Dear Parents/Carers,

Michael Reardon
Principal

Return To School Next Week

All Kinder and Year 1 students return to school next Monday, 18 Ocotber 2021.  The rest of the school will continue with remote learning for one more week.  There will be a notification sent out to outline dismissal protocols.

Below are the Level 3 Plus Covid Restrictions that are currently in place for the school as outlined by NSW Health and CEDoW:

COVID-19 Advice Level 3 / Level 3 Plus 

Last updated Thursday 7 October 2021

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

A reminder for all families

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

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.

Level 3 and Level 3 Plus restrictions

During the staged return (18 October - 29 October 2021), schools will follow the Level 3 AND Level 3 Plus restrictions. From 25 October 2021, all year groups will be learning at school and schools will follow the Level 3 restrictions. A decision will be made at that time whether Level 3 Plus restrictions will continue to apply.

About the staged return to school

In Greater Sydney and other areas currently operating under Level 4 restrictions, the NSW Health advice is that it is safest for students to return in stages rather than all at once. Students in Kindergarten and Year 1 will return first given the importance of developing their foundational learning in the early years and their disrupted experience to date. Year 12 and HSC students will also be prioritised as they prepare to complete their final year of schooling and transition to further education, training and work.

Schools are restricting activities to established student cohorts. This may be in class, grade or stage groupings dependent on the size and organisation of the school. Schools will consider, where practical, physical distancing and limiting interactions between groups at entry and exit 

Conditions for a staged return to school

The NSW return to face-to-face learning plan for schools under stay-at-home restrictions has been informed by the Doherty Institute Modelling Report for National Cabinet and ongoing advice from NSW Health.

For a staged return to face-to-face learning (Level 3 plus), the following conditions will need to have been met:

• Students will only be able to return if the adult community vaccination rates are over 70%. This is on track for early to mid-October.
• Where requirements are reached, students return to school in cohort groups – with students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 as well as those completing their HSC prioritised, and other cohorts to follow.
• If cases in certain LGAs increase significantly, learning from home will resume for that LGA until case numbers drop. This will be advised by NSW Health.
• Start and finish times will be staggered, with no mixing among student cohorts.
• Any staff member returning to school sites will be required to present evidence of 2 doses of vaccine.

Learning delivery

To provide a safe learning environment for students, minimise opportunities for transmission and enable the most effective contact tracing and containment measures in the event of a COVID-19 case, schools will be required to adopt a cohort model.

The principles of student cohorting are to:

• minimise unnecessary physical interaction between students on school grounds
• ensure that students learn and play only with those in their cohort, wherever possible
• minimise opportunities for transmission and enhance contact tracing
• minimise the potential for widespread infection across the school and wider school community
• enable learning to be delivered effectively via face-to-face and home-based learning
• facilitate opportunities for ongoing collaboration for staff, while delivering face-to-face and home-based learning.

Primary settings

In the early stages of returning to school (Kindergarten and Year 1), students will be placed into class-based cohorts. Ideally this will be their normal class.

During this period:

• Classroom teachers will ideally be the allocated teacher for their cohort.
• Each cohort will be allocated a learning space, completing all lessons and break times with their allocated cohort.
• Break times, playground and canteen access will be staggered by cohort.
• Within each cohort, students should maintain strict personal hygiene and physical distancing wherever possible.

As additional year groups return to school, the class-based cohort model will be replaced by a year-based cohort model.

Schools will manage the year-based cohort model in a way that best meets the needs of their students, as long as they maintain the core principles of cohorting (outlined above).

Students in support classes should return in line with their year group and according to the needs of each student.

Order of return

Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health-approved COVID safe settings on school sites in the following order:

• from 18 October - Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12
• from 25 October - All remaining students return

Break times

• The class or year-based cohort system must be maintained at break times, and break times should be staggered by cohort wherever possible.
• Physical distancing of 1.5m should be maintained, wherever possible.
• Playground equipment should be wiped down between use wherever practicable.

Restrictions applicable during the staged return and beyond (Level 3)

Drop-offs and pick-ups

Drop-offs and pick-ups will be staggered by cohorts and schools are to use all possible entrances and exits to support the beginning and end of school days. 

