OLA Newsletter

COVID Safety

Families onsite

We need to limit the number of visitors coming onsite in line with the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) COVID Operational Guidelines. Parents are welcome to come into the school gates to drop off their child/ren; we ask that you do final hugs and goodbyes at the gate to the left of the front office. 

 

COVID-Safe Practices

All classrooms now have air filter units in place. Regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer is built into the daily school routine. 

 

Face masks are required for students in Grade 3 to Grade 6 when indoors on school premises, including Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless an exemption applies. Face masks can be removed while eating or outdoors at school. The guidelines strongly recommend that students in Prep to Grade 2 wear a face mask indoors at school or OSHClub program.

 

Mixing between classes and year levels will be minimised and physical distancing will be encouraged. We acknowledge maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 metres will not always be practical in the school environment and may be particularly challenging in the younger years of primary school. In these contexts, a combination of health and safety measures will be utilised to reduce risk. 

All adults entering school buildings must be fully vaccinated and display on arrival.

 

Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT)

Thank you to all families who continue to conduct RAT tests at home twice per week - it is so important to carry out these tests. If the result is negative and your child is feeling unwell please keep them at home.  This will go a long way to taking care of each other in such a heightened time. 

 

RAT box number 2 will be provided to children on Monday 14 February and will come home in your child’s school bag. Please continue to test twice weekly.

 

30 Days

Staff and students who have contracted COVID, completed their 7 day isolation period and are now asymptomatic, do not need to complete RAT tests for 30 days (counting from the first day they tested positive). 

 

Communication of COVID positive cases at OLA

We thank parents of COVID positive cases of household contacts for notifying the school immediately and following the directions of the Department of Health. We will communicate positive COVID cases with families on a specific classroom basis when we have the first case and if the cases rise to four cases or more.  We will not communicate each and every case in an effort to reduce multiple Operoo messages and to avoid inundating the whole community with notifications that don't directly affect those students and families. 

 

If your child is exposed to COVID 19 - What you need to know

If your child is not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, they can continue to attend school, but you should monitor for symptoms. Students who show symptoms of COVID-19 cannot attend school and should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result.  Students should continue with twice-a-week rapid antigen testing on school days. 

Students who have recovered from COVID-19 do not need to participate in surveillance testing for 30 days after their isolation period has ended. 

For information on symptoms visit: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/symptoms-and-risks . 

For more information on how to get tested visit: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/taking-test-covid-19 .

 

If your child returns a positive result, your child has COVID-19. You must:

  • Quarantine your child for seven days
  • Advise the school about the positive result
  • Your child must stay home until their symptoms have resolved and they are well
  • Everyone in your household is a close contact and must isolate for 7 days.

Reporting your child’s positive test

If your child was at school when they were infectious you need to report the positive case through the Student COVID-19 Test Portal or you can notify the school principal in writing or by phone. 

 

You must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398. 

 

Financial support available to people affected by COVID-19:

For more information, visit: Financial and other support for COVID-19 | Coronavirus Victoria If you need a payment during coronavirus (COVID-19) - Getting help during coronavirus (COVID-19) - Services Australia

 

General advice and support

Advice and further resources about what to do if you test positive to COVID-19, or you have been told you are a contact, are at: Your COVID Checklist | Coronavirus Victoria, or call the 24/7 Coronavirus hotline on: 1800 675 398

 

Events at OLA

We have had families reach out to ask about the possibility of parent attendance at some of our upcoming events and so we wanted to clarify this for everyone. Please note that with all learning indoors we are remaining in class bubbles and not joining classes together.  Where we can come together for things like Mass and Assembly we will try where possible to host these events outside on the oval - weather permitting or if inside we will reduce numbers and spread across more spaces or use the largest space possible. 

 

Whole School Assemblies

Whole school assemblies will run on Fridays at 2:30pm on even weeks with the first one being Friday 18 February at 2.30pm. To maintain our COVID safe protocols, these will be held outside. Parents and families are welcome. Please note that in the event the weather is not conducive to an outdoor assembly, we will need to cancel. We look forward to celebrating these special events with our community. 

 

Double Reminder Sick Children - Please Stay at Home

We request that any children who show signs of being unwell must remain at home. Parents please note that children will be isolated in the sick bay and we will call parents if we identify that your child is unwell. This protocol is in place for the safety of all children and members of our community. 

 

This is an ever changing situation so we thank you for working together with us. As always if you have any questions, concerns or would like further information please contact us here at OLA on 9584 9488 or via email principal@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au or ctaig@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

 

Keep safe.

Richard and Caitlan