RIPPONLEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

COVID-19 Resources

LATEST COVID RESTRICTIONS AND RESOURCES

Staff and student vaccinations

As part of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, all school staff and all students aged 5 and over are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Information about vaccines and eligibility can be found on the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website. Vaccination is not mandatory for students, but vaccinations are strongly encouraged as the best way to protect individuals, families and school communities from further outbreaks and the spread of COVID-19. 

 

COVIDSafe requirements for visitors and volunteers 

Visitors and volunteers performing work on school sites (both inside and outdoors) must have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid medical exception. All visitors and volunteers must comply with CovidSafe measures (mask wearing, physical distancing, etc.).At this stage, parents are not permitted to enter our building or grounds until further notice. Parents are welcome to correspond with our teachers via email, phone call or scheduling a private WebEx meeting. Please don’t perceive our staff as disrespectful when they don’t approach you at the gate, but we need to be mindful of such contact and avoid parents standing and waiting along the fence line. 

 

Physical Distancing

Students will practise physical distancing where possible. Maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 metres will not always be practical in the school environment and may be particularly challenging in the younger years of primary school. In these contexts, a combination of health and safety measures will be utilised to reduce risk. 

 

Ventilation

  1. Schools are required to increase fresh air flow into indoor spaces, this means that doorways and windows will remain open to provide air ventilation as well as the fans.
  2. Staff and students will maximise the use of outdoor learning areas or environments wherever possible.
  3. All air-conditioning units have been cleaned, especially air filters. Our air-conditioning units are all refrigerated, sealed systems and are relatively new as we did a major upgrade in the last three years. Our air conditioning.
  4. We will monitor the VicEmergency App for risk warnings and advice on thunderstorm asthma, smoke and other events reducing outside air quality.
  5. Air purifier units (model Samsung AX7500) have been set up in all main classrooms and we are seeking additional units for other areas of the school.

Students Using Shared Resources

  1. It is recommended that students in Years 3-6 only use their own pencil case with their own materials.
  2. Strict hand hygiene will be followed before and after use of items such as shared computers, class sets of teaching and learning materials, classroom resources, sports equipment and musical instruments.
  3. Risk will be further minimised by users wiping down items with a disinfectant wipe where possible.
  4. A system will be in place to allow younger students to borrow take home readers over the current period. Books borrowed over night will be returned and sanitised before being placed back into the borrowing tubs.

Face Masks in Schools

Please visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au for the latest face mask requirements.

For all school settings:

  • School staff will be required to always wear masks indoors when not actively teaching or communicating with students. Masks are not compulsory for teachers and staff outdoors.
  • Students in Grade 3 and above must wear a face mask indoors at school and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies. Students must wear face masks even if vaccinated. Students are not required to wear masks outside.
  • When attending outdoor school camps and excursions, face masks are not mandatory, unless physical distancing cannot be maintained. Face masks must continue to be worn when indoors on camps and excursions.
  • Everyone over 8 years old must wear a face mask when travelling to and from school on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles.
  • Visitors to schools aged 8 and above must wear a face mask in all indoor spaces, unless a lawful exception applies.
  • Students in Prep to Grade 2 are strongly recommended to wear a face mask indoors at school or an OSHC program.

A face mask must cover the nose and mouth. Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements.

 

There are lawful reasons for not wearing a face mask; parents/carers of student/s who meet the criteria for an exception should provide their approval in writing for their child/ren to not wear a mask to the school.

 

Outside of lawful exceptions, schools should treat any deliberate and persistent non-compliance with the face masks direction as a serious matter. Usual school procedures for dealing with non-compliance with school rules should be followed, in the same way that school uniform enforcement is dealt with.

 

We would like to encourage a whole school and community approach in order to support our students to wear masks safely at school.

 

Staff will:

  • Model correct and positive mask wearing to their students
  • Reinforce key messages about the importance of face masks, why they are important and how they contribute to reducing risk of COVID-19 transmission
  • Motivate and praise students who wear face masks correctly
  • Make reasonable adjustments to help improve the fit or comfort of the mask or provide a surgical mask where available
  • Issue regular breaks and give students access to their water bottles during class and when outside.
  • Maximise outdoor learning where possible and offer more recreation and breaks wherever practicable to further support students.

Parents/carers are asked to please:

  • Reassure your children and educate them on the reasons it is important to wear face masks
  • Provide your child/children with clean, well fitted, labelled masks when they are attending school 
  • Purchase a face mask that covers the nose and mouth (face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements)
  • Encourage your child to wear the mask correctly
  • Parent/carers of a student/s who meet the criteria for an exception must contact the Principal in writing for their child/ren to not wear a mask to the school.
  • To discuss wearing masks with your children to keep kids in the classroom and minimise COVID-19 transmission risk. The Raising Children Network has resources that can help you with having conversations with your children about wearing masks. 

Students are expected to please: 

  • Supply their own masks for their own personal use (NB. Classrooms will be issued with a limited supply of face masks which can be used if a child forgets their mask, loses their mask or if it becomes damaged or soiled.) 
  • Wear masks indoors
  • Be responsible for looking after their own face masks when at school 
  • Remember the importance of not sharing masks and looking after them appropriately while not in use. 

Students will be able to remove masks when they are eating, drinking, going outside for recess, lunch or P.E. We recommend that students have a sealable, named bag/container to appropriately hold their mask if removed for active play outdoors.

 

Contact Tracing

  • The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record keeping is mandatory for all workplaces to enable the effective contact tracing of any COVID-19 cases.  This now includes all education sector workplaces, including schools.  

QR codes will be required to be used by:

  • all parents who enter our main office 
  • all visitors, including contractors, external Department staff and building and maintenance staff

It’s been really fantastic to see such excitement around the return to school and we want to keep it that way. A crucial part of that is getting as many students vaccinated as possible. 

 

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.

 

The Pfizer vaccine is safe and recommended for children. The vaccine will help protect your child from getting sick from COVID-19, help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and help ensure kids can have more time at school and playing with their friends.

 

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 

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. 

 

Appointments are also available at Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisations. 

 

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

HEALTH AND WELLBEING RESOURCES  COVID-19

Information that might be of assistance to you in talking to your child about COVID-19 is available. If you are concerned about your wellbeing or that of your child, please contact the school so we can talk with you about how we can best assist. Other sources of support include: Parent Line 13 22 89 and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800. 

 

The Department COVID-19 helpline is also available on Monday 15 February and weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm on 1800 338 663. If you know a family who speak a language or languages other than English and you know they would like further information, interpreting services are available by phoning 131 450 first. 

 

For families with a child with a disability, the Association for Children with a Disability (ACD) has additional information.