From the Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

As we prepare for the return of students in the coming weeks, I would like to make parents and carers aware of some of the measures and arrangements that will occur to reduce the risk, as far as practicable, to the students and staff onsite at the College. These measures are based upon the advice of the NSW Ministry of Health and are also in accordance with the latest Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) Guidelines for Schools. In addition, the cleaning and disinfecting of the site will be completed, as a minimum, using the guidelines issued by Safe Work Australia.

Parents and carers are asked to ensure that you do not send students to school if they are sick or have any of the following symptoms: a fever, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath.

Physical distancing

Physical distancing measures will include spreading students out in classrooms; not having large group meetings; limiting student numbers in the canteen and changing the movement and flow of students around the high-traffic areas of the College. We will be speaking with the students and regularly reminding them of the need to maintain appropriate physical distancing.

Health and hygiene measures

Increased cleaning, with hospital-grade disinfectant, of classrooms, amenities and high traffic areas will be occurring on four-hourly rotations with some areas receiving even greater attention. Hand sanitisers will be available at the entrance and exit points in buildings as well as in each classroom. Once again, we will be using signage and regular reminders to reinforce the need for high levels of vigilance around personal health and hygiene.

Water bottles

In accordance with medical advice, we have closed all communal water fountains and bubblers. Therefore, students need to attend school with filled water bottles that will provide for their needs during the day. It will be problematic to provide refills to all students, so it is hoped that students can be largely self-sufficient with their water needs during the day.

Student health and wellbeing

In morning Homeroom each day, there will be a daily check-in with students where they will be asked three questions about their health and any possible contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Have you or has anyone in your household been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
Have you or has anyone in your household recently returned from travelling interstate or overseas?
Do you or does anyone in your household have any of the following symptoms - fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath?

Where necessary, students will be sent to the Health Centre for follow-up. Boarding students will receive a daily check-up to assess their health and wellbeing.

Health Centre

For the remainder of Term 2, the Health Centre has been temporarily relocated to the area at the front of Senan House, on the northern side of the top staff car park. This change will allow any student who may be unwell to be assessed in this more spacious area and it will also provide for the supervision of any boarding student who may need to be isolated for a period of time.

Visitors

We are also placing restrictions on visitors coming onto the site. Whilst parents and carers can continue to access the Uniform Shop, we would ask that you otherwise limit your entry onto the property for exceptional situations only. It may be timely to, once again, remind parents about the need to use the Western Gate as the point to drop-off and pick-up.

Canteen

The canteen will be operational again from Monday 11 May, however, there will be some limits on menu choices until all students return to the College on Monday 25 May. In order to assist with providing sufficient food to meet demand and to minimise wastage, we are encouraging the use of Flexischools to place orders for lunch.

Whilst we are unable to eliminate the risk, parents and carers can be very confident that these measures can significantly reduce the risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff. If parents and carers have any concerns or questions about these measures, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Vetrano or me.

Bus Transport

Buses will be operating as normal and following their regular timetables. At the time of writing, the latest information that we have from the bus companies is that they have not received any Government directives about physical distancing measures on buses, other than to display posters advising of the need to enact physical distancing. Should we receive updated information, we will inform parents and carers.

Mr Paul Brooks

College Deputy Principal | Head of Senior School