From the Principal

Time to be THANKFUL - Restrictions are eased.

Today is America's Thanksgiving day, a time to pause to express gratitude for the abundance in our lives, whether that's the good relationships we have with our friends and families, our opportunities, our health. While here in Melbourne we do not celebrate this day as Americans and Canadians do, nevertheless it is a good time for us to pause and be grateful as we reach the end of November 2020 after a difficult year. We have lots to celebrate and the FOUR zeros on our latest numbers is one milestone that can have us all take a collective sigh of relief. NO new case, NO lives lost, NO active case and NO cases with unknown source. Amazing!! While we may not have eradicated the dreadful virus and still must proceed with caution, we can be grateful for what we have achieved.

Yesterday I was able to announce the lifting of restrictions to the use of our bubblers and water taps. There was shouts of joy across the school! Taking the covers off the taps was a positive sign of hope and normality. We can enjoy the simple pleasure of getting a drink of water without having to take a drink bottle everywhere we go.

In addition other restrictions have also eased or have been lifted.

Staggered start times and finish times are no longer required. School grounds open for supervision at 8:30 am. School starts with Morning Gathering at 8:45am and school concludes at 3:20pm each day. We will come together once again for morning gathering next week, first as juniors/seniors in each learning space and then the last week as a learning space.
Temperature testing of children/staff on arrival will no longer be required. It will be re-introduced should it be required.
Visitors - Limitations on who can visit school premises no longer apply. However school activities involving visitors must comply with public gathering limits (group limit of 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoors). Visitors to school grounds must comply with physical distancing and wear a face mask if indoors, and practise good hand hygiene. Visitors must sign in and ONLY enter at the front office and be invited to enter the school to ensure we comply with numbers and follow our COVID safe plan. P&F can meet in the community room to support end of year events. (No more than 20. Please make arrangements at the office prior to coming onsite to ensure we comply with the restrictions)
Parent-teacher information sessions and interviews can resume on-site, in line with public gathering limits.
Schools can conduct on-site school tours for prospective students and their families.
Face-to-face year level assemblies can occur at full capacity if they are exclusively attended by students and staff only.
Graduation ceremonies and other large gatherings on school site involving external guests are subject to public gathering limits for ceremonies: total venue cap (including students, staff and visitors) of 150 indoors or 300 outdoors, with a density quotient of 1 per 4m2 for staff and visitors/parents and no group limit. Face masks can be removed briefly for photos or giving a speech.
Liturgies are able to be held at schools in line with the advice on assemblies and graduations above.
Kinder-to-school transition activities are permitted in schools, such as parents, educators and children meeting a Prep teacher in a school environment. Group sizes should not exceed public gathering limits (20 people indoors and 50 outdoors).
Indoor and outdoor contact and non-contact sport can resume.
Use of woodwind instruments and singing and voice projection does entail risk of potential spread of aerosols and droplets. As such only individual tuition and small ensemble groups (5 or fewer participants indoors; no limits outdoors) can be conducted, with physical distancing and other hygiene measures where possible.
Children are able to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to classmates, including in classrooms, given its short duration. This is an appropriate way to mark a significant milestone for children.
Excursions can resume across Victoria for all schools.
School camps, including to attend remote campuses, can resume across Victoria for all schools. Multiple schools can now attend a single facility. There is no mixing between school groups.
Interschool activities, in addition to interschool sport, can now resume.

We definitely are grateful and extremely THANKFUL that a number of end of the year events can proceed with some limitations. We look forward in particular to being able to have :

A Grade 6 Graduation and parents of the child can attend.
Our Class of 2020 can have a celebration day at school.
Prep 2021 orientation so that our Preps can meet their home group teacher.
We can gather for an end of year Mass with our Juniors and a second Mas with our seniors. (This will ensure we comply with restrictions.)
We will have carols and have been innovative with children playing percussion instruments. This was recorded today and will be shared virtually with the school and families.
We can celebrate Christmas and give thanks that we did a sensational job together navigating all the obstacles that 2020 has presented.

Students with underlying conditions

(such as hay fever or asthma)

If a student has persistent symptoms due to an underlying condition such as hay fever or asthma, the student should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are different to or worse than their usual symptoms. Students whose symptoms are clearly typical for their underlying condition can continue to attend school. Parents/carers should also consider getting a medical certificate from the child’s treating GP to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose

ADVENT - Now the waiting has Begun

Christine White

Principal