25 Jan 2022
Dear parents and carers,
Welcome to a new school year, an exciting time as our students start or return to their school journey. I want to share how we are building on our experiences of the last 2 years and continuing to safeguard our school community while keeping our school open, where we know the best learning happens.
We will start 2022 with a layered approach to COVID-smart measures that have been developed in partnership with NSW Health to help to minimise transmissions at school. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our priority, and these measures are designed to help to keep our school open and our students learning in the classroom.
These key measures include:
• Rapid antigen test (RAT) kits will be provided to all students to help monitor your child’s health and minimise transmission of COVID-19 across our school.
• Wearing of surgical masks indoors is required for all staff and students in Year 7 and above and strongly recommended for all primary students. Masks will be provided by the school if required.
• Only fully vaccinated visitors essential to delivering and supporting learning or wellbeing can come on a school site.
• Two parents or carers are allowed to accompany their child into school on their first day of Kindergarten or students starting at a new school.
• Students will be kept in their year groups on school grounds, with staggered pick-ups, break times, playground and canteen access to minimise the spread of COVID-19 across cohorts.
• We will continue to use good hygiene, enhanced cleaning, good air flow and ventilation in learning spaces, as well as physical distancing practices.
While this is not going to be a normal start to the school year, we know that being together in the classroom is the most effective way for students to learn and grow. Your child's relationship with their teacher is important, but as we manage potential disruptions to staffing due to COVID-19, they may get to meet more teachers than usual.
Rapid antigen testing
We will distribute packs of RAT kits for all students and staff at the start of Term 1.
The use of RAT kits is an important step to support the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. They are a quick and easy screening tool to help detect COVID-19. It is a simple process of placing a nose or throat swab in a chemical solution, which is put onto a scanning device. Results can be ready within 15 minutes. Use of RAT kits is highly recommended but not mandatory.
Instructions are included in the kits detailing how to use the tests, check the results and dispose of the tests safely. You can also download the instructions through the Therapeutic Goods Administration website. The user guides will also contain a contact number for the suppliers if you need additional support.
At LPS, students and staff will need to test on Monday and Wednesday each week.
How and when do I pick up the RAT kits?
RAT kits will be available for parents to pick up from 9.30am until 2.30pm on Friday 28 and Monday 31 January. Staff will be stationed under the awning of M Block, accessible from the bus gates on Burrendong Road (see the map below). If you are unable to pick up the kits during the times allocated, please contact the administration office from 9am Friday 28 January to organise outside of these times. Kindergarten students will receive their kits when they come for their Best Start Interviews.
When picking up the RAT kits please consider:
• Attending at a time that is throughout the day, as we have more than enough kits for all students. This will minimise congestion and waiting time.
• Distribution before school starts will provide students with the opportunity to test before they begin.
• You will need to leave the school site immediately after picking up the kits.
• You can refer to the TGA table for information about all approved RATs if needed.
Additional information
• School staff will not be administering the rapid antigen tests to students.
• RAT kits should be collected from school by a parent or carer and the tests completed at home in the morning before attending school on Monday and Wednesday.
• Each student will receive an initial supply of 4 RATs to be used twice a week in the morning before attending school.
• If a student or staff member receives a positive RAT test, they need to:
- record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW or on the Service NSW app.
- notify the school of the positive RAT or PCR test result as soon as possible
- follow the NSW Health Advice to isolate for 7 days.
Negative results do not need to be reported to Service NSW or to the school.
Unwell at school
Any student or staff member who is unwell and/or displays symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to go home and stay until they can complete a RAT or PCR test.
• If symptoms continue, they should stay at home and take another RAT in 24 hours or have a PCR test.
• If the second RAT or initial PCR test result is negative, the student or staff member can return to school.
What happens when a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19?
Under the new close contact rules, schools are no longer included in contact tracing. I will inform the school community when there is a positive case in our school and advise families on public health advice, including monitoring for symptoms.
Use of surgical masks
All primary and secondary school staff will be required to wear masks indoors.
