6 November

Major changes to our COVID-19 protocols:

Whole-school assemblies and liturgies may be held from 12 November, with students remaining seated within their cohort. Parents and carers are unfortunately still not permitted to attend.
Masses may now be held for students, subject to the following conditions:
- The Mass will not exceed 60 minutes
- Attendance will be limited to students and staff only
- All Diocese of Wollongong parish directives will be adhered to

Additionally, as long as strict COVID-safe measures are followed, the following activities are permitted:

School excursions, offsite activities and camps in the ACT and NSW (all other interstate travel remains on hold). The Year 5 Camp will not go ahead.
Awards ceremonies, speeches, presentations and graduation events from 12 November 2020.
End-of-year school performances, productions, plays and concerts.

In limited circumstances, parents and carers are now able to enter the school grounds:

To purchase or pick-up uniforms from the second-hand clothing pool. Further advice will be provided around scheduled visits to ensure COVID-19 requirements continue to be met.
For afterhours P&F meetings from 12 November. Unfortunately, all other face-to-face P&F social events and functions must still remain on hold.
For specific end-of-year events. Separate advice will be provided when an event is held that parents and carers are able to attend. Parents are unable to attend the Year 6 Farewell as we are unable to meet requirements.

You can help by:

Keeping your child home when they are unwell, even with very mild symptoms.
Informing the school immediately if your child is self-isolating or undergoing testing, and informing us of the result as soon as possible.
Following sickness with flu-like symptoms, ensuring your child is free of symptoms AND can present a negative COVID-19 test, which must be sighted by the school, before they return to school.

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, additional hygiene measures, physical distancing requirements, and strict infection control procedures.

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 in Term 3. The safety of our community remains a priority with the following still in place.

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

The following information was sent out to parents and carers on Friday 9 October 2020.

9 October 2020

NSW Health has released updated COVID-19 guidelines for schools. There are a number of significant changes, including tightening of restrictions for certain activities. We have been working with the Catholic Education Office since receiving the updated guidelines, to ensure our practices and protocols meet or exceed the new standards. This update is intended to provide you with a summary of the major changes.

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.

Major changes to our COVID-19 protocols:

Students may now travel outside of their Local Government Area, as long as there is a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place at the destination venue.

Additionally, as long as strict COVID-safe measures are followed activities are permitted:

School excursions, offsite activities and camps (including overnight camps). All interstate excursions remain suspended.
Contact sports
Use of woodwind instruments, as well as solo and small group singing.
Incursions by external providers essential to—or that support—the delivery of the curriculum. This means that the following activities will now go ahead:

Year 5 Leadership Day will now go ahead
AFL skills development program

Orientation programs for future Kindergarten students. This will not include the usual playgroup sessions and a letter will be sent out shortly to Kinder 2021 parents.
Year 6 Farewell. (Students and staff only)
School photos.
Week 2 Book Week activities (Students only)
P&F Colour Run 27 November (Students only)

Our first commitment is always to the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and our broader school community. As parents and carers, you continue to play a vital role, in particular by:

Keeping your children home when they are unwell, even with very mild symptoms
Practising social distancing during pick up and drop off
Informing the school immediately if your child is self-isolating or undergoing testing, and informing us of the result as soon as possible

Thank you once again for your ongoing patience as we continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in our community and make adjustments to the protocols and practices in place at St Joseph’s.

OTHER INFORMATION

If your child is sick they should stay and home.

The St Joseph’s COVID-19 Response Plan will be enacted should there be a positive case of COVID-19 in a student or staff member. This may include students leaving school early and directions will be provided to staff, students, and parents in such an event.
Please advise the school immediately if you or your child have been in a public health alert location and are required to self-isolate. Continue to do so throughout the term as per public health alerts.

CONTACTLESS SIGN-IN

All staff, contractor and visitor onsite attendance are registered via contactless sign-in using the sign in app in the school office.

HYGIENE, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

Good hygiene is practiced and enforced throughout the school, including washing hands regularly and thoroughly; and sneezing into your elbow or tissue (disposing of the tissue straight away and then washing your hands).
Hand sanitising requirements remain in place:
- Entry to school
- Entry and exit from classrooms
- Before eating
- At the direction of teachers where necessary
Enhanced daily COVID-19 cleaning arrangements remain in place until such time as changes in the health advice permit.
Increased physical space between students is encouraged where possible.
Adults onsite must maintain 1.5m from other adults, and students where possible.

STUDENT MORNING DROP OFF AND AFTERNOON DISMISSAL

Students may enter the school between 8:30 am and 8:55 am via the Park Road hall gate, Rowan St gate of the Hutton Ave gate. Students must use the hand sanitiser provided at the entry gates. Adults must not enter the school grounds.
Staggered Parent/carer school dismissal pick-up arrangements will continue taking into consideration adult physical distancing requirements. Green and Gold Houses at 2:40 pm, and Red and Blue Houses at 2:55 pm.

GATHERINGS OF STUDENTS

Weekly whole school assemblies are on hold.
Parents and carers are not to attend school gatherings at this stage.
School photos are permitted.

STUDENT LEARNING AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

All students should be learning at school unless they are unwell or have a medical certificate to support their absence.

Sports and Physical Activities

Washing of equipment after recess, lunch and sport remains in place.
Climbing equipment on the grass area will remain closed until further notice.
Contact sports are now permitted in Term 4.

PARENTS AND CARERS

Parent/carer school staggered pick up arrangements will continue taking into consideration adult physical distancing requirements.
Parents/carers should not be on school grounds or at school events without the principal’s permission and are not to attend school gatherings at this stage.
Parent volunteers working in the school canteen are permitted and must follow the procedures currently in place, including entry via the school office.
School-based activities that involve large gatherings of adults are not permitted at this time. These include parent/community gatherings such as parent functions, working bees, fundraisers, large parent information evenings, and large on-site events such as Grandparents and Great People Day. These large gatherings and the following activities will continue to be reviewed and assessed based on AHPPC and NSW Health advice and may be permitted at a later date.
For the latest information on suspended Catholic Schools NSW Sports events, please visit the CSNSW website.

Thank you for your cooperation and support. We are very grateful.

Measures to Support Families Experiencing Significant Financial Impact

Please download the letter below and feel free to contact the school with any financial matters you wish to discuss if in financial hardship. https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/for-parents/school-fees/

Note: St Joseph's Catholic Parish Primary School does not offer Direct Debit payment option

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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