Phased Return Update

Dear families,

This week we will begin our transition to more students’ onsite. I hope that you all have a clear understanding regarding the phased approach to returning to the classroom. All families should now know their one return day per week.

I want to emphasise again that we will not turn any student away if you do require them to attend school. While the majority of NSW students will be learning from home, students are returning one day per week. Schools will be open and operational for students that need to attend on more than their designated day. Of course, while we are in this phased approach, and the teachers are providing both face to face and online learning modes of delivery, it will be appreciated if families continue to support us in this. Unfortunately, I am not yet able to advise when full face-to-face lessons will resume but will let you know as soon as I have the advice from the NSW Department of Education.

We understand that there are families who would still prefer to keep their children at home and this will continue to be supported for those families. Please be aware though, that from the resumption of full face-to-face teaching, this advice is likely to change to facilitate our usual protocols returning to normal.

Safety Protocols

We continue to institute a number of safety measures to ensure the safety of all of our community as much as is practical. Some of the measures include:

• Encouraging parents to remain in their cars or outside the gates for morning drop off and afternoon pick up to limit the number of adults onsite. Staff will be present to welcome and assist students if necessary.
• Desks will be positioned apart so that students are not working too closely to one another. Health and government advice does suggest social distancing procedures are not required in the classroom, so some lenience is allowed.
• Students will be asked to wash their hands when they arrive for class, between lessons, after each break, and when they leave class for recess or lunch. Hand sanitiser has also been provided for each class. 
• Handrails, seating and high touch points (door handles) around the school will be sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down multiple times a day. We are working closely with our cleaners to ensure a strong regime of cleaning throughout the school will continue, with antiseptic wiping down of surfaces. 
• Any student who presents at school and is unwell will be physically isolated and parents will be required to come and collect them as a matter of priority. Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell in any way. 
• Wherever possible doors will be propped open to avoid the need to use door handles. 
• All students should ensure they bring a water bottle to school. Water bottles can be filled within every classroom. 
• Our library has established a quarantine procedure for all returned books. Borrowing will be postponed for this week and Week 4 and then be reviewed for Week 5. 
• The canteen remains closed so all students will be required to bring their own food and drink with them each day. 

We also remind you that we are also asking that balls, sporting equipment, bey blades and toys be kept at home and are not brought to school. This will reduce the risk for other students. The school will be issuing a small amount of equipment for use at play time. There are procedures to wash and sanitise these following each play time.

Thank you again for the wonderful support.

Nish Green

Principal