Respect, Excellence, Community Volume 30 Number 08 21 May 2020

Dear Parents and Carers, Thank you for your ongoing support during the past 6 weeks of remote and flexible learning. Our entire school staff are most grateful for the support of parents in assisting to ensure the period of remote learning has been a success whilst managing the rest of the household and their own work commitments. Our teachers are missing working with their students in person and are continuing to work exceptionally hard to keep everyone connected with school and others in their classes. Following advice from the Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government has advised that schools can begin a phased return to on-site schooling, as communicated to all families yesterday. Stage 1 – VCE/VCAL and Year 10 students undertaking VCE subjects. In the first stage, students in Senior Secondary (Years 11 and 12 VCAL and VCE) will return to school from Tuesday 26 May. Year 10 students undertaking VCE studies, including VCE / VET studies, should also attend school for these classes. For their other lessons being delivered remotely, if it is not practical to pick them up to return home on time to continue with their other classes, then they will be placed in a supervised classroom to complete these classes. If it is not possible for your child/children in Year 10 to attend onsite VCE classes, our teachers will make sure the work that is provided to students attending at school is also provided to students. To support all school staff to prepare for this transition, Monday 25 May will be a pupil-free day. 26 May to 5 June Year 7-10 remote delivery continues unless exceptional circumatances apply Students in Years 7-10 will continue to learn remotely unless they fit into the exceptional circumstances category during the two-week period from Tuesday 26 May to Friday 5 June. The current process that we are using to enable parents and carers to indicate the days or part-days for which on-site schooling is required will continue for this two-week period. (Thus, completion of the exceptional circumstances application form). Please note that exceptional circumstances may vary between the primary and secondary school sector given the age of students involved. Please click on this link if you fall into this category: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zVBPZqZXZ-Aplgs77-Zi6soP4yI43zHeuUXnckPs2k0/edit All other students in Years 7-10 will continue learning from home until and including Friday 5 June, before returning to school on Tuesday 9 June. (Note: Monday 8 June is Queen’s Birthday holiday) All students return to school Tuesday 9 June In the second stage of our return to on-site schooling, all other year levels will return to school from Tuesday 9 June. Once your child’s year level has returned, all students will be expected to attend school as normal. This means if you choose to keep your child/children home after their year level has returned to on-site schooling, we can no longer support their learning from home remotely. This does not apply to children who need to be absent for health or medical reasons. For those families, please contact Year Level Coordinators 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, our school will continue an enhanced cleaning routine and will encourage frequent hand washing. All drinking fountains will be turned off and we require students to bring their own water bottle to school each day. Along with other recommended hygiene practices e.g. not sharing drink bottles, food or resources with each other. If your child is ill or is 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. Students will be reminded to respect staff personal space and the need to follow social distancing protocols with staff. Students will be asked to apply common sense in the yard and not have any physical contact with another student, etc. This will apply until further notice. I will provide any further detail about our local school context as soon as possible, but it is important to note that changes will include:

potential adjusted arrangements for end of day pick up, including staggered school finish times;

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 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 Thank you for your continued support and patience during this time. We look forward to welcoming our students back to the classroom. If you have any questions please call reception and they will direct your inquiry to the appropriate person. Carlos Lopez Principal

Stawell Secondary College Building

Works Update 2020

Upcoming VCE Assessment Dates

Below are details of VCE Assessments taking place in the next two weeks (subject to change). For further information, or to confirm these dates, students should contact their classroom teachers. 26th May: Unit 1 Food Studies SAC 2b 26th May: Unit 3 Chinese SAC 3 26th May: Unit 3 PE SAC 2 29th May: Unit 3 Psychology SAC 3

IMPORTANT RETURN TO SCHOOL DATES

As you may have heard, Minister Merlino has announced that all students will be returning to school this term.

Monday 25 May -Student free day in order for teachers to prepare for face to face teaching.

Tuesday 26 May- Year 11 and 12 students (as well as any Year 10 doing VCE/VCAL subjects) resume classes.

June 9-All Year 7-10 students will return.

NOTE: Education Minister James Merlino said drop-off and pick-up times at schools would be staggered along with lunch breaks, in order to maintain physical distancing. Students will not be allowed to drink from water fountains and NO camps will be running. We are also encouraged to limiting parent contact whilst at school.

This week all the year 9 students will be involved in a 90’s inspired aerobics and fitness class online with the aim of increasing collaboration during these times and also having a bit of fun.

