Harmony Day Interrupted

You may or may not be aware Harmony Day (Thursday 21 March) was interrupted by a serious accident during lunchtime.

Facts: A Victor Harbor High School student was involved in a car accident at lunch time on the Inman River Bridge commonly referred to as Front Bridge. The student did not have permission to be off school grounds. Luckily his injuries are not life threatening but he is undergoing extensive surgery as I write.

Support Available: This accident has affected many people in different ways. At this school we have a number of staff trained to deal with the breath of emotions and we also have access to trained staff beyond the school who are able to provide support to our students in managing the range of emotions.

To access this support please check in at Student Services. Some people may not be all that affected by this news and students and families are asked to be aware of others who may be feeling any range of emotions.

Rights, Rules and Responsibilities: Society including schools have rules and expectations to protect our rights as individuals. When people flaunt or ignore the rules it can sometimes interfere with the freedoms and rights of others. Yesterday a number of people both in the school and beyond the school had their freedom compromised or put at risk because a number of Victor High students did not exercise responsibility.

The rules about leaving this school are well known, communicated regularly and exist to protect the rights of our community members most importantly the students of this school. The staff are very disappointed with the poor choices some students made yesterday.

Consequences of not taking responsibility: Firstly, the student is paying the cost for his decision to exit this school knowing he was breaking the rules. This choice has resulted in a car accident which has affected the well being of many people including his family, the driver of the car who was innocently driving across the bridge, other drivers on the bridge at the time, the students who witnessed the accident (some of whom were also out of school grounds without permission), other students' staff' ambulance personnel, police personnel and the good name of the school.

Final Message: There are several requirements in place for students to exit this school during school hours: Be in uniform: in possession of either a lunch pass or if it is a note from home signed by parent & school: a computer generated slip from Student Services which must be collected before exiting the school (this supports staff accounting for student whereabouts in case of an emergency).

Students are reminded at all times to use recognised pedestrian crossings especially when leaving from the front of the school. Similarly students are reminded when exiting from back bridge to use the footpaths provided. Should students choose not to exercise positive choices about the rules of this school we will consider removing exit privileges.

Thank You: Many people yesterday responded in very positive ways and they included; a Year 12 student who directed traffic until police arrived, the doctor who was able to provide immediate care, students including an ex student who sought assistance and support from school staff, many staff including Fiona Haselgrove, David Bennett, Colin Sibley, Sally Clarke, Mark Adams, Mairi Waudby, Jen Leske, Grant Truman, Mark Nethercott, Heather Morriss, Betty Otto, Jenny Burgess, Vicki Foster, Jody Peterson who managed various aspects arising out of this emergency.

On a final note I am encouraging you all to look after each other’s safety and wellbeing. I look forward to an improvement in this area from the students at this school.

Until Next Time ………