Dear parents and caregivers,
Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to respond to the evolving COVID-19 situation. As announced by the Premier on Sunday 30 January 2022, the Queensland Government has released the COVID-safe back to school plan.
From Monday 7 February, key features of the plan include:
- The suspension of school camps, excursions, assemblies, and large gatherings (please note that school sport will continue as usual)
- Limiting visitors on site, with exceptions for parents and carers of students experiencing vulnerability and students attending Prep or Year 1
- Special drop off zones and school specific COVID safe practices
- Masks strongly encouraged for students in Years 3 to 6 when social distancing is not possible
- Schools will have a back-up stock of masks to provide to students in the event that they do not have ready access to their own personally provided masks (i.e. lost, damaged, or forgotten).
- Rapid antigen tests (RATs) available in school for students and staff who develop symptoms while on site
- Priority access to RATs for students and staff at Queensland Health testing clinics
Essential to the success of these measures is that if your child is unwell or displaying any COVID-19 symptoms, they must not attend school. I cannot emphasise this message strongly enough – it is critical to keeping our school community safe.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs)
Our school has a supply of RATs which will be provided to any staff or students who, while attending school, develop COVID-19 symptoms. Please note if your child has COVID-19 symptoms while at home they must not attend school.
Limiting access for visitors
At our school, limitations on parent and visitor access are now in place.
If you are a parent of a Prep or Year 1 student, you may enter the school with your child as per the Caningeraba State School Start of School COVID-Safe Plan 2022 7 Feb - 4 Mar outlined below.
For other parents and visitors, please limit your access to the school as much as possible as per the Caningeraba State School Start of School COVID-Safe Plan 2022 7 Feb - 4 Mar outlined below.
Thank you for your understanding as we continue to work together during this difficult and unprecedented time.
Yours sincerely,
Ray McConnell
Principal
CANINGERABA STATE SCHOOL START OF SCHOOL COVID-Safe PLAN 2022
Monday 7 February – Friday 4 March
A3 posters of the school map, that you will receive by email later this week, will be placed in multiple locations around the school and staff will be on hand to assist Prep/Year 1 parents, caregivers and Years 2–6 students in locating their classrooms. You would have already been informed of your child’s class (e.g. 4S).
Before school drop-off arrangements:
Day 1, Monday 7 February
Visitors are strictly limited on school sites for the first 4 weeks until 4 March with the exception of parents and carers of students attending Prep or Year 1 and students experiencing vulnerability.
Staff will be on duty at the various school entry points from 8am to help remind and educate parents and caregivers around arrangements and strict 1.5 metre social distancing requirements.
Teachers will kindly have their classrooms open from 8am on Day 1 only to allow appropriate time for social distancing and drop-off of book packs between 8am and 8:50am.
In order to minimise challenges with our COVID-Safe Plan on Day 1, parents are asked to observe the following:
- Please consider only accompanying your child onto the school grounds if absolutely necessary. As the parent or caregiver, this might be because your child/ren:
- Are in Prep or Year 1 or are experiencing vulnerability
- Are having difficulty carrying their book pack
- Are new to the school this year
- All adults MUST socially distance 1.5 metres from other adults and students at all times.
- All adults MUST wear a properly fitted mask.
- Your time on the school site is to be strictly limited.
- Observe the directions of school staff at all times.
Parents and Caregivers of Prep and Year 1 students are allowed to enter the classroom on Day 1. The following guidelines must be strictly adhered to:
- A limit of 4 parents per classroom (one adult per family) MUST be strictly observed at all times.
- All parents must sanitise their hands with the pump sanitiser provided before entering the classroom.
- Enter the classroom wearing a properly fitted mask,
- maintain social distancing of 1.5 metres
- introduce your child to the teacher
- drop off your child’s book pack
- connect your child to an activity as directed – equipment is for student use only
- leave the classroom immediately.
- Please refrain from handling items or touching surfaces in the classroom.
- There are 25 students in each class so please be considerate of the teacher and other parents who may be waiting outside.
- Please only engage the class teacher in important information about your child if it is vital on the first day such as medical information etc. If it is not urgent, you may need to email the class teacher at a later time.
- Notify the teacher as to pick-up arrangements for your child in the afternoon.
