From the Principal
While the staggered return of students to classrooms across Melbourne is a big disruption to families with children in different year levels and to staff who are teaching some year levels face to face and other year levels remotely, it was an absolute delight to see senior students return to school last week.
I acknowledge the huge burden on teachers who need to make the hybrid model work and the continued challenges students face when most of us thrive on routine and structure and within a social environment making those much-needed connections real.
Last week our Year 12 students and Year 11’s studying a Year 3 / 4 subject returned to undertake the General Achievement Test (GAT).
Sadly, our enthusiasm was short lived with a positive case having been confirmed in our school. This news once more has meant that we have needed and to deep clean our school and wait the necessary quarantine days before we can open to Secondary School students. The good news for us out of recent events is our Early Learning Centre has not been affected can continue on site together with children of essential workers. These students and staff operate in discrete buildings in other parts of the school. The Primary School will be able to continue on The Victorian Government’s Return to School Roadmap as outlined.
The Heads of School Mrs Tracey Nicholson – Head of Primary and Mr Lukas Silver – Head of Secondary will continue to update their parts of The School as information becomes available.
Taking Care of Each Other
Families, students and staff will be acutely aware throughout these last 18 months that we take the health and wellbeing of all members in our community seriously. We plan ahead and act on the best advice available making swift decisions when required so that we can all return to some level of comfort and knowledge that everyone is doing the right thing. We are mindful that community transmission of the COVID-19 virus is swift and does not discriminate. This we have witnessed firsthand. The classroom teachers, mentors, Head of House and all pastoral staff have worked tirelessly in following up students and families to ensure their wellbeing.
While all our staff will be fully vaccinated by the mandated dates for our sector, we are not through the real impact community transmissions bring. As demonstrated recently, many metropolitan schools have been affected with positive cases which has led to them shutting their doors.
This we want to avoid as much as possible when the required vaccination rates have been reached and we can open up fully.
I ask all families please ensure that children who are unwell or display flu like symptoms do not come to school. Please get members of your family tested and isolate until the results come through indicating you are able to move around freely or alternatively you need to further isolate.
I express my sincere thanks to our School Nurse: Ms Clare Burns who has been an incredible source of support to the Management Team and myself, to students, staff and families as we navigate or way through this part of the journey.
Dr Vivianne Nikou
School Principal
