A message from the Principal

Finally some good news - back to school full time

It has been fantastic to welcome your children back to school over the last week. After so long stuck at home, remote learning on their screens, we have been so impressed with how they have slotted back into routines and we have loved seeing their enjoyment as they see their friends and teachers face to face again.

 

You would be aware that the Premier recently made announcements to change the roadmap to reopening in response to the faster than anticipated vaccination take-up across Victoria.

 

We are really excited that this means full-time onsite schooling will resume for all of our year levels from this coming Monday (1st November). This means our program of remote learning will stop and all children will be expected onsite every day. 

 

All children will also be able to attend before and after school care each day by booking directly with TheirCare.

 

Whilst we are looking forward to seeing everyone onsite on Monday, we are aware that the following day is the Melbourne Cup public holiday. If your child is going to be away from school on Monday, we would appreciate you emailing their class teacher to let them know.

 

 

Once full-time schooling resumes for all levels next week, the following arrangements will apply. We appreciate your support in keeping our community safe by following and respecting these;

 

  • If your child or another member of your family are showing any Covid symptoms, they must not attend school. They must remain home and obtain a covid test as soon as possible.

 

  • From Monday, we will be implementing staggered start and finish times to reduce the number of students, parents and carers congregating at peak times. Students in years Foundation, 
    • Year 1 and Year 2 will continue to start school at 9am and finish at 3:30pm each day. 
    • Our Year 3-6 students will start school ten minutes earlier each day at 8:50am and also finish ten minutes earlier at 3:20pm.

 

  • Where possible, we will reduce mixing between classes and year levels to reduce the number of potential Primary Close Contacts in the event of a confirmed case at the school.

 

  • To allow for greater social distancing, we ask that Foundation and Year 5/6 children enter and leave the school through the back gates (near the pencil fence) and Year 1/2 & Year 3/4 children through the front and side gates near the oval and car park.
  • Parents and other visitors are encouraged not to come onto our school site (unless this is completely essential). If your child is comfortable doing so, we ask you to say goodbye on the oval/park and allow them to come into the school on their own.

 

  • Teachers will take their classes out of the school onto the oval (Year 1/2 & 3/4 classes) and through the back gates into the park near the pencil fence (Foundation & 5/6 children) at the end of their school day and children will be dismissed from here.

 

  • As we have the luxury of so much available outdoor space, we will not be running staggered break times. We will however take the precaution of timetabling our different levels to a particular zone where they will play for both break times in a day in their year level 'bubbles'.

 

  • If parents/carers need to speak to the school office, myself, Michelle or their child's teacher, we ask that you do this by phone or email wherever possible to help protect our staff and reduce congestion inside the school. Any longer meetings will be arranged remotely using video-conferencing technology. If coming into the school office is unavoidable, we ask that you check in using our QR code system, wear a facemask and socially distance. Please minimise your time in the school buildings.
  • All students in Grade 3 and above will be required to wear facemasks indoors including at Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies. Face masks can be removed while outdoors at school for primary students. Children are encouraged to bring their own facemask that they are familiar with and comfortable wearing but we will also have disposable, single use masks in the learning spaces for children to use if they do not bring their own.

 

  • The school will be closely following the Education Department CovidSafe plan, and this will include maximising airflow and ventilation of learning spaces. Windows and doors will remain open where possible. We are awaiting delivery of air purifiers provided by the Education Department and these will be placed in learning areas to increase air quality. Please note that this extra ventilation will make our learning spaces colder than usual and so we recommend that you pack additional layers and a jumper for your child each day.

We know that some of these steps are difficult and confronting and are creating barriers at a time when we are all desperate to come together. They are however highly neccessary to try and reduce the risk of covid transmission taking place at school. 

 

In the last fortnight, over 100 schools in our Region (including 4-5 of our near neighbours) have had confirmed cases in attendance, requring them to spend hours identifying  Primary Close Contacts and for these children and staff members to then isolate for 7 days (if vaccinated) or 14 days (if unvaccinated - including all children under 12).

 

Whilst we understand these measures won't neccessarily prevent this happening at SKiPPS, we need to do everything we can to keep the school open and our students onsite and we need your support to do this.

 

The Victorian Chief Health Officer has stated that these measures (including the mandated wearing of masks) will continue to be reviewed and will not be forever. As soon as it is safe to do so, they will be lifted.

 

As always, reach out to me if you have any questions about our school reopening plan.

 

Neil Scott

Principal