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COVID-19 – 3 June UPDATE 1

Published on: 03 June 2021

 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

 

I hope this finds you safe and well in our current circumstances.

I write with more information regarding College operations given yesterday’s announcement and the extension to the lockdown across Victoria. As a College, we look forward to a return to face-to-face learning for all students on Friday 11 June.

 

Year 7-10

Year 7-10 students will continue with remote learning. Please ensure that your child attends their Zoom meetings with their teachers at the beginning of each class. This ‘check-in’ not only ensures your child is engaging with the intended tasks, but also provides an opportunity for teachers to check the wellbeing of their students.

Year 10 English and Mathematics exams scheduled for 8 and 9 June will be rescheduled.

 

VCAL, VCE, VET

The Executive Director of Catholic Education advised that:

‘students in Year 11 and 12 or their last year of VCAL, those studying a Unit 3/4 VCE or VCAL subject in metropolitan Melbourne will return to face-to-face learning on Friday 4 June. Other year levels in metropolitan Melbourne must remain in remote learning until Thursday 10 June.’

This is understood to mean that Year 10 students enrolled in Unit 1 and 2 VCE subjects are, for all intents and purposes, enrolled as Year 11 students for the relevant subject. Therefore, Year 10 students enrolled in VCE classes are asked to attend the College for these scheduled classes. These students are then free to return home for the remainder of their classes. If this cannot occur, due to transport or other issues, the students can complete their remote and online work supervised in the College library. To make these arrangements, please email principal@mackillop.vic.edu.au.

VCAL students will attend all timetabled classes at the College as of Friday 4 June. Due to the restrictions, VCAL placements have been cancelled for both Year 11 and 12 VCAL students.

As mentioned in the correspondence on Thursday 27 May 2021, Unit 1 exams will commence on Monday 7 June and conclude Wednesday 16 June. Students are only required on site when completing their exams. An updated exam roster will be sent to students today.

VCE students studying a Unit 3 and 4 subject will also return Friday 4 June and should be aware that as of Wednesday 2 June 2021, we have been advised by the VCAA that the General Achievement Test (GAT) has been rescheduled to a date yet to be determined. The VCAA will provide a revised date as soon as possible and this will be communicated to you when it becomes available. We appreciate that these changes may cause some concern for our senior students. Unit 3 and 4 classes will run as timetabled on Wednesday 9 June.

Those families requiring onsite supervision for remote learning are asked to email principal@mackillop.vic.edu.au. On-site supervision is available for students according to the following criteria:

  • Students whose parents and/or guardians are authorised workers who cannot work from home and where no other supervision arrangement can be made
  • Vulnerable students, including:
    • Students in out-of-home care
    • Students deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home.

 

Unfortunately, the following planned events need to be cancelled or postponed:

  • Year 7 Premier League
  • Year 8 Outdoor Education – 2 to 4 June and 9 to 11 June
  • Year 9 SMC Marvellous Melbourne – 11 June
  • Year 10 VPP Work Experience – 15 June to 25 June.

 

Please note buses will run as normal along their usual routes. Masks will be required to be worn at all times.

 

Our Learning Support Officers, English and Mathematics tutors will continue to support students by email, telephone and/or Zoom. These interactions with students might be to ‘check in’ and help a student manage by planning their day, or by giving them one-to-one instruction in how to complete a task.

Our College counsellors are also continuing their important work in supporting students. Counsellor appointments continue to occur virtually. If your child is requiring the support of a College counsellor, please contact the College who will be able to put you in touch with one of the counsellors. Alternatively, contact the student’s homeroom teacher who will make the appropriate referral.

 

We thank you for your continued understanding in these very challenging times.

 

Stay safe and well. God bless.

 

Kind regards,
Rory Kennedy
Principal