School Council

Our School Council Election process has been completed for 2020-21. Congratulations to new and re-elected members – their contribution to the governance of our school is greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank retiring members for their input and support in fulfilling their important role on School Council.

Parent members 2020-21

Colin Gerrard

Louise Crowley

Kim Peacock

Ann Greymans

Ashley McErvale

Donna Fraser

Kate Tiley

Staff members

Kate McGinty

Kerry Grant (Casual Vacancy)

Jackie Kerr

Julie Doyle

Student members

Naomi Gerrard

Jaelyn Brand

Co-opted members (positions to be determined at our March 24th meeting)

PFA Representative

Community Representative

Our first meeting for the Beaufort Secondary College 2020-21 School Council will commence at 6.30pm on Tuesday March 24th. The first 30 minutes of this meeting will involve electing office bearers for the new School Council. At 7.00pm we will break from the proceedings of the School Council Meeting to present the 2019 Beaufort Secondary College Annual Report in a public meeting format, which members of the Beaufort Secondary College community are welcome to attend. At 7.30pm we will resume our first School Council Meeting for 2020-21. Once again, congratulations and thanks to our new and existing School Council members.

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to our staff and students for the Athletics Carnival, which was held last Friday. It was a terrific day with a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, as well as quite a bit fun throughout the day to complement the competitive spirit. Our students were outstanding. Thanks must go to Ms Vernon for organising and running the day – it went off without a hitch but it takes time, effort and commitment to achieve such a result. Thanks to our staff for their tireless work and in particular to the staff who set up early in the morning and packed up at the end, as well as Mr Crouch who came in on his day off to take control of the microphone, keeping us informed and entertained for the day. It was also fantastic to see parents, grandparents and friends there to support our young people. Thanks and well done to all!

Coronavirus

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been a dominating topic for some time now – locally and globally. We sent a letter home with students outlining our response to possible school closures, as well as providing guidance for how we can all attend to personal hygiene to reduce the spread of infection. I am including the key sections of that letter below, so that the information is accessible to our school community. The same information can be accessed on our school website.

It is important to know that we are also providing our students with updates in a more personal way by visiting classrooms and presenting information, as well as fielding any questions or worries our students might have in relation to the Coronavirus. We have also encouraged students to talk to any of our staff, in particular our Wellbeing Team, if there is something they are not comfortable with.

The information in the letter that was sent out is as follows:

The Department of Education and Training is working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services to plan and respond to the impact of COVID-19. The priority at Beaufort Secondary College is the health and safety of our school community. In order to support this we will be following all advice and directives from the Department of Education.

The quickest way for us to communicate with our families is through the use of our parent portal – Compass. If you need assistance accessing this portal or setting up the application on your device please contact our Office on 03 5349 2305. Information will also be circulated on our website via the following link www.beaufortsc.vic.edu.au

At this stage, there are no current closures of Victorian Government Schools and Beaufort Secondary College will remain open and operating as usual.

Upcoming school activities?

Over the coming weeks we do have a number of scheduled school activities. All excursions and camps are at this stage postponed and this unfortunately means that our Year 7 Camp due to commence this Wednesday, 18th March will be postponed at this stage.

What do I need to do as a parent?

As parents, you have a critical role in helping the school manage this situation:

Exercise good judgement by keeping young people home if they are feeling unwell for any reason.
Talk to your children about the situation, as they may be feeling anxious or stressed. It is important to ensure students feel prepared and safe.
Make yourself aware of symptoms and understand the steps for responding to these, how to reduce your risk and protect yourself and your family. Fact sheets in relation to this are included our newsletter and will also be available via our website.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate in contacting the school on 03 5349 2305

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Many people who contract COVID–19 will suffer only mild symptoms. However early indications are that the elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions are more at risk of experiencing severe symptoms.

The most common Coronavirus symptoms reported include:

Fever
Breathing difficulties such as breathlessness
Cough
Sore throat
Fatigue or tiredness.

For more information please go to https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-coronavirus-disease-covid-19#what-are-the-symptoms-of-coronavirus

Continuity of learning and teaching at Beaufort Secondary College?

As a school we are currently working on processes to ensure that we continue to provide learning opportunities for your child should a school closure occur.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this time.

Beaufort Secondary College Newsletter

Issue 4 · 18 Mar 2020

In this issue