From the Principal

What a strange term this has been. In many ways it feels more like Term 1 than Term 4. Amid the excitement of returning to school, we have also been going through many of the usual end-of-year rituals. Valedictory celebrations, examinations, graduation ceremonies, the appointment of new student leaders and awards ceremonies all seem so premature. After many months in remote learning, the end of the school year has really snuck up on us! It’s hard to believe this is the final newsletter for the year.

As the school year draws to a close, I would like to thank all parents and guardians for their support of their children’s learning during terms two and three. This year has been incredibly difficult for all Melbournians. For parents trying to work from home while also supervising children in remote learning, it has been almost impossible. The staff of Casey Grammar are grateful for the support of parents during remote learning. Your children’s education this year really has been a team effort between home and school, with the individual needs of each child at the centre of all that we do. Thank you for assisting the teaching staff in ensuring no child was left behind.

This year we have had to change the way we do almost everything at school and we have learned so much in the process. Classroom teachers have learned many new teaching strategies and have become masters in the art of using various new technologies in their classrooms. The school has become adept at creating pre-recorded assemblies and live streaming events. We have found new and creative ways of bringing our community together while remaining apart. We have all become accustomed to the confronting sight of seeing ourselves on the screen in video conferenced meetings and many of us have enjoyed attending meetings from the comfort of our own homes. It has certainly been a strange year but one where we have learned a lot.

This year we trialled Zoomed Parent-Teacher interviews. Thank you to the parents and teachers who participated in our survey regarding the possibility of continuing Zoomed Parent-Teacher interviews into the future. The results of the survey show overwhelming support from both teachers and parents for Parent-Teacher interviews to continue to be Zoomed into the future.

At the end of this year, we will be bidding a fond farewell to some much loved staff. From Junior School, we wish all the best to Deanne Bourke, Chloe Amantea, Barbara Maclean, Kelly Bristow and Ashleigh Reynolds. From Senior School we are sorry to say goodbye to Carolyn McAlister, Shelley Pendlebury, Julian Sadlier, Gwen Hackel and Stuart McKenzie. We gratefully acknowledge each of these staff members who, in their own unique ways, have made a significant contribution to Casey Grammar School.

Last newsletter I sent a reminder to parents (and students) about the importance of wearing the uniform correctly. I am pleased to note a vast improvement in the way most of our students are presenting themselves at school. There are a small number of students who are still not following the uniform policy. I hope that with continued effort from home and at school that these problems will be rectified.

Bazil’s Catering will offer lunch orders on the last day of school on Tuesday 8 December. We do not usually have lunch orders on a Tuesday. This can be a very special treat on the last day of school.

Team kids are currently taking bookings for the school holiday program. Please see attached flyer for details.

Last Sunday the Premier announced some further easing of restrictions for the people of Victoria. For us at school, the most significant change is around the wearing of masks. While all students in Senior School and all staff are required to wear their masks when inside or when travelling on public transport, face masks are not required outdoors except where physical distancing of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained. For parents, this means you do not need to wear a mask when dropping off and picking up your children except where you cannot maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters. Drinking fountains will be also be reopened next week.

COVID safe practices such as regular hand sanitizing, keeping surfaces clean with antiseptic wipes and promoting outdoor ventilation will continue. For the rest of the year, we will continue to conduct pre-recorded or live-streamed assemblies, staggered start and finish times in the Junior School will continue and parents are still respectfully asked not to enter the school. We hope that we will be back to normal operations when school resumes in 2021.

Thank you to everyone for your cooperation and positive attitude this year. I wish you and your family a very safe and relaxing Christmas spent in the company of those you love.

Merry Christmas

Stay safe, stay well.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Principal