Friday 9th October 2020,

Dear families,

On behalf of our school, I want to say a big thank you to all our students, parents and carers for your continued resilience and support throughout this year. I know remote and flexible learning has not always been easy, but through our collective efforts, our students have continued to make valuable progress in their learning. You can be confident that our school will support any student who has fallen behind to catch up.

Congratulations to all students who completed the GAT on Wednesday 7th October. It was fantastic to see student readiness for this important milestone as our Year 12 students (and those studying a Year 12 subject) embark on the journey of completing their external assessments.

Term 4 is important for every Victorian student, and our teachers will strive to deliver high-quality learning for everyone. Whether we’re teaching remotely or face-to-face, our focus for Term 4 is on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning and transition needs.

The Victorian Government has outlined the staged return to on-site schooling for all students as part of its gradual roadmap towards reopening.

TERM 4 ON-SITE SCHOOLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR STUDENTS AT TARNEIT SENIOR COLLEGE

Following advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government has released a staged approach for students to return to on-site schooling.

The purpose of the plan is to get students back in the classroom as soon and as safely as possible without putting at risk all that has been achieved through the period of restrictions to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

For our school, the following arrangements apply:

From 12 October (second week of Term 4)

Students enrolled in years 11 and 12 (and students in any other year level undertaking VCAL or VCE studies) will attend on-site schooling

From 26 October (fourth week of Term 4)

students in Year 10 will return to on-site schooling. The existing remote learning program will not continue for these year levels

Health and safety measures

The Term 3 remote and flexible learning arrangements were put in place to significantly reduce the movement of more than one million students and their families across Victoria, to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Thanks to you and your family for contributing to this on behalf of our school community.

As on-site schooling resumes, we will continue to have in place strong measures to protect the health and safety of students, staff, families and the community. This includes staggering finish times, restricting parent access to school grounds and continued emphasis on hand hygiene and physical distancing where possible.

Please give particular attention to reducing the risks associated with congregation at school gates and taking steps to contribute to physical distancing within the school.

Whether your child is, or children are, returning to face-to-face learning or will be continuing with remote and flexible learning for a short period, please be assured we will be focused on three key priorities in Term 4:

Mental health and wellbeing

Our highest priority will be the wellbeing, particularly the mental health, of every student and member of staff. This means effectively mobilising all available resources to support our most vulnerable students and enabling staff to access the relevant support services.

Learning and excellence

Some of our students have thrived in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their learning progress, and some have fallen behind, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers. Our priority will be supporting both those who need it to catch up and those who have progressed to continue to extend their learning.

Transitions

We will make every effort to ensure successful transitions for children moving from, the Year 9 into Year 10, and the Year 12s moving into employment or further education and training. We will also ensure we support current Year 10 & 11 students as they begin to get ready fro Years 11 & 12 in 2021.

We know some families are worried that their child may have to repeat a year due to the disruptions of coronavirus (COVID-19). There is little evidence to support the benefits of repeating a year to catch up. Instead, schools will use teaching strategies that draw on the best evidence available to help students meet their learning needs. In order to progress from Year 11 into 12, students due need to ensure they have satisfactorily completed sufficient units to meet the requirements of the VCE or VCAL.

Parents, families and carers can be confident that the best option for almost every child is to stay with their peer group.

Our school, working with you, has shown it can be flexible and adaptable in responding to the challenges of coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to meet student needs as we look towards the end of the 2020 school year and ahead to 2021.

Attendance

All students are expected to attend on-site once their year level has returned to on-site learning. Exceptions may exist for medically vulnerable students. It is recommended that parents/carers of students with complex medical needs, seek advice from the student’s medical practitioner to support decision-making about whether on-site education is suitable.

Sport and recreation

In line with community advice, reasonable precautions are still advised to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in the context of sport and recreation.

Outdoor facilities are to be used for physical education and recreational play only.

Non-contact sports are the only permitted sports. Hand hygiene must be practised before and after use of any sporting equipment.

Visitors to schools

Visitors to school grounds must be limited to those delivering or supporting essential school services and operations (e.g. student health and wellbeing services, cleaning and maintenance workers).

Parent meetings and SSG’s will continue to be delivered on Google meets or via phone throughout term 4.

