Wearing masks or face coverings in public will be compulsory from 11.59 pm Wednesday 22 June for all those living, working or attending classes in the Melbourne metropolitan area and Mitchell Shire.
This requirement also applies to people who are travelling into this area, and those who live in Melbourne or Mitchell Shire and are leaving the area for work or study.
For Community College Gippsland, this means that everyone at our Pakenham campus must wear a mask or face coverings. This will also apply to people travelling to our Warragul or Leongatha campuses from the impacted area. Reusable masks, disposable masks, bandanas and scarves are all acceptable forms of face covering.
For people who meet these criteria, lawful exemptions for not wearing a face-covering are only available for those who are affected by a relevant medical condition – including problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability or a mental health condition. If these do not apply, you must wear a mask or face covering while attending campus.
While not currently mandated, wearing a mask or face covering is also strongly suggested for other Victorians in public spaces. As this is now the best advice from our State Chief Health officer, we will be encouraging the use of masks throughout our organisation.
For further information, please phone (03) 5622 6000 or email info@ccg.asn.au
A $7,000 grant from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s ‘Local Schools Community Fund’ has seen 6 new Smart TVs installed at the Warragul Campus of Education Centre Gippsland (ECG) College.
The new technology is a significant upgrade, replacing older screens with limited functionality in each of the Campus classrooms.
Smart classroom technology allows information to be illustrated visually, incorporating photos, videos, maps, graphs, flowcharts and more. With a high number of visual/spatial learners in our classrooms, these tools help to engage our students and make concepts easier to understand.
The technology is so valuable to the classroom experience that ECG College has invested further funds into installing screens at the Pakenham and Leongatha Campuses, ensuring that all of our secondary students can enjoy the benefits of a Smart TV in the classroom.
For further information, please phone (03) 5622 6000 or email info@ccg.asn.au
Dear Students and Families,
As we await the Premier’s announcements on 11 May about what the rest of term two may look like in response to COVID-19, we have something else we would like to say.
Thank you. For coming on this journey with us. For patiently working through the use of new technology, new ways of communicating and new ways of learning. We know it hasn’t been easy for everyone.
We are so happy that we have been able to continue to teach and train you through this uncertain time and so grateful for your understanding as we adapted to a whole new world together.
We don’t yet know what the announcements of 11 May will bring and it will certainly take us a little time to pivot to whatever comes next.
Rest assured that we will be following the lead of the advice provided by the Premier and Chief Health Officer and will continue to do our very best to bring you the education and training you deserve — whether that is face-to-face, nose-to-screen or even by snail mail.
Whatever may come – we got you. We are so proud of our little community.
All the best,
Sue Geals
CEO, Community College Gippsland
Executive Principal, ECG College
The temporary closure of a school cafe has led to a boost in support for Baw Baw Food Relief, a local not-for-profit organisation feeding community members in need.
The Warragul Campus of Community College Gippsland was closed in March following coronavirus restrictions on education providers. While most staff have transferred to working from home, a more creative approach was required to find safe, meaningful work for the team responsible for running the organisation’s Community Café.
“Our café normally provides subsidised meals to help our learners access affordable, healthy food,” CEO Sue Geals said. “Our organization wanted to continue to make a difference somehow, especially knowing how the virus has impacted so many people in our community.”
It wasn’t long before inspiration hit.
“I had seen some stories of restaurants reaching out into their communities, redeploying their chefs and kitchens to focus on feeding people in need,” Ms Geals said. “I thought, ‘we could do that’. We decided to reach out to Baw Baw Food Relief and see what we could do to contribute.”
An initiative of the region’s combined churches, Baw Baw Food Relief receives donations of produce from local businesses and supermarket chains and redistributes the goods to people in need.
“We offered to redeploy our Café team into preparing meals for the relief centre,” Ms Geals said.
“It’s a bit of a mystery box challenge. We receive some of the donations of fresh produce from the food bank. We add protein where needed and whatever pantry staples we can access. Our amazing chef Jenny then transforms it all into delicious, nourishing meals.”
In the first week, the Community College Gippsland kitchen created 95 meals, including soups, casseroles, lasagna and a dessert of stewed apples.
“It has been such a satisfying way to support our staff and give back at the same time,” Ms Geals said. “We have a long history of partnering with community groups on innovative projects, but this has certainly been one of the tastiest and most heart-warming!”
Anne Pascoe, Manager of Baw Baw Food Relief, said that the service had been supporting local people, couples and families to access food supplies for almost 17 years.
“People from all walks of life know that they will be welcomed and helped here,” Ms Pascoe said. “We provide access to quality produce, ingredients and meals, as well as toiletries and a friendly ear. Each year, demand for these types of services continues to grow.”
Speaking of the new partnership with Community College Gippsland, Ms Pascoe said that the cooked meals provided a particularly valuable asset to food relief.
“The benefit is two-fold,” Ms Pascoe explained. “Cooked meals are really important for community members who don’t have the mobility, equipment or know-how to cook for themselves. They also extend the life of our fresh produce, by transforming fruit and vegetables into meals that can be frozen and enjoyed later.
“It’s great to see the community come together, especially at a time like this.”
People in need of emergency food support can access Baw Baw Food Relief daily between 10am-12pm at the warehouse at Pearse St, Warragul. Donations of funding, everyday personal supplies and even home-grown produce are warmly welcomed from the community. More information, including the organisation’s response to COVID-19, can be found at www.bawbawfoodrelief.org
For further information, please phone (03) 5622 6000 or email info@ccg.asn.au