COVID19

Vaccinations for students

As part of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, all students aged 16 and over are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Young people aged 12 -15 years can get a COVID-19 vaccination if they:

have an underlying medical condition.
are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

The Victorian Government aims for all final year students to be vaccinated by the time they sit their end-of-year exams. In addition to this, the Government is aiming to provide at least one dose for children aged 12 and older by the end of the school year, subject to the available supply of vaccines and advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) advice of the vaccination of children aged 12 to 15.

For more information about eligibility, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or use the Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker.

For further assistance, contact:

the Department of Health Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398
the National coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccine helpline: 1800 020 080

FAQS

Mandatory vaccines

Are vaccines mandatory for Year 12 students?

No. Vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary. However, we are strongly encouraging eligible students to get vaccinated for their safety and for the safety of the community.

Can the school force students who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated?

No. Vaccination is voluntary for all Victorians, including students. Students can choose if they want to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The more students who are vaccinated, the more protected our community and our school will be.

Can the school force staff who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated?

No. Vaccination is voluntary for all Victorians, including staff. Staff can choose if they want to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

To support this important safety measure for school communities, our staff can now access up to half a day’s release from duty for each dose they receive of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The more staff who are vaccinated, the more protected our community and our school will be.

I don’t want my child to be around non-vaccinated students or staff, what are you doing about this?

We are strongly encouraging all our teachers and school staff, and all eligible students, to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, our school community, and get Victoria closer to our vaccination targets.

Resistance to vaccination

I don’t want my child to be vaccinated. Can I stop them getting the vaccine?

If your child is eligible to be vaccinated and a health professional assesses them to be a mature minor, they can consent to their own vaccination.

Exams

I don’t want my child to be vaccinated, will they still be able to sit the GAT and their exams?

Yes. All students will be able to sit the GAT and final year exams regardless of their vaccination status.

My child can’t get vaccinated due to disability/a medical condition, will they still be able to sit the GAT and their exams?

Yes. All students will be able to sit the GAT and final year exams regardless of their vaccination status. End-of-year exams will be delivered in alignment with the advice of Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and in accordance with COVIDSafe planning.

Students can speak to their doctor if they have questions about vaccination and their health.

Does my child need to be tested for coronavirus before coming on-site for Permitted Essential Assessments?

Yes. Students must be tested for COVID-19 in the 72 hours before they come on-site for Permitted Essential Assessments (as of 30 August these were defined as dance, dance (VCE VET), drama, music performance, music investigation, music performance (VCE VET) and theatre studies). Students do not need to show evidence of a negative test, but they must have this available in case the school requests it.

Does my child need to be tested for coronavirus before sitting their end-of-year exams?

End-of-year exams will be delivered in alignment with the advice of the Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and in accordance with COVIDSafe planning. I will communicate any decisions about whether students will need to be tested before their end-of-year exams.

Students leaving at the end of 2021

If your child / children are not returning to the Lakes in 2022, please ensure that you have notified either the Primary Campus office or the Secondary Campus office ASAP.

Prep 2022

Have you enrolled for Prep for 2022?

We are currently in the process of accepting new enrolments for 2022. We advise all existing families and community members who may be interested in attending our school, to submit enrolment forms as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to Covid19 restrictions we are unable to have personal tours at our school. Please visit our Facebook page to see our virtual tour which is accessible to our families and local community. A reminder to all parents to maintain social distancing when waiting for children before and after school.

Newsletters

Issue 15 · 10 Sep 2021

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