COVID-19 Update of School Regulations

From yesterday, Wednesday 19 August, all schools in NSW are required to adopt the following changes to ensure school communities remain safe inside and outside the school gate.

Additional measures for Term 3:

• Students and staff absent or sent home due to flu-like symptoms need to be tested. Staff and students must not return to school or work until they return a negative COVID-19 result and are symptom free. Schools must receive a copy of the negative COVID-19 test result prior to allowing students and staff to return to school.
• Schools should limit activities to year groups whenever possible. Students are to stay within their relevant cohort, year group or stage for all learning activities. This applies to all curriculum/learning activities, extra-curricular activities approved in these guidelines include arts, sport and physical activities learning activities and does not include playground activities (before school, recess, lunch). 
• Activities such as choirs, chanting and the use of wind instruments in a group setting are not permitted.
• Only external providers essential to the delivery of the curriculum may continue.
• Schools must not travel outside their local community or zone, including between rural and regional areas.
• There are to be no activities that result in the mixing of students from different schools.
• Kindergarten orientation and transition to school activities remain on hold until further notice. Alternate arrangements to engage families and children in preparation for starting school in 2021 are currently being developed.
• School Assemblies are still limited to 15 minutes with no external visitors.
• No activities that result in the mixing of students from different schools and from different regions, such as sporting-related activities, drama and debating.
• No school-related social activities (e.g. school formals, dinners or dances; graduation ceremonies; or parent engagement functions)
• Professional development for staff should not be conducted face-to-face unless absolutely necessary. Staff gatherings should be minimised and, where they must occur, limited to the minimum amount of people required to achieve educational outcomes.
• Staff should also be required to maintain social distancing at all times and, where they must gather, their names should be recorded to assist in identifying who attended the gathering and for how long.
• Staff gatherings should be minimised and, where they must occur, limited to the minimum amount of people required.
• P&F social events or functions are no longer permitted.
• Organisations that use school buildings or grounds must have a COVID-19 safety plan in place and encourage strict compliance with that plan.

The new restrictions will complement existing health advice for schools, including maintaining good hand hygiene inside and outside the classroom, physical distancing for adults and banning non-essential school visitors.

National Science Week

This week many of our students have had the opportunity to participate in National Science Week by accessing virtual activities provided by the Australian Agricultural Centre (AAC) - STEM Connect 2020.

The week-long event, from 17-21 August has consisted of on-demand and live virtual experiences for the students to learn more about their food and fibre through STEM-based presentations from a variety of facilitators. These include Grains Research & Development Cooperation, Cotton Australia, Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, Agerris Agricultural Robot Demonstration, Horses Teaching Humans, UNE Poultry Hub, Meat and Livestock Australia, Vegepod, Greater Sydney Local Land Services, Greater Sydney Local Land Services, BJCE Gullen Range Wind Farm, UNE Soil Research Centre, Cotton Australia, Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, South East Local Land Services and more.

Year 5 enjoying some AAC STEMConnect 2020 activities

Northern Region Public Speaking Competition