Deputy Principal, Wellbeing

Pastoral Care

Dear Families,

Welcome back and I hope you have had a very restful holiday period. We have much to look forward to in Term Two. As you may already be aware, there have been changes to Covid protocols especially around close contacts. Please see the information below which I hope will guide you through any Covid issues this term.

As we move into the cooler months the importance of good hygiene and staying home if unwell remains a priority in keeping our community safe.

Scenario	Required actions for the staff member or student/family
A student or staff member tests positive to COVID-19, either through RA test or PCR test	Isolate at home or in private accommodation for 7 days (inclusive of weekends) and do not attend school during this period. Inform the school, that they have tested positive to COVID-19. A negative test is not required to return to school following completion of 7 days of isolation. Follow the Checklist for COVID cases.
If a student or staff member tests positive through RA test, but they don’t have symptoms or have not been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 it is recommended getting a PCR test within 48 hours and stay isolated at all times until they receive their result. If the subsequent PCR test is negative, the student or staff member can return to school.
A student or staff member is a household contact or household-like contact. You have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility.* Contact at school is not included in this definition, unless contact has occurred in a school-based residential setting, e.g. school camp or boarding school.	Notify the school that they are a household or household-like contact. Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts. Household contacts are no longer required to quarantine as long as they take additional safety measures, but are required to: notify the school if returning during their 7 day period; undertake daily rapid antigen testing five times within the 7 days; wear a face covering when indoors (if aged 8 years and above or unless they have a valid exemption); are not permitted to visit hospitals or care facilities unless an exemption applies. They are recommended to avoid interaction with people at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19. If symptomatic, all students/staff must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if a rapid antigen testing kit unavailable.
A student or staff member has been in contact with a case of COVID-19, including at school or at work.	If asymptomatic, students and staff should continue to attend school and monitor for symptoms. If symptomatic, all students/staff must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if a rapid antigen testing kit unavailable. On receipt of a negative test result, the student/staff member can return to school. If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply. Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts.
Staff/student has contracted COVID-19, completed their 7-day isolation period and is asymptomatic.	Staff/ students can safely return to school. They do not need to be tested if they have been re-exposed within 12 weeks of ending their self-isolation.
Staff/student has completed their quarantine period as a household contact and has returned a negative test result. However, during the quarantine period an additional member of the household has returned a positive result.	The quarantine duration for student/staff household contacts who are required to quarantine i.e. those who are not able to comply with the additional safety measures, is 7 days from the date of the first positive test of the household index case. Household contacts are not subject to rolling quarantine periods. If the index case remains in the household, or if subsequent cases are identified within the household, the quarantine end date for the close contact is unchanged. Staff/ students can safely return to school and do not require negative test documentation. Please note, if the staff or student becomes symptomatic, they should get tested and not attend school.
Staff/student with a positive RAT (probable case) who receives a negative PCR test within 48 hours after the positive RAT	Staff/student can end their period of self-isolation period. They can safely return to school. Recommend that they notify school of negative PCR test result. If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply.

Scenario

Required actions for the staff member or student/family

A student or staff member tests positive to COVID-19, either through RA test or PCR test

Isolate at home or in private accommodation for 7 days (inclusive of weekends) and do not attend

school during this period.

Inform the school, that they have tested positive to COVID-19.

A negative test is not required to return to school following completion of 7 days of isolation.

Follow the Checklist for COVID cases.

If a student or staff member tests positive through RA test, but they don’t have symptoms or have not

been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 it is recommended getting a PCR test within 48 hours

and stay isolated at all times until they receive their result.

If the subsequent PCR test is negative, the student or staff member can return to school.

A student or staff member is a household contact or household-like contact*.

You have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility.

Contact at school is not included in this definition, unless contact has occurred in a school-based residential setting, e.g. school camp or boarding school.

Notify the school that they are a household or household-like contact.

Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts.

Household contacts are no longer required to quarantine as long as they take additional safety measures,

but are required to:

notify the school if returning during their 7 day period;
undertake daily rapid antigen testing five times within the 7 days;
wear a face covering when indoors (if aged 8 years and above or unless they have a valid

exemption);

are not permitted to visit hospitals or care facilities unless an exemption applies.

They are recommended to avoid interaction with people at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19.

If symptomatic, all students/staff must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if a

rapid antigen testing kit unavailable.

A student or staff member has been in contact with a case of COVID-19, including at school or at work.

If asymptomatic, students and staff should continue to attend school and monitor for symptoms.

If symptomatic, all students/staff must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test

if a rapid antigen testing kit unavailable.

On receipt of a negative test result, the student/staff member can return to school.

If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply.

Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts.

Staff/student has contracted COVID-19, completed their 7-day isolation period and is asymptomatic.

Staff/ students can safely return to school. They do not need to be tested if they have been re-exposed

within 12 weeks of ending their self-isolation.

Staff/student has completed their quarantine period as a household contact and has returned a negative test result.

However, during the quarantine period an additional member of the household has returned a positive result.

The quarantine duration for student/staff household contacts who are required to quarantine i.e. those

who are not able to comply with the additional safety measures, is 7 days from the date of the first

positive test of the household index case.

Household contacts are not subject to rolling quarantine periods. If the index case remains in the

household, or if subsequent cases are identified within the household, the quarantine end date for the

close contact is unchanged.

Staff/ students can safely return to school and do not require negative test documentation.

Please note, if the staff or student becomes symptomatic, they should get tested and not attend school.

Staff/student with a positive RAT (probable case) who receives a negative PCR test within 48 hours after the positive RAT

Staff/student can end their period of self-isolation period. They can safely return to school.

Recommend that they notify school of negative PCR test result.

If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply.

Kristen Waldron

Deputy Principal, Wellbeing