China is called ‘novel’ because it is new. It has not been detected before this outbreak. Most people infected live in, or travelled to, Hubei Province, China. There have been cases of 2019-nCoV reported in other Chinese provinces and other countries. It is likely that the virus originally came from an animal, and there is now evidence that it can spread from person-to-person.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath. Symptoms can take up to 14 days to develop.

What if my child is well, and returning to school after being in Hubei province, China or other countries with cases in the last 14 days?

All students and staff members who have travelled to Hubei Province, China, are advised to stay at home and avoid public settings, including attendance at schools and early learning centres, until 14 days after last being in Hubei province, China.

Children and staff who are well and have travelled to other provinces in China, or any other areas where there have been reported cases, are NOT recommended to be excluded from schools and child care services unless the following applies:

• The person is a confirmed case of novel coronavirus 
• The person is a close contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus in the past 14 days

What if my child feels sick now or within 14 days of being in Hubei Province, China or another part of China?

• If your child has a cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, they must be excluded from school and be reviewed by a doctor.
• Seek medical attention but first place a mask on the student if you have one and call the doctor or hospital before you attend. Tell them your child has been in Hubei province, China, or the location of travel within China.
• When you get to the hospital or doctor’s clinic, tell them where your child has travelled in China and whether this included Hubei Province. Ensure a mask is placed on your child before or as soon as you arrive at the medical facility.

If your child has severe symptoms, such as shortness of breath:

• Call 000 and request an ambulance, and
• Inform the paramedics where your child has been in China.

How can I help prevent the spread of 2019-nCoV?

Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence. The most important actions are:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow

Where can I get more information?

For Victorian updates to the current incident, go to: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/novelcoronavirus

For national updates: https://www.health.gov.au/news/latest-information-about-novel-coronavirus

For international updates: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/novel-coronavirus

WHO resources  https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.

© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, January 2020.

Enrolments

Merbein P-10 College has commenced the year with over 797 students.  This is now the largest enrolment in the school’s history.  Numbers, particularly in the secondary sections, have grown again this year, with our total enrolment increasing by around 50 overall when compared to 2019.

Although Merbein P-10 has become one of the larger schools in this district, we are committed to ensuring that we continue to provide the same inclusive community culture that has been such a positive aspect of our school.  During our recent school review it was very clear that the inclusive environment that we have created at Merbein P-10 is valued greatly by our students, staff and community. I’m sure we will continue to work together in partnership throughout 2020 to enhance this culture even further.