22 Oct 2021
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Dear families,
We’re excited about our return to face-to-face learning next week and welcoming students and staff back onsite where we know the best learning happens.
I would like to update you on key dates and important information about the return to school and COVID-safe plans onsite. Please read through the information below and get in touch if you have any questions.
Key dates as part of the stage return
Year 7-10 will return to school next Monday 25 October 2021 as outlined in the department’s staged plan for the return to face-to-face learning.
Students are expected to attend school from this date unless they are unwell, are required to self-isolate or have even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.
Virtual Assembly
To welcome our students back to school and to discuss our expectations to support the health and wellbeing of students and staff onsite, we will be holding a virtual ‘return to school’ assembly at 9am on Monday 25 October 2021.
This assembly will be viewed in roll call classes.
Our school’s COVID-safe operations
Our COVID-safe return to school plan is NSW Health approved and includes numerous effective practices to support the health and wellbeing of students and staff. These practices include vaccinations, mask wearing, reduced mingling of student groups and staff, ventilation in classrooms, continued good hygiene and enhanced cleaning two times a day.
Keeping student groups together
As we return to school students will be kept in their year group cohorts to minimise opportunities for transmission of COVID-19 and to enable effective contact tracing and containment. This year-based cohort system will continue at breaktimes with allocated playground areas for each year group (see map).
- No ball games or physical contact games allowed
- Year 7 and 8 will use the toilet block outside the hall
- Year 9 and 10 will use the Science Toilets
- Bubblers will not be accessible.
Updated mask requirements
To reflect the changes in community settings mask wearing requirements have been updated for schools.
When students and staff return to school, the following requirements are in place:
- masks are required for all staff and students in Year 7 and above in all indoor settings
- masks are not required for staff or students in outdoor settings.
Masks are mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 13 years and over, and to staff when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered or private transport services.
Vaccination requirements for staff and students
I want to let you all know that from 18 October all staff onsite required to support the staged return of students will be fully vaccinated. You can have confidence that we are handling the evidence requirements with the department and anyone interacting directly with your students will be fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection against severe illness and also reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. NSW Health are urging all students 12 and over to get vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
There is currently sufficient supply of the Moderna vaccine to community pharmacies and the Pfizer vaccine to General Practitioners. Bookings can be made via the Vaccine Clinic Finder. Depending on location, bookings are available within the next few days.
Ventilation
The department’s ventilation recommendations have been informed by NSW Health advice, expert advice from the Doherty Institute and the World Health Organisation.
This advice tells us that maximising natural ventilation in our learning spaces reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission as infectious particles are more quickly diffused in the open air. This can be best achieved by opening doors and windows.
The department has conducted a comprehensive asset audit of all spaces at our school and this has confirmed that the majority of spaces can be adequately ventilated through natural and mechanically assisted ventilation. We are taking action and working with our local Asset Management team to make sure classes can go ahead within the advice received on ventilation for our school.
Any necessary repair works identified in the audit, such as easing and adjusting windows to ensure they operate as intended, will be completed before the full return to face-to-face learning from 25 October.
If you’d like more information, refer to the department’s Ventilation page.
COVID Communication
Families will be notified if a decision is made to close the school due to a confirmed case of COVID-19. If this occurs, learning will continue online for the closure period.
School closure will be communicated by email and Facebook.
School activities
Many school-based activities will remain on hold until NSW Health advise otherwise. This includes large celebrations like assemblies, presentation days and arts and sports events. More information about Term 4 and the level 3 plus activities is available on the department's website.
Parent meetings
Any essential parent contact should continue to take place via video conferencing or phone contact until further notice.
Gunya room, wellbeing hub and library
These areas will operate under a roster system to keep year groups together. The roster system will be published on Sentral.
Canteen
Students from all year groups will have the option to place a lunch or recess order before roll call each day and order pick up will be during the times listed below.
Cohort canteen access without ordering:
- Year 7 – Recess
- Year 8 – Recess
- Year 9 – Lunch
- Year 10 – Lunch
Uniform update
Lowes have sent much of their stock back to the school for stock take as we have a new uniform supplier for 2022. This supplier will take possession of this stock and list it on their website for purchase in the next two – three weeks.
We are aware that the transition back to school with a full uniform may be difficult so in the meantime, we have decided we will allow the wearing of generic navy-blue shirts, pants, skirts and shorts if absolutely necessary.
Return advice
We understand that this is a challenging time for students and families and some students may be nervous about returning to school. We have additional supports in place for student wellbeing and attendance to ensure a smooth return for everyone. You may also like to check out the department’s wellbeing resources for students and families.
As the term progresses, we may hopefully see some of the DoE restrictions lift to allow us to return to some of our everyday structures and activities.
Thank you once again for all support and understanding during this time. We look forward to seeing your children on Monday.
Kind Regards,
Hayley Macdonald
Campus Principal