Staggered Finish Times:

To continue to minimise congestion at the end of the school day, particularly at Crossway Avenue; Year 11 students will be dismissed at 3:00pm
Year 12 students will be dismissed at 3:20pm
Year 10 students when they return on October 26th will be dismissed at 3:20pm

Cleaning and personal hygiene products

Extended and increased cleaning arrangements have been introduced and will continue. This involves progressive cleaning throughout the day to ensure that risks of transmission are reduced for high-touch services.

With the return of on-site learning, cleaners on-site have increased from the start of

Term 4.

School buses and transport

Bus operators across all services will ensure that high-touch surfaces are regularly disinfected (handrails and seating areas).

The Department of Transport continues to work closely with DHHS and transport operators to implement measures to limit the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) so that students can feel confident travelling on public transport to school.

Students should practise hand hygiene before and after catching school transport (i.e. prior to leaving home and at the end of the school day) and practise physical distancing at bus stops and train stations and interchange locations for other shared transport services where practical.

Physical distancing should be exercised by parents and school staff at bus stops, interchanges and school bus loading areas.

COVID Safe Plan

The Safety Management Plan for COVID-19 (COVIDSafe Plan) applies to all schools, and outlines the key OHS risks and links to the latest guidance. In conjunction with the DET Operations Guide, it sets out the approach for managing safety risks in schools in accordance with the minimum requirements for COVIDSafe Plans.

The college will continue to implement strategies that not only represent DET expectations but also that of community.
The college will continue to have in place sanitiser stations in all rooms/offices etc.
Classroom Teachers will ensure appropriate physical distancing and use of sanitiser and disinfectant spray is used by students in the classroom where possible
Students will be encouraged to practise physical and social distancing where ever possible
Classrooms have been provided with additional tables, where possible, to allow 1 student per table.
Health and safety measures will be regularly reviewed in line with the changing context of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria.
As Term 4 proceeds, based on health advice, some measures may no longer be required and/or new measures may be introduced.

Temperature screening

Based on the advice of the Acting Deputy Chief Health Officer, given the current levels of community transmission in Victoria, mandatory temperature testing of all students on arrival to schools will not be required in Term 4.

However, should community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) increase, temperature checking may be reintroduced for some schools.

Mobile phone policy

During the period of learning from home, students may have become used to using mobile phones during the school day.

With the return to on-site learning, it is critical that students and staff understand that the Department’s Students Using Mobile Phones Policy remains in place to ensure appropriate use of technology.

The policy helps create a safe environment for students to learn without distractions or inappropriate mobile phone use (such as cyberbullying), as well as greater opportunities for social interaction and physical activity during recess and lunchtimes.

Schools are managed environments that include records of student, staff and visitor attendance, which can support contact tracing. Phones can be turned on before and after school, with the COVIDSafe app activated when school finishes.

FACE MASKS ARE MANDATORY

With our Year 11 & 12 students returning next week for face to face learning, a reminder that as per Government guidelines all students over the age of 12 must wear a face covering unless they have a lawful reason not to such as a medical condition.

This includes travelling to and from school, when not in a private vehicle. A face covering means a face mask that covers the nose and mouth. Face shields worn on their own do not meet the Victorian Government guidelines.

It is also to be noted the guidelines have changed and students cannot use bandanas or scarfs – they must use a fitted face mask as of Monday October 12th 2020.Students are to provide their own face mask however the College will have a supply should a student's face mask become damaged.Please note for the protection of our staff and students; failure of a student to comply with the Government guidelines whilst on-site will result in the student being sent home.

What should I do if I am unwell in the week of, or on the morning of school?

You must not attend school if you feel unwell or have any of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, including:

loss or change in sense of smell or taste
fever, chills or sweats
cough, sore throat or runny nose, or
shortness of breath.
in certain circumstances headache, muscle soreness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also be considered as symptoms.

You should contact the school and remain at home pending further advice.

If you display any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms on arrival or during the school day, you will be asked to wait in a separate area and your parent or carer will be called to pick you up.

If you are unwell with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms on the day of a SAC/SAT, you will eligible to apply for an extension.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Haber

College Principal

Literacy