Dear parents and carers,
We look forward to welcoming all children to St Patrick's school on Monday 31 January.
We hope that you have all had a good break and are ready to join the staff for the start of the 2022 school year. We can't wait to see all of you.
Below is some important information to ensure we get off to a safe start. The reviewed safety protocols are initially for the first 4 weeks. These will be adapted and updated as required and advised. We understand that some of you may feel a little anxious given the current climate. The safety protocols and practices will help our children and staff to remain as safe as possible whilst at school. We appreciate your support as together we continue the education of your children onsite at St Pat's. I hope that by sharing the details below, you will have a thorough understanding of the numerous safety measures that we have in place.
Please don't hesitate to email me principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au if you have any further questions.
Another update with information in relation to the SIMON EVERYWHERE app, staffing news and other general news and dates will be sent to you once school commences.
Stay safe and well,
Jenny Hawkins
Principal
Entry and Exit Points
8:45am: Children may enter the school grounds and go straight inside to their classrooms. Parents are very welcome to walk into the front and backyards with their children but not into the classrooms at this stage. We encourage physical distancing from other parents and staff at all times.
Please note the changes to the entry points to commence the 2022 year.
Front Yard Gates : Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 Children can access the bicycle area from the front yard
Back Yard Gate : Foundation, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 ( Year 6's will enter through the backyard gate and be directed through to the front yard as per 2021) Children can access the bicycle area from the back yard
Children will exit from the above gates at 3:25pm. Teachers will walk their classes outside. Parents are welcome to wait in the front and back yards to collect their children.
The following information is taken directly from the CECV School Operations Guide for Term 1
The measures set out in the Victorian Government’s Back-To-School plan will ensure every possible effort is made to ensure staff and students are safe and that schools remain open.
The plan maintains the importance of the 3Vs: Ventilation, Vaccination and Vital COVIDSafe steps and introduces some new measures.
Face masks
Teachers and all staff will be required to always wear masks indoors when not actively teaching or communicating with students. Masks are not compulsory for teachers and staff outdoors.
Students in Year 3 and above must wear a face mask indoors at school and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies. Students must wear face masks even if vaccinated. Students are not required to wear masks outside.
Rapid Antigen Testing
Free rapid antigen tests will be made available for all staff and students in Victorian schools for the first four weeks of Term 1 2022. Rapid antigen testing will be voluntary for all primary, secondary and specialist school students and staff.
Tests will be provided in packs of five individual tests. Parents/carers should collect one pack for each child at the start of week one and one pack for each child at the start of week three. Where parents/carers are unable to attend the school to collect the tests, a pack can be provided directly to a student to take home.
Students and staff will do the tests at home and must report any positive test results to their school.
We will inform parents/carers as soon as tests are available for collection from St Pat's.
Further details including the management of confirmed cases and household contacts, identification and notification to the school community :
Principal actions: identification and notification
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Parents/carers should complete the RA Test portal if a student tests positive to COVID-19 (via a PCR or rapid antigen test). Where a parent/carer informs the school by phone or written notification, the school should complete the VicED COVID tool.
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Students who report a positive result must isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
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Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
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Staff must report the result of a positive test and request leave (see the Staff Leave section for more information). Staff who report a positive result must isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
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Where a staff member is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period, unless they are attending under a provided exemption (see section Exemptions for staff who are household contacts).
Principals must notify the school community through a daily email (where applicable) when a student or staff member has (or multiple students or staff members) have returned a positive COVID-19 test result and had attended the school. The notification should include :Dates of attendance, Affected group/cohort/year level,Any relevant extracurricular activities,The notification can be provided to only the affected group/cohort/year level or to the whole school.
Ensure that staff or students refrain from returning to school if they remain symptomatic, unless it is known that their symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition or medication.
In the event of multiple positive cases at a school, the Department of Health (DH) will work with the relevant regional office to determine the most appropriate response and any additional actions that should be taken.
Schools must treat health information, including an individual’s vaccination status or diagnosed medical condition (including positive COVID-19 test results) in accordance with your schools’ Privacy Policy. COVID-19 diagnoses and vaccination statuses are not to be shared or discussed unless the individual (or their parent/carer) provides consent, or unless schools are legally obliged or authorised to do so (for example, to comply with a Pandemic Order).
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Student attendance
All students are expected to attend onsite unless they are formally registered as being home- schooled. Parent preference is not an approved reason for students to be absent due to COVID-19.
Students who are required to isolate or quarantine should be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided to support their continued learning. Schools are not expected to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.
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QR codes and visitors to schools
The use of QR code check-ins, verification of vaccination status and retention of relevant information apply at different times and to the following different types of attendees to your school:
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Employees – All persons employed by the school or by a diocesan education office including teachers, early childhood educators and educational support staff, etc.
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Other workers – Any non-employee performing work on site who will or may be in close proximity to children, students or staff. This does not include delivery personnel.
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Visitors – All persons attending the site who are not performing work and do not fit one of the above two categories.
If a person must provide verification of their vaccination status and they refuse or do not meet the vaccination/exemption requirements, that person should be asked to leave the site. This is a reasonable request and enables us to maintain our COVIDSafe processes, and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the school community.
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- QR code check-in
The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record keeping is now mandatory in all schools to enable the effective contact tracing of any COVID-19 cases.
Employees are not required to check in with a QR code. Other workers are required to check in with a QR code.
Visitors are required to check in with a QR code when entering school buildings, but not school grounds.
- Visitors attending school sites for drop-off and pick-up who do not enter school buildings do not need to comply with vaccination requirements.
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For students
Wellbeing check-ins – In addition to recording student attendance, schools must have processes and procedures to ensure that student wellbeing check-ins take place each day, on a group and/or individual basis.
Air purifiers
We currently have air purifiers in every classroom and the staff room. We have applied for further purifiers for the sick bay, reception, art room and music rooms.
- Minimise mixing between classes and year levels
Schools should seek to minimise mixing between classes and year levels, wherever possible. At St Pat's we will resume year level bubbles indoors for the first 4 weeks of the term as advised.
