A big thank you to the community for all their effort and support following last Friday’s storms. Without power, we managed to run the Year 12 examinations and keep our students calm.

We hope everyone is safe and well and acknowledge the difficult circumstances some families find themselves in following damage from fallen trees. The College is here to support you all.

Bounce back to onsite learning

I am so proud to see staff and students return to school with a new appetite for the onsite learning environment, following a prolonged period of remote at home. The focus for this term is upscaling success by finding where students are at and moving forward. As I visited classrooms, I was very pleased to see many collaborative groups working at their levels of strength organised by their astute teachers and often using the outside environment as a learning space. The weather was very kind to us for most of the week and the natural ventilation meant new and wonderful experiences. I spoke to many happy students and teachers who were thrilled to be back at Emerald Secondary College.

Given much of the school year has taken place offsite and the return for all students in Victorian schools is November 1st, this Monday will be a normal timetabled day. The canteen will be open and examinations continue on the day for Year 12 students. The VCE examinations are running smoothly and it is a relief that the first week is over. I know the whole community is sending their best wishes to our students who are undertaking their final assessments under the most stringent of protocols.

Those protocols were in place for the final Year 12 assembly where the traditional video capturing terrific moments of their six years of school life was shown, organised by Zoe Morris as was the community video which saw many members of the community wishing our students the very best for their remaining weeks at school. Students were provided with a care package by the College and by the Rotary Club of Emerald and District and we count ourselves fortunate to have such support. We know the students appreciated these gestures immensely.

The 1st of November marks a significant shift in our operations as a school as indicated by the Department of Education. The key messages to schools are that we will be able to:

hold graduations and other assemblies consistent with community density limits

travel across Victoria for camps and excursions
resume interschool activities such as sport and debating
deliver the full range of curriculum programs, including music and performing arts
conduct transition programs for Grade 6 students transitioning to Year 7 in 2022
have a range of visitors onsite, including photographers, guest speakers and MPs

Key areas of the College are working to maximise these opportunities and will communicate information to families when appropriate.

To minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools we are asked to:

ensure any workers and visitors onsite meet the current vaccination requirements
take all steps possible to maximise external air flow and good ventilation
follow the COVIDSafe steps of:

- wearing a face mask indoors at school, unless a lawful exception applies and when travelling to and from school on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicle

- maintaining physical distancing between staff and, where possible, students

- maintaining strong hygiene practices

Congratulations to all the talented students who entered their artworks into the Emerald Art Society Annual Exhibition. The exhibition which is normally open at the Art Society rooms in Emerald are online this year. Next Gen winners are: Ella Chawkley whose beautiful photograph won the Best in Show prize; Eli Fernandez won the under 20 prize for his surreal painting and Ruby Street was the winner of the under 15 prize for her evocative drawing 'Connections'. Lily Cochrane was also awarded a Highly Commended for her 'Pop Art Self Portrait'. Please go to the Emerald Art Society Facebook page this weekend to view the artworks submitted by the fabulous students from Emerald Secondary College and choose your favourites. Well done to all participants and their teachers.

Springs brings with it a sense of optimism, as plans for this terms’ events are made, the 2022 calendar is populated, our refurbished rooms elevate the teaching and learning spaces, the Major Capital Works program is nearing its start date. To inform the community about the Major Capital Works program and other happenings at the College, we will send a presentation on Compass for the community to view.

Eleni Stathatos - Principal

Dates to Remember