26 AUGUST 2021

Remote learning will continue for schools in Greater Sydney and Wollongong for the rest of Term 3 2021, and stay at home orders will remain in place during the school holidays.

Keeping your child and your family safe

While under Level 4 restrictions, the NSW Government is directing all students to learn from home unless they have no other option.

Thank you once again to all families who are able to keep their children home during this time. We understand it can be very challenging, but by limiting the number of students at school to only those who have no option to stay home, we are able to keep all students, staff and school families as safe as possible.

The information below has been prepared by the Catholic Education Office COVID-19 Response Team and is intended to help you understand the reason schools are urging all families to keep their children home at this time if they are able to.

Is COVID-19 affecting children and young people?	Yes. NSW Health data shows that cases in children aged 10-19 are higher than all other age groups except for those aged 20-39. The NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, has said “we are seeing more infections from children spreading, which is not the characteristic we had observed with previous strands.” A recent Sydney Morning Herald article explained that “children aged under nine are increasingly testing positive to COVID-19 in NSW, with 44 cases of the contagious Delta variant detected in one day and young children accounting for almost 15% of infections in the past fortnight.” (Source: Forty-four children test positive to COVID-19 in a day in NSW, 12 August 2021)
What COVID-safe measures are in place to protect students and staff?	We continue to follow all the recommended COVID-safe practices for a Level 4 school. However, NSW Health continues to remind us that any time anyone leaves their home and comes into contact with people from other households, their risk of contracting COVID-19 is increased. NSW Health has confirmed that more than 70% of COVID-19 transmission in the current outbreak occurs within households. This means that if one person in a household contracts COVID-19 there is a very high probability that the rest of the household will also become positive. To keep yourself and your family as safe as possible, you should only send your child to school for supervision if it is absolutely not possible for them to learn from home.
Why are schools open for supervision if it’s safer to keep children home?	The decision by NSW Health to allow schools to remain open for supervision is to ensure that those students who have absolutely no option to learn from home (e.g. the children of frontline health workers and others in similar circumstances) can continue learning while the stay-at-home order is in place. The NSW Government continues to reinforce the message that the safest option for everyone in the current circumstances – and the best way to avoid contracting COVID-19 and passing it on to your loved ones – is to stay home except when you absolutely must go out.
When can I send my child to school for supervision?	The current Public Health Order makes it clear that it is only acceptable to “leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home”. In line with this government directive, families are only able to send their children to school at this time if there is absolutely no option for them to learn from home. There are four reasons this may be the case: Every responsible person in your household, besides children, is an essential worker e.g. frontline health worker or in another occupation that requires you to physically attend a work location during school hours (Parents who work at home should always consider the responsibility to keep children at home: stay home except when you absolutely must go out.) Your child has pastoral care needs, discussed with the principal There are other extenuating circumstances, discussed with the principal Students have access to the same learning materials and experience whether they are at school or at home, and there is no advantage for students who are supervised at school.
What if my child wants to go to school?	We understand that many students are missing school and their friends. However, their safety and the safety of all students, staff and school families must be our shared priority right now. It is also important to remember that normal school activities are not taking place, the vast majority of students are learning from home, and very few teachers are on site each day. Schools are required to only have the minimum number of staff on site to provide supervision for students. This is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and protect the staff and students who have no option but to attend school.

If you are planning to send your child to school for supervision, but have the option to keep them home, I am asking you to reconsider for the safety of your child, the members of your household and for our extended school community.

Thank you again for your support and the effort each family continues to make in the interests of public health. Many of the staff working in schools have school-age children at home and they are very aware just how challenging it can be to balance working from home while supporting a child’s remote learning.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school and we will do our best to assist you.

Coronavirus Symptoms and Testing

NSW Health recommends that everyone gets tested for COVID-19, even with the mildest of symptoms. Students and staff must not return to school until they are no longer showing any symptoms of illness.

Students and Staff DO need to obtain a negative COVID-19 test before returning to school.

Common coronavirus symptoms

Fever

Coughing

Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing)

Sore throat

Loss of smell or taste

Expanded coronavirus symptoms

Headache

Muscle or joint pain

Runny nose

Fatigue

Nausea

Vomiting or diarrhoea

Loss of appetite

Conjunctivitis

Thank you for understanding the importance of these measures in keeping our students, staff and school community safe during this time.

Further updates and support

We know that families are impacted in many ways by the current COVID-19 restrictions, including financially. The wellbeing of our school community continues to be a priority and we are working with the Catholic Education Office on ways to support families, especially in regard to meeting the costs of school fees. More information will be shared with you as soon as possible.

We are ready to make a smooth transition back to face-to-face teaching as soon as health authorities advise it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, we will continue to provide you with regular updates. If you have any questions or require any additional support, please contact the school and we will do all we can to assist you. You can also access the SJB Home Learning Website.

St Joseph's continues to maintain a COVID-safe environment, with a range of health and safety measures remaining in place, including increased daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces, and hygiene measures.

It is important that we continue to work together and remain vigilant in our response to this virus. Your ongoing support has been very much appreciated. The safety of our community remains a priority.

The complete list of directives in place at all Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong schools is available at www.dow.catholic.edu.au/covid-19.

Stay up to date with public health alerts https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates

COVID-19 Catholic Education Information Centre

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong has a COVID-19 Information Centre on its website. It is the best place to find the latest information about CEDoW's systemic response to COVID-19.

We will continue to provide you with updates if the situation changes and as soon as new information becomes available.

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