Dear Parents and Carers,
As you are all no doubt aware, we are headed into very strict procedures to minimise the movement of people around the community in order to try and reduce the spread of COVID-19. As this is a health crisis rather than an educational issue, the key focus is to restrict travel and movement for as many people as possible and this will include our teachers and parents to the best of our ability.
Remote Learning for all Students – Minimal Exceptions
Our CSPS teachers will continue to provide a remote teaching and learning program for all students and only those students who must be at school according to the new criteria set by the government, will attend on site. This will mean that both parents meet the criteria for permitted workers. Premier Andrews spoke about this today and in the next day or two we will have further detailed clarification. In the meantime, it is clear that many children who have attended CSPS so far this term or last term will now be supervised from home. Please contact the school via email if this creates a need for a loan device to access online learning.
Vulnerable Students
The school will contact parents whose children must be offered on-site supervision to discuss this option. This will include those students with a disability who are deemed vulnerable using the department criteria.
Staff who can Work from Home Must Work from Home
All teachers will work from home this time and are not permitted on site except where this is essential. This will be to support us in maintaining a safe environment and ensure the safe running of the school and staff directly engaged in the supervision of students who must be on site.
Expectation of Minimal People on School Sites
The tighter restrictions than the first two periods of remote and flexible learning will see schools returning to an absolute minimum of students and staff on site.
Curriculum Day Tomorrow Tuesday 4th August
As stated by the Department of Education, tomorrow is a state-wide Curriculum Day. (TeamKids will provide a program to support those families whose children have been attending on-site this term.) This day will give an opportunity for our staff will be engaged in online planning for the remainder of the term and it will be done off-site for most staff. This will mean any scheduled Google Meets will be postponed. Please look for communication from the teachers for rescheduling meets. Otherwise, our scheduled learning program for tomorrow will still be available online, however, this is optional. Teachers will be ‘offline’ for the day so feedback will not be provided on work posted tomorrow. Teachers will meet firstly as a whole staff online in the morning, to discuss some of the detail required for ongoing organisation of the school and curriculum delivery. Year level teams will then meet for more specific year level curriculum planning both for the short and longer term, as well as to engage in discussion around managing authentic and reliable assessment for the term. New staffing arrangements will also be necessary to comply with the changed criteria around those staff permitted to be on-site due to personal and family health circumstances and willingness to attend on-site supervision.
New Request Forms Required to be Completed for On-site Supervision
Parents who wish to have their child considered for on-site supervision under the new tighter criteria, please complete a new form (attached) to cover any days from Wednesday to Friday this week. Completion of a form is a request only and does not guarantee access to on-site supervision for your child. Parents will be contacted via email if attendance needs meet the set criteria and attendance is approved. If further clarification is required, parents will be contacted. Only those parents who meet the strict criteria will be permitted to send their children to school for supervision. This process will be completed to ensure, to the best of our ability, that we are being fair and equitable to our school community and the community at large and that we are following the spirit of the stricter guidelines in our attempt to support the State Government efforts to reduce the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 in Victoria.
Wellbeing
I reiterate that we will endeavour to support our students and families where we possibly can or help to arrange support that may be available. We will do this within the current government restrictions and guidelines, and we are endeavouring to apply these as fairly and equitably as possible.
My very best wishes and warmest regards to all at this exceedingly difficult time for us all to navigate. Try to stay healhy and take great care.
Gayle Yardley
Principal
Parent Request On Site Attendance Stage Four Restrictions August 2020