Dear Parents/Carers,

It with great relief that we can announce that our Year 12 Formal and Graduation Assembly and Year 6 Graduation Ceremony and Dinner will go ahead 2021. I have provided the following guidelines to assist our parents and community with a full appreciation of the rules that determine how we move forward with these events.

The following guidelines have been developed with advice from NSW Health and will apply for school formal and graduation events from Wednesday 1 December 2021, or after all HSC students at the school have completed their exams. This is subject to change depending on the NSW Health advice of the day. Event organisers should plan for the possibility of event cancellations.

Year 12 and Year 6 graduation assemblies

All schools wishing to conduct graduations and recognition assemblies are required to follow the current COVID-safe plan. Schools should also refer to the additional requirements on formals and farewells.

Ensure the school has a COVID-19 Safety Plan which outlines the guidelines specified for the event.
Outdoor settings represent a lower risk than indoor settings. If an indoor setting is selected, the venue must be well ventilated and as large as possible for the number of attendees, notwithstanding any square metre rules.
Ensure that all attendees including students and staff and visitors are well and free of any flu-like symptoms and have not been directed to self-isolate by NSW Health.
All external visitors to the school site, including parents and invited guests must show evidence of full vaccination.
All staff, students and visitors must wear a mask (exemptions apply).
External visitors attending should be limited to ensure compliance with the current square metre rule within the COVID-19 Safe Plan. For seating arrangements:
- Ensure there is enough space for distancing of 1.5 metres between non-household members.
- If seated at tables, ensure there is a maximum of 10 attendees per table.
Ceremonies may need to be held in sessions if capacity guidelines cannot be met or for large student cohorts.
Ensure people remain seated as much as possible to minimise mingling outside of non-household groups or close friend groups.
Staff and visitors attending the graduation, are required to sign in using the venue’s QR code check-in process. A digitised record of name and a contact number for those who are unable to check in using the QR code must be kept for a period of at least 28 days. Where possible, personal details should be collected in a way that protects it from disclosure to other attendees. Ensure records are used only for the purposes of tracing COVID-19 infections and are stored securely.
Have strategies in place to manage gatherings that may occur immediately outside the premises, such as at entry and exit points by staggering arrivals for larger cohorts and moving attendees into the venue upon arrival.
Reduce crowding where possible and promote physical distancing with markers on the floor in areas where people are asked to queue, such as students waiting to come onstage to receive their certificate.
Consider how awards and certificates are distributed or handed to the recipients in a COVID-Safe way.
Singing and chanting during the event is not allowed. The only COVID-Safe singing permitted is for a solo singer distanced at least 5 meters away from other people and not directly above the audience.
Avoid playing woodwind instruments where possible, particularly in groups and in indoor or confined spaces. Persons involved in playing woodwind instruments as part of an instrumental group should maintain a physical distance of at least 3 metres from each other, and these performers (especially flute and piccolo players) should avoid pointing the air flow from their instruments towards others. A distance of at least 3 metres from performers should be maintained for any persons in the vicinity of these performers (e.g. conductor, audience, other performers).
Adopt and promote good hand hygiene practices and make sure that bathrooms are well stocked with hand soap and paper towels and have hand sanitisers at key points around the venue such as entry and exit points.
If students are likely to want yearbooks or similar signed by their classmates, encourage them to bring their own pen.
Visitors should not be allowed access to areas outside of the designated event venue and should leave promptly at the conclusion of the event.

For graduations held outside of the school, the organisers will need to ensure they follow the venue’s COVID-19 safety plan along with NSW Health advice of the day. Schools are to complete the usual risk assessment for off-site activities, if relevant.

Year 12 graduation assemblies

Schools may hold a Year 12 assembly from 1 December 2021, or after all HSC students have completed their exams, to recognise the completion of school consistent with the guidelines above. Refreshments may be provided at the school for Stage 6 students and staff only if students bring their own food or single-portion packaged food is provided. Disposable plates and cutlery should be used.

Year 6 graduation assemblies

Schools may hold a Year 6 assembly from 1 December 2021 to recognise the completion of primary school consistent with the guidelines above. Refreshments may be provided at the school for Stage 3 students and staff only if students bring their own food or single-portion packaged food is provided. Disposable plates and cutlery should be used.

School organised Year 12 formals

Year 12 formals organised by the school should preferably be held on an external site. The venue must be well-ventilated. For formals held on school sites or at other venues, schools must:

Follow the latest NSW Health advice and comply with the venue requirements within the plan specified for the event.
Limit attendance to Year 12 students and supervising staff only.
All staff and essential visitors are required to show evidence of full vaccination.
It is strongly recommended that students attending a school organised event are fully vaccinated.
If the venue has the capacity, the school can allow the attendance of external essential visitors such as partners, DJs, and photographers. The school will need to consider and follow the current safety guidelines which includes:
- Staff attending the graduation, including contractors, are required to sign in using the venue’s QR code check-in process
- Ensuring the venue has the capacity to maintain the current square metre rule for each attendee.
Alcohol is not permitted.
A maximum of 10 attendees per table.
Plans are in-place to prevent students and/or guests from spontaneously crowding in groups including when arriving or leaving the event.
Dancefloors are allowed and should be held outside if possible. If a dancefloor is indoors, ensure it is well ventilated. Additional advice includes:
- Dancing with partners from outside the school community is allowed only if partners are from the same local community and have an established relationship and normally socialises with the student cohort.
- For a school organised event partners are considered visitors and are required to be fully vaccinated
- There is sufficient room for 1.5 metres physical distancing.
Singing and chanting during the event is not permitted. It is recommended that if singing is required, a solo singer distanced at least 5 meters away from other people and not directly above the audience.
Avoid playing woodwind instruments where possible, particularly in groups and in indoor or confined spaces. Persons involved in playing woodwind instruments as part of an instrumental group should maintain a physical distance of at least 3 metres from each other, and these performers (especially flute and piccolo players) should avoid pointing the air flow from their instruments towards others. A distance of at least 3 metres from performers should be maintained for any persons in the vicinity of these performers (e.g. conductor, audience, other performers).
Adopt and promote good hand hygiene practices and make sure that bathrooms are well stocked with hand soap and paper towels or hand dryers and have hand sanitisers at key points around the venue such as entry and exit points.

Year 6 formals
Primary schools may also consider planning for Year 6 formals or farewells in line with the COVID-safe requirements for Year 12 formals.

Thanks

Michelle Nicholson

Proud Principal

From the Library

'Book of the Year' winners!