With the ever-increasing concerns around online safety in children and young people, it's more
important than ever for you to be able to discuss topics with your children, such as gaming and social media, to cyberbullying and AI-generated content.
The eSafety Commissioner have an Online Safety Parent guide that provides practical ways for you to support your child to have more positive online experiences.
The guide will help you:
Understand common online risks and issues
Learn what helps in different scenarios
Talk with their child about what they do online
know how to respond if something goes wrong
We hope by sharing these resources you feel better equipped to have open and positive conversations with your child or young person.
The Online Safety Guide is below and additional resources are available HERE.
If head lice are found, please commence appropriate treatment before your student returns to school. We also recommend checking all household members and treating anyone affected.
Regular checks at home are the most effective way to minimise the spread of lice within our school community.
Notre Dame College Emmaus campus has been identified as being at risk of grassfire and is a Category 4 school. The Emmaus campus will close on a day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in the Northern Country fire district.
Closure of the Emmaus campus due to a Catastrophic fire danger rating will be enacted when the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and related public safety messaging are confirmed. Due to uncertainties in the forecast, the timing of this confirmation may vary. Information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by SMS / email.
It is also important to be aware that:
· No one will be on site on days where the Emmaus campus is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.
· All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area may be cancelled.
· School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for the fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.
As part of preparing our school for the fire season, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and continue to perform routine grounds maintenance to reduce combustible material.
In addition to days forecast as Catastrophic, our school has prepared for maintaining a heightened state of readiness on days of elevated risk (e.g. Extreme Fire Danger Rating when the Emmaus campus is open). Strategies are in place to respond should a fire break out within the vicinity of the school and should that fire be expected to impact the school directly. Appropriate responses will be determined through information provided to the school from emergency services.
What can families and the school community do to help us prepare?
· Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers.
· Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements if our school is closed due to Catastrophic fire danger. Further information can be found on the CFA’s website.
· Action your family’s bushfire survival plan if your own triggers are met. Our school community may be spread out across many areas, and some families may be at higher risk than others. Your family’s safety is critical, so please let us know if you are actioning your bushfire survival plan and if your children will be absent on these days. Families are encouraged to action their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days in their district. The safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day. On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.
You can find more information on emergencies, warnings and preparedness actions here:
· VicEmergency app – that can be downloaded on your android and iOS mobile devices
· ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited’s policy?
The Department of Education and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) annually assesses the fire risk of all schools and early childhood services across Victoria. The educational settings are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 6). Schools and services that are Categories 0-3 are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). Schools at some risk of bushfire and grassfire are published on the Category 4 List.
CESL’s policies require all schools on the BARR and the Category 4 List to close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled.
Who issues fire danger forecasts?
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) provides public fire danger rating forecasts each day of the fire danger period using fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are nine fire weather districts, which are based on Local Government Area boundaries.
CESL and Notre Dame College uses these forecasts when supporting schools to enact their pre-emptive bushfire actions plans.
On Tuesday 6 October, our Year 12 VM Students organised a morning tea to celebrate the teachers and LSOs who supported them throughout the year.
It was a lovely farewell where the students and staff were able to catch up before the end of their school journey, enjoying a range of delicacies.
Congratulations and farewell VM Students!
Mercy Blend Farewells Year 12 Students
As we farewell our Year 12 students, we want to say thank you for everything you have brought to Mercy Blend Café this year.
Thank you for your time, your support, the different personalities and energy you brought to the café, and the skills you have shared and learnt along the way.
It has been a pleasure having you as part of Mercy Blend Cafe, and you will certainly be missed.
Wishing you all the very best for whatever the future holds. Hoping you take with you some wonderful memories, new skills and confidence for the journey ahead.
Good luck, Year 12 — you’ve got this!
Cookies for Catherine
Each year on 24 September, the Feast Day of Venerable Catherine McAuley, Our Lady of Mercy, is celebrated by the Sisters of Mercy and the wider Mercy community around the world.
On Friday 9 October, our canteen sold chocolate chip and M&M cookies to celebrate Catherine’s legacy with all profits donated to support Mercy Works – Sisters of Mercy, supporting their ongoing work with people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability.
It looks like the students loved it, and the College is proud to support Mercy Works in their endeavours to create a more just and hopeful future across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Timor-Leste!
Mungovan and Jennings Fundraiser
In the last week of Term 3, Mungovan and Jennings hosted an event in Pastoral Group raising awareness for R U O K? DAY.
The money raised through the fundraising event and wristband sales, will go towards supporting the R U OK? appeal, helping them continue their incredible work encouraging meaningful conversations and providing resources for mental health and wellbeing.
We encourage everyone to continue to ask are you okay? This is particularly important as we head towards the end of the school year. With SACs, assessments, final exams and everything else happening, people can start to feel stressed, overwhelmed, tired or worried about what's ahead. And sometimes, we might not even realise that the person sitting next to us is feeling that way.
A reminder to look out for each other, ask the question and most importantly, listen to the answer.
