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Dear Parents/Carers,
I would like to express my deep appreciation to each of you for your support and loyalty to the school, during what has been a challenging time for you and your families. You have been outstanding supporting your child/ren in their learning during this period. Staff have been incredible in the way they have adapted to provide a remote learning program in such a short period of time and we have all missed your children and their energy, humour and joy.
From an academic and welfare perspective, it remains our priority to return to face to face teaching when it is safe to do so. Australia’s Chief Medical Officer has continually informed us that it is safe for children and staff to return to school and for those who are not vulnerable. Health experts advise us that children are infected with COVID-19 at much lower rates than adults.
As I have said in previous correspondence, I would keep you updated with any announcements regarding schools. I am pleased to be able to give you information regarding a return to face to face teaching.
Following extensive discussion, review of the medical advice and guidelines, and considering the ACT context where there are now very few reported cases of Covid-19, the Director of Catholic Education has authorised a return to face to face teaching for all students (K-6) at St Thomas the Apostle beginning on Monday 18 May – Week 4.
This is also in line with ACT Government schools plan to return to classrooms from Week 4. If for any reason there is an increase in the safety concerns for the students and staff before the 18 May this decision will be reviewed.
While some schools need to have a return to school over a three week period due to their specific context, there is no need at St Thomas the Apostle to stage a return to school, class by class. Being a smaller school we are confident that we can have a careful and safe return for all students from Week 4. As we prepare to have the children return to school for face-to-face teaching, it is essential that measures relating to personal hygiene and the health and safety of all members of our community are known and understood.
Below is some clear information on the arrangements and measures based on the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidelines, which aim to establish, where reasonably possible, best practice in relation to health and hygiene at schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The full document can be found here:
We hope this will give you confidence in your child’s return to school and assist you in supporting the staff as we welcome students back into classrooms and to a COVID Safe School.
Hygiene and Safety
Extra hygiene and safety practices in place for when the children return to school:
- Increased cleaning schedules and resources onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
- Provision of extra hand sanitiser across the school.
- Provision of extra hand soap for children to wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch time.
- Frequent reminders to ensure children are practising good personal hygiene. This means, covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing or coughing & sneezing into inner elbow, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks and minimising physical contact.
- Please ensure your child brings a water bottle. This can be refilled from the many water taps available. Bubblers are not to be used.
- No child is to attend school if they are showing any cold or flu-like symptoms. They must remain at home, and stay away from school until they are no longer showing symptoms or have attended a GP who has instructed that they are fit and safe to return.
- If your child, or family members or other close contacts are tested for COVID-19, your child is not to attend school until the results of those tests are known and are negative. Please advise the school if this situation occurs.
- If your child has a medical condition that places them at greater risk from a return to face-to-face teaching at this time, please contact their teacher so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate plan for their circumstances.
- We are attempting to minimise the number of adults coming onto the premises to reduce the possible risk of COVID-19 transmission. Please telephone or use email as the preferred method of contact with your child’s teacher or staff member.
Pick up and Drop Off Arrangements
- The only entry to the school grounds will be through the main gate. (this will be for students riding bikes as well). No other gates will be opened at this stage;
- In the Morning - Children arriving in cars are to be dropped off at the “Kiss and Drop” area. Drop off needs to be quick so that we do not get traffic backed up. For younger children where parents need to get out of the car to assist them, parents are asked to park and walk their child/children across the pedestrian crossing to the main gate.
- No adults are to come into the school grounds at any time, unless accessing TEAM KIDS;
- Strict social distancing measures will be in place, as we want to avoid social clustering;
- In the Afternoon – Children being picked up by car will be at one of two designated drive through pick-up points. Families with surnames A – K will use the normal drive through procedures that are in place now. Families with surnames L-Z will enter at the same driveway as normal but will stay on the brick driveway to the left (church side) and children will be waiting at the church step, ready to get into their car. You will then continue on the loop and exit at the normal point. A map will be provided next week, to explain this.
Other Important Information
- At this stage, there will be no assemblies or large gatherings of students for the remainder of this term. An exception to this is any evacuation or emergency procedure that may be required. (Fire alarm etc.)
