Principal’s Report
Storm Event – Tuesday 13th February
I wanted to say thank you to all of our EPS Comminuty last week for rallying around when the going got tough and we had to close for a day, and then operate without power for the rest of the week. I really appreciate the efforts of the teachers and support staff to keep classes learning and the school functioning safely during this time. As always, the collaborative and kind nature of our staff prevailed, and the children were amazing in the way that they handled the changes and challenges. As with any of these emergency events, we will review our response and practices afterwards to see what we can do better – the biggest hurdle was trying to get communication out to 350 families without any type of service working. Thank you to those families who helped to spread the word. I hope that everyone is getting back on track at home and that everyone is safe.
School procedures for the bushfire season – EMERALD PRIMARY SCHOOL
Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life.
Schools and children’s services listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) will be closed when a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (FDR) Day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district. Our school has been identified as being one of those at high bushfire risk and is listed on the BARR.
- Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four to seven days’ notice of a potential Catastrophic FDR Day closure by letter and Compass message. A Catastrophic FDR day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure. Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Catastrophic FDR Day, we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.
- Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child. It is also important to note that:
- No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic FDR Day.
- School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic FDR Day is determined by the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.
- Depending on which Bureau of Meteorology district is impacted, bus route cancellations may affect our school
On these Catastrophic FDR Days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home or in the care of older children.
- For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the CFA advise that when Catastrophic FDR Days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic FDR Day.
- As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan, including reprioritising any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our facility’s grounds and gutters.Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life.Schools and children’s services listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) will be closed when a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (FDR) Day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district. Our school has been identified as being one of those at high bushfire risk and is listed on the BARR.
- Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four to seven days’ notice of a potential Catastrophic FDR Day closure by letter and Compass message. A Catastrophic FDR day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure. Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Catastrophic FDR Day, we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.
- Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child. It is also important to note that:
- No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic FDR Day.
- School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic FDR Day is determined by the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.
- Depending on which Bureau of Meteorology district is impacted, bus route cancellations may affect our school.
- On these Catastrophic FDR Days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home or in the care of older children.
- For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the CFA advise that when Catastrophic FDR Days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic FDR Day.
- As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan, including reprioritising any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our facility’s grounds and gutters.
- As Childcare Centres and Kindergartens are not advised and overseen by the Department of Education and have a lower threshold for closure, this is why you will hear differing situations and advice for these settings at times.
At Emerald Primary School, we have a very thorough Emergency Management Plan, which is checked, updated and approved annually by the Department of Education. It is located on the school website in the “Information” section/tab. We are required to do four emergency drills per year and there are different types we need to do, for example, a practice evacuation to our Shelter In Place (the Stadium) or a practice lockdown, where students stay in their classrooms with staff. After we do each practice drill, we discuss what we can improve on for next time, and of course, should a real situation arise, our students and staff know what to expect. These drills are also important as we know that in an emergency it is hard for everyone to think clearly, but with a strong framework, everyone can do their jobs automatically. All students have name tags and detailed information on these tags, which staff give to them in the case of an emergency – this means we can identify everyone really quickly and make sure everyone is present. Parents & guardians would be notified through the Compass message system or the internet. All staff in the school have a job when the alarm sounds, eg. moving their grade to the designated safe place, collecting all student medications, checking all classrooms are empty/locked, liaising with Emergency Services etc. there is a back-up person for each job, in the case of staff absences. In the case of an evacuation due to fire, students will be cared for until such time as they can be safely collected by parents. Please contact the school should you have any queries or need to seek clarification.
What can parents do?
- Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is closed.
- Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers. Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters and notices home.
Health, Safety and Family Bushfire Survival Plans
Most importantly at this time of year, if you’re planning a holiday or short stay in the bush or in a coastal area, you should check warnings in advance of travel and remain vigilant during your stay.
If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.
