Dear students and families of our Bethany Home Service Tour 2020

What a disappointing week it has been for us all! We are devastated that, as a result of the Minister for Education’s directive on the 3 March 2020, we have been forced to cancel the forthcoming St Stephen’s Global service tour to Bethany Home. I can’t say how sad we are for our students who have just been selected to attend this adventure of a lifetime.

I want to keep you up to date with our plans in response to this cancellation.

I will be endeavouring to recover all the funds spent on flights, transport, accommodation, entries and so on. I will need to contact all our in-country providers and partners to seek refunds on deposits and payments. This could take some time. All funds not recovered will be the subject of a travel insurance claim by the School. Our insurers have been notified.

All recovered funds from refunds and insurance will be returned to tour families.

I will be in touch via this blog to inform you of our progress.

I thank you for your patience in this regard.

Regarding the fund-raising money raised already, this money will be sent to our main tour support organisation namely Bethany Home. If students have any remaining fund-raising money please give it to the tour staff immediately so we can bank it and then distribute it to this needy organisation.

Thank you for your support and warm regards,

Dr Mark Fielding

Director of Global Programs

Can the Duncraig Bethany Tour group please meet Miss Prosser outside the Timae staffroom at Recess tomorrow (Thursday, 5th March) for a short meeting.

Thank you,

Miss Prosser.

Can all the girls who are on the Bethany Tour please see Mr Owen Thursday 5th March outside Parresia staff room at break time for a short meeting.

Thank you

Mr Owen

On Monday, 2nd March – instead of spending their public holiday lying in bed or heading to the beach – a group of bright-eyed Bethany Tour students met at Bunnings, Mindarie to start the first wave of fundraising for 2020.

From the hours of 8 am to 4 pm the 2020 tour group slaved away over a hot barbecue to turn sausages, fry onions and dazzle customers.

We are thrilled to announce that as a result of this day we have raised a net profit of $1006.10 for Bethany Home. This is the largest sum we have seen raised at a sausage sizzle in quite some time!

Students on the day were outstanding in the way they operated as a team; helping each other out and really embracing all the jobs (no matter how big or small) that needed to be done. This fills us with great confidence for the kind of excellent group we have this year.

The morning crew

Bringing it home with the afternoon rush

Thank you to all students who came to the sausage sizzle, parents for dropping them off, and for promoting the event to your friends.

Fundraising for Bethany Home has truly begun.

Miss Prosser & Mr Owen

Dear global tour families and students

As you know from media reports there is currently a Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak affecting parts of the world.

We have been following this development very closely through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT – www.smartraveller.gov.au), Department of Health, World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as our medical and travel security agency International SOS (ISOS). We believe any decisions we make concerning our global programs should be based on reasoned medical evidence and advice from these authorities.

While we are very committed to maintaining the opportunities afforded our students through our global service programs, the safety and security of our students and staff is always a priority for us.

The current recommendations from the authorities, given our global service destinations, are that we should make no changes to our travel plans for now and that our global service programs should continue as planned.

As mentioned already, we are following this development every day and if the circumstances change and we need to alter, postpone or cancel any of our tours we will be in touch with our families/students immediately.

If you would like to discuss this further please be in contact with me (mark.fielding@ststephens.wa.edu.au)

Blessings

Dr Mark Fielding

Director of Global Programs

Date: 26^th February 2020

Present: Miss Prosser, Dr Fielding, Caitlin, Cara, Olivia, Kirsten, Jade, Sophie, Brooke, Ryan, Ella

Apologies: Mr Owen