TERM 2 2020 UPDATES

LANGWARRIN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

RETURN TO SCHOOL GUIDELINES

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to thank all of you for supporting our school during this period of remote learning. We understand that this has been a difficult time for you and appreciate the outstanding effort that has been made by families to ensure that students are still engaged in their learning program.

These guidelines have been developed to assist students and families in returning to school. Langwarrin Park PS is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment for our students and staff. We ask for the whole school community to follow these guidelines to enable us to provide the safest possible environment during this time. We all have a role to play in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria.

With this in mind we are asking that you read this document carefully and discuss the changes with your children before they return so that they will be aware that the way we do things at LPPS will be different to what they have previously experienced. It may not be easy at first, but with your support the transition back to school will be much smoother.

RETURN TO SCHOOL

To support our return to school, Monday 25 May will be a pupil free Curriculum Day. (Camp Australia is running a program if parents would like to access it)

Following this there will be a staged return for students

• Tuesday 26 May 2020: Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students will return to school. All students in these levels are expected to attend school. There will be no remote learning program provided for students in these levels.

Students in Year 3 to Year 6 continue remote and flexible learning program until 5 June 2020. If parents wish to pick up work packs from the office, please do so between 9.30am and 10am observing the signs for social distancing.

Please note that students in these year levels who have been accessing the onsite supervision may continue to do so during this 2 week block. The same process will apply – forms must be completed by Thursday for the following week.

Tuesday 9 June 2020:  Years 3 – 6 students will return.

ATTENDANCE ON-SITE

The Department of Education and Training (DET) advises that: Perhaps the most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), is to ensure that any unwell staff, children and young people remain at home. While the risk of transmission of the virus is very low, staff or students most at risk of severe illness should individually assess appropriateness for onsite attendance at this time with support from their medical practitioner. As the main risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the school environment is between adults, it is important that  

• All unwell staff and students must stay home.
• Visitors to school grounds are limited to those delivering or supporting essential school services and operations
• Parents/carers of students with complex medical needs (including those with compromised immune systems), should seek advice from the student’s medical practitioner to support decision-making about whether on-site education is suitable, noting that this advice may change depending on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Victoria. This is in line with the DET Health Care Needs policy.
• Activities dependent on and involving parents are cancelled until further notice
• School assemblies, excursions, camps and other non-essential large gatherings will be postponed.
• All interschool activities that involve students from other schools will be cancelled.
• Parents can only enter school grounds in special circumstances and after contacting the school by phone or email. For example: to pick up their child to attend an appointment.
• YMCA/Kingswim will not be open. Parents will be informed as soon as we have a date when they will return.

ALTERATIONS TO START AND FINISH TIMES

DET advises that:  As the main risk of introducing coronavirus (COVID-19) to the school environment is from adults, close proximity between adult members of the school community should be avoided, particularly during school drop-off and pick-up.

We respectfully ask that parents observe the signs at entrances to the school and NOT enter the school grounds at drop off and pick up times.

While we have less than half the school population coming to school the following arrangements will be in place.

Arrival

• Students will arrive at 8:45am using the Northgateway gates:

• Extra staff will be available to walk the children to their classrooms. Classroom teachers will be there to greet the students from 8:45 onwards.
• On site students in Years 3-6 will be walked to the hall and then taken by teachers to the classrooms.
• Arrival times will possibly be staggered once the whole school returns. In this second stage we will also be utilising the back gates as well.
• PLEASE NOTE – under no circumstances should a child be dropped off at school prior to this time (8:45am). Private arrangements or arrangements with Camp Australia or other Child Care centres need to be made if an earlier start is required.

Departure

• There will be a staggered finish to the day:

• All students will be accompanied by staff to the gates at their dismissal time.

Classroom Procedures

• Teachers and ES staff will support students with their readers and bags at the beginning and end of each day
• As students transition back into school, instruction relating to hygiene and good social practices will be taught to the students.
• Students will be able to attend in their normal classroom spaces but there will be no combining of classes for special activities
• Students will be able to use the materials within the classroom but we would like them to bring their own pencil case. In junior classes, pencils etc will be allocated as required, you do not have to purchase extra materials.
• Your classroom teacher will liaise with you about any other requirements relevant to your child’s level.
• Communication with staff will continue to be through email park.ps@education.vic.gov or by phone 9775 7533. If the phones are busy please make sure to leave a message and the appropriate staff member will get back to you.
• Parents will be advised shortly when the canteen is open again.

