Important Back to School announcements

Active, engaged students achieve the best results through ‘Student Voice’ 

Information regarding returning to School in Term 2

Dear parents and guardians,

As you are aware, St Anthony’s is pleased to be able to announce a gradual return to school as of Tuesday 26th May for Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students. The purpose of this letter is to advise families and students of some changes to our usual procedures which have been put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community.

Please take note of the points below and discuss the relevant matters with your child/ren.

Please note that you can access and read our Infectious Diseases Policy and Personal Hygiene Policy also located on our Website under ‘Nurtured’.

By reading this letter you indicate that you have made yourself and your child aware of the points below.

 

For students

The purpose of our return to school is for classroom learning only, including Physical Education, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Japanese. There will, at this stage, be no excursions, lunchtime clubs, interschool sport, co curricular events, special events, or assemblies. Assemblies will continue virtually. You are encouraged to view these and stay in contact with school life and some fun.

 

Students must understand that they are not to have any physical contact with anyone else. There should be no hugging, no high fives and no sharing of food or drinks.

 

Students should bring water bottles and refill them from faucet taps; there will be no communal drink fountains (bubblers) available for student use.

 

In classrooms, student seating and lockers will be spaced as much as possible, and social distancing amongst students and between students and teachers must apply when practical to do so. Teachers and students will use their common sense within each classroom space, and appropriate to the age of students.

 

At recess, lunchtime and between classes, students are expected to apply age appropriate behaviours with regards to social distancing.

 

The School Tuckshop will be open for lunch orders only as of Thursday 28th May on Thursdays and Fridays only. Students will not be able to purchase icy poles over the counter during recess or lunchtime, until further notice.

 

The Library will be used for those children in 3-6 who still need to attend school and learn remotely due to both parents working. This will be in place until all 3-6 children return to school on Tuesday 9th June.

 

There will be no Homework Club until further notice. The homework club runs from 3.30 – 5.00pm every Tuesday.

 

The school bus will continue to run as scheduled at normal times. Our School bus will resume its usual routes as of Tuesday 26th May. There will be no bus payment for regular users for Term 2, 2020. However, families using the bus will need to ensure that payment for bus travel up to the end of Term 1, 2020 is up to date. If not, please make time to see Patrika. Social distancing measures will be followed on the bus and hand sanitizer used upon entry.

 

It is a requirement that should your child present with cold or flu like symptoms please do not send them to school. This means no runny noses please. Keep them home.

The school will have increased and continuous cleaning throughout the day. A cleaner circulating onsite all through the day to deep clean and disinfect all high touch surfaces, door handles, tables, chairs, toilets and playground equipment throughout the day. This deep cleaning procedure will reduce the number of germs on surfaces and reduce the risk of infection. It is a requirement in all Catholic Schools.

For Parents

 

For the safety of our community, parents of students in Years P-6 are asked to drop off and pick up their children at designated points and remain in their car. Parents will not be permitted to walk their children to class or pick their children up from class.

 

Additional staff, including parent volunteers and Mercy connect Volunteers,will not be attending school at this time. Activities dependent on and involving parents (e.g. specialist programs, 1:1 reading, playgroup) are cancelled.

 

The designated drop off and pick up points are as follows and there is a map attached to enable you to follow these guidelines successfully.

 

DROP OFF AND PICK UP ONLY

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE DROPPED OFF AT:

1.ALFRED ST (KISS AND GO) AND ENTER VIA THE BACK GATE

OR

2. FRONT CARPARK (KISS AND GO) AT THE NEW DESIGNATED DROP AND GO POINT (MARKED WITH FLAGS AND CONES).

3. THERE IS NO PARKING IN THE FRONT CAR PARK DUE TO CHURCH WORKS AND 

 

ADVICE FROM CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER THAT PARENTS NOT GATHER AND CONGREGATE IN CAR PARKS. PREP PARENTS ONLY ARE ALLOWED TO PARK AND WALK THEIR CHILD TO THE ENTRY GATE. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE ALFRED ST RATHER THAN THE FRONT CAR PARK SUE TO CHURCH WORKS.

 

STAGGERED DROP OFF PROCEDURES

 

All Prep-2 students (this includes P-2 students with brothers and sisters in 3-6) should be dropped off between 8.20-8.35am at either designated drop off point.

 

All 3-6 students (without younger P-2 brothers or sisters) should be dropped off between 8.35-8.50am at either designated drop off point.

 

ONCE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DROPPED OFF THEY WILL ENTER VIA THE FOLLOWING WELL LABELLED GATES AND BE ASSISTED BY STAFF ON DUTY. SANITIZER WILL NEED TO BE USED AT ALL ENTRY GATES.

 

P-2 Large gate between admin building and Staff Centre entering quad (look for

the sign).

3-4 Small gate following painted footsteps into quad (look for the sign).

5-6 Large gate adjoining bus shelter into adventure playground (look for the sign).

 

STAGGERED PICK UP PROCEDURES

PLEASE FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURES FOR ALFRED ST OR FRONT CAR PARK AS ABOVE

 

All Prep-2 students (this includes P-2 students with brothers and sisters in 3-6) should be picked up between 3.00-3.15pm at either designated pick up point.

All 3-6 students (without younger P-2 brothers or sisters) should be picked up between 3.15-3.30am at either designated drop off point.

 

Parents are not to enter any area of the School without the express permission of The Principal or Deputy Principal and via the front office. You are strongly encouraged to use Alfred St to drop and go and pick up.

 

Please understand that if you choose to keep your child at home after the advised returning days there will be no remote learning provided and your child will be marked as absent from learning. School attendance is compulsory. Every day counts. All students are expected to transition back to school at the required times.

The school is well prepared to reintroduce all of our learners back into an environment, which is warm, welcoming and encouraging learning activities that are not dominated by a screen. There will be a strong focus on social emotional learning recognising that our students have been missing this interaction for some time.

 

We appreciate your ongoing support, and look forward to welcoming your children back to school. If you have any concerns at all please do not hesitate to contact me here at school.

Kind regards,

 

Yours sincerely

 

Patrika Rowley

PRINCIPAL

 

Information regarding Before and After School Care