COVID-19 Update

Dear Parents and Carers

This is intended as an update to previous COVID-19 emails and reflects current advice from NSW Health as related to MC’s operational status as a Level 2 school.

For context, there are now 4 Levels of operational status for schools in NSW ranging from minimal notable change at Level 1, through to full ‘Learn from Home’ Level 4.

“NSW Health will apply 4 levels of risk with differential guidelines to geographical areas such as LGAs or Greater Sydney and regional NSW. Schools located in specified geographical areas should consider the NSW Health approved guidelines and NSW Health restrictions applied to their local geographical area.”

The guidelines below should be read carefully by all families ahead of the return to onsite learning at MC from Monday 19 July, as these expectations may vary significantly from expectations published in the media which may relate to schools in areas with a different level rating (e.g. Greater Sydney is currently Level 4 which is very different to MC’s current Level 2 status).

In saying that, please be conscious that MC takes its responsibility to meet the Level 2 expectations, as expressed by NSW Health, very seriously. MC understands that we have a responsibility to ensure a safe workplace for our staff, together with a safe learning environment for each young person at our school. As such, please take the time to read the updated expectations below carefully, as your support in assisting MC to meet these expectations will be highly valued.

LEVEL 2 (Schools outside of Greater Sydney) Effective 8 July 2021

Schools are COVID-safe.

All staff and students are expected to be at school unless they have even the mildest of COVID symptoms. Staff and students should reduce travelling to geographical areas with higher levels of COVID restrictions in place.

Masks and face coverings

While at school, masks or face coverings are recommended* in all indoor settings for:

• for all secondary school students (7-12)
• all staff in primary and secondary school settings.

*Masks are recommended, but not mandated, for students 7-12 and all staff. On that basis students (7-12) and staff may personally determine whether they will wear a mask while onsite at MC. No student or staff should be disparaged for either wearing or not wearing a mask. Based upon NSW Health advice, it is not anticipated, at this time, that MC will seek to enforce the wearing of masks by students.

However, masks are mandatory on public transport. This means that students aged 13 years and over, together with staff, when travelling to and from school and during school excursions, by both public and private charter vehicles, are now required to wear a mask on the bus. If a mask is not worn, travel on a bus may not be permitted.

All adult visitors, including parents and carers, to the MC site, must wear a face mask.

Visitors at MC

No non-essential visitors (including parents and carers) are permitted to enter the MC site. It is the responsibility of MC to determine whether a prospective visitor (including parents and carers) is deemed as essential.

Parents and carers attending at MC to either drop off or pick-up their children must now:

• Remain in their car while moving through the car drop-off/pick-up zone
• If parking their car and waiting on the eastern side of the pedestrian crossing (outside the Preschool), wear a face mask and observe appropriate social distancing of 1.5 metres at all times
• Not drive and park private vehicles beyond the flagpole round-a-bout
• Not park their private vehicles and access the MC site from any other pedestrian access point
• Not cross the pedestrian crossing and/or enter the school site through the gated entry into the K-2 covered areas.

All visitors, including parents and carers, wishing to access the MC site must now:

• Attend directly at the main administration office (via the ring road) wearing a face mask and using the MC QR code to sign in and out and complete the site access screening conducted by MC’s administration staff
• Access by parents and carers to the MC site following the completion of the steps outlined in the above dot point is at the discretion of MC. All parents and carers are asked to respectfully follow any directions provided by MC in regard to such site access.

QR Code Sign in and out

All staff and visitors to the MC site must now use the MC QR code to sign in and out of the school site.

It is not a requirement that students use the MC QR code.

Volunteers

Unfortunately, other than volunteers working in the school’s canteen, all other volunteer work at MC is now paused. Volunteers working in the canteen must wear a mask.

Sport, Excursions and Public Performances

Information in regard to the various programs planned for Term 3 will be provided to you on a case-by-case basis.

MC Cloud

At MC we are prepared, if the need arises based on a change to NSW Health advice, to move quickly to the MC Cloud platform to provide high-quality, online learning to students. Having said that, we appreciate that onsite learning is the optimal learning context for families and young people.

Finally, thank you in advance for your observance and support of the expectations outlined above. I appreciate that such expectations may result in disruption and inconvenience, however, it is critical that MC plays its part in supporting the expectations of NSW Health throughout the course of the current pandemic, which of course helps to ensure a safe place for our staff and students.

The information above is current at the time that this is published. Clearly, circumstances may change quickly, in which case MC will be in a position to respond appropriately and inform you promptly of any resulting alterations to these current expectations.

Please feel welcome to email me if you would like clarification on any of the matters outlined in this email at [email protected]