From the Principals' Desk
Dear Parents,
It is hard not to feel discouraged and a little depressed by Victoria’s apparent inability to reduce the COVID 19 spread and the associated uncertainty about what the future holds. When we last went into lockdown it was a steep learning curve for many individuals and organisations but, as a community, Nossal managed the situation comparatively very well. I think one of the key differences for us this time is that previously we went into lockdown expecting the virus to run its course and then we would all come out of lockdown and back into a period of relative normality. Sadly that period of normality did not last and we are now facing heavier restrictions and a return to a fully remote learning program across the state. If there are any positives in this (apart from the obvious chance to reduce the virus spread) it is that we are better prepared this time, know what to expect, and can hopefully capitalise on the advantages of remote learning and minimise the negative aspects.
The move to Stage 4 restrictions also remove the ambiguity and tension around some students being required to travel to site, while some worked fully at home, and others were locked into an unworkable combination of the two. I was disappointed that the authorities were unwilling to permit Nossal to undertake a modified structure to best meet our unique circumstances, although late last week I did receive a (now redundant) concession around Year 10 site attendance that we were about to implement for this week.
I sincerely thank parents and students for their support and understanding as we negotiated our way through the process and valued your feedback and input – even if I was unable to implement some of your (valid) suggestions and requests.
I was however quite relieved when the announcement was made (after much intense and unsettling speculation) as I was also anticipating that an enforced shutdown and contact tracing due to an infection within our school was probably inevitable - many local schools had been closed and both MacRob and Suzanne Cory were forced into early lockdown in that last week. Thankfully we have managed to avoid that experience to date and I hope it is something that we never have to undertake.
I know that we are well prepared and very capable of managing the demands of the next 6 weeks of remote learning, although as we discovered previously, the experience will differ for each of you; some will find it challenging and daunting while others will thrive. Obviously it is essential that we all follow the new Department of Health Guidelines under Stage 4 and as of yesterday (August 5) we are still awaiting more of the finer details around the application of the Stage 4 restrictions and how they will apply to the Nossal community.
At this stage the school will remain open with a small number of the Principal and Administrative team onsite to ensure the administrative, maintenance, and ICT infrastructure is fully operational and supporting our remote program. Any parent who is a designated “essential or necessary” worker (more information to come about this) is entitled to have their children supervised at school if they are unable to make other arrangements, and vulnerable or at risk students may also be supervised onsite. If you believe you will require this support please contact me directly so we can complete the appropriate paperwork and approval process. DET have much online and support information now available for staff, students and parents – both to support the educational programs and mental health and wellbeing. Our school wellbeing team are available to all members of our school community for individual assistance and advice and will be closely monitoring attendance, wellbeing and participation to ensure that all students are actively engaged and making solid academic process. We are still working through the implications of the current situation for the deferred events and activities like camps, excursions and other group events, and this will be a moving feast while the restrictions remain in place. We will ensure that there are a range of online co-curricular events and activities offered throughout the lockdown.
I ask that all students (including Year 12) ensure that they attend their tutorial session each morning as that is where we will be undertaking attendance and wellbeing check ins, and that they are actively and obviously present in all classes. That includes turning on your camera and actively contributing when required or desirable, dressing neatly (uniform not required), monitoring excessive screen time, taking breaks and exercising regularly. We know how tiring and draining a full online learning program can be (for students and teachers) and I encourage you all to remember the lessons from last time and reduce and streamline the workload.
I will communicate regularly with you all with hints and suggestions and information and updates via Compass and TEAMs. There will be an updated guide released shortly by DET which will answer many of the questions that we are waiting on, and I will ensure you all have access to that information.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly via phone (0408121847), email (roger.page@education.vic.gov.au) or on TEAMs if you have any questions or concerns.
