Week 1 Term 4 Newsletter 2021

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back everyone! I hope you were able to enjoy some time away or relax at home after an eventful end to term 3. It has been wonderful to see all our students and staff back at school eager and ready to learn. It’s definitely the energy of our students and staff that make our school so special. As you are all aware we are operating under Level 3 restrictions which means that all students are expected back at school unless they are unwell or have COVID-19 symptoms. Movement around the school will be minimised so that students are only mixing with their cohort in and out of the classroom. Staff are required to wear masks at all times and it is recommended for primary aged children. Non essential adults are not allowed on school grounds. Most extra curricular activities are on hold until restrictions ease. All students, staff and essential visitors are to follow our personal hygiene procedures which includes washing hands regularly and hand sanitising throughout the day.

Term 4 will also be a term for assessment and surveys. We’ll be conducting DoE “Check in” assessments throughout the term for Year 3-6 which is a mini version of NAPLAN which will assess the achievement of all our primary students. This data will be used to track growth and achievement and inform future directions for the rest of the term and into 2022. Students, staff and parents will be asked to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey which is conducted every year. This data is also important as it provides important feedback on a variety of areas which continue to help improve our school. Further information will be sent to parents this term. Kinder Orientation will proceed in a few weeks with a very excited bunch of preschoolers, please find additional information included in the newsletter.

Thanks again for your continued support and for sending your children back to school with such enthusiasm and confidence. Looking forward to a great term!

Kind regards

Sharon Hawker 

Latest COVID-19 Advice

Level 3 Restrictions - return to face to face learning

All students are expected to be at school unless they have even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.

Under the current health orders, there is nothing to restrict students and staff who must attend school from moving between two areas with different levels of restrictions. Students and staff should reduce traveling to geographical areas with higher levels of COVID-19 restrictions in place.

Students and staff can continue to travel to and from school as per the public health advice.

A reminder for all families

Students must not attend work or school if unwell, even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home and not return to school unless:

• they have isolated for 10 days, when no medical certificate is available
• they have a negative COVID-19 test result and are symptom free.

In circumstances where children have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms, a letter from their GP is sufficient to negate the requirement for a negative test.

Anyone who is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms is strongly encouraged to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Find your local testing clinics.External link

Vulnerable staff and students 

Schools should continue to support vulnerable staff and student cohorts, with vulnerable staff supported to work from home. 

In line with current health advice, the following persons are considered vulnerable: 

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50 with one or more chronic medical conditions

• people aged 65 years or older with chronic medical conditions  
  

• people aged 70 years or older 
  

• people with a compromised immune system. 

Masks/face coverings

Updated 11 am 30 September 2021

Masks or face coverings are required in:

• all indoor and outdoor settings for all staff
• indoor settings for students in Year 7 and above.

Masks or face coverings are recommended for:

• outdoor settings for students in Year 7 and above
• indoor and outdoor settings for primary students.

It is also mandatory for all staff and students to carry a mask with them at all times – in playgrounds and on school grounds. This includes adults in all Early Childhood Education and Care settings, including when caring for and educating children.

Some exemptions apply:

• Staff are not required to wear a mask or face covering where it may affect the ability of a student or students to hear or engage with them, such as where students are hard of hearing.  
• Staff and students are not required to wear a mask where they are alone in an office or classroom.
• Masks or face coverings are not required to be worn by a staff member or student who has a physical or mental health illness or condition, or disability, that makes wearing a mask unsuitable. For example, if they have a skin condition, an intellectual disability, autism or trauma, they are not required to wear a mask. Refer to Face mask rules on the NSW Government websiteExternal link.

Masks are mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 13 years and over, and staff when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered or private transport services. 

Visitors

Non-essential visitors are not permitted in schools. Some visitors are permitted in schools based on the guidelines that follow.

Parents and carers must follow their school’s advice regarding changes to drop off and pick up including staying in the car when dropping off and picking up children if safe to do so.

Parents should:  

• maintain physical distancing by avoiding gathering outside of school gates
• remain outside of school grounds (note some exceptions may apply regarding schools for specific purposes, vulnerable students or students with disability)
• follow mask-wearing requirements and sign in using the Service NSW QR code when entering the school.

QR code sign-in process for all staff and visitors

The NSW Government have introduced mandatory QR codes across a range of additional settings, including schools. All staff and visitors permitted on school sites will be required to check in and check out using the QR codes.

