Third Step and changes to operations
Accurate as of Wednesday 28 October 2020
The following is an excerpt from a communcation to schools on 28th October.
As we welcomed the last group of students back to the classroom this week, we also received the welcome news that metropolitan Melbourne will move to the Third Step of the roadmap for reopening from 11.59pm, Tuesday 27 October.
As a result of the changes announced on Monday 26 October, some important updates have been made to school operations. While a summary of these changes has been provided below, these updates will be confirmed with the issuing of revised public health directions and enable schools to plan for future changes in operations in line with the announcements made to date.
The following provides an overview of the key changes:
Transition visits Kindergarten to primary transition visits can now occur in metropolitan Melbourne, in line with regional Victoria. These can include on-site visits of small groups of up to 10 children, parents, and teachers/educators.
Sport and recreation Outdoor contact and non-contact sport can resume. Outdoor interschool sport can resume in line with community sport, with health and safety measures in place.
Indoor sport and recreation can resume in regional Victoria from 2 November and in metropolitan Melbourne from 9 November, but must be non-contact when indoors (i.e. the activity must be done with a distance of 1.5m between participants).
Graduations Graduation ceremonies are permitted for students from the graduating year level and staff to attend. Schools may choose to broadcast the graduation ceremony for parents and carers. Those aged over 12 should wear face masks, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene.
Camps and excursions School camps and excursions in metropolitan Melbourne cannot resume at this time.
The Directions issued by the Chief Health Officer currently prevent students from moving out of metropolitan Melbourne and into regional Victoria for school camps or to attend remote campuses.
On the advice of our health experts, the 25km travel limit and the metropolitan and regional border will be removed from 11:59pm Sunday, November 8. Further advice on the resumption of school camps and excursions will be provided at this time.
Other key changes
Finally, a reminder that any staff members or students who present with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, must not attend school and should get tested as soon as possible.
Thank you |
David Howes Deputy Secretary Schools and Regional Services |