RIPPONLEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

COVID-19 Resources

LATEST COVID RESTRICTIONS AND RESOURCES

Key Health Advice Based on advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the following requirements for wearing a face maskapply to all schools. 

 

It is now recommended primary-school-age (not mandated at this stage but only for 12 plus in primary school at this stage) children wear masks while indoors and outdoors, except when in the home or when an exception applies. However, it is not mandatory. 

 

School staff and secondary school students aged 12 or older must always wear a face mask indoors and outdoors at school, including when attending an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program, unless a lawful exception applies. This includes while travelling to and from school on public transport and when in taxis or ride-share vehicles. 

 

For communication purposes, teachers and education support staff are not required to wear face masks while teaching, but it is recommended that they wear face masks while teaching wherever practicable. 

 

The Department has updated the School Operations Guide to reflect these changes. A template letteris available to support you in communicating the regional Victoria arrangements to parents and carers. 

 

You can also call the Department of Education and Training COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663 from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Health and Wellbeing Services School staff can also access resources for mental health and wellbeing support, including two short videos developed by headspace to support school staff and families during restrictions:

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

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.  

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING AT HOME

The Department has a range of options for you to continue to support your child in their learning, available at the Learning from Home webpage. 

 

A web page with Learning from Home tips is available at: Support your child’s learning and this is available in more than 30 languages on Translated advice about learning from home. 

 

And, finally, a reminder that if you, your child, or a family member develops symptoms of COVID-19 you should get tested at a COVID-19 testing facility and stay home.

 

Further information is available from the Department of Health on primary close contacts, secondary close contacts, quarantine periods and more. See dhhs.vic.gov.au/how-stay-safe-and-well-covid-19.