Webexcercise

Food Technology

Cooking at home

Home Group Quiz Lonsdale 1

Chinese Classes

Chinese language students in Year 9 and Year 10 have been engaged in two projects.

Year 9： Pen-pal Program

Sample pen-pal letters from some of our Year 9 students to be sent to our Chinese sister-school in Yangcheng.

Education Perfect Languages World Championships 2020 Update The Education Perfect Championships will be ending in ONE day! Our students have done an excellent job gaining points in this year’s competition so far. 1. We are the Seventh school overall in Chinese, out of 1,198 schools globally 2. We are the Second school in Chinese for the 101-250 students’ category (by users) out of 248 schools globally. 3. We have 28 students who have achieved awards so far! Keep up your wonderful efforts and try to win more points by answering more questions before the completion closes. Well done everyone! From Chinese Teaching Team

Year 10: Weather Report in Chinese Snapshots of Year 10 students presenting their video weather reports in Chinese

Stawell SC Careers

Year 13 Expo www.year13.com.au/expo May 18 to 22 inclusive and open to all Year 7-12 students At this expo you can:

· Get your own personalised skills forecast, · Build your own career plan using their career explorer tool, and · Access the Year13 Digital Careers Expo, which will be held on May 18-22. You’ll hear from awesome speakers such as:

o Laura Enever, a Pro Surfer, o Will Hodgett, the Creative Director of GoPro Europe, o Hugo Gruzman of Australian band Flight Facilities, and o Industry experts on a variety of topics, ranging from creative industries, sustainability and apprenticeships!

The prizes are: · $5,000 and an incredible mentorship experience · The chance to rub shoulders with some industry big wigs · A day working behind the scenes at a major media event · A week working with the Year13 team · And heaps more RMIT Virtual Expo Saturday 30th May 6am - 9pm Register at https://studyexpo.rmit.edu.au/?utm_medium=edm&utm_source=Campaign_Monitor&utm_campaign=may_virtual_expo&utm_content=may_2020 La Trobe University Let’s Talk Study Areas’ mini webinar series is live and ready for registrations. Below is the May 2020 flyer for you. First talk will take place 21st May – IT and Engineering. La Trobe have a senior academic in Civil Engineering who will be attending. Really simple process... those students who have a study area interest can click on the title and register. Talks will cover entry requirements and pathways, course overview, skills learnt and job outcomes. Students of course will be encouraged to join in and ask their questions. Cindy Bibby

Please note that Year 10 work experience for the last week of this term has been cancelled due to COVID-19 risks. All Year 10 students will attend classes as per normal on-site at school.

ICT help • ICT team working on a support ticket system. • ICT team setting up a student shared google drive. • Brett on site: Mon 7:30 am -12:00 noon AND Friday 7:30 am to 3:00 pm • Remote support on Tuesday.

All correspondence should be addressed to: The Principal, Connections, Principal: Mr Carlos Lopez, Assistant Principals: Mr Aaron Dalziel Mr Murray Hart School No.: 01/8731/29—Provider Name: Department of Education & Early Childhood Development. Victoria CRICOS No. 00861K

Book of the Week The Queen’s Assassin

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Caledon Holt is the kingdom’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in speed, strength, or brains, which is why he’s the Hearthstone Guild’s most dangerous member. Cal is also the Queen’s Assassin, bound to her by magic and unable to leave her service until the task she’s set for him is fulfilled. Shadow of the Honey Glade has been training all her life to join the Guild, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Cal. But Shadow’s mother and aunts expect her to serve the crown as a lady of the Renovian Court. When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice. Even though Shadow’s life belongs to the court and Cal’s belongs to the queen, they cannot deny their attraction to each other. But now, with war on the horizon and true love at risk, Shadow and Cal will uncover a shocking web of lies that will change their paths forever.

Miss taking part in science activities? Have a go at science experiments at home! Get involved with the Biggest Science Experiment: A community science project bringing people together to think, talk and get involved in doing science in the Northern Grampians Region. Anyone can join in: kids, schools, families, businesses, groups, organisations. All of us! You can run your experiment or project any time, with the opportunity to share your project’s progress with the rest of The Biggest Science Experiment community and learn from others on their science journey. To get involved you can either go to the Biggest Science Project’s website www.bigsciexp.com.au, or you can follow them on Facebook to take part in challenges like “What on Earth?” where you can try to identify what the photo is. https://www.facebook.com/BigSciExp/