ACT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PLAN FULL RETURN TO SCHOOL

Dear Parents and Carers

I would like to express my deep appreciation to each of you for your support and loyalty to the school during what has been a challenging time for you and your families. You have been magnificent supporting your child in their learning during this period. Staff have been incredible in the way they have adapted to provide a remote learning program and we have all missed your children and their energy, humour and joy.

From an academic and welfare perspective it has always been our priority to return to face to face teaching when it is safe to do so.

Following extensive discussion, review of the medical advice and guidelines, and considering the regional context where there are almost no reported cases of Covid-19, the Director of Catholic Education has authorised that all students will return full time to St John Vianney’s on Monday 18^th May, Week 4. If for any reason there is an increase in the safety concerns for the students and staff before the 18^th May this decision will be reviewed. 

Please be aware that we will continue the Remote Learning Program next week (Week 3) in the same way that we are now for all students whether they are at home or at school. Parents are encouraged to keep students at home wherever possible next week but the school continues to be open to the children of essential workers and children who need to attend for personal or family reasons.

Attached to our newsletter are two documents.  One of these is Catholic Education’s announcement regarding how systemic catholic schools are returning to face to face teaching.  The other document is a letter from Dr Kerryn Coleman, ACT Chief Officer, in relation to returning to face to face teaching in schools. We are pleased to have received this detailed advice. It addresses a number of issues raised in relation to return to face to face teaching. Dr Coleman’s letter includes the advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) on reducing the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools and this advice was also used in CE Guidelines.  I will expand more on these in next week’s newsletter

Noting the advice is from the ACT Chief Health Officer it is consistent with the advice available from NSW authorities and the Australian Government.

As we prepare to have the children return to school for face-to-face teaching, it is essential that measures relating to personal hygiene and the health and safety of all members of our community are known and understood.

Below is some clear information on the arrangements and measures based on the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidelines, which aim to establish, where reasonably possible, best practice in relation to health and hygiene at schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The full document can be found here:

https://www.health.gov.au/news/australian-health-protection-principal-committee-ahppc-advice-on-reducing-the-potential-risk-of-covid-19-transmission-in-schools-24-april-2020

We hope this will give you confidence in your child’s return to school and assist you in supporting the staff as we welcome students back into classrooms.

Extra hygiene and safety practices in place for when the children return to school

• No child is to attend school if they are showing any cold or flu-like symptoms.  They must remain at home, and stay away from school until they are no longer showing symptoms or have attended a GP who has instructed that they are fit and safe to return.
• Increased cleaning schedules and resources onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
• Provision of extra hand sanitiser across the school.
• Provision of extra hand soap for children to wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch time.
• Frequent reminders to ensure children are practising good personal hygiene.  This means, covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks and minimising physical contact
• Please ensure your child brings a water bottle to school each day
• If your child, or family members or other close contacts are tested for COVID-19, your child is not to attend school until the results of those tests are known and are negative.  Please advise the school if this situation occurs.
• If your child has a medical condition that places them at greater risk from a return to face-to-face teaching at this time, please contact their teacher so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate plan for their circumstances.
• We are attempting to minimise the number of adults coming onto the premises to reduce the possible risk of COVID-19 transmission. Please make appointments ahead of time and if possible, telephone or use email as the preferred method of contact with your child’s teacher or staff member.
• When dropping your child off to the school please ensure that you stay in your car, ensuring that your child walks through our school gate onto the playground.  If you need to come into the school please adhere to social distancing protocols. 
• If you are signing your child in at the front office because you are late, you may need to wait in a line that adheres to social distancing requirements.
• At this stage, there will be no assemblies or large gatherings of students for the remainder of this term. An exception to this is any evacuation or emergency procedure that may be required. (Fire alarm etc.)
• If your intention is to keep your child at home please contact their teacher so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate learning plan for their circumstances.
• After 18th May, if a situation arises where it is deemed not safe by health authorities for students or staff to be onsite, we would be able to move back to our comprehensive remote learning program as required

I again thank you for your ongoing support of our school. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any further clarification on any of these matters.

I continue to keep your family and the wider community in my prayers.