Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for all your support during these past few weeks of remote and flexible learning.
Following advice from the Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government has advised that schools can begin a phased return to on-site schooling.
In the first stage, students in Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2, senior secondary (Year 11 and 12 VCAL and VCE) students and all students in specialist schools will return to school from Tuesday 26 May.
To support all school staff to prepare for this transition, Monday 25 May will be a pupil-free day.
In the second stage of our return to on-site schooling, all other year levels will return to school from Tuesday 9 June.
For those students who cannot be supervised at home and vulnerable children, the existing model of on-site schooling will remain in place during the two-week period from Tuesday 26 May to Tuesday 9 June. The current process that we are using to enable parents and carers to indicate the days or part-days for which on-site schooling is required will continue for this two-week period.
All other students in these grades and year levels who can work from home must continue learning from home until Tuesday 9 June.
Once a year level has returned, all students will be expected to attend school as normal. This means if you choose to keep your child/children home after their year level has returned to on-site schooling, we can no longer support their learning from home.
This does not apply to children who need to be absent for health or medical reasons. For those families, please contact us so we can make an appropriate plan.
This same approach is being taken by all government schools in Victoria. To support the health and wellbeing of all our students and staff, our school will continue an enhanced cleaning routine and will encourage frequent hand washing.
If you child is ill or is feeling unwell, they must not attend school. They must remain home and seek medical advice. If they do become unwell or show symptoms of being unwell they will be immediately quarantined and you will be called to immediately pick up your child from school. Please remember If any students or staff member test positive for COVID-19 the campus will be immediately closed until deep cleaning of all surfaces can take place.
While the Chief Health Officer has advised that students will not be required to maintain physical distancing at school, there will be a number of important changes to our school operations, consistent with health advice to all schools that will be made available on the college websites. This will apply until further notice. I will provide more detail about our local context as soon as possible, but it is important to note that changes will include:
- All campuses and sites of Wodonga Middle Years, Wodonga Senior Secondary Colleges and the Flexible Learning Network Centres will continue with the timetable that was in place prior to remote learning. The school day will operate during the usual times.
- Only immediate school staff and students will be allowed on site. If parents need to contact the school, they must do so by telephone or email.
- the way we conduct parent-teacher meetings and interviews including Student Support Groups (SSG’s) will be via teleconference.
We understand that some families may feel anxious about this move back to classroom teaching and learning. I can assure you that this decision has been taken on the basis of the best health advice available to our state. With your support and vigilance in enacting the health and hygiene measures as outlined we will make this a safe experience for all.
More information about the return to school and coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on the Department’s website, which will continue to be updated:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/coronavirus.aspx
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this time. We look forward to welcoming our students back to the classroom.
Yours sincerely,
Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal
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