From the Principal

Welcome to our final edition of Discovery for the semester. Phew…..we made it. This semester we have faced bush fires, hazardous smoke haze, COVID-19, lockdown and remote learning. What a semester it has been. I would like to thank all members of our school community for the cooperation, patience, resilience and community spirit everyone has shown throughout this very challenging time.

From my desk I can see the Junior School students out at play. It is dress-up day today and I am enjoying watching some princesses play in the sandpit, an astronaut playing with a dinosaur and a couple of spider-men playing chasey. It is such a joy to have all of the children back at school. To watch them noisily and happily play with their friends reminds us of the importance of social interaction, something we have all missed during isolation. I hope they will be able to continue to play, explore and discover new things over the holiday period as the restrictions on them continue to ease.

Today you will receive your child’s report. Please be aware these are modified reports due to remote learning. Parent-Teacher interviews via Zoom are scheduled early in Term 3. We will send instructions for making bookings and collecting your Zoom meeting links at the start of next term.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been slowly lifting some of our COVID-19 restrictions. These include allowing lunch orders to be delivered and opening up the playground equipment. I hope we will be able to continue to lift restrictions next term but this is dependant on what happens with the curve over the coming weeks. As always, I will be guided by the protocols issued by both State and Federal governments. I can confirm the following changes for the start of Term 3;

A second-hand uniform sale in the PAC foyer on Friday 10 July
School change-rooms will reopen (which means reverting to normal school uniform rules ie Senior School students wear winter uniform to and from school and change for PE classes)
Academic Assessment Services testing of Year 7 and Year 9 students will be held on Friday 17 July and Year 8 students on Thursday 23 July
We are tentatively booking excursions commencing the first week of August (which will be postponed or cancelled depending on safety)

We will send a message to all families in the last week of the holidays confirming the COVID-19 restrictions in place for the start of Term 3.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to confirm the dates for the following events (again, dependant on the government lifting restrictions regarding large gatherings)

Year 12 Formal date Saturday 29 August
Year 12 Valedictory dinner Thursday 29 October

Earlier this year, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) promised Year 12 students that they would receive their results in 2020. This week, VCAA confirmed that Year 12 results will be available from 7am on Wednesday 30 December.

Over the break, the administration building will be demolished to make way for the new building. The building site will be fenced off with consequent changes to pedestrian traffic flow, particularly at the front of the school. The new building is expected to be completed early in 2021. The construction workers who will be coming into our school will be working in the fenced off area. As part of their induction process, they will be instructed on COVID-19 protocols. They will be following the same protocols as other staff in the school.

I would like to thank all parents for their cooperation with the staggered start and finish times and for contributing to the smooth and safe flow of traffic in the car parks. I am also grateful to all parents for respecting the request to not enter the school grounds. I know this has been difficult for many of you. I hope to be able to ease these restrictions soon. One bright side to these restrictions is that it has forced many of our students (particularly younger students) to be more independent at drop off and pick up times. I am so impressed by the confident and independent way our younger students are conducting themselves. They are so grown up! I am thrilled to see the Kiss and Go zone in the PAC carpark working so effectively and I hope we will be able to continue to use this zone as it is intended (ie to Kiss and Go) forever!

I wish you all a restful and safe break.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Principal

From the Principal

A second-hand uniform sale in the PAC foyer on Friday 10 July

School change-rooms will reopen (which means reverting to normal school uniform rules ie Senior School students wear winter uniform to and from school and change for PE classes)

Academic Assessment Services testing of Year 7 and Year 9 students will be held on Friday 17 July and Year 8 students on Thursday 23 July

We are tentatively booking excursions commencing the first week of August (which will be postponed or cancelled depending on safety)

We will send a message to all families in the last week of the holidays confirming the COVID-19 restrictions in place for the start of Term 3.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to confirm the dates for the following events (again, dependant on the government lifting restrictions regarding large gatherings)

Year 12 Formal date Saturday 29 August

Year 12 Valedictory dinner Thursday 29 October

I wish you all a restful and safe break.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Principal