Parents and carers or other visitors to the school who do not have access to electronic devices for the purposes of QR check in can:

• authorise another person to provide their contact details on their behalf
• provide their details to the school to be recorded in an appropriate manner for provision to NSW Health should it be required. In these circumstances, please enter any paper records into an electronic format such as a spreadsheet within 12 hours to support NSW Health contact tracing should it be required
• use their QR code check-in card which can be created at Create a COVID-19 check-in cardExternal link.

What is permitted during school hours or within schools under these restrictions

Schools can continue to operate:

• Canteens where appropriate hygiene measures are in place
• Early childhood services (OSHC, vacation care, preschools etc.)
• Secondary College of Languages (formerly known as Saturday School of Languages).

Workers supporting the infrastructure development and maintenance of schools can continue on site. This includes contractors, general assistants, farm hands and other grounds support staff.

Allied Health partners and non-school staff that are unable to deliver critical services remotely.

What is permitted with modification

School based activities

Updated 4:30 pm 5 October 2021

• Dance and/or drama are permitted in-line with COVID-Safe practices within classes in outdoor spaces. Mixing of classes is not permitted (except for HSC assessment purposes with COVID Safe practices in place)
• Schools must make alternative arrangements for graduations, formals and school dances that support the broader guidance. This includes:
  • No mingling of student cohorts
  • No visitors (including parents and carers)
  • Events to align with current health order restricting size of gatherings
  • COVID Safe planning.

• Personal hygiene, physical distancing, cleaning and record keeping practices must be adhered to at these events.

• Library activities are permitted in-line with the Infection Control requirement for Libraries.
• Uniform Stores can only operate if they:
  • are online
  • have pre-ordering arrangements in place, with one dedicated staff member attending outside of school hours to arrange distribution.
• Emergency drills and evacuations where possible should be conducted in a COVID-safe manner. This means where possible keeping classes, groups or cohorts together.

Activities that are not permitted or on hold during school hours or within school grounds

Schools must cease the following activities:

• Singing, chanting, group repetition and choirs (except for HSC preparation and assessment purposes as outlined above)
• Sport (except for sport within existing PDHPE classes, provided this limits student mingling)
• Bands and ensembles
• Interschool activities and events including interschool sport, gala days, trials, knock outs and carnivals
  
• SRE/SEE/VSA
• Community Language Schools
• Assemblies
• School performances, productions, concerts, speech nights and award presentations
• Excursions, camps, field trips and principal-endorsed activities for students
• International excursions
• Student visits to aged care facilities.

School orientation programs are to be postponed until further notice.

Compliance training (e.g. First aid/CPR) is to be conducted online until further notice.

Community activities

• Community events (fetes, grandparents’ days etc.)
• Playgroups
• P&C activities, including meetings (unless held online only)
• All external providers and specialist programs not directly related to educational outcomes and support, including Community Use of School Facilities (such as markets and all after school activities) unless delivered online only
• Community Language Schools
• School holiday programs (noting that vacation care programs on school sites may continue).

External link

Welcome back!

We are super excited to welcome everyone back to school on Tuesday, we missed you all so much! All our teachers and staff were very happy to "check in" with all our students and get back to learning as soon as possible. It was great to see everyone's colourful masks and following our hand hygiene procedures. Looking forward to the last term of 2021!

Return to school class photos

Kindergarten 2022 Orientation

Kindergarten Orientation will be able to proceed under the current restrictions. There is a very excited bunch of preschoolers who are looking forward to this very important experience. All parents will need to sign in and stay for only 10 mins. Enrolent form will need to be completed by the first day of orientation. The hall on Level 3 with be the desiganated drop off and pick up point. Students and parents must not attend unless they are free of COVID-19 symtoms. More information will be sent to parents next week. Please see dates below:

Thursday 12 October

Thursday 28 October

Thursday 4 November

Thursday 11 November

PBL News

This fortnight's PBL Booster lesson is on Hygiene. It is important to wash your hands, santise and cough and sneeze into your elbow please! Now that school has returned, masks are recommended by the Department of Education for students under the age of 12, however, they are not mandatory.  All staff are required to wear masks.

Healthy Snippets

Each week we will provide healthy living "Snippets" from NSW Health covering a range of topics including; healthy eating, lunchbox ideas, drinking water and food budgeting. 

Community News

Please find a list of events happening in our community

Dr O'Ryan's surgery has received another batch of Pfizer vaccinations. Anyone over the age of 12 is eligible. Please call 63441500 to make an appointment.