a letter to the community 6.10.2020

 
Dear Parents and Carers,
 
On behalf of our college, I want to say a big thank you to all our students, parents and carers for your continued resilience and support throughout this year. I know remote and flexible learning has not always been easy, but through our collective efforts, our students have continued to make valuable progress in their learning. You can be confident that our school will support any student who has fallen behind to catch up.
 
Term 4 is important for every Victorian student, and our teachers will strive to deliver high-quality learning for everyone. Whether we’re teaching remotely or face-to-face, our focus for Term 4 is on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning and transition needs.
The Victorian Government has outlined the staged return to on-site schooling for all students as part of its gradual roadmap towards reopening.
Term 4 on-site schooling arrangements for studentsFollowing advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government has released a staged approach for students to return to on-site schooling.
 
The purpose of the plan is to get students back in the classroom as soon and as safely as possible without putting at risk all that has been achieved through the period of restrictions to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
For our College, the following arrangements apply:
 
From Monday 5 October:

• Students enrolled in years 11 and 12 (and students in any other year level undertaking VCAL or VCE studies) can attend on-site for the GAT and essential assessments
• students enrolled in Years 7 to 10 will continue to learn from home.

 
From Monday 12 October:

• all school students, including Years 7 to 10 and VCE and VCAL students will return to on-site learning.

 
Students and staff who live in metropolitan Melbourne and are enrolled in or work in a school in regional Victoria will be able to attend on-site consistent with the arrangements above.
Students and staff who live in regional Victoria and are enrolled in or work in a school in metropolitan Melbourne will continue with remote learning arrangements under Stage 4 restrictions.
 
Health and safety measures
The Term 3 remote and flexible learning arrangements were put in place to significantly reduce the movement of more than one million students and their families across Victoria, to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Thanks to you and your family for contributing to this on behalf of our school community.
As on-site schooling resumes, we will continue to have in place strong measures to protect the health and safety of students, staff, families and the community. This includes:

• Staying home when unwell
• continued emphasis on hand hygiene
• Ensure physical distancing (1.5m) where possible
• Wear a face mask (students 12 years and older in secondary school, and staff.  Staff are not required to wear face masks while teaching, but can if they wish to do so) 
  A face mask that covers the nose and mouth is now the only permitted type of face covering.
  ​Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements

• restricting parent, visitor, contractor access to school grounds

 
Please give particular attention to reducing the risks associated with congregation at school gates and taking steps to contribute to physical distancing within the school.
 
Whether your child is, or children are, returning to face-to-face learning or will be continuing with remote and flexible learning for a short period, please be assured we will be focused on three key priorities in Term 4:
 
Mental health and wellbeing
Our highest priority will be the wellbeing, particularly the mental health, of every student and member of staff. This means effectively mobilising all available resources to support our most vulnerable students and enabling staff to access the relevant support services.
 
Learning and excellence
Some of our students have thrived in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their learning progress, and some have fallen behind, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers. Our priority will be supporting both those who need it to catch up and those who have progressed to continue to extend their learning.
 
Transitions
We will make every effort to ensure successful transitions for children moving from kindergarten into Prep, the Grade 6s moving into Year 7, and the Year 12s moving into employment or further education and training.
 
We know some families are worried that their child may have to repeat a year due to the disruptions of coronavirus (COVID-19). There is little evidence to support the benefits of repeating a year to catch up. Instead, schools will use teaching strategies that draw on the best evidence available to help students meet their learning needs. 
 
Parents, families and carers can be confident that the best option for almost every child is to stay with their peer group, whether that is moving from kindergarten into Prep, moving from Grade 6 into Year 7 at secondary school, or students moving up any year level in between.
 
Our school, working with you, has shown it can be flexible and adaptable in responding to the challenges of coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to meet student needs as we look towards the end of the 2020 school year and ahead to 2021.
 
Kind regards
 
 Trudie Nagle
Executive Principal

Letter to parents/carers, students and staff

Dear staff, parents/carers and students,
  
Our school has been advised of a reported case of coronavirus (COVID-19) but is not required to close.  
 
I would like to reassure you that we took immediate action as soon as we became aware of the situation and sought advice from the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
 
DET and DHHS has advised us that no action is required at this stage because the positive case did not come on to school grounds while they were contagious. This course of action has been approved by DHHS.   

All students have returned to on-site learning, with students in years 7 to 12 returning on Monday 12 October.
We will still be taking every possible precaution. Like all Victorian Government schools, ours will undergo regular enhanced cleaning for the rest of term, with a focus on high-touch areas. Face masks will be compulsory for all returning students over the age of 12.
The exception to this is students over the age of 12 attending primary school, who are not required to wear a face mask while at school, and those who cannot wear a face mask due to a medical condition or disability. Further information on the use of face masks in schools can be found on the DHHS website.

