Principal News

Dear Members of the St Raphael's school community,

As we enter Term 3, we appear to be faced with more uncertainty around the spread of Covid-19 in our school settings and the broader community. 

I want to reiterate that we have continued to maintain strict health and safety measures throughout the school to ensure that we keep our staff and students safe.

We ask for your ongoing support in testing your children if they develop any symptoms and to keep them home to prevent the possible further spread throughout our school community.

A reminder to all parents to continue to exercise social distance at drop-off and pick-up times, and we will continue the staggered pickup arrangements to ensure that we all keep safe.

The following recommendations have been sent today from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools.

Face masks

It is strongly recommended by the Department of Health that face masks are worn in indoor settings, with face masks mandatory for those aged eight and over who are household contacts and attending school. This is because wearing masks is effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

In practice, this means that the Victorian Government is asking that, through to the end of winter, students aged eight years and over and staff wear masks when in class, except where removing a mask is necessary for clear communication or when a particular activity requires the removal of a mask.

Masks are not required to be worn outdoors but can be worn when physical distancing is not possible. This expectation should not constrain student participation in the full range of school activities, including music, sport and performances.

We understand that parents and carers will play an important role in supporting this expectation. A short letter is attached that has been signed by each of the three school sectors (Catholic, government and independent), which explains this will be a consistent expectation across all schools in Victoria this winter.

Schools are not required or expected to sanction students or staff who do not meet this expectation but are asked to communicate this expectation to the whole school community and seek their support for this collective effort.

It is a simple step we can all take this winter to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and ensure our schools are as safe as possible.

Reduction of testing and isolation exemption period

The period of time when someone is considered a recently confirmed case and therefore exempt from testing and isolation requirements has been reduced from the previous 12 weeks to four weeks.

This means that staff and students who are household contacts of people with COVID-19 are not exempt from the testing and isolation requirements after four weeks of completing isolation with COVID-19. Previously, this period was 12 weeks.

This means that a student or staff member who is a household contact and wishes to attend school must take five RATs over seven days and receive negative test results, and wear a face mask (if over eight years old) in indoor spaces. 

This applies from four weeks after the end of an isolation period when they were a case.

Families and staff will also have to report being a household contact to their school after this four-week period.