Acting Principal’s Report

“Flat”. Whenever I’ve been speaking to teachers, parents or students in the past couple of weeks, that’s the word that has come up most often when I’ve asked how those people, or the people around them, are feeling. I guess that’s no surprise, everything that has happened is unprecedented and concerning. I heard recently that the 8pm to 5am curfew is the first that has ever been implemented in Victoria.

Our Year 7-10 students are now at the likely halfway point of their second stint of remote learning. They’re missing the physical connections they have with their classmates, teachers and school. Our VCE students have been on a roller-coaster, where they were the first students back at school, then had the changed rules and routines at the start of Term 3, then the school closure. Only at the start of this week have students and staff been able to gather the resources that they need for their period of remote learning. Our teachers and staff have had a similar roller-coaster, concerned about everyone’s physical safety but also wanting to ensure that our students’ learning can continue to the fullest extent possible. The uncertainty of what the weeks and months ahead may bring is also in many people’s minds.

Our parent community is also facing unprecedented challenges. We know that remote learning brings about particular stresses within the home for some families, sometimes related to those challenges outlined above for students. Some families are struggling financially, sometimes to a greater extent than in the first lockdown. During the first lockdown, we were about to launch a parent survey, but this got put on hold when it was announced that we were returning on site. I encourage you to now participate in the Term 3 Parent Survey, so we can better understand your experiences as our partners in your child’s learning - never more so than now. I would also encourage you to have a look at the supports that are being provided by other organisations at this time on the Wellbeing page in this newsletter.

As I finish writing this report, I’ve heard that Victoria has had the lowest number of cases for at least the last couple of weeks. Let’s hope that the sacrifices that are being made now will have the effect that reduce the number of cases, illnesses and deaths as soon as possible. 

Brent Houghton

Acting Principal