Parents and carers must follow their school’s advice regarding changes to student drop-off and pick-up. This includes staying in the car when dropping off and picking up children if it is safe to do so. This does not apply to drop off and pick up from outside of school hours care (OSHC) as sign-in and sign-out procedures are required.

Parents and carers should:

• follow the physical distancing advice for their local area and avoid gathering outside school gates
• remain outside school grounds (some exceptions may exist for vulnerable students or students with disability)
• adhere to mask-wearing requirements in accordance with the Public Health Order
• sign in using the Service NSW QR code if entering the school.

What is permitted during school hours or within schools

Schools can continue to operate:

• canteens where appropriate hygiene measures are in place, as long as:
• they can ensure that they are accessed by one cohort at a time
• physical distancing is in place
• canteen staff follow normal COVID-safe protocols around vaccinations and testing
• early childhood services (OSHC, vacation care, preschools etc.)

Cleaning

Current cleaning regimes will continue on school sites. Target areas include high-touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, lockers, light switches and handrails in stairways and movement areas. Enhanced cleaning is delivered as part of the daily cleaning of schools.

Ventilation

Open or well-ventilated spaces reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 because infectious particles are more quickly diffused in the open air than in spaces with less ventilation. Outdoor settings may be used where practicable.

Take steps to improve ventilation in indoor settings:

• Open windows and doors where possible.
• Avoid directing fans towards people’s faces, such as by aiming them continuously towards the ceiling or floor. Limit oscillation and turbulence of fans.
• Regularly inspect, maintain and clean heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• Avoid using only recirculated air in HVAC systems and increase the outside air intake.
• Consider disabling ventilation controls with automated settings that reduce air supply based on temperature or occupancy.
• Ensure exhaust fans are operational if in place.

Supporting students in returning to school

To support students in returning to school , the school has organised a “Getting Ready to Return to School” Zoom. This zoom is designed for the students and will be hosted by Mrs Debrincat, the Religious Education & Pastoral and Wellbeing Coordinator and supported by Mrs Brunetta the Assistant Principal.

The Zooms will go through things such as playground arrangements, going back into class , drop off and pick up and feelings associated with coming back to school.

Zooms will occur at the following dates and times

• Kindergarten: Friday 15 October 2021, 10:30am  – 11:00 am
• Year 1: Friday 15 October 2021, 11:45am – 12:15pm
• Year 2: Friday 22 October 2021, 10:30am -11:00am
• Year 3: Thursday 21 October 2021, 10:30am – 11:00 am                 
• Year 4: Thursday 21 October 2021, 9:30am – 10:00am
• Year 5: Friday22 October 2021, 11:45am – 12:15pm
• Year 6: Friday 22 October 2021, 9:30am – 10:00am

Compass alerts with relevant zoom links will be sent to each grade closer to the dates.

Attention: Year 4 Parents

Next week, year 4 parents will be required to complete a COMPASS Survey regarding the new School Managed iPad Program for Year 5, 2022. Last term, you received information about the change from Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program to the new School Managed iPad Program which we are moving to which has been recommended by the Catholic Education Office. 

As you may have seen in the media, Apple released a newer model of iPad during the school holidays. For this reason, the original option has been updated. You will be purchasing the following; 

iPad 9th Generation

64 GB Wifi

Applecare+

High Quality Cover (with an Apple pencil slot)

At this stage we have been quoted $566.20 including GST. It is important to note that the exact price won’t be confirmed until the end of November. This price is a better offer as previously we were offered an iPad 8th Generation 32 GB Wifi for the same price. You will pay off your iPad over a two year period.  

If you are experiencing significant financial difficulty and unable to purchase the iPad for your child, you must tick the second option of the survey. Mr Reardon, Mrs Roberts or Mrs Martin will be in contact with you to discuss this matter. 

It is extremely important for you to complete the COMPASS Survey immediately once it has been sent out so that we can place the iPad order and ensure devices are set up and ready for your child to use when they return to school in 2022. 

Canteen Reopening Date

The school canteen will reopen on Monday, 25 October 2021, once all students have returned to face to face learning.