School News 10/02

Well done to staff and students - After a tumultuous start to the term, things have settled down and students are engaging well with their learning activities. It always takes a few weeks after the summer break for routines and expectations to be established, and students and staff have done a fantastic job of creating a sense of calm and normality in amongst the distractions that were caused by the flooding of buildings. I am pleased to report that all areas of the school are now dried. This work was completed on Wednesday. Reinstatement activities are currently under way. It is anticipated that these will be completed by the end of February. At that point, all areas of the school will be safe to reoccupy. Prior to this date, we may be able to have a ‘staged’ return to some of the learning spaces that are fully repaired and safe to move back in to. I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused students and families. Thank you for your understanding and patience whilst navigating around the various construction projects that are currently happening on campus. With regards to the new building, it is anticipated that by the end of April we’ll have occupation of the Gymnasium and also have a lovely new oval for the kids to enjoy.

Access – From tomorrow (Friday) Barwon Water will be doing construction work in the bottom car park until Monday evening. This will include work over the weekend, so please keep well clear of this area and take note of any ‘no entry’ signs.

Swimming Carnival – On Monday the Grade Three-Six students enjoyed perfect weather for our annual Swimming Carnival. Besides the competitive aspects, there were a number of fun activities for the students to participate in. Once again I was really impressed with the general level of fitness and swimming skills our students possess. Living on the coast with opportunities such as Nippers and Surfing easily accessible, certainly has its benefits. Thanks to Dave Semianiw and staff for organising and running the event, and thanks to all the parents who supported our students.

Walk to school initiative – It’s been fantastic to see so many parents meeting up at the Reserve for a coffee prior to students walking down the hill to school. On Monday the Prep students all gathered at the Reserve before making their way to the campus accompanied by their teacher. Tomorrow morning the Coffee Van will once again be available for any parents who would like a bit of ‘Covid-safe’ interaction to start their day. Our School Council is also working closely with the Shire to try and get a crossing supervisor at the ‘top crossing’ every morning, not just the afternoon as presently is the case.

Student Well-being – Good mental health is central to engagement and achievement at school. This is an area we place a lot of significance on at Bellbrae and we have a number of support structures in place. We have two Welfare Workers as well as Tutors and Intervention/Support Staff to assist students and their families. Louise Kahle is the school contact for wellbeing referrals, with Bree Schmidt and Mel Swan working ‘one on one’ with the students. This year we are also trialling a ‘Connected Kids’ program that Lachie Hurrell will be running on Wednesdays. The purpose of this program is to promote student engagement and will begin with senior students. Academically, Vanessa Gunn will run both the Support/Intervention and Tutor Numeracy Program, whereas Mel Jackson will coordinate the Literacy Support/Intervention and Tutor Program.

Enjoy the great weather that has been forecast for the weekend, and let’s hope that the run of poor summer surf will soon improve. Good luck to staff, parents and students participating in formal sporting activity, and I hope that Covid won’t disrupt the final’s series like last year. Keep safe, do your regular RATs, and appreciate the amazing environment in which we live.

Adrian Waters