Welcome back! It has been great to welcome the students and staff back to school. I hope everyone had the opportunity to rest and relax over the summer break.

Parents on site

Parents are welcome on site, which means parents can enter the school grounds for school drop-offs and pick-ups. Families are required however to maintain 1.5 metres between each other. We ask that parents leave the school ground by 9am. Parents are not to enter the classrooms or school buildings (other than the school office) unless they have an appointment. If parents need to speak to their child’s teacher, please either ring or email to make an appointment.

Children entering classrooms

Children will be asked to go inside when the the 8.45am bell sounds. Grades will not be lining up and waiting for the teacher to collect them and students are not to wait in the yard until 9am.

Use of face masks

All students from Years 3 to 6 are required to wear a face mask when inside. It is strongly recommended for students in Years Prep to 2.

All adults are to wear a face mask whenever they are inside. A face mask must cover the nose and mouth. Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements.

Face masks are not required outdoors except where physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained.

Vaccinations

If parents are inside a school building any longer than to sign their child in or out at the office, they must show evidence of being fully vaccinated.

Alongside ventilation and other vital COVIDSafe steps such as regular rapid antigen testing, supporting as many students as possible to be vaccinated will help make our school as safe as possible.

Bookings for children aged 5 to 11 to receive the paediatric Pfizer vaccine are open and we encourage parents and carers to get your child vaccinated, if you haven’t already done so.

Vaccinations for children aged 5-11 years old are delivered at 2 appointments, 8 weeks apart. Children with specific medical vulnerabilities can access their second dose 3 weeks after their first dose.

If you’d like more information about this, you can read a recent statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI): https://www.health.gov.au/news/atagi-update-following-weekly-covid-19-meeting-19-january-2022 and here.

To book an appointment You can book at your local GP or pharmacy: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking

You can also book at a family-friendly vaccination centre by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.

You can also make vaccination centre bookings for your children online, though you will need to use an email address that has not been used in the system before: https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au/

Helping children to get their vaccination

Vaccination centres understand that children may feel anxious about vaccination or have other support needs. A range of options are available to help children get vaccinated. Please discuss your child’s needs with the vaccination centre when you book an appointment.

👉 Find out more about vaccination for kids: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers

Unwell Children

As is always the case, unwell children should remain home as we do not have the facilities to look after them at school. If your child has cold and flu like symptoms please keep them at home. Children will be sent home if they become ill at school.

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, please contact Jenny our school nurse to ensure we have a plan in place to support them.

Rapid Antigen Testing (RATs)

Thank you to the parents who are both testing their children twice a week with the RATs we have provided and to the parents who have reported a positive result.

The second box of RATs will be sent home with the students tomorrow, again one packet of 5 tests will be provided to each child. We ask that parents continue to use these tests twice a week and monitor for COVID symptoms.

Reporting a positive test result

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 RA Test Portal (please call the school on 9571 6281 if you need assistance); this is so the school can support you, record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, 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.

Ventilation

We will make sure that classrooms are well ventilated by opening windows and doors, to minimise the risk of infection. We have air purifiers, which will be used around the school as an added safety measure, specifically in rooms with lower ventilation.

Traffic Safety

Parents are reminded that there are strict parking restrictions around the school and these will be enforced by Stonnington Council. It is suggested that parents walk to and from school with their children or park a little further away and walk down to the school, this will help to reduce the congestion around the school. The two ’Kiss and Go’ areas are still in place along Tooronga Road. Parents are reminded that they cannot leave their car if they pull up in these areas. If you wish to walk your child to the school gate or classroom, please do not use the ‘Kiss and Go’ areas.

Whilst we understand these arrangements are not always convenient, we thank you for your support and cooperation with this.

Robyn James

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