Last week the NSW Department of Education in collaboration with NSW Health and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) updated it's Covid guidelines for schools. These guidelines are for the remainder of Term 3, and many of the changes won't affect the day-to-day running of our small school setting.

Schools are continuing to promote all staff and students staying home and getting tested if there are any flu-like symptoms, and to further support this safety measure schools are now required to sight evidence of a negative test results when a student is absent (or sent home due to flu-like symptoms), before that child can return on-site. NSW Health define these symptoms as any respiratory symptoms like fever, cough, sore/scratchy throat or shortness of breath (even if very mild). The evidence can be in the form of a screenshot of the text message stating the negative result for your child sent to the school phone. Test centres have been instructed to include the name of children on these text messages, as well as to prioritise HSC students in terms of the turn around time of results.

In the event of any absence your class Assistant Principal or teacher will be in touch as per usual. If the absence is due to flu-like symptoms and your child is being taken for testing, the class team will be able to arrange access and support with their Distance Education work to minimise the disruption to their learning.

A more detailed description of the guidelines is available at this link:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families#Latest0

Other smaller adjustments are being made to program in light of the current guidelines. Brass and woodwind instruments will not be included in our music therapy program, and the recently started 'Choir' engagement program being run by Jillien has been altered to be individual or paired singing with requisite social distancing.

We as a school have been heartened by the way our students have adjusted and remained flexible to the ever moving situation the pandemic has caused, and I have been proud of the staff's willingness and adeptness in adapting. We are hopeful that by the end of term 4 that we may still be able to have some of our regular events to round out the year, including our school camp and graduation evening (currently booked for November and December respectively).

Please check the rest of the newsletter for other updated material, including information on our SRC's latest fundraiser, as well as a link to the Tell them From Me Survey for parents.

Danny Callaghan

Principal

24 August 2020

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