Parents and Caregivers of Year 2 to Year 6 students are only allowed to enter the classroom for the express purpose of carrying in book packs and placing them on their child’s desk, if absolutely necessary. In most cases this would only be required for younger children.
- A limit of 4 parents per classroom (one adult per family) MUST be strictly observed at all times.
- Enter the classroom wearing a properly fitted mask.
- All parents must sanitise their hands with the pump sanitiser provided before entering the classroom.
- Leave the classroom immediately.
After school pick-up arrangements:
Day 1, Monday 7 February
Prep and Year 1 Parents and Caregivers will be allowed to enter the school grounds at 2:50pm to collect their child from outside their classroom.
Parents and caregivers must not enter the school grounds before 2:50pm.
Please observe the following strict guidelines:
- Upon entry, ensure your mask is fitted correctly, follow staff direction where required, observe strict social distancing and walk directly to your child’s classroom, but do not enter the classroom.
- The teacher will send your child out to you when you arrive – you will not be able to have a conversation with the teacher at this point in time.
- Once you have collected your child, leave the school immediately.
- Avoid lingering and congregating to chat with other parents.
- Playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school.
- Older siblings collecting a Prep or Year 1 student in the afternoon would need to collect them directly from the classroom at 2:50pm when the bell rings. Please ensure that the younger child, older sibling and class teacher are fully aware of these arrangements.
Years 2 to 6 Parents and Caregivers are not allowed to enter the school site for pick-up in the afternoon.
- Communicate with your child in the morning at drop-off which entry point, method of pick-up or Kiss and Go etc. you will use to collect your child, as was our practice last year. Preferably this would be the same spot as in the morning.
- Please inform other relatives collecting students on your behalf, such as grandparents, of school requirements and family arrangements to avoid unnecessary confusion.
If you are the parent or caregiver of a child experiencing vulnerability and find it necessary to collect your child from outside their classroom at 2:50pm please observe the following strict guidelines:
- Year 2 to Year 6 Parents and Caregivers must not enter the school grounds before 2:50pm.
- Upon entry, ensure your mask is fitted correctly, follow staff direction where required, observe strict social distancing and walk directly to your child’s classroom but do not enter the classroom.
- Once you have collected your child, leave the school immediately.
- Avoid lingering and congregating to chat with other parents.
- Playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school.
Outside School Hours Care (Helping Hands)
- Prep and Year 1 students will be collected by the service from the classroom teacher.
- Years 2-6 students will go directly to the OSHC Service.
Before school drop-off arrangements:
From the Second Day, Tuesday 8 February until Friday 4 March.
Prep and Year 1 Parents and Caregivers are welcome to continue to enter the school site for drop-off but will not enter classrooms unless it is your child’s first day at school this year. If this is the case, please observe all COVID-Safe Day 1 protocols outlined above.
- Parents can drop their child near the Tuckshop Covered Area whilst maintaining social distancing and MUST leave immediately.
- Masks MUST be worn at all times.
- Parents MUST not linger near this covered area or remain on the school grounds.
- Students are not to arrive at school prior to 8:15am in the morning as there will be no supervision. The OSHC service is provided for early entry to school before this time.
Parents and Caregivers of Year 2 to Year 6 students are not allowed to enter the school site from Day 2.
Year 2 to Year 6 students are required to make their way each morning to their supervised covered areas as follows:
- Years 2 and 3 – Large covered area adjacent to Teaching Block 13 on main walkway
- Years 4 to 6 – Senior Learning Centre undercover assembly area
- Students are not to arrive at school prior to 8:15am in the morning as there will be no supervision. The OSHC service is provided for early entry to school before this time.
After school pick-up arrangements:
From the Second Day, Tuesday 8 February until 4 March.
As per Day 1 pick-up arrangements outlined above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my child be expected to wear a mask?
