From the Principal
Vaccinations and Ventilation
Those of you with a keen eye on the latest in COVID related news will be aware that the Chief Health Officer has mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff working in schools; exemptions apply for those who have a medical contraindication, as determined by ATAGI clinical guidance. This did not come as a surprise to us here at Preshil, as a neighbouring school had already taken steps to mandate vaccines for its staff, and we had already provided notice to our staff of our desire to follow suit.
The safety and wellbeing of both our children and staff are of the utmost importance, and so we welcomed this directive from the Chief Health Officer, as our administration is in full support of good public health practices, and these directives give clarity for schools in managing risks associated with COVID-19. In speaking with Josh Brody, our newly appointed Principal from 2022, about these directives, and Preshil’s response, I can report that he is in full support of the vaccine mandate.
As we develop our Vaccination Policy, in line with the directives of the Chief Health Officer, it will be necessary for us to describe the safest possible measures required to manage risk. Our policy will need to apply to all adults coming onsite and into our school community including contractors, pre-service teachers and those wonderful folk who offer electives at our school.
Our policy will also need to address parents coming onsite. I am aware of a small number in our community who may make the choice not to be vaccinated. It is important to flag here that for those families, volunteering at Preshil will no longer be available to you as the directives include, “volunteers attending onsite working in close proximity to children, students or staff (such as parent helpers) and students on placements.” For us, this would apply to Doo Dah and other such events. It is fair and right to flag this with our parent community now, so as to manage expectations.
Being the custodians of such beautiful buildings, both at Arlington and at Blackhall Kalimna, can be equal parts wonderful and challenging. At present, we are putting the buildings through their COVID safe paces, as it were, and we have engaged an engineering company to conduct ventilation testing of all learning and working spaces across both campuses. They will begin their work in the next weeks.
Preliminary advice is to ensure, where possible, the ability to cross-ventilate in classrooms and, to this end, we conducted an audit of all windows to ensure that they were operable. Our buildings were erected when opening a window was the air-conditioning of its time, and in the large part we have not retro-fitted many spaces in our buildings, which was flagged to us as often problematic for ventilation.
We have received advice that stand alone HEPA and wall or ceiling mounted UVC lamps can provide increased air quality in spaces where ventilation is problematic. Independent Schools Victoria has organised for member schools to purchase HEPA units through a bulk purchase arrangement, just as the State Government will provide these units to their schools.
We are instructing families and students to dress for the weather and to bring extra layers as reverse cycle units will be turned off and windows will be open. We will also take some learning outside.
My hope is that you have a measure of the steps we are taking to create a safe learning and working environment at Preshil. Victor has further detail coming in a letter outlining the roadmap to on-site learning.
Please keep an ever-vigilant eye on the current list of exposure sites in Melbourne, and of course get tested if you experience any symptoms.
Our motto for Term Four?
“Maintain the distance to Go the distance"
Cressida Batterham-Wilson
Interim Principal