IMPORTANT NOTICE: During the holiday period the Victorian School of Languages will be running reduced services and may not be able to action your request until we reopen on the 25^th  of January 2021.

• All Centre classes from Foundation to Year 12 (VCE) resume for on-site learning at the respective Centres across Victoria on Saturday 6 February (and equivalent dates for mid-week classes).
• VCE courses will be delivered according to the published schedules and timelines of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (check VCAA webpage) – our school will meet all of the timelines.
• If students or parents need clarification about the session dates they may check them on our web site at: https://www.vsl.vic.edu.au/SessionsMidWeek.aspx

• Student enrolments for 2021 are open and will need to be completed online.

• The enrolments will continue to be open until the places in the individual classes are filled.

Health Measures

• The VSL will implement the latest health measures as determined by the Department of Education and Training.
• Face masks must always be carried by students over the age of 12 and also by all teaching and non-teaching staff.
• Face masks are not required in schools when people distance from others, however, they are strongly recommended indoors for staff and secondary school students in school environments when physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained. This may include classrooms, corridors and communal areas.
• Existing exemptions continue, including masks not being required when teaching.
• Face masks continue to be mandatory on public transport and school buses.
• All teachers and students are required to maintain appropriate social distancing, and students need to use hand sanitiser as they enter a classroom.
• Until canteens reopen, students need to bring a drink bottle of water and, if they require it, their own recess snacks – food must not be shared.
• Parents are requested to maintain social distancing when they drop off and pick up their children at their respective Centres.

 Our school is very excited about our return to face-to-face teaching in 2021.

 Thank you to all students, teachers and parents for your co-operation and understanding during the challenging 2020 school year when we transitioned to remote teaching and learning.

 We must, however, continue to maintain our social distancing and hygiene practices and wear masks when travelling on public transport or in crowded place. We certainly do not want to experience Stage 3 of the coronavirus restrictions again.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe holiday period and a smooth start to the 2021 school year.

• All Distance Education classes will operate as normal during school hours Monday to Friday.
• For enquiries for distance education courses for 2021 contact the VSL Enrolment Officer on (03) 9474 0500 – enrolments are open at: https://www.vsl.vic.edu.au/enrol/
• It is planned to have Distance Education student seminars either at the Thornbury site or at the city location commencing in March 2021.

Distance Education Health Measures

• Distance Education staff are required to maintain social distancing and OHS measures and the COVID Safe Plan.
• Distance Education teachers are not required to wear face masks or coverings while teaching but should wear them at other times.
• Distance Education teachers are required to sign in when coming into the building or use their mobile phone to scan the code of the ‘Service Victoria’ app.

Our school is very excited about our return to more regular program delivery in 2021.

Thank you to all students, teachers and parents for your co-operation and understanding during the challenging 2020 school year.

We must, however, continue to maintain our social distancing and hygiene practices and wear masks when travelling on public transport or in crowded place. We certainly do not want to experience Stage 3 of the coronavirus restrictions again.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe holiday period and a smooth start to the 2021 school year.

During 2020, I offered the students studying German at the Matthew Flinders Centre, an opportunity to take part in the many competitions organized by the AGTV (Association of German Teachers of Victoria). One of my Year 4 students, Ilan Im, decided to enter the AGTV’s Schreibwettbewerb (writing) competition. The topic was “Zukunftsträume – nah oder fern” (future dreams near or afar). He had a choice of five options to respond in written German, from which he chose to write four short diary entries about his future dreams as a historian and of the four places in Berlin he would visit. As a result, he received two certificates – one as a “State Finalist” and the other “Diary Entry Honourable Mention”.

Here are his comments regarding his entry:
Hi, my name is Ilan Im. I chose World War II sites in Berlin for my topic because I have a huge interest in World War and in the future, I want to become a war historian. I was surprised when I found out that I was a finalist in the competition. Next year, I would like to enter the competition once again!

By Elizabeth Kraus

German Teacher at the Matthew Flinders Centre

The Tamil cohort at VSL took their End of Year celebrations to the virtual platform this year, due to the pandemic. The event was organised by Tamilar Inc. to showcase the talents and proficiency of students in their mother tongue Tamil.

The online event began with an acknowledgement to the traditional owners of the land followed by the ‘Tamil Thai Vaazhthu”, paying respect to the mother Tamil by teachers, who also thanked those responsible for ensuring the success of the online classes this year.

Then, as teachers spotlighted individual students, trophies and certificates distributed prior to the event, were presented to the students by their proud parents. Following this, a teaser to the compiled video of students’ performances was played. The full video of the performances signifying the greatness of Tamil culture and civilisation, as well as imitations of great Tamil poets, is now available for viewing at the link below:

Link: https://tamilar.org.au/vsl-end-of-year-2020/

Password: VSLeoy2020tamilar