Devices

• Those students who have a school owned computer will maintain possession of it until further notice. They will be allowed to bring this computer to and from school each day.
• The Langwarrin Park PS Mobile Phone Policy is still in place so students will not be handling their mobile phones during the day.

Hygiene

• Students will be directed by staff to wash their hands regularly, upon entering the classroom, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing sneezing and after using the toilet and after using particular materials and equipment.
• Hand sanitiser will be available in every classroom and at other points around the school such as staffrooms and the front office.
• Soap, disposable hand towels and wipes will also be available in classrooms and toilets.
• Rooms will be kept ventilated to promote fresh air flow
• Students will need to bring their own (named) drink bottles – drinking fountains will not be available for use. Taps will be available for filling water bottles.
• The playgrounds will not be used initially as this will require additional and regular cleaning.
• Students should not bring soft toys with them to school.
• Sharing of food is not permitted.

Cleaning

DET advises that:

Environmental cleaning, coupled with regular hand hygiene, remains important to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.

At our school we will:

• Continue the extension of routine environmental cleaning, including progressive cleaning throughout the day to ensure that risks of transmission are reduced for high-touch services.
• We will be practising hand hygiene immediately before and after use of shared equipment

Provision of Routine Care and First Aid

DET advises that:

Physical distancing is not practical when providing direct care. In this situation standard precautions, including hand hygiene, are important for infection control.

At our school:

• Standard procedures ie use of gloves, remain in place.
• Hand hygiene will be practised before and after performing routine care or first aid.
• Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), for example face masks, is not required to provide routine care or first aid for students who are well, unless such precautions are usually adopted in the routine care of an individual student.

Management of an unwell student:

• It is important that any student who becomes unwell return home immediately
• If a staff member is unsure whether a student is unwell they will contact the parent/carer to discuss any concerns about the health status of the student, and taking a precautionary approach, request the parent/carer to collect their child if concerns remain. A trained staff member may take the temperature of the student, where appropriate, to support decision-making. Gloves will be worn for the purpose of taking a temperature.
• Any student experiencing compatible symptoms with coronavirus (COVID-19), such as fever, cough or sore throat, should be isolated in an appropriate space with suitable supervision and collected by a parent/carer as soon as possible. Urgent medical attention should be sought where indicated. It is not suitable for an unwell student to travel home unsupervised.
• Staff or students experiencing compatible symptoms with coronavirus (COVID-19) should be encouraged to seek the advice of their healthcare professional who can advise on next steps. A medical certificate is not required to return to school after a period of illness, however staff and students should not return until symptoms resolve.  

Managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19

DET has comprehensive procedures in place with the Department of Health and Human Services to manage suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in schools.

• We will contact the Department of Health and Human Services on 1300 651 160 to discuss what to do next if a student or staff member:
  • is a confirmed case
  • has been in close contact with a confirmed case
• We will inform the Department by making an IRIS incident alert.
• Information will be provided to the school community immediately following these steps.
• DET guidelines will be followed.

Reports

Reports will be distributed to parents at the end of the term – these will be developed, recognising that there have been changed circumstances for all student learning. More information will be sent out to parents in the next few weeks.

Back to School

We understand that the transition back into school will be different for each child and each family. Some will be anxious and others will be so excited to meet up with their friends and their teachers. Our staff is committed to supporting each child and providing a safe and smooth pathway for them. However, we do rely on you to help prepare the children for their return to school by

• re-establishing the routine of the school day
• talking about good hygiene practices
• having a conversation about some of the changes that they might notice as they return to class and
• talking about the positives and what they are looking forward to doing when they come back.

Please assure them that their teachers are looking forward to seeing them again and they are all here to look after them. Remind them that their friends will also be looking forward to seeing them again.

Kind regards,

Denise Webster

Community Announcements

We understand that everyone is concerned about the Coronavirus. For latest advice please refer to the Department of Education link https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/coronavirus.aspx

Contact Us

Langwarrin Park Primary School - 5257

ABN 72 076 272 330

Address: 19-27 Northgateway, Langwarrin, 3910

Phone: (61-3) 9775 7533

Fax:      (61-3) 9775 9264

E-mail: langwarrin.park.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

Our Commitment to Child Safety

Langwarrin Park Primary School is committed to the ongoing protection, delivery of child safe practices and empowerment of all children within its organisation.

Further information can be obtained by clicking here.


Annual privacy reminder

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement download here.

For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information also available in nine community languages.