If you would like more information regarding coronavirus and schools, please visit the Department of Education and Training (DET) website or call the DET coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 338 663, available 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.   
 
For the latest information, including restrictions and health advice, visit www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.
 
For school information in your language, call TIS National on 131 450. Please ask them to call the DET coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 338 663 and they will help interpret.
For health advice in other languages visit www.dhhs.vic.gov.au. 
 
Kind regards, 
 
Trudie Nagle
Principal
Bairnsdale Secondary College
 

​Through all the despair of recent times, East Gippsland will remain the greatest place on earth to live.
Please take the time to read the Australian Geographic article below and ponder at the tremendous courage and power of community and working together.
 
Trudie

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2020/08/east-gippsland-grit-the-resilience-driving-recovery/

​What a brilliant community we live in!

The Outer Gippsland Koorie Academy of Excellence (KAE), recently assisted year 11 Bairnsdale Secondary College student, Destiny Harrison, with her application for the Arthur Grassby scholarship. The KAE would like to congratulate Destiny on successfully obtaining this scholarship.
The Arthur Grassby scholarship is for year 11 Secondary College students within the East Gippsland Shire. The aim is to provide the younger generation with an insight into the connection between Gippsland and the Kokoda Trail, and the sacrifices made by men from this community so they can enjoy the lives they live today.
In July 2021, Density, along with other East Gippsland students, will complete the Kokoda trail in Papua New Guinea. Students will research and follow in the footsteps of Arthur Grassby, a Bairnsdale Man, who fought with the 39th Battalion and was in the first Australian troops to encounter the Japanese at Kokoda.
The scholarship will enhance the confidence and leadership skills that Destiny already displays. Destiny is excited to go on this journey as the first Koorie recipient of this scholarship and will be an amazing role model to the remainder of the KAE students.
The staff at the KAE wish Destiny all the best on her leadership Journey. 

Koorie Academy of Excellence student shines in Outer Gippsland

Well hello and welcome to some good news!
We have a plan and we have a date that will see all of our students back on site for face to face learning!
Yippee!
 
I must be honest and say that I was a bit confused after the Premiers announcement yesterday, so I had to take the time to “read, re-read and listen again”.
In an effort to be clear to all, please read below.
 
The key points that you need to know are:

• For the rest of term 3 we remain remote for all students.  (This is no surprise really, I always expected this to be the case)

 
5 – 9 October (first week of Term 4)

• We remain on remote learning for all students
• BUT, an yes there is a “but”
• A student who is doing VCE or VCAL (including any who are in year 10 and completing a VCAL or VCE subject) may come on site, ONLY to complete an essential piece of assessment. 
  This is the same as it has been during term 3 and it really means only for essential SAC catch ups etc)
• The obvious example of this is: The GAT (General Assessment Test)

All students completing a VCE Unit 3 and 4 subject are required to complete the GAT
AND believe me, this year this is more important than ever!
Hence we have been doing so much work on the practise GAT etc
Organizational details around the GAT will follow soon
Mark Wednesday the 7th October in your calendars now! GAT

• As of Monday 12th October individual schools may stagger the return of students, but everyone must be back on site by Friday 16th October.
• At BSC we will bring all students back to face to face learning as of the 12th! 
  (This is where we differ from Metro, they remain remote, without an end date in sight)
• Face masks will remain compulsory at all times.

 
I know how hard this has been …… It has been difficult for everyone and has had a toll on staff, teachers, families, students and me!
I truly hope that we don’t ever have to return to remote learning for all students.
Remember this was and still is a Health crisis, not a crisis of education.
 
On a brighter note:  Some students have absolutely thrived during this style of learning
I encourage you to talk with me and the staff in the Hubs, if you feel that this maybe a way forward for your child …………
a more blended model if you like.
 
I can’t thank you all enough, this has been darn hard work, and we are certainly not out of the woods yet but we are indeed closer to the finish line now!
 
Keep your eyes open for further updates and I am always happy to chat.
Thanks again
Trudie Nagle
 

term 4

monday 31st august - "choose your own adventure day"

Hello to all our families:
We are listening and responding !
It is clear that this period of Remote Learning is “tough”
The feedback that we have been receiving from students, families and teachers is clearly telling us that there is a “toll” associated with Remote 2.0.
 
This Monday, the 31st of August, is going to be a day totally dedicated to Mental Health and Wellbeing of all.
As I can calling it …… “choose your own adventure day”
Students and staff may choose the style of their self directed learning for the day.
 
There will be no formal classes, WebEx or on compass, for the day.
 
You may choose to, lighten the load for the day, study hard or complete work at your leisure.
Relaxing and reading a book in the sun, is always healthy for body and mind.
 
The College will be “open” for the day, but it will be minimal “on site”.
Just myself and 2 office staff.
 