You can access more information about children’s services closures on the Department of Education and Training website – see
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/pages/closures.aspx
For up-to-date information on this year’s fire season see:
- Facebook (facebook.com/cfavic)
- Twitter (twitter.com/CFA_Updates)
- ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters
VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226)
School Closure due to nearby fires
On occasion schools may close due to nearby fires and we will not always have much warning. These decisions are made by Department of Education regional staff and Emergency Management Incident Control staff, all while liaising with Principals. Some schools and educational settings may close due to fire threats, but also poor air quality. In order to communicate this decision to EPS families, should the situation arise, we will use our Compass messaging system and Facebook. You can also check on the following website for school closures and bus services which may be affected, as mentioned above:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/Pages/closures.aspx
Air Quality – Protect your health from smoke during bushfires
- Victoria experiences bushfires every year during the warmer months; and where there’s fire, there’s smoke.
- Bushfire smoke can reduce air quality and may affect people’s health.
- How smoke affects you depends on your age, pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma or heart disease, and the length of time you are exposed to the smoke.
- Take action to protect your health and the health of your family if it’s smoky outside.
Check for fire warnings in your area if you see smoke: www.emergency.vic.gov.au
- Avoid physical activity outside – especially people with heart or lung conditions (including asthma), children, pregnant women and those over 65
- Take a break away from the smoke where there’s air-conditioning (such as a local library or shopping centre)
- Avoid breathing smoke by staying inside if you are not under threat from a fire
- Check on elderly neighbours and other people at risk
- Follow your treatment plan if you have a heart or lung condition (including asthma)
- Call NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 60 60 24 if you are experiencing any discomfort that may be due to smoke exposure such as itchy eyes, sore throat, runny nose or coughing
- Call 000 if anyone is having difficulty breathing, wheezing or experiencing tightness in the chest
For further information, go to: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bushfiresmoke
Extreme Weather/Heat Days
When the temperature is over 38 degrees here at school, we move to an alternate timetable, whereby we have a longer recess and shorter lunch – the intention being that the students and yard duty staff are not outside for a long time in the hottest part of the day. In cases where the “Extreme Weather” includes strong winds or poor air quality, we do not go outside, but rather the students have their breaks inside, just like for a rainy day.
We will be holding our first School Council meeting for the year next Thursday 29th February and then afterwards I will be advertising the process for new Parent Members to join our team. Feel free to pop along next Thursday at 7pm to see what it is all about! Any parent or carer is welcome to join us in our endeavours to improve the school grounds and make EPS the best school we can for all of our students.
- A reminder to all students that classrooms open at 8.50am and that entry to all classrooms is from the external doors, not via the corridors in the Main Building please.
- Please record all Student Absences via Compass – contact the office staff – Kerry Stebbing, Fiona Hogben, Kerrie Eva, Bronwyn Thomas-Smith, Peta Woodyard, Pauline Smith if you are not sure how to use this platform or have lost/forgotten your password!
- Thursday 22nd February – Parent – Teacher Connect Meeting 12.30 – 8pm
- Thursday 22nd February – EDEC Swimming – 12 midday – 3pm
- Friday 23rd February – Assembly
- Wednesday 28th February – No Preps at School
- Thursday 29th February – School Council Meeting at 7pm
- Friday 1st March – Clean Up Australia Day & Leadership Badge Presentation Assembly at 10am
- Wednesday 6th March – No Preps at school
- Wednesday 6th March – House Sports
- Wednesday 6th March – Prep-Grade 2 Information Session (6.00pm); Grade 6 Information Session (6.35pm)
- Monday 11th March – Labour Day Public Holiday
- Wednesday 13th March – Preps attend Full time
- Wednesday 13th March – NAPLAN Begins
- Sunday 17th March – Melbourne Ukulele Orchastra – Performance
- Tuesday 19th March – EDEC Aths
- Friday 22nd March – Free Dress Day – Harmony Day
- Monday 25th March – Thursday 28th March – Grade 5 School Camp to Philip Island
- Thursday 28th March – Free Dress (Holiday Theme) Last Day Term 1
- Monday 15th April – First Day Term 2
Emma Clark
Principal
This Week!
Please submit your form to the Emerald Primary School Office with a copy of your Concession Card
Community News
Hills with Heart
Calling All Families! Join Us in Supporting Our Local Emergency Services!
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Coming to the Hills Hub this September.
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Together, let’s show our gratitude and support for our local heroes. #SupportLocalHeroes #FamilyWithHeart #CommunityUnity
Canteen News!
Friday Meal Deal
Pancake with cream & sprinkles
& Slinky Apple $7.50
