General Information 

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Curriculum Day

Friday 27th November 

Families are reminded that Friday 27th November is a Curriculum Day and there are no students at school/kinder.  

9/10 Information Night

Families of students heading into Years 9 and 10 in 2021 are invited to our upcoming virtual 9/10 Information Night. 

This will be held on Wednesday, 11th November from 7pm. A Zoom link to join this event will be emailed home to parents/carers early next week. 

Information covered on this night will include: Year 9 and Year 10 Programs, Camps, Core Subjects, Elective choices for 2021, Year 9 Community Service and Year 10 Careers and Work Experience.

Year 9/10 elective subject selection eForms for Semester 1, 2021 will be made available to fill in online via Operoo on Thursday, 12th November at 6pm. The eform will need to be completed by NO LATER THAN Monday, 16th November. 

Keeping in mind, the earlier that the form is completed, the better. Subject allocation takes into consideration a number of factors, including a smaller than normal class size, previous subjects, and the order at which forms are returned. 

We strongly encourage all families to attend the night. It is also beneficial for families to read the Year 9/10 Curriculum Book (which has recently been updated for 2021) available on the school's website (here), to ensure they can make an informed decision about subjects and electives, and have a good understanding of the programs and co-curricular activities.

The Year 9 and 10 Team Leaders, the Pathways/Careers Advisor and Head of Senior School will be present at the Information Night to answer any questions you may have.

Sun Smart in Term 4

As the weather begins to warm up, we ask that all students bring a labelled,  reusable water bottle to school each day to ensure that they stay sufficiently hydrated. Please note due to COVID-19 precautions, all drinking taps have been switched off.

Students are permitted to take a water bottle in to their classes with them. 

Hats are to be worn by all students during recess and lunch times. SPF 30+ plus broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen should be applied daily before going outdoors.

Daily temperatures should not be used as a guide to when sun protection is needed. When the temperature is cool, it means there is less infrared radiation, but UV levels can still be high. Students are reminded to be extra cautious. 

VCE Exams

All students undertaking a Year 12 subject were emailed a copy of their personalised exam timetable during the School Holidays. A copy of the complete timetable can also be found online via:

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/Key-dates/Pages/VCE-exam-timetable.aspx

All exam information is in the Exam Navigator that students have been given, also found online at: 

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/Navigator/VCEExamsNavigator2020.pdf

The following details are of particular importance:

• Students MUST arrive at least 30 minutes before the allocated exam time.
• Students are required to be wearing a face mask.
• All students should use hand sanitiser before entering and exiting the exam building.
• Students must maintain 1.5m distance from all students and staff.
• Students MUST NOT attend their exams if they feel unwell, or are experiencing any COVID-like symptoms.
  • We encourage any students who experience hayfever to ensure they are keeping up with any regular hayfever medications to assist with this.

Should a student be unable to attend an exam due to COVID reasons, they must contact the school as soon as they are aware of this on 9754 6435 or contact Mrs Fraanje. 

Please be aware though, should a student miss an exam for any other reason, they may not be eligible for a Derived Exam Score, unless it is deemed an acceptable reason for absence by VCAA.

We encourage our school community to continue to pray for our Year 12s as they enter the upcoming exam period

Booklists, Stationery & BYOD for 2021 (Year 7-12)

Booklists, stationery lists and BYOD lists for now all available for 2021 and have been emailed to all families, as well as sent out via Flexischools. Please email office@bhcs.vic.edu.au if you did not receive this information.

For your convenience, we've included a few quick links below, however, please refer to the original email for full details.

Selected VCE subjects require the textbooks to be sourced through Edrolo. Further information regarding this will be sent to the families of Year 10-12 students at a later date.

Digital textbooks will be made available for all students in Years 7-10. The cost for this has been incorporated into the fee structure.

Details on how to access these bundles will be sent home at a later stage.

Booklists for Years 7-12 Code: JU9R

Stationery and ISBN lists for Years 7-10

Year 9 -12 student BYOD device portal

Year 7-8 student BYOD device portal

Sustainable School Shop

The Sustainable School Shop (https://www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au/) is an excellent online resource available to families to use to buy and sell second hand uniforms, books, calculators and musical instruments. Families can create an account and view items for sale via this website. If you'd like to know more - please log onto this page (https://www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au/learnmore/parents), create an account and see what is available to buy today. Alternatively, please phone Sustainable School Shop directly on 1300 683 337.

Second Hand Uniform- Buy/Swap/Sell

Families can also buy, swap and sell second hand uniforms from the Facebook Page dedicated to second hand uniforms (BHCS Uniform Buy Sell Swap). This platform enables families to post for sale uniform items or source any second hand items that they may need.

The Facebook group is managed by our Pulse team, on behalf of BHCS. Please take note of the Group Rules as listed on this page, in particular regarding making private arrangements for the delivery of any items (not via Reception).

Attention: Health Care Card Holders

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS WITH HEALTH CARE CARDS

In recognition of the impact of COVID-19 on schools and families, the Department of Education and Training has announced an extension to the CSEF (Camp Sports Excursion Funding) to help support families who have more recently become eligible for a Health Care Card due to financial hardship.

If you have a Health Care Card that is valid on or before 5th October, 2020, please complete and return the attached CSEF Application Form as soon as possible.

A CSEF claim can only be made once per year. If you are unsure whether you have already submitted a claim for CSEF Funding this year or should you have any other queries, please contact the Finance Office or email lmiko@bhcs.vic.edu.au 

Bushfire Management Plan

Many families will be wondering what procedures we have in place in case of emergency during the fire season.

BHCS is on the BARR (Bushfire At-Risk Register).  This means the school is required to follow a certain set of guidelines during extreme fire days, and will be closed on days deemed to be Code Red.  This means that on Code Red days, no persons will remain at school and out-of-school care will be cancelled. Please take the time to read through the PDF of the School’s procedures for a Code Red day.

The School has passed the audit that looks at our Emergency Procedures and the maintenance of the school's grounds in relation to fire risk. We also continue to review our emergency procedures on an annual basis to ensure we maximise the safety of our entire school community.

To view the school's procedure in relation to the bushfire season, please see the included PDF.

CFA Resources

The CFA offers resources for families in relation to making their own Bushfire Plan. This information can be viewed at the link below:

https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/your-bushfire-plan

Independent Schools Victoria Articles

For articles by Independent Schools Victoria that speak to the issue of bushfires, please click on the links below:

Helping people deal with traumatic events

Talking with kids about bushfire emergency