As always, happy to chat, but most important of all:
Is the message that we must look after our own health and wellbeing to get through this health crisis.
 
Thanks
Trudie Nagle

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Hello to our College community.
This note is just a reminder that we will be running parent teacher Interviews both Thursday night 20th and Friday 21st.
If you have “missed it”, you can make an appointment via compass or ring the office and they will help you out.
 
Please remember that there will be no webex classes on Friday, as teachers will be completing their PT Interviews.
There will be no on-site supervision on Friday.
 
Thanks for your co-operation and I hope that you enjoy your interviews.
Please be sure that your children are present during the interview time, after all, they will be the topic of discussion!
Thanks

Trudie Nagle

COLLEGE CAPTAIN APPLICATIONS 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,
 
Following the announcement that all schools in Victoria will be moving back to Flexible and Remote Learning beginning on Wednesday 5th August I would like to outline the processes we have put in place to ensure that all families are provided with the best possible educational program during this health crisis.
 
The return to Remote Learning is a critical response to keeping us all safe and healthy. I understand that this is very short notice and for some families this will be quite challenging, however I believe that we have the right practices in place to support the learning of our students during this period.
 
While every school will deliver Flexible and Remote learning to suit the students in their unique context, Bairnsdale Area School Principals met as a group on Monday August 3rd, and will continue to meet every Friday, to ensure consistent application of the stage 3 restrictions across our schools and communities.
 
The directive is that all students will be learning from home during this stage of restrictions.  The purpose of Remote Learning is to minimise the movement of people within the community – students, parents and staff.  The only exceptions to this are
 

• Children whose parents cannot work from home and do not have any other supervising options.
• Vulnerable children
• Children with a disability

There will be a skeleton staff working at school to supervise students. 
 
If you feel as though your child meets one of these exceptions, please contact me so that we can effectively plan for your child’s supervision at school.
 
Families wanting students to attend on site will be asked to follow the process outlined below:

• Fill in an application form and submit that to the school office
• The Principal of the school will then approve the request or not.
• Parents will need to wait until that access is granted, before sending their children to school.
• Each day of attendance, the parent must sign the children “in and out” (Primary)

Secondary students will be asked to sign themselves “in and out”
  
The current situation is expected to last for at least the next 6 weeks, taking us through until the second to last week of term 3.
 
I will keep the school community informed as new information arrives.
 
I am always happy to chat, just call the office on 51504800.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Trudie Nagle 

Today the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education  announced a number of initiatives to support VCE students:
 

• Significant  was the announcement the every VCE student will be individually assessed for the impacts of COVID this year.

 

• There is an assurance students won’t be disadvantaged and he wants students to feel confident and motivated moving forward.

 

• One key change will be that VCE teachers will be asked to rank all students in their classes according to outcomes (this is usual), but also to rank them “ if we had not had COVID”, where would the teacher have expected they would have been ranked, hence identifying  at an individual level the impact of COVID. 
  ​This will be for every VCE student across the state.

 

• Data that will be used to inform the decision to adjust ATAR scores will be a combination of the two styles of teacher rankings, Assessment tasks completed “before COVID”, the GAT coming up in October and of course the end of year exam results.

 

• This is a clear desire to be fair and equitable to all students across the state, taking into account the individual impact on each student completing VCE.

 
Obviously there are lots of questions that arise and we don’t have all of the details but we will keep you up to date as quickly and efficiently as we can.
 
The Deputy Premier, has acknowledged the additional work required by teachers at a school level in this process and has given assurance teachers will have the time required.
 
Most importantly I think the message is to reassure students their individual  circumstances are being considered.
 
We will also be highlighting the significant impact the bushfires have had on our VCE students.
(Yes, you have indeed had a tough year)
 
There is no change to the timetable for VCE exams and an assurance that ATAR scores will be known
by the 31st December.
 
We are here to support you in every way possible. As a team, we will all get through this as you guys set up the next chapter in your lives.
 
 
When I first spoke to you on the very first day this year, none of us knew that all of this was ahead of us!
 
Keep your eyes open for more updates as we get them.
 
Thanks
Trudie Nagle
Principal

VCE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY 7/8/2020

Good afternoon to you all
Well, we almost made it through the two weeks without another spanner being thrown our way!
Our news is GREAT NEWS! 
The current changes to schooling and lockdowns in Melbourne DO NOT apply to us. 
It is business as usual for all students at the College.
Monday will be a student free day, for Professional Development for the staff, as was always the plan.
I look forward to seeing all the students pouring back into the College, refreshed and ready to go with Term 3, on Tuesday the 14 July.
Regional Victoria has had very few cases and vast parts of Regional Victoria have had none. The current metropolitan situation is designed to keep it that way.
I am looking forward to a term that is uninterrupted and with no tricky twists ………fingers crossed.
 
Trudie Nagle

open letter to the community 22/6/2020