Dear Parents and Carers

I hope everyone is safe and well and enjoying the break.  

We are looking forward to seeing our students return for the start of the school year. The department of Education has updated guidelines to assist schools in planning for the return of students to school. I have included the link to advice for families and also attached further advice from the DoE. The main points are outlined below. 

Advice for families (nsw.gov.au) 

Information from the Deputy Secretary 

•  All staff are required to wear surgical masks when indoors (and outdoors if unable to physically distance), unless eating/drinking/emergencies and when clear enunciation is needed. For example, during a phonics lesson. 

• Students are strongly encouraged to wear a mask. However, this is not mandatory for primary school settings. 

• All students and staff will receive 2 RAT kits per week to administer at home before school. The days for testing are recommended to be Monday and Wednesdays. 

• Advice is being finalised as to whether preschool students will be included in the RAT testing program. Details to come! 

• RAT kits will also be given to school uniform shop volunteers, Assisted School Travel drivers and officers, SRE and SEE volunteers, and any casual staff engaged by the school.  

• If in case of a positive result, please alert the school and register it on NSW Service app. Students then isolate for 7 days. The school is required to report any positive staff cases to WHS Incident Support, as well as any positive cases of students in support classes.  

• Only positive cases and household contacts need to isolate for 7 days.  

• Schools no longer are required to engage in contact tracing. However, the school will alert parents/carers of any positive cases at school so that families can monitor for symptoms. 

School Operations 

• Drama, dancing, singing, music, cohort assemblies are permitted to go ahead in well-ventilated or outdoor settings with physical distancing and mask wearing strongly encouraged. 

• Swimming carnivals are permitted with covid safe practices.  

• Excursions are permitted but will need to meet requirements of a covid safe plan and include covid planning on the risk assessment. 

• Fully vaccinated essential non-school-based staff members and third-party providers may visit a school to support school operations (such as canteen or uniform shop), curriculum delivery and wellbeing. This includes allied health services, SRE/SEE providers, music and sports tutors, gymnastics coaches and curriculum-based incursion facilitators or educators. 

• Air purifiers, RAT kits and masks have been delivered to the school ready for the start of term 1. 

Distribution of RAT Kits 

• The bundles of 4 RAT kits per child (2 per week for the first 2 weeks of school) will be distributed from 9am to 11am on Monday 31 January from the playground, in a similar way to last year's learning plans for years groups Kindergarten to Year 6. 

• Kits will be distributed according to the scholastic year your child is enrolled in this year at the following locations: 

• Kindergarten: Outside Kindergarten classrooms 

• Year 1: Astro turf on the K-2 playground 

• Year 2: Astro turf on the K-2 playground 

• Year 3: Near the flagpole in the Quad 

• Year 4: Near the flagpole in the Quad 

• Year 5: In the Quad outside the hall 

• Year 6: In the Quad outside the hall 

• Staff will be on hand to assist with the distribution of kits. 

• Any parent/carers who is unable to pick up a kit Monday can pick one up Tuesday morning from the office and administer it before their child attends school. 

• We request that all adults onsite wear a mask, remain physically distant from others and limit time on school grounds to picking up the RAT kits only. Your cooperation with this is very much appreciated. 

First day back at school 

• For the first day of school on Tuesday, 1 February, at the 9am bell, students in Years 1 to 6 will line up where they did with their class last year. Teachers will then take them to their old classroom and once settled, students will be allocated to their new class. 

• Students in years 1 to 6 who are new to the school are able to meet at the office at 9am and staff will be on hand to show students to their new class. 

• Kindergarten 2022 students will be engaging in orientation programs Tuesday 1 February, then Best Start appointments on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Information for Kindergarten students will be emailed separately to parents/carers. 

School Canteen 

• The School Canteen will be starting 7 February and operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. School Canteen have advised that they are moving to a new online platform (Spriggy Schools). They have sent a flyer with details about how to create a new online account. The flyer was published in the last newsletter of 2021 and instructions are attached to this message. 

Uniform Shop 

• The uniform shop dates can be viewed on the P&C Calendar on the ENews App. The uniform shop will be operating Tuesday 1 February, Wednesday 2 February, Thursday 3 February and Friday 4 February from 8:30 – 9:15am. After these dates, the uniform shop will be operating Friday mornings during term from 8:30 – 9:15am. All adults are requested to wear a mask, maintain physical distancing ratios and check in using the NSW Service app. We sincerely thank our P&C volunteers; Max, Rose and team for their work with the uniform shop.

Pick up and Drop off 

• Kindergarten students can be picked up from 2:45pm. If kindergarten parents and carers are unable to pick their children up at this time, the child will remain with their teacher until the 3pm bell. 

• Please drop off or pick up children from the gates, if you are able to. Younger students or students with anxiety, disability or other vulnerabilities are able to be dropped off/picked up from the playground. Please note that parents and carers of students who are new to the school are able to remain with their child the first day before the 9am bell.  

• We request that parents and carers wear masks, apply physical distancing measures and limit time on school grounds to pick up and drop off only. We very much appreciate your cooperation with this. Please note that if your child needs your assistance to settle before the start of school, you are welcome to stay with them in the playground until the 9am bell. 

• The attached document from the Department of Education has further details about Term 1 Operations.

I hope our students enjoy the last few days of the break, please contact me by phone or email if you have any questions or concerns. 

Kind regards, 

Lisa Lupton 

Principal