Wednesday 5 March - Parent letter via Compass
**SCHOOL CLOSURE** 6th & 7th March 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to produce significant rain, strong winds and flash flooding in our community. This weather is expected to continue over the coming days.
I am writing to inform you that Merrimac State High School will be closed tomorrow, Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March due to safety concerns and transport networks not operating.
Please keep your child at home on Thursday and Friday.
As part of our disaster management protocol, we follow the advice of emergency services. We always act in the interests of the safety of students, staff and the wider community. This decision is based on an assessment of the current conditions and risks associated with movement in and around our community.
We will continue to provide updates and information to our families via our School Website, Facebook page, Compass email and text messages regarding arrangements for Monday 10 March.
Student absences:
Absences due to emergencies and natural disasters and when a school is closed, will not be recorded on a student's report card.
School re-opening:
I will continue to liaise with the Department of Education and emergency services and I will keep you informed of any developments, including when we expect our school to re-open. Up-to-date information on school closures is available from closures.qld.edu.au. Early childhood service closures are available on the service and temporary closure information website.
Monitoring the situation:
Please continue to listen to our local ABC Radio service and monitor emergency services' social media accounts for updates and advice. Information about current weather conditions can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au. If you need immediate help, call Triple Zero (000) and remember, if it's flooded, forget it.
It is incredibly important that you take time to look after yourselves and your families. I encourage you to access the information available for parents and students to support health and wellbeing during these difficult circumstances.
Thank you for your ongoing support and I trust that the impact of this event on our school will be minimal.
Tuesday 4 March - Parent Letter Via Compass
Dear parents and carers,
As you would be aware, severe weather from Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to affect many parts our community over the coming days. This weather system is forecast to bring significant heavy rainfall, strong winds and flash flooding.
Whilst our school is currently open, in line with our disaster management protocol, we follow the advice of emergency services and take action where needed. We always act in the interests of the safety of students, staff and the wider community.
It is important that we be alert to current conditions and ready to act quickly if the need arises.
What you need to do:
Ensure you have provided the school with up-to-date contact details, including your mobile phone number and email address.
Please note:
· if the school is required to close during normal school hours, parents and carers will be notified and asked to collect their children where it is safe to do so
· students who are unable to be collected immediately will be cared for by school staff in a safe location. Parents and carers will be advised of the details and are encouraged to stay in contact with the school.
· where a weather event poses a danger to your child travelling to school, please notify the school of your child's absence as soon as possible
· student absences due to extreme weather or natural disasters will not be counted on school report cards.
If the situation worsens:
We will continue to liaise with the Department of Education and emergency services and I will keep you informed of any developments, including if our school needs to close. Up-to-date information on school closures is available from closures.qld.edu.au. Early childhood service closures are available on the service and temporary closure information website.
Continue to listen to our local ABC Radio service and the Queensland Fire Department social media accounts, for updates and advice as this situation progresses. Information about current weather conditions can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au. If you need immediate help, call Triple Zero (000) and remember, if it's flooded, forget it.
We will continue to provide information to families via Facebook, school website, Compass email and text messages in the event the severe weather will impact our school operations.
Resources:
There are many excellent resources on the Queensland Government Get Ready Queensland website that serve as a checklist for our homes, travel arrangements and our personal safety. I encourage you to access the information available for parents and students to support health and wellbeing during difficult circumstances.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that the impact of this weather event on our school will be minimal.