Return to school arrangements

Updated 08/07/2020

(additional information relating to return to school arrangements fro term 3 )

Important information for Parents

As you would be aware, the Victorian Government has made a series of significant announcements about the introduction of new measures across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

These include announcements about a change to arrangements for schools at the start of Term 3.

Please note all students enrolled at Bayside Special Developmental School will attend on-site from the beginning of term 3 Monday 13 July and that student transport will be operating as per the normal timetable.

The enhanced cleaning of schools and the provision of personal hygiene supplies including hand sanitiser will continue.

I am hoping further information will be available later this week to share with the school community regarding school operations.

Thank you for your support and cooperation in this matter.

Parent access to the school

While the Chief Health Officer has advised that students will not be required to maintain physical distancing at school, there will be a number of important changes to our school operations, consistent with health advice to all schools that is available. This will apply until further notice. Changes will include:

Adjusted arrangements for parents dropping off and picking up

A team of staff members will be available 8.45-9.00am at the gate adjacent to the parent parking area to receive your child on arrival, and return your child at the end of the day. If your child arrives outside of the morning drop off times or needs to be picked up early Parents are requested to ring the school on 9555 4155 and your child will be delivered to you or a member of staff will come to receive your child. Parents are directed not to loiter in this space or engage in conversations with staff or other parents on the school site. Please note that staggered drop off times will be instituted if these protocols cannot be followed.

There will be restrictions in place on access to the school site for anyone other than immediate school staff and students.

To reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the school environment, it is important that visitors to school grounds are limited to those delivering or supporting essential school services and operations.

The current advice is that Parent-teacher meetings and interviews will be required to be done online via an approved steaming platform such as Webex.

Students with complex medical needs

Staff and students most at risk of severe illness should individually assess appropriateness for on-site attendance at this time with support from their medical practitioner.

Parents/carers of students with complex medical needs (including those with compromised immune systems), should seek advice from the student’s medical practitioner to support decision-making about whether on-site education is suitable, noting that this advice may change depending on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Victoria.

All unwell staff and students must stay home.

More information about the return to school and coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on the Department’s website, which will continue to be updated:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/coronavirus.aspx

Thank you for your continued support and patience during this time. We look forward to welcoming our students back to the classroom on Tuesday May 26th, 2020

School Lunches

Parents are requested to please consider sending practical lunches, which require minimal preparation, as the return to school process is undertaken. Please note that this does not apply to students with dietary and safety considerations as outlined in mealtime plans.

Bibs

For students who require bibs, when eating to protect clothing, families are requested to provide bibs from home. Bibs will be returned home after use, in your child's bag, each afternoon. Please note that the school will not be washing bibs until futher advice to prevent cross infection.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Pepprell

PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Bayside SDS

Bayside SDS is a school where teachers, specialists, therapists and parents work together to provide individual education and therapy programs for students with special needs.

Through the employment of a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning where the dignity of the student is paramount, Bayside Special Developmental School offers a caring and stimulating environment which ensures a sense of achievement and enhanced self-esteem for its students.

Ideally located in Moorabbin, Bayside SDS enjoys easy access to shopping centres, leisure centres, light industrial factories, parklands, and beaches for its community referenced learning programs.

Bayside has a teaching staff of 14 and a support staff of 16. Five paraprofessionals augment the curriculum with their specialised therapy programs. The school caters for 80 students who are ascertained to be within the moderate to severe range of intellectual disability and are aged between 2 years 8 months and 18 years. A number of students have multiple disabilities including autism, physical or sensory impairments. The Early Education Program for pre-school aged children (2 years 8 months - 4 years 8 months) operates both on and off campus. The school has a long established Interaction Program at Cheltenham East Primary School.

Campus classes vary in size from 6 to 8 students and are grouped according to age and class dynamics to allow for a safe, effective, and engaging learning environment. Students of school-age can access free transport to and from school by bus if they reside within the designated transport zone.

Our Aim

To achieve optimal educational and social outcomes for students with complex learning disabilities, within a caring, safe, harmonious, yet stimulating environment.
To work in partnership with families to facilitate continuous development and enhancement to the quality of the lives of their children.
To establish and extend links with local business and the general community to facilitate the inclusion of young people with disabilities.

Our Values

The following values and beliefs are seen as being central to the life of our school. They underpin the actions of the school community and are as follows:

Respect for one another
Personal and professional integrity
Compassion
The maintenance of high standards and a high level of professional accountability
Consistency of approach
Acknowledgement and appreciation of individual, cultural and community diversity
Commitment to team work, safety, inclusiveness, confidentiality and enjoyment
Commitment to a philosophy of continuous improvement
Acknowledgement that children learn best when they are motivated or happily engaged

Michael Pepprell

Principal

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Return to school arrangements

Welcome to Bayside SDS

Our Aim

Our Values