- If your intention is to keep your child at home please contact their teacher so that we can discuss their needs in greater detail and develop an appropriate learning plan for their circumstances.
- After 18 May, if a situation arises where it is deemed not safe by health authorities for students or staff to be onsite, we will be able to move back to our comprehensive remote learning program as required.
Next week (Week 3) will continue as currently planned. If you can keep children at home, please do so. All children whether at home or school will be working on a remote learning plan. If the situation arises where you need to send your child back to school, please inform me either by phone or email. I will need 3 days notice of this happening, so that I can ensure we have the required supervision essential for students.
I will also send information next week regarding: the returning of electronic devices and furniture; canteen hours; uniforms; and school activities for this term.
This is very good news for our school and again, I thank you for your ongoing support. All of these plans are subject to health, government and CE directive and subject to change. As always, I will keep you well informed of any such changes. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any further clarification on any of these matters.
I continue to keep your family and the wider community in my prayers.
May God bless you and your families,
Ursula Jamieson
Principal
Just a reminder that the Library is open for borrowing as follows:
Monday – 1:00-3:30
Thursday- 1:00-3:30
Friday- 11:00-3:00
Please note, students are expected to be available for their afternoon check in so please schedule your visit around this.
Conditions of Borrowing
- Please ensure that you are returning books in order to borrow new ones.
- Please place all returns into the grey returns box next to the Circulation desk so that they can be wiped down prior to being returned to the shelf.
- Only 2 families will be allowed in the library at a time so please be patient if there is a wait time (although I don’t anticipate that this will be the case). If there are already 2 families in there when you come, Mrs Luhrs will let you know and you can wait in the reception area.
If Ms Vanzwol is not at the desk, please ask Mrs Luhrs to find her rather than leaving a note and taking books.
Look forward to supplying you all with wonderful books!
Penny Vanzwol
Friday 8 May - St Thomas Mates Day
This Friday we are having a St Thomas MATES Day theme. All staff and students (at school and home) are invited to wear their favourite happy colour or their favourite outfit.
Please send in your photos if you are at home learning, so we can include them in the next newsletter. Also let us know why your colour or outfit makes you happy!! Photos can be sent to the office.sttapkambah@cg.catholic.edu.au or lynette.wilson@cg.catholic.edu.au
Our school uniform shop is going online through Qkr!. We are currently in the process of stocktaking and developing an online ordering process and will advise once that is available.
In the interim, parents wishing to purchase new blue polo shirts with the logo (both short and long sleeve) and/or second hand uniforms, should send an email to office.sttapkambah@cg.catholic.edu.au.
Please include items, size and quantity and we will advise on availability. Please note that sizes and quantities of second hand uniforms are limited and we may not be able to supply all of your requested items. Once your order has been collated, we will advise you via email on collection and payment.
Unfortunately currently we do not have any new size 6 long sleeve polo shirts with the logo but we have reordered and will advise once we have stock.
Short sleeve polo shirts with the school logo are $19.00.
Long sleeve polo shirts with the school logo are $25.00
All second hand uniforms are $5.00 each.
Happy Birthday to the following students who are celebrating a birthday this week
Georgia Kneeshaw | Jayden Le | Olivia Dunley |
Tyler Perry | Isabella Darcy | Laila Dunley |
Foster Jones | Olivia Marcelja | Charlie Anderson |
Kindergarten Health Check 2020
Due to the redeployment of Registered Nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic response and the closure of schools, the 2020 physical component of the Kindergarten Health Check has been cancelled. The Academic Unit of General Practice questionnaire data, completed by parents at the beginning of the 2020 school year, has been collected as usual. The results of the questionnaire will be sent to the GP if consent has been given to do so. If parents have concerns regarding the physical check we recommend they see their GP for assessment. For more information please contact the School Health Team on 5124 1585.
Congratulations to Natasha, Jason and Jaxon Pank on the birth of Wyatt in April |
Also congratulations to Sarah, Sean, Lucy (1L), Hamish and Rory O'Brien on the birth of Angus on Tuesday.
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