Term 4 - Detailed COVID Information for the Good Shepherd Community
Dear Parents and Carers,
I trust that you are all enjoying your final week of term holidays and are keeping dry!
The ACT Government has provided a pathway for the return of on-campus learning. Term 4 will commence with at-home learning, all students should be back with us by the 1st of November. Attached is the Act Schools Roadmap and further information regarding returning to school.
Good Shepherd follows COVID-19 Safe requirements as advised by ACT Health which seek to prevent and minimise the transmission of COVID-19.
The safety and wellbeing of students and staff is the primary consideration of any decision related to re-opening schools. These requirements are designed 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; and,
- minimise the potential for widespread infection across the school and wider school community.
As we prepare for the staged return of face-to-face learning, it is essential that measures relating to personal hygiene and the health and safety of all members of our community are known and understood.
In this letter, we have included information on the arrangements and measures that we have in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and illness in our community. All measures are consistent with advice from ACT Health, the ACT Government, and the ACT Education Directorate. We hope this will give you confidence in your child’s return to school and assist you in supporting the community and our staff as we welcome students back onsite.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
How will remote learning look in Term 4?
Remote learning will again be in place for the start of the term.
For Weeks 1-3 (until Friday 22 October), remote learning at Good Shepherd will operate as it did for the last weeks of Term 3. All students are strongly encouraging to stay off site and work remotely for these three weeks. We will have available on site minimal staff supervision for families who are essential workers and/or for students who are vulnerable only. Students should only be registered if there is no other viable or safe option for their care.
Please be aware that these students attending school in the first three weeks will be provided with basic supervision and will undertake online learning as they would if they were home (i.e. no face-to-face classes at school).
Essential worker parents will need to continue to notify the school every day that their child requires on-site supervision, before the close of business the previous evening. Please email office.goodshepherd@cg.catholic.edu.au
When can my child return to on-campus learning?
K, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 – Monday 25 October (Week 4)
Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 – Monday 1 November (Week 5)
Are Good Shepherd staff vaccinated?
All our staff have been encouraged to be vaccinated, and I can advise that many of our staff are vaccinated or in the process of doing so. Due to Australian privacy law requirements, we are unable to advise the vaccination status of individual staff.
What if my child has COVID-19 like symptoms?
No child is to attend school if they are showing any COVID-19 like symptoms (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath). They must remain at home and follow all ACT Health directions in relation to testing and/or quarantine instructions.
What extra hygiene practices are in place at Good Shepherd for when children return to school?
- 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 hand sanitiser at key entry and exit locations across the school.
- Provision of hand soap so that children can wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch times.
- Frequent announcements and increased signage around the school to ensure that children are practising good personal hygiene. This means, covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks, minimising physical contact and practising social distance techniques where possible.
What exactly are the rules at Good Shepherd for masks?
The use of masks is one part in a suite of measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission. All staff, volunteers and visitors who are onsite must always wear a mask and students in Years 3 – 6 are encouraged, though not mandated, to wear a mask. The wearing of masks for primary students is at the discretion of the student and their parents/carer but is not recommended for children in ELCs or for Kindergarten to Year 2 children. This is because masks are unlikely to be correctly worn by very young children and may represent a choking hazard. Masks may not be appropriate for children with a disability.
Masks need to be worn correctly to cover the nose and mouth. The use of masks, including exceptions to their use and when they can be removed, should align with current Public Health Directions.
Staff, students and visitors are expected to provide their own masks.
What is the school doing regarding increasing airflow and ventilation to learning spaces?
All learning and communal spaces have been assessed to increase fresh air circulation. All air conditioning systems will adjust to settings that maximise air circulation and all windows and doors will remain open where possible and practical to maximise fresh air circulation.
Do students have to use the CBR Check-in app at school?
Only staff and visitors to the school will have to use the CBR Check-in app.
As a parent or carer am I able to come onto the school grounds?
Visitors are allowed on campus for essential purposes only. Parents and carers must not enter school grounds except in the case of an emergency, to provide necessary supports for a child and young person with additional needs (which must be negotiated with the Principal in advance), or as required, to sign in or out a student attending out of school hours care. In these circumstances, parents and carers should minimise the amount of time spent on campus as much as possible.
Parent/ teacher interviews should be held online or over the phone.
Will there be large gatherings such as assemblies this Term?
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.) Should this change we will notify you accordingly.
My child is sick or has a medical condition which means I need to keep them at home when on-campus learning resumes. Will the school support me to continue their learning?
Yes. If your child is sick or vulnerable and is at home on medical advice, please contact their teacher to discuss suitable arrangements for remote learning.
My child is not sick and does not have any medical conditions. Am I able to choose to keep them at home?
As a parent you may choose to keep your child at home during this time. However, please be aware that, from 25 October (K, Yrs 1, 2 and 6) and 1 November (Yrs 3, 4 and 5), teachers will only be providing face-to-face lessons.
Are Team Kids Operating?
Yes, for students who are attending on-campus learning.
If I wish to discuss the transition back to on-campus learning, whom should I contact?
Please contact me (david.austin@cg.catholic.edu.au) if you wish to discuss the school’s plan to return to on-campus learning. Alternatively, for specific matters involving your child, please contact their Classroom Teacher.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any further clarification on any of these matters.
A reminder that Term 4 commences next Tuesday 5 October.
As per ACT Government advice, until the advertised dates, we urge you to keep your children at home if at all possible.
Should you need to send your child to school and have not already notified us of your intention, please ensure that this is confirmed by 12pm Friday 1 October via email to the front office, so we can arrange staffing to ensure a safe environment for all.
I extend 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.
I continue to keep your family and the wider community in my prayers.
Mr. David Austin
Principal
Good Shepherd Primary School
Burdekin Avenue
Amaroo ACT 2914
Ph: (02) 6255 7888
Keeping COVID Safe in CECG Schools and ELCs.
