We are very much looking forward to the return of children to face to face learning. My sincere thanks to families for their support and patience over the remote learning period.
Following advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer and as announced by the Victorian Government, Victorian government schools will begin a transition back to on-site schooling for students.
The staged return will be as follows
ELC Monday 28 September
Prep Monday 12 October
Year 1 Monday 12 October
Year 2 Monday 12 October
Year 3 Wednesday 14 October
Year 4 Wednesday 14 October
Year 5 Thursday 15 October
Year 6 Thursday 15 October
Year 7 Thursday 15 October
Year 8 Monday 26 October
Year 9 Monday 26 October
We have continued to update our processes on site, in line with the advice from Victorian Chief Health Officer and the Department of Education guidelines, to minimise risk to staff, students and community members. Should this advice change we will review and update our procedures accordingly.
The College has a detailed COVIDsafe plan and the information below outlines the COVID safe procedures at the College. (full details are available in the policy section on the College website).
It is very important that social distancing of adults is practiced in our community. We are not able to have parents/carers on site at this time and visitors are restricted to essential workers only.
Masks must be worn by adults and all secondary students. Please make sure that all secondary students wear their mask to and from the College. Students who do not wear their masks will not be permitted onsite.
We will continue to utilize the drop off and pick up processes that were in place in Term 2, as outlined below. Please make sure that you are wearing a mask when you leave home and that you are practicing social distancing by keeping 1.5 m apart and using non-contact greetings with other adults.
I encourage you to take advantage of the new drop off arrangements (kiss and drop) that will reduce the congestion and interaction between adults.
Please discuss these changed arrangements with your children before they return to school.
Visitors on Site
- parents and carers are not permitted on site
- only essential health/allied health and maintenance workers will be permitted on site
- temperature checks required
- masks must be worn
Drop Off (see diagram below)
- there will be two ‘Kiss and Drop’ bays. If you use these bays you will pull up in the car and the children will get out and head into school. Cars are not permitted to park. The drop off bays will be supervised by Doveton College staff.
- ‘Kiss and Drop’ bays are located at the front of the College on Tristania St just before the school crossing and at the rear of the College in the carpark where you can enter at the northern gate and exit through the southern gate
- the main carpark is only to be used by Early Learning families
- the College grounds will be closed with the exception of the following entry/exit points for students only
- MAIN GATE Gate near the bike shed (primary students only) Tristania St
- SCIENCE GATE Gate near science room (secondary students only) Tristania St
- LIBRARY Agora/library entrance Laurel Avenue
- BACK GATE Gate near oval on Ash Street
- Gate for before/after care near senior playground
- we ask that parents please do NOT congregate before and after school and to observe social distancing of 1.5m between adults
- gates will be opened from 8:45am
- students are not permitted to enter or exit through the front foyer area unless they arrive after 9:15am or need to leave before 3pm
- Early Learning Children should be signed into the ELC by one adult. Siblings are not permitted in the ELC at drop off and pick up.
- Only one adult can enter the Early Learning Centre building
- ELC entry is via the side gate in the main carpark in Tristania St
Pick up
- students who do NOT have siblings should be picked up at 3:05 where possible
- other students will assemble in their family groups and will be dismissed at 3:15
- ELC children should be picked up before school children as siblings are not permitted in the ELC
School Operations
- drinking taps will not be in use – students must bring their own named water bottle
- no camps
- no excursions
- no incursions
- explicit teaching of hygiene, good physical and mental health
- supervised hand washing
- hand sanitiser in every learning space
- physical distancing between adults
- increased cleaning of high touch surfaces by professional cleaners during the school day
- cleaning supplies provided in all learning spaces
- staff have been trained in COVID19 hygiene practices
iPads and Laptops
- Students in years 7,8, 9 must bring their charged device every day
- Students who have a loaned device must bring it to school each day until further notice
We have been working with the City of Casey to ensure that the School Crossings Supervisors will be back when children return. They will be equipped with extra personal protective equipment (PPE), to ensure their own safety, and that of the school children. These will include face masks, hand sanitiser and face shields (where staff have a medical exemption from wearing a face mask). For school crossings located at pedestrian lights, School Crossings Supervisors will be wearing disposable gloves, and will be given rubbish bags to safely dispose of the gloves at the end of each shift. Please assist them in their important work by adhering to social distancing measures in and around our school crossings.
Breakfast club will be operating from 8:45am in the Agora each day. In line with our COVIDsafe plan we will be serving toasted sandwiches, fruit cups and milk. The canteen will be operating from Monday 19 October and has a COVIDsafe plan in place.
Our highest priority is the mental health, safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff. It is essential that staff and children who are unwell do NOT come to school. If your child/ren display any COVID symptoms – fever, sore throat, cough, loss of sense of smell, loss of sense of taste they must STAY HOME and be tested. They must isolate at home until they receive a negative test result before returning to the College. If children present with symptoms we will have to call parents and have them collected immediately.
Some students have been able to more quickly progress in their learning in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their rate of progress, and some have, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers, fallen behind. Our priority will be to ensure those who have fallen behind can catch up and those who have progressed significantly can continue to be extended and stretched in their learning.
Once again, I thank you for your co-operation in adapting to these changed procedures. We have adopted a conservative approach, with an abundance of caution so that we can minimise the risk to the community and limit the spread of the virus.
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact us at the College (8765 0111). Karen Green, Early Learning Director; Amara Miles, Wellbeing; Raa Houpapa and Thadd Rimer – Assistant Principals, and I are always happy to talk with parents, carers and families.
Kind Regards,
Debra Gibson
