St Bede’s Primary School - Red Hill eNewsletter

2021 Principal's Message Term 4 Week 2

Filter Content

2021 Principal's Message Term 4 Week 2

Principal's Message

Dear Parents,

A very warm welcome back to Term 2 even if it is virtually at this stage! We especially welcome back to St Bede’s, Breen Fox after a term’s long service leave. She is wondering why she returned with all that is going on here back in Canberra, but I know she thoroughly enjoyed precious time away with family. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday break, even if we were in lockdown. I certainly made the most of the warmer weather and did plenty of walking. It was lovely to catch up with most of you last week when hard copy packs were collected for the beginning of the term.

Thank you to everyone who has responded to the Google survey sent last week concerning students and return to school plans. This is essential for us to organise supervision with the directive for staggered starts to also apply to staff. We have had seventy respondents so far which is an excellent response. Please complete the survey as soon as possible if you still need to send us your information.

Following decisions made by Catholic Education as well as liaisons with government authorities, all systemic Catholic schools in the ACT will formally transition students to return to onsite learning from Monday October 25 (Term 4 Week 4) for Years K, 1, 2 & 6. Full attendance by all students will occur from Monday November 1 (Term 4 Week 5) with the return of Years 3, 4 & 5. To cater for our multi-age classes, teachers will continue using the remote learning model in Years 5 & 6 so that the students feel connected. If parents have health concerns regarding their child returning to school, please contact me directly on julie.douglas@cg.catholic.edu.au YWCA have already resumed before and after school care services for children of essential workers and bookings are now available for students returning from the 25 October.

Whilst I realise that there is a large amount of information in the following paragraphs, the safe return to school involves highlighting a number of issues that we have spent time on addressing so that everyone can stay healthy. Please ensure that you thoroughly discuss the measures outlined below with your child/ren. We aim to establish, where reasonably possible, best practice in relation to health and hygiene during school hours.

STAYING HOME WHEN SICK

Staff members, children and young people who are unwell must not attend school and should stay at home and get tested. If they attend a site when unwell, they will be sent home.
In circumstances where staff, children and young people have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms, a letter from a GP is sufficient to allow return to school without a negative test.
If your child, family members or other close contacts are tested for COVID-19, that child is not to attend school until the results of those tests are known and are negative. Please advise the school if this situation has occurred.
If your child, family members or another close contact tests positive to COVID-19, all instructions and directions from ACT Health must be followed. This includes information provided to the school regarding such an eventuality. Additionally, we would ensure that appropriate support is provided by the school to persons and families affected.

HYGIENE

Good hand and respiratory hygiene practices are vital to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We will proactively implement good hygiene routines and practices. All staff, children and visitors must:

- Wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser on arrival and regularly throughout the day. Children will sanitise after being outside to play at recess and lunch. Hand sanitiser is available in every classroom as well in the library and front office areas. Staff have supplies in the staffroom.
- Cough into their elbows or a tissue.
- Not sharing food or drink. Students must bring their own water bottle each day and may bring their own hand sanitiser to school.

SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASK WEARING

Social distancing will be implemented where feasibly possible when the students return to onsite learning. Gathering of the whole school will not take place and staggered use of common social spaces and indoor communal areas such as corridors, entry and exit points, canteen, school library, hall and staffrooms will be implemented. We will endeavour to physically distance students during playtimes by using different play areas.
Parents are not permitted to congregate in the school grounds for any reason. Children are to be dropped off in the morning straight from the car to the playground. Pick up in the afternoon will be similar with parents to signal to teacher on duty from the gate or top carpark so that the teacher can then direct them to waiting parents. Please be patient, arrive early and even do a lap if carparks are full. Supervision will be in place from 8.30am till 3.30pm. This does not apply to parents or carers who are dropping off or collecting children from before or after school care as they need to be signed in/out separately.
In circumstances where adults are on school premises, they must comply with public health measures in place at the site including social distancing, wearing masks and use of the CBR check-in app. Adults must adhere to the current restriction of 1 person per 4sqm.
The school play equipment is off limits each morning and afternoon.
We will not assemble in the mornings as a large gathering until it is safe to do so. Children will move directly straight to class when the morning bell rings. Prayer, celebration of birthdays and messages will be over the PA system at 9.15 am.
Students who arrive late or leave early for school on any particular day will still need to sign in/out by staff on the Compass portal. Please ring from your car and staff will collect children or take them to waiting parents.
All staff will wear masks throughout each day. They are not mandatory for children under 12 years of age, attending school but are encouraged for students in Year 3-6 if they are fitted correctly.

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING AND VENTILATION

Cleaning schedules have continued at the highest level with resources available onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas such as door handles, classrooms, toilets and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
Indoor air quality can be associated with transmission of COVID-19. Ventilation will be optimised in the learning environment to minimise transmission. This will include the use of fans as well as opening windows and doors. Evaporative cooling will be utilised as the weather gets warmer. Outdoor learning will be encouraged where possible.

VACCINATIONS

Principals were briefed yesterday afternoon that an ACT Public Health Direction is imminent requiring vaccination evidence to be sighted for all relevant staff and records maintained of shown evidence. This Public Health Direction outlines that COVID-19 first dose vaccinations will be required by staff no later than 1 November 2021. Staff must be fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine by no later than 29 November 2021.
In the case of primary schools, staff includes any person who works directly with children, or who are in regular contact with children, whether permanent, temporary, casually employed, contracted or voluntarily.

Vaccinations will not be administered at school. Families will need to organise the receiving of injections through their GP or vaccination hubs across Canberra. We are in the lucky position that the ACT has high vaccine rates as the students return to school.

On a more positive note, the renovations in the junior classrooms and corridor are now complete and ready for the teachers to move back in. The classrooms look lovely and bright with new colours and carpet. The drainage issue outside both the senior and junior wing has also been rectified and with all the recent rain, it works beautifully. The new Autex pinboards have also been installed in the corridors as well as new locks on outside doors that were broken or not sealing properly. A very profitable and great use of time while the students have been at home.

To conclude, I want to personally thank you for your ongoing support of our school. It is important to remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is by no means over. It is essential that everyone is fully committed to ensuring that they are practising the protocols outlined above, so that the return of students to school can be undertaken as safely as possible for all those involved. We promise to be vigilant and try to normalise the new ways of practising healthy and safe personal hygiene methods. All instructions and guidelines are designed to keep students, their teachers and the broader community free from COVID-19, as they continue to undertake their education and maximise their learning opportunities.

The transition back to school is going to be another time of readjustment. We need to do this slowly and calmly so that the children can re-settle quickly back into school routine. This routine and some semblance of normality is key as we return and complete the year. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or questions.

Have a lovely weekend. Enjoy being out of lockdown.

Regards

Julie