COVID Safety Plan
Dear Parents and Carers and Good Shepherd Community,
In all matters related to the management of COVID-19 in our school communities, Catholic Education and Good Shepherd take advice from ACT Health. The health and wellbeing of students, staff and our wider school community is given the highest priority and we continue each day to take measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
Please read the following information carefully and comply with all proceedures to help us ensure a safe school environment.
Parents and carers are not permitted to enter the school grounds. They are allowed on campus for essential purposes only or in the case of an emergency.
Exceptions include:
- to pick up a sick student
- to access After Hours Care (Team Kids)
- to provide necessary supports for a child or young person with additional needs (which must be negotiated with me in advance).
Student illness
No students are to attend school if they are showing any COVID like symptoms. They must remain at home and follow all ACT Health directions in relation to testing and/or quarantine instructions and can only return to school when cleared to do so.
Parents of students who present as unwell or with symtptoms will be contacted to collect their children and take them home. Parents and Carers are expected to comply with up to date ACT Health guidlines.
Hygiene and cleaning
Students and staff are required to wash hands and use sanitisers throughout the day. Students will not be allowed to share food or drink. This includes celebratory events such as birthdays. Please do not send any food or other items to be distributed to class mates or teachers.
We have increased cleaning schedules and resources at school during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
We have purchased extra cleaning products for all classrooms, including the provision of extra hand sanitiser at key entry and exit locations and extra hand soap and paper towel so all students and staff can wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch times.
Please remind all students to bring and use a suitable refillable water bottle each day.
Masks
Staff and visitors to Good Shepherd must wear a face mask on campus, unless exempt.
Students may wear a mask at school if they are comfortable doing so.
Physical distancing
Physical distancing between children and young people is not always possible. ACT Health guidelines do not mandate that students physically distance from each other. It is however important for limiting the transmission of COVID-19.
Students will be encouraged to minimise close contact and close interaction where possible. Parents and carers gathering outside the school for collection and/or drop off must socially distance.
Ventilation
Good Shepherd School will ventilate classrooms and other areas as much as possible, including opening doors and windows. Classes will also be encouraged to maximise the use of outdoor learning spaces where appropriate. Due to these changes, students are encouraged to dress in layers as appropriate.
Wellbeing supports
Our School Wellbeing Officer (Mrs Olive), our School Counsellor and our classroom support staff along with the Wellbeing team will continue communication with parents as required.
Drop off and pick up arrangements
Each morning, students will be asked to be seated in their line up area. There will be no play on the equipment or the courts as this would be mixing of cohorts. Classes will be taken inside by class teachers at 8:45am to assist with minimising congestion.
Although supervision is from 8:30am, we encourage you to bring your child closer to 8:45am, if possible to minimise wait time before school begins.
Drive through drop-off and pick-up will operate as usual. This method is encouraged by the school.
If you park and collect your child from the front school carpark, you must wait in the carpark area and not enter the school grounds.
If you park and collect your child from the Church carpark, you must wait outside the school gates and all students will be walked to the gates to be collected.
We strongly encourage those who can park elsewhere to do so (shopping centre, Amaroo Oval etc) and walk your child to the car.
All parents and carers waiting to collect students must maintain a social distance.
Cohorts
Good Shepherd will limit unnecessary physical interaction between students on school grounds and the mixing of student cohorts (those year groups not routinely learning together) where possible. This will include staggering breaks and dedicated entry and exit points for different year groups.
Limiting interaction between students does not apply to siblings.
Mixing of staff cohorts will be minimised by assigning separate ‘staff rooms’ in each building.
Break times
Managing cohorts differently is challenging but necessary as we navigate our way beyond the recent lockdowns prompted by the pandemic.
Good Shepherd School has designated breaktimes for different cohorts.
Morning Break
11:00 - 11:30
Lunch
1:10 - 1:40
Before and After School Care
TeamKids will operate as usual from the School Hall.
Staff vaccinations
Since the 13th October 2021, the ACT Government announced that staff and volunteers in school and care settings are required to be fully vaccinated against COViD 19.
Fee support for families impacted by COVID-19
If your family has been financially impacted by the pandemic, you may be eligible for assistance. Email finance.goodshepherd@cg.catholic.edu.au for information and application forms.
Please do not hesitate to contact me confidentially if you have any concerns regarding school fees.
David Austin
Principal
Good Shepherd Primary School
99 Burdekin Avenue
Amaroo ACT 2914
Ph: (02) 6255 7888
Keeping COVID Safe in CECG Schools and ELCs.
Please visit the Learning Hub for technical support and additional ideas on how to access the curriculum.
