From the Principal 

We again come to the end of another term of mostly remote learning and teaching and, I think it would be fair to say, that it has been quite a challenging term on a number of fronts. Despite this, our school community has continued to rally around and support each other and, as a result, we have seen some great outcomes this term and have achieved quite a lot. 

In the background, Term 3 is always a busy one for school leadership as we starting to plan for the following year and so you are working in both the present and the future, sometimes all at the same time.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all students on their achievements this term, merely making it through this term is an achievement in and of itself and you have all done that. By and large, teachers have been reporting that engagement has been good in classes, although everyone’s enthusiasm for WebEx and other virtual platforms has certainly waned in recent weeks, and our attendance data reflects these reports. I also commend students for reaching out when needed, whether for emotional or academic support. I especially enjoyed the opportunity that I had to tutor some students on the Parent / Teacher Interviews day and am hopeful that I get a chance to do some more of this next term.

 I would also like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to all of the Heathmont College staff. Our teachers and support staff have been absolute superstars during these times and have worked tirelessly to ensure that students are able to continue to learn and work towards their goals despite the limited face to face contact. 

Whilst we still do not know what Term 4 will look like, I am confident that it will involve some sort of return to face to face learning, however that may look, and I think it would be fair for all students to look forward to that time. I have no doubt that it will involve some new regulations and practices at the school level, including things such as increased ventilation, social distancing, hand sanitising and mask wearing and I will communicate these if and when they outlined as well as describe how we will be meeting these expectations here at Heathmont College. 

Throughout the last very difficult 18 months I have made it my mission to keep you all as well informed as possible in relation to decisions and directions made by Government, the Department of Health and the Department of Education that affect of our community, our young people and their learning. My intent has been to keep you updated in a timely manner. I acknowledge that some of you may not have been in agreement with some of the content of the communication, but I hope that you understand that as a representative of the Department of Education and Training, I have a responsibility to act in accordance with the requests of my employer and send out any communication that I am required to send out. As I am aware that currently there is some discussion taking place about the information sent out in relation to the COVID_19 Vaccine rollout, I want to be really clear on the school’s place in this strategy. At present, Heathmont College is not a designated vaccination hub. I can assure you that if our school in the future becomes a place where children are able to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 or a PCR test, the medical or health practitioner administering the service at the school will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate consents are obtained before the procedure is undertaken on any child and not the school. I do not anticipate that this will happen at Heathmont as this community is not currently a high priority suburb (thankfully) but I do not know what the future will hold. Victorian schools have responsibilities under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Vic) and Department of Education and Training Immunisation policy to support prevention of infectious disease transmission; this includes maintaining records on the immunisation status of students, and in the context of an infectious disease outbreak, excluding students at risk of contracting or transmitting a specified infectious disease. Victorian schools do not have responsibility for the provision of vaccinations, or for administering PCR tests, to children or providing consent. Once again, I strongly encourage you that if you ever need information about anything that is related to our school, please do not hesitate to contact me for that information rather than accepting incomplete, partially correct or incorrect information. I thank you for your support with this and strongly encourage all members of our community to remain connected with each other whether that be via social media or when possible, face-to face. 

Most of all, please stay safe and well throughout the holiday period and, hopefully, get out and enjoy a picnic with others. 

See you in Term 4!