Dear Parents/Carers and Students

Thank you for all your support during these past few weeks of remote and flexible learning.

Following advice from the Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government has advised that schools can begin a phased return to on-site schooling.

The first stage includes students in Year 11 and 12 and Prep to Grade 2 returning to school on Tuesday 26 May. Other year levels will return to school on 9 June.

To support all school staff to prepare for this transition, Monday 25 May will be a pupil-free day which means no remote learning will take place.

From 26 May BSSC students will be expected to return and attend school as normal. After this date we will no longer be providing remote learning.  If a student needs to be absent for documented health or medical reasons, please contact the relevant Student Engagement Coordinator so we can make an appropriate plan.

This same approach is being taken by all government schools in Victoria.

To support the health and wellbeing of all our students and staff, we will continue an enhanced cleaning routine and will encourage frequent hand washing.

If students are ill or feeling unwell, they must not attend school. They must remain home and seek medical advice.

While the Chief Health Officer has advised that students will not be required to maintain physical distancing at school, there will be a number of important changes to our school operations, consistent with health advice to all schools. This will apply until further notice. I will provide more detail about our local school context as required, but it is important to note that our approach will include:

  • Restrictions on access to the school site for anyone other than immediate school staff and students.
  • The way we conduct parent-teacher meetings and interviews.
  • Advice to students about the different expectations on and off school grounds.

We understand that some families may feel anxious about this move back to classroom teaching and learning. I can assure you that this decision has been taken on the basis of the best health advice available to our state.
More information about the return to school and coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on the Department’s website, which will continue to be updated
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/coronavirus.aspx

Teachers will also be contacting students over the coming days about a professional practice day during this week or next when teachers will be undertaking professional development and be unavailable for remote learning. This timing will vary from teacher to teacher and is intended to maximise face to face teaching time when students return to school.

As more details become available about the return to school, these will be placed on Compass.  Please continue to monitor Compass for this updated information.

Thank you for your continued support and patience during this time. We look forward to welcoming our students back to the classroom.

Yours faithfully

Dale Pearce
Principal