Return to school

From Monday we return to all students back at school fulltime. This comes after 3 months in lockdown and the gradual return to school has demonstrated just how much our students have missed being at school. Whilst I am sure many of them are feeling nervous or anxious about returning, there have been no tears and plenty of laughter coming from the classrooms.

As we return fulltime there are a few points to note in the new School Operations guide that outlines the rules and guidelines that all public schools in Victoria must adhere to. I'll try to summarise the most relevant points as best I can as the document is very long.

QR Codes and visitors to schools

The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record keeping is now mandatory. See the table below for who and when check in is necessary. Note, parents who come in to drop off and pick up outside do not need to check in. They must check in if they go inside a building though. All other visitors to the school must check in. We are using our most current QR code and check in will identify vaccination status.

Any visitor or volunteers performing work in schools (including parent helpers, NDIS providers, and other operators such as incursion providers and private music teachers) are required to either have had their first dose by the 18 October or, have a booking to receive a first dose by 25 October or, are fully vaccinated by 29 November (unless a medical exemption applies) to attend on site. All staff at WPS are adhering to the mandatory vaccination requirements.

Density limits

Density limits of one person per four square metres indoors should be applied to any spaces or activities being attended by parents or visitors and this include counting the students.

Density limits do not apply in classrooms and other spaces for the purposes of student use, including corridors and other shared areas.

School events

Outdoor events are strongly encouraged as opposed to indoor. Assemblies and other events exclusive to staff and students from single school can resume. Formals, graduations, and other ceremonies (including events held off school premises and/or with parents/carers and other guests) can resume from Phase C, however they must align with community settings.

· Indoor events will remain subject to the obligations such as caps and density quotients. All eligible adults must be fully vaccinated.

· Outdoor events can be held with up to 500 people, with a density quotient of one person per two square metres applied.

Staggered starts and finished

Stagger drop off and pick up times are required.

Use of multiple entry and exit points to prevent concentrations of students and minimise parents. We will operate staggered starts coming out of this lockdown as the number of infections in the community are significantly higher than when we came out of the earlier 2021 lockdown.

Families with surname beginning A -K will drop their children off at the bottom carpark between 9am - 9:15am.

Families with surname beginning L - Z will drop their children off at the bottom carpark between 9:15am and 9:30am.

We encourage simply dropping or collecting your child/ren and remaining in the car. However we also recognise that our younger year levels might need to support transitioning. If you do have a child that is struggling with the transition, please park the car and walk with them to the gate. Teachers will be at the gate to greet students and help with any anxious students.

Families with surname beginning A - K will collect their children from the bottom carpark at 3:15 - 3:30pm.

Families with surname beginning L - Z will collect their children from the bottom carpark at 3:30 - 3:45pm

Students that are walking to school can enter from other gates and head to the area outside the office. Please be mindful of social distancing if walking on the pathways.

Face masks – see link for latest advice for this changes regularly.

www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

Note: School staff are encouraged to wear a mask when teaching, where possible. Removal of mask may be necessary for effective communication.

I know there are many things to remember and over the last months we have continually had to be flexible and resilient. Thank you for your patience, willingness to do the right thing and dedication to your child/rens wellbeing.

Take care,

Nieta

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