Newsletter #01 28 Jan 2022
Principal News
Dear St Paul’s families,
Welcome to the 2022 school year. I hope your family has had some opportunity for rest and relaxation over the holiday period and we look forward to working with you to bring faith filled learning to our children in 2022. To those new to our community, I issue a very warm welcome and look forward to meeting with you over the course of the year.
As you would be aware, the Victorian Government recently outlined its Back-To-School plan. The measures set out in the plan are designed to ensure every possible effort is made to ensure staff and students are safe and that schools remain open.
There is extensive information within this correspondence, based on the Operational Guide of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria in collaboration with the Department of Education. We want to provide families with the best information regarding key aspects of the Back-To-School plan to support your student/s return safely to school.
RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING-Free rapid antigen tests will be made available for all staff and students in Victorian schools for the first four weeks of Term 1 2022. Rapid antigen testing will be voluntary for all primary, secondary and specialist school students and staff.
Our Rapid Antigen tests will be available for collection on Monday 31st January 8.00am-9.00am and 2.00pm-4.00pm via the school drive thru.
Any parents unable to collect their packs on Monday will be able to do so via the front office Tuesday morning.
There are five individual tests per pack. Parents/carers should collect one pack for each child at the start of week one and one pack for each child at the start of week three. Where parents/carers are unable to attend the school to collect the tests, a pack can be provided directly to a student to take home. Please notify the office if this applies to you.
If staff or students receive a positive test result at any time, they must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
Students or their parents must also report a positive result to school, by completing the google form provided below
https://forms.gle/4GoXg9f6fP7H2Ntd8
- ADVICE FOR POSITIVE CASES
All students and staff who return a positive result from a rapid antigen test should also follow the latest government health advice at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests.
Information about how to do a test, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is available online. - Students who report a positive result must isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
- Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
As principal I will notify the school community when a student or staff member has (or multiple students or staff members) have returned a positive COVID-19 test result and have attended the school or school activities. The notification will protect the privacy of the individual but will include:
-Dates of attendance
-Affected group/cohort/year levels
-Any relevant extracurricular activities undertaken
Staff and students must not return to school while they remain symptomatic, unless it is known that their symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition or medication.
Students who are required to isolate or quarantine will be supported by the school in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided. The level of support will depend on the capacity of the school to support continued learning and the number of staff available to do so. Our school is not able to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.
What to do in the event of a COVID-19 exposure or a positive result?
A student tests positive to COVID19, either through RA test or PCR test |
· Isolate at home or in private accommodation for 7 days (inclusive of weekends) and do not attend school during this period. |
A student is a household contact to a positive COVID-19 case: |
· You have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility. |
A student has been in contact with a case of COVID-19 at school: |
· If asymptomatic, students should continue to attend school and monitor for symptoms. |
LEARNING CONTINUITY
Our school community is deeply committed to providing learning continuity, and ensuring that each child and young person has the best possible learning experience in 2022. We have a range of contingencies in place if members of our staff team contact COVID or are required to isolate as household contacts. We do anticipate that maintaining a full roster of staff may be a challenging issue over the coming weeks and we want families to be aware that we may need to ask particular year levels to stay home on a rotational basis so that we can provide an adequate duty of care and quality learning onsite. This may occur on relatively short notice. Any decision to cancel school or move to home-based learning will be after we have exhausted our other staffing options including, but not limited to,
- Drawing on our regular pool of committed and professional pool of casual relief teachers
- Utilising non-classroom teachers and school leaders redeployed into the classroom on some occasions
- Reducing school activities that draw teachers away from the classroom, such as professional learning programs and co-curricular activities
- Work with neighbouring schools to address staffing concerns
- Working with part time staff to extend their available hours where possible.
Any decision to cancel school or move students to home based learning for particular grades and or year levels will be as a last resort. This would be rotated to avoid the same groups having their learning impacted.
PARENTS AND VISITORS COMING ONSITE
Any parent, carer or visitor who enter school buildings must: QR Code in, wear a mask, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a valid medical exemption, with the following limited exceptions:
- When attending to administer medical treatment to their own child when the treatment cannot be administered by the school
- When attending to collect their child who is unwell and cannot leave the school building unaccompanied by their parent/carer
- When attending for a momentary period that does not involve any sustained contact with staff or students, for example, to collect a completed art project or similar
Meetings, parent/teacher conferences and other discussions (such as Student Support Group meetings) with visitors who do not meet vaccination requirements will be held virtually.
Parents, carers, and visitors attending school sites for drop-off and pick-up who do not enter school buildings do not need to comply with vaccination requirements.
Our school will only visually verify the vaccination status of a visitor, no information is recorded or retained
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
While families may be nervous about students returning to school, all students are expected to attend onsite. Parent preference is not an approved reason for students to be absent due to COVID-19. Students who are required to isolate or quarantine will be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided to support their continued learning. Schools are not expected to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.
STUDENTS WHO MAY BE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE
In keeping with expert public health advice, some students (or families) may be at higher risk for severe outcomes or complications of COVID-19, for example those with chronic medical conditions. Parents or carers of any student with a chronic medical condition should seek advice from their medical practitioner about attending school on-site. If you have a child or children who is medically vulnerable please reach out to us here at school, so we can work with you regarding the medical needs and your up-to-date condition-specific health management plan (such as an Asthma Action Plan).
FACE MASKS
Face masks have proved an effective protection in previous outbreaks and are again a key protection:
- Students in Grade 3 and above must wear a face mask indoors at school, unless a lawful exception applies. Students must wear face masks even if vaccinated. Students are not required to wear masks outside.
- When attending outdoor school camps and excursions, face masks are not mandatory, unless physical distancing cannot be maintained. Face masks must continue to be worn when indoors on camps and excursions.
- Everyone over eight years old must wear a face mask when travelling to and from school on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles.
- Visitors to schools aged eight and above must wear a face mask in all indoor spaces, unless a lawful exception applies.
- Students in Prep to Grade 2 are strongly recommended to wear a face mask indoors at school.
AIR PURIFIERS
Our school has received delivery of Air Purifiers to be used throughout the school.
Wellbeing
For some families the media and reporting surrounding the return to school will cause increased nervousness and concern in children and young people. There are a range of resources to support parents and carers on page 3 of the attached document.
Smiling Mind has also created digital Care Packs to support the mental health of kids aged five to 12. The resources can be downloaded from the Smiling Mind website Each pack includes brief learning tools as well as activities for children to use within the home or school environment. To download the pack, see: Smiling Mind Digital Care Packs
If you have school specific questions, please contact the office on 50234567 or email office @spmildura.catholic.edu.au
STAY HOME WHEN UNWELL AND GET TESTED
The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. Everyone should consider their health before they attend school, and ensure that they are free from coronavirus symptoms and have not had recent contact with a person confirmed or suspected to have coronavirus.
LOOKING AHEAD
We look forward to a very positive year ahead working with staff and families in the education of your child. These guidelines are designed to keep everyone safe and able to continue with their learning. We express our gratitude to all families for your continued cooperation in following the above guidelines and ask that you contact the school if there are any further areas of concern.
Regards,
Vince Muscatello
Principal