We Are Back Onsite!

The Victorian Government has announced arrangements for schools in Victoria from and including Friday 4 June. Based on advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, schools in regional Victoria will return to face-to-face learning for all students from and including Friday 4 June. This includes our school.

Face Masks

Secondary school students aged 12 or older must wear a face mask indoors at school, unless an exemption applies. If your child already has a recognised exemption, you do not need to communicate this again. Face masks are required to be worn outdoors at school where physical distancing of 1.5m cannot be maintained.

Face masks are mandatory for all school staff and school students aged 12 or older when travelling to and from school. Please ensure that your child leaves home with a face mask each day. Last term, we were inundated with requests for face masks each day by students. Ordering additional masks takes time and also takes funds from other budgets in the College. Please assist us to all keep safe and ensure a smooth start to the school day by ensuring that your child has a mask to wear at school. We will be calling parents/carers of students that present at the College without a mask as a supportive measure to ensure that this important process is in place.

Visitors Onsite

Please be advised parents and visitors are temporarily not permitted onsite.

If you need to drop off anything for your child, you may utilise the tubs at the entrance and put a note advising who it is for. Please call our office on 5261 6633 to notify our Administration Team once done and we will retrieve the items and pass them on. Also, if you need to collect your child for an appointment, we would appreciate if parents could wait outside.

If you require to make a payment, please see below section "Family Account Payments" on how you may make payments via Direct Deposit, BPay, or over the phone via EFTPOS.

Sports Academy

Sports Academy will resume on Friday June 4. There will be an Athlete Development session for Year 7s in the morning. Sport Support Australia will communicate more information out to families with children in this program.

Salt Water Institute

The Salt Water Institute students will operate remotely on Friday June 4. Then students will resume on site for their final week of this program next Monday June 7.

Assessments

Classroom teachers will communicate with students any changes around assessment timelines. The GAT assessment that was scheduled for next Wednesday has been postponed.

School Tours

School Tours will not be conducted on-site for prospective students and their families at this time.

School Bus

School Bus Services across the state will continue to operate as normal.

Excursions, Events and Camps

The current DET Operations Guide for schools only permits camps if the venue is only hosting the one school. Therefore, our Outdoor Education camps that were planned for the upcoming weeks using public camp sites cannot go ahead.

All excursions must be cancelled currently.

We know that this is another disappointment for our students. The College is planning to look to the Activity Weeks at the end of the year and running some additional opportunities for students to get out and about and enjoy experiences such as these. We apologise for these cancellations, but know that these are out of our control.

There may be a need to alter planned excursions or events, dependent on changing restrictions and advice. Any alterations to planned events will be communicated with families. Exposure Sites As previously mentioned, there have been exposure sites reported locally in the Anglesea area. Current exposure site information can be accessed here, along with details about what you need to do if you attended an exposure site at the specific date and time listed. https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites

If anyone in the Surf Coast Secondary College community is currently required to take any action related to the Tier 1 or Tier 2 exposure sites in Anglesea, please inform our College Principal, Erin Wright.

It is important for the whole College community to understand that people had to be in attendance at these sites at specific times for there to be a risk. So far, there has been no report of any kind to the College. We thank you and appreciate all of your support.

McHarry's Buslines

T7 school buses will now include the new Grossmans Ridge Estate on Grossmans Rd, between Torquay and Bellbrae in their route. Students will require a MYKI card to access the bus. For more information regarding this service, please contact McHarry's Buslines.

Please note that the community are still required to wear face masks whilst travelling on Public Transport.

Exciting Compass App update is ready and waiting

The new improved Compass App is here!

We encourage parents to update their Compass App to access new features that are now available.

To download through the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/au/app/compass-school-manager/id778415974?fbclid=IwAR2lKGl0ouhH7narMuYJU5oYMvjdJx4j7ZOxHHaCBAJPIt6_pSpOHW4_XGQ

A couple of reminders why parents/carers are encouraged to use Compass:

- Entering an absence

- Providing approval for your child to sign in/sign out from the College

- Viewing your child's attendance

- Email your child's teacher

- Providing consent for an excursion

You can find more information on our website: http://www.surfcoastsecondarycollege.vic.edu.au/online-services

Using Compass for Attendance Notes

We invite parents/carers to come into the Administration Office every Tuesday during Term Two between 3:00pm – 3:30pm to come and learn how to make the most out of their Compass app!

If you cannot make into the school, please see some basic instructions below:

DET Mobile Phone Policy Reminder

In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Surf Coast Secondary College during school hours, including lunchtime and recess (including in the Canteen for payments), unless an exception has been granted.

Please note: if your child presents unwell in class, they are to go straight to the Administration Office and see the First Aid leader. They are not to contact home from their mobile phone, iPad or MacBook requesting someone to collect them. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Family Account Payments

There are a number of ways for families to make a payment to the College for their child’s excursion, camp or event. Please see below:

Preferred: Direct Deposit

To make a payment by direct deposit please use the following bank details:

Account Name: Surf Coast Secondary College Council Official

BSB: 313-140

Account Number: 12031136

Please be sure to put your child’s name in the reference and notify us of the payment by emailing us at accounts@scsc.vic.edu.au.

Preferred: BPay

To pay via BPay, please refer to your family statement for your individualised BPay details. Please be sure to put your child’s name in the reference and notify us of the payment by emailing us at accounts@scsc.vic.edu.au

EFTPOS:

Over the phone on (03) 5261 6633 or in person at the Administration Office.

Please be advised that moving forward, the College will not be able to accept cash payments. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

If you have a credit on your account and would like to use this, please email accounts@scsc.vic.edu.au.

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