As per Education Queensland’s Back to School 2022 Plan, students in Years 3-6 are strongly encouraged to wear masks when physical distancing is not possible. This would mainly be appropriate within the close confines of a classroom or going to the library etc. The most recent information from Education Queensland states that the supply of face masks by the Department is intended to offer schools a back-up stock of masks to provide to students in the event that they do not have ready access to their own personally provided masks (i.e. lost, damaged, or forgotten). Therefore, parents and caregivers would be required to provide their child with a mask if that is their wish. Back-up masks will be provided by classroom teachers in the classroom if requested by students (pending availability of stock). Parents are encouraged to provide a sealed bag or container that could be used by their child to keep their mask clean if required during eating and break times. Students would be asked to keep them in their school bags at these times rather than leaving them on desks etc. The school will be encouraging the use of masks but will not be mandating this practice for our Years 3 – 6 students.
What happens if my child becomes unwell at school?
It is most important that parents and caregivers do not send their child to school if they are displaying any COVID related symptoms or are unwell. If a student shows any symptoms during the school day, they will be socially distanced from staff and students in a safe, supervised undercover area adjacent to the administration building. Parents and caregivers will be contacted to come and collect their child as soon as possible. Please notify the school if your emergency contacts have changed. To minimise possible transmission of COVID, the collection of your child will not be via the internal school office. Parents and caregivers will be instructed to collect their child from the hall side of the Administration Office where they will be given further directions by staff. A Rapid Antigen Test will be provided to the parent through a COVID safe and contactless process on the hall side of the administration block as directed by school staff.
All Rapid Antigen Tests are to be conducted at home. If the RAT is negative, once the child is no longer unwell or displaying symptoms, they would be permitted to return to school. If the RAT is positive, the child would need to follow all QLD Health directives and remain in isolation and only return to school when allowed out of isolation. Parents and caregivers are asked to inform the school, via phone or email, of the results of Rapid Antigen Tests on the same day your child was collected from school. Staff who become unwell at school will follow a similar process.
Will there be enough staff to operate classes successfully from next week?
As you would be aware, nobody can predict what will happen on 7 February and beyond as we manage this widespread Omicron crisis. Each day, we have staff members who either become close contacts, are unwell, or test COVID positive resulting in 7 day plus isolation periods after testing etc. The same will be happening throughout our Caningeraba families at the current time. It is possible that a class may not have their usual class teacher for the start of school on Monday as we work through these unforeseeable situations and resultant isolation cycles. Whilst we are well-planned, we must all be well-prepared to accept that everything could change at a moment’s notice and that we will have to remain tolerant and accepting that everyone is trying to do their best. We really don’t know how many students will attend in the first week so it will continue to be a balancing act between student numbers, classes and managing reduced staffing due to staff absences.
What happens if there is a COVID positive case at school whether it be a staff member or student?
The school will communicate with the community as appropriate if there have been COVID positive staff or student cases on the school site. This letter will simply state that there has been a COVID positive case/s on the school site and will not provide any specific information regarding year level cohort, class etc. Privacy and confidentiality must be protected in all such cases as directed by Education Queensland and QLD Health. We will continue to follow departmental directives in this regard.
Will my child receive school work if they are required to remain at home because they are unwell or in isolation due to being a close contact or COVID positive?
We would not want your child attempting to do school work if they are unwell. However, if your child has a vulnerable health condition or must remain in home isolation as directed by QLD Health, then the school, upon request, will work to provide Caningeraba State School specific Learning Routine Overviews for your child. Due to the teaching demands of class teachers at school, they will not be able to provide any further support for your child during this time. Learning Routine Overviews will not be provided to parents and caregivers who decide not to send their child to school for reasons other than vulnerable health conditions or QLD Health directives. The learning@home site is available on the departmental website for these circumstances.
Will camps, excursions and interschool sport go ahead in due course?
All camps and excursions are cancelled until 4 March 2022. After that time, all decisions will be communicated with families in accordance with the current COVID context and operating guidelines at that time.
How do I get to the Administration Office?
Parents and caregivers are to access the administration office via the Whistler Drive angled entry path and are not permitted to use the Student Entry on the eastern side of the Administration Block.
How do I get to the Uniform and Bookshop?
Parents and caregivers are asked to enter and exit via the School Hall entrance adjacent to the carpark.
Does the school have safe hygiene practices?
Our hygiene practices including the sanitising of hands entering and exiting classrooms, adjusted use of shared equipment, extra cleaning of high traffic surfaces, cleaning of sports equipment, cleaning playgrounds etc. have not changed from the past two years.