COVIDSafe Practices 

The Department of Education has released an updated School Operations Guide to support schools in planning for a safe and effective year. This advice aligns with the Victorian Governments Back-To-School plan. Please read below to find out information about our key COVIDSafe practices.

Vaccination requirements

As previously communicated, parents and carers must have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid medical exception (with limited exceptions) to enter school buildings. All staff working in schools need to be fully vaccinated or have a verified medical exception. 

COVID-19 vaccinations for students are not required for them to attend school but vaccination for students is highly encouraged. If your child has not yet had their first dose, please try to organise this before term begins. 

Visitors On-site

As mentioned above, all visitors to the school grounds must comply with physical distancing and carry a face mask for use when 1.5 metres physical distancing cannot be maintained, and practise good hand hygiene. Any visitors (including parents and carers) who enter school buildings must have had at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, provide proof of vaccination, or have a valid medical exception, check-in via the QR codes and wear a face mask while indoors. 

To ensure we are able to maintain accurate records of people attending the school, all visitors must enter/exit through the main gate (gate 1). All other gates will be locked between 9 am and 3:30 pm.

Rapid Antigen Testing

As previously communicated, free rapid antigen tests will be available for the first 4 weeks of Term 1 2022. Thank you to those families that collected their first box of Rapid Antigen Tests. More information regarding the next collection date has been published on Compass.

Twice-a-week testing will be strongly recommended for both students and staff. At NMPS, we recommend students complete a RA test on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school. 

Students and staff will do the tests at home; they only need to report their result if it is COVID-positive. They must report a COVID-positive result to:

• the school by phone or the RA Test Portal; this is so the school can support them, record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, discuss learning recommendations and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms
• the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398. 

Information about how to do a test and how to read RAT results, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is available online.

Other Health and Safety Measures for Everyone

The most important action the school can take to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus is to ensure that any unwell staff or students remain at home and test. If students are unwell, even with the mildest of symptoms, they should remain at home. Once symptoms resolve students are able to return to school.

If a student becomes unwell at school parents/carers will be called to discuss any concerns about the health status of the student, and taking a precautionary approach, we may request that the parent or carer collect their child if concerns remain.

North Melbourne Primary School is following the Department of Education’s direction to ensure we are maintaining a safe school environment. A range of COVIDSafe principles and practices are in place and all members of the community will be encouraged to use COVIDSafe behaviours at all times.

We will make sure that classrooms are well ventilated by opening windows and doors, to minimise the risk of infection. We have received air purifiers, which will be used around the school as an added safety measure. Students will also be encouraged to participate in vital COVIDSafe steps including physical distancing, face masks (mandatory indoors for all adults and students in years 3 -6), and regular hand hygiene.