COVID-19 Update

As you are aware, yesterday the Premier announced that the local government areas of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle have had community transmission of COVID-19 and stay-at-home restrictions have now been introduced for the period 5pm Thursday 5 August 2021 until 12.01am Friday 13 August 2021.

In this context, the operation of MC over this period will now move from Level 2 to Level 4 restrictions, meaning that the following will now apply regarding the operation of MC to ensure that we are able to continue to provide a safe school environment for both our students and staff.

Student Attendance and Learning at MC

Parents and carers must keep children – across both Junior and Senior School – at home unless they need to be at school. During the period of Level 4 restrictions, MC will remain open to any child who needs to attend school.

Junior School Students who attend MC either in person or via MC Cloud will be supported by Learning Stage appropriate staff to complete their learning each day.

Senior School Students who attend MC in person will be supervised in a COVID safe setting to complete their lessons via MC Cloud. SS students not onsite at MC will likewise be supported to continue their learning via the MC Cloud platform as per their timetabled classes.

Based on past experience, MC is confident that our MC Cloud platform can continue to support the successful learning of young people across our K-12 programs.

While it is preferred that young people across our K-12 programs will now learn from home via the MC Cloud platform, we also realise that this is simply not possible for all families. In such circumstances, please be conscious that if you are choosing to send your young people to MC during the current Level 4 period, the learning program may look quite different to a regular school day with adjustments to learning, breaks and other routines that your child may be more familiar with.

The intent throughout this period is to continue to provide high-quality learning to young people whether they be online, via MC Cloud (which is preferred by MC) or in person (if this is necessitated by family circumstance). To make this possible, reasonable adjustments to our regular school program are unavoidable.

Students Who are Unwell or Become Unwell While at MC

Students with cold or flu like symptoms should remain at home and seek the support and guidance of an appropriately qualified medical practitioner. Students who present at school with cold or flu like symptoms and/or develop such symptoms while at school will be required to be collected from school immediately. Students in such circumstances should remain at home until a negative Covid-19 test result has been obtained and the result of that test has been provided to the school.

MC Cloud

Specific advice regarding access to and use of the MC Cloud platform will be published to families later today.

Masks and Face Coverings

NSW Health current advice requires that all MC staff must now wear a face mask or covering at all times including when working outdoors in all schools operating under Level 4 restrictions – this includes in playgrounds and on school grounds.

While at school, masks or face coverings are required in all indoor settings for all students in  Year 7 and above.

Some exemption apply: Staff are not required to wear a mask or face covering where it may affect the ability of a student or students to hear or engage with them, such as where students are hard of hearing.

Staff and students are not required to wear a mask where they are alone in an office or classroom.

Masks or face coverings are not required to be worn by a staff member or student who has a physical or mental health illness or condition, or disability, that makes wearing a mask unsuitable. For example, if they have a skin condition, an intellectual disability, autism or trauma, they are not required to wear a mask.

Masks are mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 13 years and over, and staff when travelling to and from school by public transport or by chartered or private transport services.

Cleaning at MC

Scheduled cleaning and fogging of all internal spaces at MC will be maintained regardless of attendance levels at our school site.

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 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 roundabout
• 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, all volunteer work at MC is now paused under the Level 4 restrictions.

Sport, Excursions, Public Performances and External/Out-of-Hours Use of the MC Site

All off-campus sport, public performance, external party use of the MC site out-of-school hours and all school excursions are also now paused under the Level 4 restrictions.

Canteen and Uniform Store

Canteen and uniform store operation is also paused under the Level 4 restrictions. This means that any students attending school will need to provide their own lunch as food and beverage items cannot be purchased from the MC Canteen.

OOSH

The OOSH program at MC may continue to operate dependent upon the guidance provided by the operators of the OOSH service. Families seeking to confirm access to the OOSH service are requested to contact the OOSH provider directly via 0477 803 148.

Finally, please be assured that MC will continue to monitor and implement any updates to the current Level 4 restrictions as applicable to our school. We thank you in advance for your support of the measures outlined in the text above and suggest that you contact the school office on 4954 6222 or [email protected] if you would like further details or clarification on any of the matters outlined above.