No vented or cloth masks should be worn. If required, surgical masks will be available at schools.
Primary school students are strongly recommended to wear well-fitted masks indoors.
Masks are also strongly encouraged in outdoor settings where you cannot physically distance. Your child can remove their mask when eating, exercising or playing a musical instrument.
For more information, refer to Face Masks in NSW.
Visitors on school sites and vaccinations
No parents, carers or visitors will be allowed on school site until further notice with the following exceptions:
• Two parents or carers are allowed to accompany their child into school on their first day of Kindergarten or students starting at a new school.
• Volunteers or staff operating uniform shops and canteens must be fully vaccinated.
• Visitors supporting school operations and curriculum delivery must be fully vaccinated.
• Allied health partners for the wellbeing of students must be fully vaccinated.
All staff on school sites are required to be fully vaccinated, including having their booster when eligible.
We strongly encourage our students and their families to consider vaccination when eligible. Find a vaccination clinic to book an appointment near you.
Other key measures
Ventilation
We will continue to follow NSW Health ventilation guidelines that natural ventilation is the most effective measure so we will maximise fresh air flow in learning spaces through opening doors and windows.
This approach is strongly supported by expert advice. Where natural ventilation is not sufficient, mechanical ventilation and/or air purification will be used and we will continue to use outdoor settings where possible.
Air purifiers have been provided to schools as a supplementary measure to support common areas in schools and can be deployed at the principal's discretion. These purifiers could be located in areas where high levels of student and staff mixing occurs, such as staffrooms, internal canteens, student centres and music rooms.
Cleaning
We continue to have enhanced cleaning focusing on high-touch and high-traffic areas.
Physical distancing
We will continue to follow physical distancing guidelines and maintain 1.5 metres distance wherever possible.
Cohorting and staggered pick ups
We will continue with our Term 4 processes of keeping students in their cohorts, minimising interaction between students on school grounds. Students will remain with their class groups as much as possible and breaks will be with their stage group, e.g. all of Stage 1 together (Years 1 and 2).
Students should arrive at school after 8.30am when there is adequate supervision to ensure they are only with their cohort. When students arrive, they will go straight to their cohort group, spread around the school:
Kindergarten – outdoor area between the three classes.
Stage 1 – K-2 quad.
Stage 2 – COLA near the hall.
Stage 3 – 3-6 quad.
When students arrive on their first day, they will go to their area from 2021. Staff will be available to support the process so students do not get lost.
When leaving school there will be a staggered and cohort approach to dismissal. No parents will be able to come onsite. All parents waiting for students will need to wear a mask and physically distance from others. Students will be dismissed from their 2022 stage area.
Kindergarten – Will be dismissed from the pedestrian gate accessible from Burrendong Road.
Stage 1 – Will be dismissed from the bus gate accessed from Burrendong Road.
Stages 2 and 3 – Will be dismissed from the back gate accessed from Parkhill Avenue.
In family groups, older siblings will be dismissed from the area with the youngest sibling. For example, if a family group has a child in Kindergarten and Stage 2, siblings will meet at the Kindergarten area.
As we are a large school, families will be dismissed in a staggered way in groups based on their surnames. Students will meet their parents at designated areas. Students will not leave before 2.50pm, unless there is an adult to pick them up. Students who do not have an adult to pick them up at that time, will remain with the teacher until 2.50pm. Students will be dismissed at the following times:
2.10pm: Students with surnames beginning A-D
2.20pm: Students with surnames beginning with E-K
2.30pm: Students with surnames beginning with L-R
2.40pm: Students with surnames beginning with S-Z
2.50pm: Remaining students leave.
* Please note that if parents do not make their pickup time, they will need to wait until students are dismissed at 2.50pm. All adults must come to the gate, they cannot wave from a car and have students sent to you.
Families that have children with different surnames, all children leave at the same time as the youngest sibling.
Thank you again for your continued support during this school term.
Please contact the school from Friday 28 January if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely,
Kristy Hill
Principal
