Principal's Report 

Welcome back to Term 3! This is going to be an amazing Term filled with events, incursions and excursions to engage us with our learning. 

This Term we have the Term 3 Working Bee (thank you to all the wonderful families who turned up in the freezing temperatures on Saturday), Hoop Time, Whole School Open Afternoon, Parents & Friends Disco Bingo, Level 1 & 2 Museum Excursion, Foundation Woodwork Incursion, the Book Fair and Book Parade (get those costumes ready..), Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Children's Day, Cupcake Day, Level 3 Camp, Level 4 Camp, Division Mixed Netball, Level 3 CERES Excursion & Melbourne Museum Excursion, Foundation Puppet Workshop, Whole School Photo Day, Kids Disco, Fathering Project Lego Masters Event, Level 4 Museum Excursion, Father's Day Stall, National eSmart Week, Interschool Sport, District Athletics, two students who competed in the State Cross Country - congratulations to Jack and Collette, and on the last day of Term - Billy Cart Day! 

Working Bee - Saturday 16th July

Open Afternoon

On Wednesday 20th July we are holding our Open Afternoon from 2.45pm. We encourage all families to come and see us in action in our classrooms, our specialist programs and our performing arts. Please see the following page for a more detailed rundown from our Teaching and Learning Assistant Principal - April Warfield. 

New Level 3 Garden Bed

In response to a very muddy incline into the Level 3 classrooms from the oval, we have installed a new garden bed and raised seating. We have ordered soil for this bed and the Level 3 students will plant it with herbs, flowers and vegetables in the Flora and Fauna program. 

New Retaining Wall - Main Carpark

Due to some enthusiastic miners in our junior students (and some natural erosion) there was a large cavity forming under the footpath around the main carpark at the top of the oval. Over the last weeks of Term 2 the area was re-enforced and a small garden bed was instated to ensure this erosion is managed. 

Senior Toilets

The works are well underway for the rebuild of the Senior Toilet block. The demolition was completed in the holidays and the re-build has commenced. All of our students have been reminded to stay out of the safety fencing around the worksite and this area is locked off from the community. Please ensure your children stay out of this area if they come to school to play after hours or on weekends. 

New VicRoads Centre - Heatherdale Road

As you may be aware there is a new Testing Centre for Vic Roads on Heatherdale Road and this has led to an increase in Learner Drivers on our streets. I have put in a concern/complaint to VicRoads in writing to request that they do not conduct lessons or assessments in the streets immediately accessing the school between 830 - 930am in the mornings and 3 - 4pm in the afternoons. The school congestion at this time and the numbers of students out crossing the roads makes Learner Drivers a safety concern. 

Please be safe, vigilant and patient during drop off and pick up and assist us to maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students. 

COVID Updates

Last week we sent home another round of RAT kits for use at home. These kits will continue to be sent home this term for use by students and family members when symptomatic. Household contacts are still required to test negative using a rapid antigen test on at least 5 out of 7 days if they are attending or working at a school onsite. You are not asked to test twice weekly any more. 

Recently Confirmed Case

In line with AHPPC advice, the period when someone is considered a recently confirmed case (and therefore exempt from testing and isolation/quarantine requirements) has been revised to 4 weeks, down from 12 weeks. This reflects the emerging evidence that new variants of COVID-19 can evade prior immunity gained from infection. Please test if you are symptomatic and it has been more than 4 weeks since a prior infection. 

Face Masks

It is strongly recommended by the Victorian Department of Health that face masks are worn in indoor settings, with face masks mandatory for those aged 8 and over who are household contacts and attending school. This is because the wearing of masks is effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

It is the department’s expectation that, through to the end of winter, students aged 8 and over and staff will wear masks when in class, except where removing a mask is necessary for clear communication or when a particular activity requires the removal of a mask.

Positive cases dropping children at school

Parents/carers who have tested positive, are able to leave isolation if other arrangements cannot be made to transport their non-infectious child via private vehicle to and/or from school. The person leaving self-isolation must travel directly to and from the location, making no stops, unless there is an emergency or as required by law. They must remain in the vehicle at all times, unless it is reasonably necessary to leave the vehicle to deliver the person to and from school, and must wear a face covering whilst outside the place of self-isolation.

Thank you to all of our families for working with us to keep our community well. 

See you at Rangeview. 

Marika Ferguson

Principal