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Sonja Terpstra
is a fierce advocate for public education, protecting our environment, local jobs and industry development, public health, sport and the arts.

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Latest News

22 Dec 2021 News

Pembroke Primary School Inclusive Learning Space Completed

16 Dec 2021 News

Tackling ecosystem decline in Victoria

14 Dec 2021 News

Helping us breathe easier

08 Dec 2021 News

Investing in Mental Health Outreach in the EMR

Community grants

Grants are available to help you achieve projects in our community.

Retweet on Twitter Sonja Terpstra 🐓 Retweeted

‘So pissed off’: Midnight Oil kick off final tour with a searing, urgent set in Launceston ... https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jan/24/so-pissed-off-midnight-oil-kick-off-final-tour-with-a-searing-urgent-set-in-launceston?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=soc_568&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1643003519

3 hours ago

📚 EDUCATION UPDATE 📚As students, staff and families prepare for the beginning of the school year, we’re taking every measure available to give students, parents, teachers and support staff the confidence they need to return to classrooms safely. That means a full suite of COVIDSafe measures to protect communities and minimise disruption to learning. So here’s what we’re doing: 🧪 SURVEILLANCE TESTING 🧪✅ Rapid antigen testing will be in place for at least the first four weeks of Term 1. ✅ The Victorian Government will deliver more than 14 million rapid antigen tests to schools and early childhood education and care services, including 6.6 million delivered in the first week of term. ✅ It is recommended that these be used twice-weekly at home before school or childcare. ✅ Students and staff at specialist schools will be recommended to test five days each week due to the higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children. 😷 MASKS 😷✅ Mask wearing will continue, with students in Grade 3 and above required to wear masks – although they will not be required outdoors. Teachers will be required to wear masks at all times when not actively teaching or communicating with students. 🏡 REMOTE LEARNING 🏡✅ Will be considered only as a localised, short-term last resort. When students are required to isolate as a close contact or positive case, the Department of Education and Training will provide a suite of online resources for students in Prep to Year 10, ensuring they have activities and work to complete. 💉 VACCINES 💉✅ We are now at more than 29% of children aged 5-11 with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. ✅ The Government is working to ensure all children in this cohort have access to two doses by the end of Term 1 – with 30 pop-up clinics opening on school sites, alongside grants to pharmacies and GPs to deliver vaccines at schools. 👍 There are 66,000 appointments available for children aged 5 to 11 in state-run centres over the next 30 days, and many more through primary care. All families are urged to book their children in as soon as possible. ✅ School and early childhood staff will be added to the list of workers in key sectors who must receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 25 February if they are already eligible, or within 3 months and 2 weeks of receiving a second dose to continue working in education settings. 🙌 At the end of Term 4, 2021, more than 99.7 per cent of school staff were double-vaccinated – the school workforce knows how important vaccination is in protecting school communities and vulnerable children. This is an incredibly important measure to support our kids. 🪟 VENTILATION 🪟✅ All 51,000 air purifiers that were ordered will be delivered to government and low-fee non-government schools for the first day of Term 1. They’ll be put in high-risk areas like staff rooms, music rooms, indoor canteens and other high traffic areas. ☀️OUTDOOR LEARNING ☀️✅ More than 1,800 schools have applied for a Shade Sail Grant, with grants progressively being rolled out and shade sail construction already underway at more than 300 schools to allow more classes to learn safely outdoors. 👩‍🏫 STAFFING 👩‍🏫✅ In light of potential significant but short-term staffing challenges in schools and early childhood services in Term 1, the Government has classified education staff as critical workers – allowing household contacts to voluntarily continue working if they are asymptomatic and return daily negative rapid antigen tests. ✅ The Government has also launched a pool of inactive teachers, education support staff, retired principals and surge administrative support staff for schools to access to cover any COVID-19-related workforce shortages. 📝 REPORTING 📝✅ The way COVID-19 cases are managed and reported in education settings will change from Term 1. This will reduce the burden on schools and early childhood services. ✅ Schools and kindergartens will be required to inform staff, parents and carers when there is a positive case and will provide advice on any steps families are required to keep them safe. ... See MoreSee Less

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