COVID-Safe

I am sure I am not alone in wishing we could rid ourselves of the worry of COVID-19. I have heard many people wishing over the past 12 months that we could go ‘back to normal’. I understand the sentiment here, but truly believe it’s better not to ‘go back’ but to reflect on what the past year has highlighted or taught us, to grow from the challenges presented and to step forward to a new and better future.

Safety Protocols

As Victoria had only a few cases of COVID-19 over the holidays, with continued high rates of testing, we return to school with slightly relaxed safety measures in place. For example, students and staff are still required to maintain high levels of hygiene, to social-distance where possible and we continue to have an enhanced cleaning program. While we hope to have a smooth and calm year, we are also aware that there is a possibility that cases will return to schools at some stage this year and we want to ensure our community remains safe and that the learning program continues.

We want to remind families that sick students must stay at home. This is an important practice to follow even without the possibility of COVID-19, as students who attend school when they are sick are not only unlikely to be learning much, they are very likely to be spreading germs to other students and staff, which has ongoing impacts for our learning program and our budget as well as our community's health. 

If you or your child is tested for COVID-19, we ask you to contact the school to let us know, so we can keep our records up-to-date.

Parents and Carers on site

I want to thank everyone for your support of our continued COVID-Safe measures and to acknowledge that there are ongoing challenges facing our students, families and staff. Thank you to everyone for being so responsive to the last minute update advising that parents and carers should refrain from entering the school grounds, unless required. Unfortunately the school was not provided with an update until late on Wednesday, but COVID has certainly helped us learn to be flexible and resilient.

The first day went really well, with students finding their teacher and classmates in a calm and organised way, even without their grown-ups. While we are proud of our students’ independence, we love seeing our families on site and we know that many of you love it too! As such, the school is currently exploring how we can start inviting families to come to Sprout, Friday assemblies and special events, whilst meeting social-distancing requirements.

Please keep an eye out on Sentral and our newsletter for further updates.

A Letter from Brett Sutton

Please click here to read an open letter to schools and communities, from the Victorian Chief Health Officer - Brett Sutton.