St Andrew's Primary Marayong Newsletter

COVID PROCEDURES

Last week parents received communication from our Executive Director, Mr Greg Whitby, guided by the NSW Health Department about some new COVID-19 protocols. 

 Staff and students do not attend school or work if they are unwell.

·  Each student or staff member who is absent from school or who has been sent home due to flu like symptoms must be tested

 Students or staff members must not return to school or work until they return a negative COVID-19 result and are symptom free

• Schools must sight the negative COVID-19 test result prior to allowing students and staff to return to school i.e. NSW Health or COVID-19 Testing Center correspondence (SMS or email or hard copy) and/or a medical certificate must be provided to the school and a record of this kept by the school
• Schools should limit activities to year groups whenever possible. Where schools operate in stage groups, students are expected to stay within these groupings as far as possible.

How we at St Andrew’s will manage the new guidelines

Information was sent home as a letter and has also been placed on our facebook page and skoolbag.

Parents will be asked to email results to school prior to the children returning– standrewsprimary@parra.catholic.edu.au and if you are unable to upload the clearance notification / text message / letter, parents will need to bring a hard copy to the office with the children. Under no circumstances are the children able to have contact with anyone in the playground or classroom until we sight the negative test results. 

 Parents need to be aware that staff, including relief teachers, follow the same protocols. 

SUMMARY

As you may have noticed staff have reduced their observation and direction giving at the Church Drop Off area.

Parents are reminded that if using this drop off area to remember the following safety points:

·         Children are to exit cars on the left-hand side only

·         Parents are not to get out of the car but instead have children prepared for exiting on arrival at the drop off zone

·         Make a left -hand turn onto Breakfast Road to allow a good flow of traffic coming into the drop off zone

 We thank all parents who adhered to the safety points.

Dear Parents, below are four (4) succinct steps to follow in order for our community to stay safe during afternoon pick up.

* Only one parent/carer/older sibling to collect a child from the classroom 

* After collecting, move immediately off the school grounds to minimise social contact

* Social distancing practices must be adhered to, both outside the school and on the school grounds at all times

* Staggered pick up time range is 2.45pm to 3.15pm

We have given a very generous pick up time frame to allow for parents to keep our school safe- any time from 2:45 until 3:15pm. As it presently stands, there are the same number of parents collecting children at 2:45pm as there were when gates were opened at 3pm. So providing a wider opportunity to spread dismissal times out and distance parents doesn’t seem to be working.

We are therefore appealing to parents that they stagger their arrival and  if we are unable to achieve this then the school will need to find another way of keeping our community safe.

Help stop the spread to keep our community safe. Thank you

Yesterday morning, a small number of CEDP school were contacted by Busways informing them that one of their drivers has tested positive for COVID-19. NSW Health has identified this contact as ‘low risk’ with the bus driver wearing a mask while undertaking his work.

 Late yesterday, NSW Health NSW Health has issued a broader alert for passengers on a number of bus routes in the Blacktown, Rouse Hill and Mt Druitt areas.

 Passengers who may have used the following bus routes are urged be alert for symptoms and if they develop, to immediately get tested and self-isolate. The bus routes, dates and times are below:

 20 and 21 August:

•  755 @ 05:18am from Mt Druitt station to Shalvey shops 
• 755 @ 05:35am from Shalvey shops to Mt Druitt 
• 758 @ 06:01am from Mt Druitt station to St Mary’s station
• 758 @ 06:35am from St Mary’s station to Mt Druitt station
• 723 @ 07:14am from Mt Druitt station to Blacktown station
• 731 @ 08:15am from Blacktown station to Rouse Hill station
• 752 @ 09:03am from Rouse Hill station to Blacktown station
• 755 @ 10:47am from Plumpton marketplace to Mt Druitt station
• 756 @ 11:29am from Mt Druitt station to Blacktown station
• 728 @ 12:16pm from Blacktown station to Mt Druitt station

24 August:

•  6546 @ 14:36pm from St Clare Catholic High School 
• 6583 @ 15:15pm from Patrician Brothers’ College to Blacktown station via Blacktown South Public School and St Patrick’s Primary School
• 728 @ 15:34pm from Blacktown station to Mt Druitt station
• 756 @ 16:32pm from Mt Druitt station to Blacktown station
• 730 @ 17:25pm from Blacktown station to Castle Hill Shopping Centre
• 730 @ 16:18pm from Castle hill to Blacktown station
• 723 @ 19:48pm from Blacktown station to Mt Druitt station
• 750 @ 20:38pm from Mt Druitt station to Blacktown station
• 750 @ 21:14pm from Blacktown station to Mt Druitt station
• 758 @ 21:50pm from Mt Druitt station to Emerson/Luxford
• 729 @ 22:37pm from Mt Druitt station to Blacktown station
• 731 @ 23:32pm from Blacktown station to Rouse Hill station

 The health and safety of our school community are our highest priority. Please continue to be mindful of symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath. If your child/children develop these symptoms, please see a doctor (call ahead to alert your doctor about the possibility of COVID-19 before visiting and take this letter with you) or go to a COVID-19 testing clinic. You can find detailed NSW Health advice here.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation in the response to COVID-19.

Dear Parents/Carers 

At Catholic Education Diocese Parramatta (CEDP) we see parents and carers as partners in your child's learning journey.  In partnership with the eSafety Commissioner, CEDP would like to invite you to join one of the following free webinars for parents and carers:

 1. Helping Kids Thrive Online (5-12 yrs) - Thursday 20 August 2020, 12:00   - 1.00pm

2. Tech, teens and time online (secondary schools) - 7 September 2020,            7.00 - 8.00 pm 

These live webinars explore the latest research and they are a great way to learn how you can help your child develop the skills to be safer online. All sessions are delivered by the eSafety Commission’s expert educators.

About the webinars

1. Helping kids thrive online: is a one hour live webinar suitable for parents and carers of young people aged  5-12 years old.

2. Tech, teens and time online: is a one hour live webinar suitable for parents and carers of young people aged 12-18 years old.

Both sessions will cover topics including:

• ideas to start the chat about harmful content, contact with strangers and online bullying/harassment

• strategies for addressing common digital parenting challenges

• skills that young people need to protect themselves online

• how to get help if things go wrong.

What you need to do

1) Please register for the course on the secondary site via the following link: 

• 20 August 2020 session - link to register

• 7 September 2020 session - link to register

If you have any further enquiries please email safeguarding@parra.catholic.edu.au.