Cranbourne South Primary School

Health and Safety Wellbeing News 

The Three V's 

  • Ventilation
  • Vaccination
  • Vital COVID Steps - social distancing, face masks, hygiene and testing

Please see the following guidelines below as advised by the Department of Education and Training,

Safer Care Victoria and the Department of Health and Human Services

Stay home when unwell: to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, stay home when unwell and get tested even with the mildest of symptoms.

For students with COVID-19 symptoms, a parent or carer will be contacted and asked to collect the student immediately. 

Symptoms include:  fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss or change in sense of smell or taste.

Sometimes a headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may also be considered a symptom.

Students with underlying conditions (such as hay fever or asthma): persistent symptoms should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are different to or worse than their usual symptoms.

Parents/carers should consider getting a medical certificate from their GP to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose.

Young children (pre-school up to Grade 2) with persistent mild symptoms: may have prolonged post-viral symptoms such as a runny nose or cough and may return to school following a negative COVID-19 test even if they are not completely free of symptoms. They will need a medical certificate from their GP to confirm they are otherwise well or have recovered from their acute illness.Any worsening of symptoms will require review and repeat COVID-19 testing, if considered appropriate by the doctor.

Students with a negative COVID-19 test whose symptoms have completely resolved do not need a medical certificate to return to the school. For further information for schools and to distribute to families see: Managing illness in schools and early childhood services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parent Information about COVID 

The Department of Health has developed a fact sheet for parents and carers, focusing on young people and COVID-19.

The fact sheet includes information about:

  • symptoms and treatment
  • getting a COVID-19 test
  • COVID-19 vaccines, including how to book an appointment
  • wearing face masks
  • resources to support conversations about COVID-19 with children
  • resources to support mental health and wellbeing.

The fact sheet is available in the attachment below

If you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19, you can contact the Department of Education and Training’s COVID-19 phone line on 1800 338 663 (available 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am-3pm Saturday to Sunday, excluding public holidays).

Children_-young-people-and-COVID-19---Fact-Sheet.pdf

How to stay safe during these times 

To protect our families and community, stay home, get tested at the first sign of symptoms, and get vaccinated as soon as you can. 

  • COVID-19 is spreading in homes and workplaces.
  •  If you do get COVID-19, or you've been in contact with someone who has, then you need to stay home and isolate. There’s financial help available if you’re worried about missing work. 
  •  For more information, go to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/  or call the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398. If you need an interpreter press 0.

Face Masks at school

Face masks are required for students in Year 3 to Year 6, only when indoors on school premises, unless an exception applies. This is applicable from October 18.

This includes when attending an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program, unless a lawful exception applies.

 

We ask that all students Year 3 to 6 provide their own masks and a snap lock bag for the storage of these masks whilst not being worn. 

For further information please read the following:

Students Wearing Masks Process Chart (1).pdf
Face-masks-What-you-can-and-cannot-wear.pdf

COVID-19 vaccination directions for all education workers

The Victorian Chief Health Officer has issued directions for required vaccinations for education workers. These directions are specific to education workers and supersede those for other authorised  workers. All staff who work in schools will be required to have a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 18 October 2021 or be able to produce evidence of a vaccination booking within that week. All staff are required to be fully vaccinated by 29 November 2021 unless a medical exception applies and will be required to show evidence of their vaccination status. 

 

Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your colleagues and students and the whole school community. Getting vaccinated will help slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent future outbreaks in our schools. 

The Victorian Government’s coronavirus website has information about COVID-19 vaccines in 63 community languages at Translated information about COVID-19 vaccines. The Department of Education and Training’s website has frequently asked questions about the vaccine requirement.

 

A number of head lice cases have been reported recently, please check your child/ren's hair and treat if needed.  Please report any known cases to the Office via phone or email at cranbourne.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au Further Head Lice information Treating and Controlling Head Lice flyer