From the Principal

Woodville Gardens - now Birth to Year 6 - welcome to the 2022 school year!

Welcome to the 2022 school year! While it is an unusual and challenging start to Term 1 we are looking forward to welcoming students back  from Preschool to Year 6 online and face to face. Once we reach 14th February we will be able to start the term in ernest as a school community, with all of our students back on site. Covid protocols remain in place and we thank parents/caregivers for wearing masks on site, signing in at the Front Office and socially distancing. Please see the brochure regarding additional Covid safe measures below.  

As you are aware there are a few changes at Woodville Gardens School this year. We have restructured as a Birth to Year 6 site now that Year 7s are now placed at High School. This will impact the teaching and learning on site as well as how we use the facilities.

In Term 4 the school community farewelled Fiona Voigt as Principal. I am sure you will join me in acknowledging Fiona's many contributions to the school. I was fortunate to work with Fiona as Head of Primary Years some time ago and now am privileged to return as Principal in 2022. I look forward to catching up with you all over the coming weeks.

I would like to acknowledge the warm welcome I have received from staff and acknowledge the expertise we benefit from through the ongoing staff, many of whom are teaching new year levels or are in new building teams, as well as new staff.

Covid safety measures

As you know our Preschool children and students in Reception and Year 1 will be on site from 2nd February. It is important to support all our learners to have as positive a start at school as possible. For this reason we understand that many parents will want to accompany their child into their class or Preschool on the first day, 2nd February, and will support you to do so if needed. We have Covid safety measures in place regarding masks and social distancing and ask that you are in the building for as short a time as possible and work with us to support your child and the protocols we have been asked to implement.

We attached a parent letter below with regard to the Department response to any positive cases in school or preschool from 31st January. We have also put the information below in a paragraph so that you can translate as appropriate:

"Dear parent/carer

SA Health and the Department for Education has provided guidance on how to manage cases of COVID-19 in schools, preschools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres. 

There will be new contract tracing and close contact arrangements in education from 31st January 2022. 

The new arrangements recognise the importance of providing quality education and care for our children and students while minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Schools, preschools and childcare centres will remain open if there is a case of COVID-19 under the new arrangements.

It’s very important that you notify us immediately if your child tests positive to COVID-19. 

If a student or teacher in your child’s class or room tests positive for COVID-19, they will be deemed a classroom contact and the following will occur:

• We will notify all parents in that class/room of the positive case
• All students and children without symptoms can continue attending school, preschool and childcare. No rapid antigen testing will be required. 
• If your child develops any symptoms (even mild) please keep them home from school, preschool, childcare and get a COVID-19 test. 

Any student who has worked 1:1 with a COVID positive staff member (more than 15mins, indoors, in close proximity and where face masks are not able to be worn) will be asked to complete 7 days of rapid antigen testing (‘test to stay’) each morning before attending school, preschool or childcare. We will provide you with the testing kits at no charge. Students that test positive must not attend school, preschool orchildcare. 

Alternatively, if you don’t want your child to complete the 7-day testing, they can quarantine for 7 days. The Department for Education is developing online learning resources for students in years reception to 10 that can be completed during quarantine. 

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has recommended that classroom contacts should avoid the following between days 1 to 7 of exposure:

• attendance at OSHC where possible
• attending extra-curricular-based activities for 7 days (such as camps, excursions, interschool sport, combined choir etc – noting most of these activities have been temporarily suspended until week 4).

The CPHO advises classroom contacts should do the following to minimise risk to others, when outside of the school, preschool or ECEC setting between days 1 to 14 of exposure: 

• avoid high risk settings or COVID Management Plan events
• wear a surgical mask around others (where age appropriate) and outside your home
• avoid contact with vulnerable people outside of your workplace or family, where possible
• avoid non-essential activities where possible (eg where there are lots people, inside, in close contact)
• avoid shared spaces and maintain physical distance.

Our staff will also undergo 7 days of rapid antigen testing (test to stay) in the event that they are in a classroom with a student or colleague who tests positive. 

In our childcare centre and preschool staff will be able to undertake surveillance rapid antigen testing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning and will attend the workplace if they receive a negative result. 

It’s vitally important that you please:

• keep your child/ren home if they are:
  • unwell
  • experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms
  • any other member of the household has COVID-19 
  • they are a close contact for a person who has COVID-19 and are required to quarantine
• notify us asap if your child/ren tests positive for COVID-19
• let your child (if in years 3 to 12) know that they will be required to wear a face mask while indoors at school. We will have supplies (including child sizes) for them to wear if they don’t already have one. 

These new settings will be in place until the end of week 4 of term 1. However, with the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, this may be reviewed or changed if and when needed. As always, we must remain flexible and responsive.

I understand you may have a lot of questions about this information. We’ll continue to provide you information as soon as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding and support in implementing these temporary measures as we continue to adjust to this rapidly changing pandemic. "

Sue Charleston

Principal