Principal Introduction

Dear EMC Community,

As a College community we were excited to welcome back those students studying Year 12 this term. Staff have enjoyed reconnecting and support students with their preparations for the examination period. 

We have been incredibly grateful for the positive attitudes towards the COVID safe practices and the way in which students have behaved. Collectively as a community we need to continue to support each other to remain safe, and in doing so ensure that our examinations for yr 12 students continue uninterrupted. 

As we prepare for the staggered return of students at Years 7-11, I do ask that parents and carers take the time to discuss the health advice from the Chief Health Officer and the Department of Education and Training, highlighting the importance of adhering to this advice. Most importantly where a student is unwell or has symptoms consistent with COVID 19 we ask that your child does not attend school, they get tested and isolate until they return a negative test result. Our community has a number of vulnerable students and staff and I trust that everyone will continue to act in a safe and responsible manner.

In the event that your student becomes unwell and is COVID -19 positive, we ask that confirmed cases are reported directly to covidohs@emc.vic.edu.au with the name and home group of the student, the last day they attended school and the date the positive test was received. The sub-school Assistant Principal or Student Achievement Leader will follow up with you from there. 

Where a student has a COVID -19 positive test result, they are unable to return to school until a negative test is received from Department of Health and then provided to the College. 

The College has developed a COVID Safe plan, following the directions of the CHO and the Department of Education and Training. This plan along with your support and positive actions has kept the College COVID free over the past 18 months, and we thank the Community for their adherence and support of this plan, our students and staff know how to remain safe and we are incredibly optimistic that our Community will continue to play its part as we return to onsite learning. 

As a College we have developed a Positive Education framework called THRIVE, which has been established to support not only the mental health and wellbeing of our community but to also support relationships and connections for all students. We appreciate that returning to school for some students will be a really exciting time, as they reconnect with peers and learning, and for others this may be a challenging time. If your student is finding the return to onsite learning difficult please reach out the your students Home Group teacher for assistance and support. 

Term 4 is going to be a wonderful time for students to refocus and reengage with learning and we look forward to seeing everyone's smiling faces and hearing their stories

Thank you for your continued support. 

Take care and stay safe.

Dean King

Principal