07 Mar 2025
Dear parents and carers
Due to impacts from Tropical Cyclone (TC) Alfred, including associated inland rainfall, and a heightened risk of flash flooding and riverine flooding along NSW coastal rivers, our school will remain non-operational on Monday 10 March 2025.
We request you do not send your children to school.
We are expected to resume operations on Tuesday 11 March 2025 unless we provide further updates.
Preparing for significant localised flooding
The NSW SES have asked that families prepare their homes for strong winds, by putting away loose items around their home, trimming trees aways from properties and not parking vehicles under trees or powerlines.
Prepare an emergency kit with essential items including medications, documents, pet food and family photos.
Please stay safe around flooding and road closures. Never drive, walk, ride through, play or swim in flood water, and any avoid unnecessary travel.
Consider the consequences of road and bridge closures and water over roads.
Floodwater may be deeper or faster flowing than it appears and can contain hidden debris.
Download the Hazards Near Me App to stay across the latest warnings and information.
For more information, visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au
Call the NSW SES on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance in floods and storms. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).
Caring for your child
There are a range of normal distress responses that your child might display given the current weather event impacting our community. Staying connected and engaged with your child is one of the best ways to support them. Provide truthful but simple information that will help them understand what’s happening.
If they want to talk, listen to your child, and answer their questions simply and honestly. Be prepared to answer the same questions repeatedly as some children may need to hear the news a few times or may need time to process. If you cannot answer the question, it is okay to say, "I don't know how to answer that”. Adults can shield young children from traumatic events by not letting them see or hear media reports.
Support can be accessed through the following services:
- Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 or www.kidshelp.com.au
- Lifeline 131 114 or lifeline.org.au
- headspace 1800 650 890 or www.headspace.org.au (12 years old and above)
- Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 - provides advice and can link callers to the mental health services in the Local Health District.
As always, the safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority.
Kind regards
Trudi Edman
PRINCIPAL
Gloucester High School
Care-Achievement-Respect-Effort-Responsibility
Proud Member of the Bucketts Way Community of Schools
Ph (02) 6558 1605
Email gloucester-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Web www.gloucester-h.schools.nsw.edu.au