30 Jul 2021
Dear Parent/Caregiver & Students,
COVID Update – 30 July
- Our school is in the Blacktown LGA and is therefore subject to very tight lockdown restrictions. COVID lockdown & associated Restrictions have been extended until at least August 27, 2021.
- Students and staff are expected to stay home and work online with the school open for children of essential workers (2 or 3 staff members on-site who are residents of Blacktown LGA – no other staff or visitors are permitted on the school site). Students of essential workers who must attend school will be minimally supervised and will do their online lessons at school – normal classes will not be operating. This now remains in effect until at least August 27 for Years 7-11 and until August 13 for Year 12.
- NSW Health rules are that ALL students (and staff) must wear masks whilst at school, indoors and outdoors. Masks are also compulsory outdoors at all times in the Blacktown LGA and for public transport. Authorised Visitors to the school must also wear musts and use the QR code when checking in/out.
- For students who do not have access to online learning, the next package of lesson material for mainstream students (from 2/8/21 – 13/8/21) has been sent from the school earlier this week.
- Students in the Support Unit already have packages for Weeks 3 & 4 of the term and will now receive additional individual packages of work for weeks 5 & 6 of the term. These packages are now being prepared and will be mailed next week ready for Monday 9 August.
- Non-essential visitors to the school are still not permitted, parents should contact the school via phone (9622 7300) for any enquiries.
- All school facilities are closed to community users until further notice.
- The school Canteen remains closed until further notice.
- We are not permitted to run any extra-curricular activities including sporting events until further notice.
Year 12 HSC students
- At this stage, it is expected that Year 12 students will be permitted to return to school from Monday 16 August. There are plans being made by NSW Health to make vaccinations available for Year 12 students before they return to school. There are also plans to introduce rapid COVID testing for Year 12 students – specific details are not known about these two initiatives, stay tuned to NSW Health updates for advice.
- On Monday 16 August, Year 12 Trial HSC Exams will commence in our school. A new exam timetable is being prepared and will be sent to Year 12 students by the Year Adviser, Miss Potts. There will be specific rules around arrival times, attendance times, location of exams, social distancing and hygiene requirements such as sanitising hands. Full details are coming over the next week. The exam timetable will also include times when the Timber Workshop and Art Rooms are available for students to book in and complete major works. There will also be an opportunity to book rehearsal space for Music students preparing their performances.
- Students completing major works are still required to complete these. Year 12 students can contact their Visual Arts teachers or their Industrial Technology Timber teacher to arrange access to the Art Rooms or Timber Workshop during the Trial Exam period commencing on 16 August.
- Music students needing to rehearse their performances can plan with their Music teacher to come into school and rehearse in our Music Studio – this is by appointment only during the Trial Exam period commencing on 16 August.
- Please note that the HSC Exam timetable has changed for Term 4 – the HSC Exams now commence one week later than originally scheduled. See NESA website for details of the HSC.
- Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Year 12 Formal originally scheduled for 16 September have been postponed and will now be held shortly after the end of the HSC – date to be determined.
All the above information is subject to change depending on changes to restrictions announced by NSW Health. For now, we plan for Year 7-11 to keep working online from home until 27 August and for Year 12 to return to school on Monday 16 August to commence HSC Trial Exams.
Thank for assisting us to keep the school running while keeping each other safe.
Please keep an eye on our website or Facebook page for any further changes.
M. Struyve
Principal
30 July 2021