Regards,
Roger Page
Principal
Week 4, Stage 4
As we re-enter a second phase of fully remote learning, it becomes more difficult to maintain momentum and optimism. At this time, I am myself trying to be very active in reminding myself of all I have to be grateful for. I am wearing a mask made by a loving family member as I type this, and they have gone to some trouble to ensure that it fits me comfortably. As we all negotiate the different irritations produced by different mask designs, I'm grateful that they had the time to take that trouble. I have also been escaping regularly into detective fiction during the various levels of lockdown, and so I'm grateful that I live in a world where authors write and actors and other creative individuals transform those writings into films that I can watch or audiobooks that I can read. I had a "birthday zoom" with my brother last weekend and, though I would have preferred to be with him to celebrate his 40th, I was grateful to be able to spend online time with him in a way that would not have been possible in my childhood.
I'm also grateful to the staff and students who have been making special efforts to maintain as many elements of our normal program as the current circumstances allow. Our School Captains in particular, supported by their peers in the SRC, have been shining examples of what it means to lead with kindness and optimism. I commend them for their ongoing efforts.
Write A Book In A Day
One event which we were able to run almost as usual (with the modification that our Year 9 participants were working remotely with their peers from other year levels) was the Write A Book In A Day event (known locally as WABIAD). As you will be able to read in the English News section of this newsletter, the event was a great success, and it was certainly a pleasure to see our students doing what they do so well: collaborating and encouraging each other in creativity.
Book Week
The WABIAD event is just one of many supported by our IRC staff, who have been working hard to maintain as much of our normal program as they possibly can. As I write, we are entering an online version of Book Week which will include presentations to students by renowned authors, along with a range of online house competitions and a dress-up day which will hopefully lighten the mood of our students at the end of their first week under Stage 4 restrictions. A full report will no doubt be forthcoming, but again I am grateful for the drive of Mrs Kamla Reddy and her staff, and their efforts to keep Nossal's culture of involvement alive outside the classroom.
Biology Incursion
On Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July, our Biology teachers hosted an online Get into Genes - PCR incursion for their senior students which was delivered by staff members from the Centre for AgriBioscience. Each class was visited by an expert who made a presentation to the group and then led students through a range of activities. Here, as elsewhere, all of our staff are looking for ways to enhance and extend our students' learning experiences despite the various restrictions.
Moving Future Planning Online
The first few weeks of Term 3 saw staff, parents and prospective parents involved in various online activities which are more to do with 2021 than 2020. Roger Page made an online presentation to Prospective Parents on Thursday 16 July at the same time that our new Virtual Tour of the school was published. The following week, members of the school's executive team hosted their own online forum for current parents in which they fielded close to 200 questions about subject selection processes for 2021.
Finally, last week saw our first fully online version of the Course Confirmation Interview process. As with Parent-Student-Teacher interviews at the beginning of Term 2, this event went very smoothly, thanks in no small part to careful organisation by our Director of VCE and Pathways, Ms Katherine Warriner. Ably supported on the day by Ms Emma Winton and our Careers Counsellor, Ms Clarissa Jacques, Ms Warriner has once again ensured that all of our students have access to multiple sources of information and support to aid them in creating and refining their learning pathways for 2021 and beyond. We are grateful to parents and students for their support of this important aspect of the school's future planning. Catch up interviews will be held later this week for those few individuals who could not join us on the day. Students are reminded that they can make changes to their subject selections any time until midnight on Thursday 13 August, provided they submit a copy of their final choices (signed by a parent or guardian) to Ms Emma Winton by the end of Friday 14 August.
The Future Is Here
As our need for quality online content continues to grow, our Director of Digital Development and Innovation (Mr Stuart Fankhauser) has spent the last several weeks bringing a long term ambition of his to fruition - the provision of some dedicated studios on campus which staff and, in the future, students can use to create more professional video content. The two studios, which are sound proofed and include high quality cameras, fixed lighting and green screens, are now available for staff who are being trained in their use.
Tracey Mackin
Assistant Principal