18 Oct 2021
Dear Parent/Carer,
As we return to face-to-face learning in Term 4, we are excited to be welcoming students and staff back onsite where we know the best learning happens. This is a summary of what our parents/carers and students can expect. Please contact us via email if you have any questions not answered in this information.
Key dates for our staged return
Attending school
All students are expected to return to school on the Monday, 25 October. Teachers will no longer be providing work for students at home, all classes will resume on site. Students with medical concerns around COVID-19 should provide a medical certificate for any prolonged absence (more than 3 days).
Staff and students must not attend work or school if unwell, even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home and not return to school unless:
· they have a negative COVID-19 test result and are symptom free or;
· they have isolated for 10 days, when no medical certificate is available.
In circumstances where students or staff have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms, a letter from their GP is sufficient to negate the requirement for a negative test. Where a person has previously tested positive for COVID-19, NSW Health will provide them with a medical clearance that allows them to return to school or work. There is no requirement for the person to produce a negative test result.
COVID-19 Communication
Parents/carers and students will be notified if a decision is made to close the school due to a confirmed case of COVID-19. During this time, we will continue to provide learning from home activities, and we will let you know when we can return to face-to-face learning. We will continue to communicate with you primarily via email and Facebook. All communication is also on the website. In the event we need to close the school, an SMS will also be sent out.
Bell times
From Monday, 18 October, Year 12 students will be learning at school and Years 7 to 11 will continue learning from home. Students are to follow the normal pre COVID-19 bell times for timetabled lessons. It is our expectation that students in Years 7 to 11 learning from home will be engaged with online learning for the first 30 minutes of each timetabled lesson. We understand that this change in routine will be challenging, but it is important that we prepare to get back to normal routines as all students will be returning to school on Monday, 25 October.
Broken Hill High School COVID-19 safe operations
Our COVID-safe return to school plan is NSW Health approved and includes numerous effective practices to support the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. These practices include staff vaccinations, mask wearing, reduced mingling of student groups and staff, ventilation in classrooms and continued good hygiene and cleaning.
Mask wearing and face coverings for students and staff
Masks are required to be worn indoors on the school site by staff and students, unless exercising. Students who require an exemption should present their medical certificate to their Deputy Principal (DP) on the first day they return to school. They will be issued an Exemption Pass which they should carry with them and show whenever requested.
The wearing of masks is a public health order, not just a school rule. Students who refuse to wear a mask when requested will be spoken to by the DP and parents/carers will be contacted if needed. A student may be asked to go home if they refuse to comply with the Public Health Order. Students should bring their own mask with them each day (they need to have one if they are on a bus). If they forget or lose it, the Front Office and DPs have back up supplies and they can be issued with another.
Vaccinations
COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection against severe illness and reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 helps to protect both you, your family, and your school community. All staff on site supporting the return to school will need to be fully vaccinated from Monday, 18 October. Then from Monday, 8 November all staff, contractors, and volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated. Students are not required to be vaccinated to return to school. Parents/carers may wish to discuss options for vaccination with their GP in the event their child/ward is eligible for a vaccination in NSW.
Ventilation
Having open or well-ventilated spaces reduces the risk of transmission of COVID-19 because infectious particles are more quickly diffused in the open air. The Department of Education will continue to work with NSW Health to provide us with advice and guidance on maintaining good ventilation in our school and we will make use of our outdoor spaces wherever practical. Broken Hill High School has been inspected and all windows checked by the Department's Asset team that they open and provide adequate ventilation.
Reduced mingling of student groups
As we return to school students will be kept in their cohorts to minimise transmission of COVID-19 and to enable effective contact tracing and containment. This means minimising interaction between students on school grounds and keeping cohorts together where possible.
Year cohorts will be kept in separate buildings, playground area’s and entering/exiting the school from a nominated gate. They will remain in the same building for the entire day with the teachers going to them each lesson. All practical lessons will be kept in year groups and will go to the Lab/Kitchen/Metals/Wood rooms and each room will be cleaned thoroughly after each year group has left.
Year 7 - will enter the school via Upper Tramway gate, classes will be in E Block West (Maths Building) and recess and lunch will be in E Quad/Upper Tramway area.
Year 8 - will enter the school via Main Gate (Garnet Street), classes will be in A Block classrooms and recess and lunch will be in Upper A Quad area.
Year 9 - will enter the school via Hall gate, classes will be in Upper B Block using music stairs and recess and lunch will be in G Quad area.
Year 10 - will enter the school via F Quad/Lower Tramway, classes will be in F Block classrooms and recess and lunch will be in F Quad/Lower Tramway area.
Year 11 - will enter via the school Science/Library gate, classes will be in B1/B2/B3/N1/N2 classrooms and use the stairs closest to HSIE and recess and lunch will be in the area between the Kitchens and Library area.
Year 12 - will enter the school via A Block gate, classes, recess, and lunch will be in the library.
Practical subjects including PD/H/PE, and sport will happen where possible. The Canteen will be operational for orders only and will not serve over the counter for recess or lunch from Monday, 25 October when all students and staff return. COVID-19 safe practices will be in place to ensure physical distancing and good hygiene as we move to Level 3 guidelines.
Families are encouraged to drop off and pick up students before and after school. We understand that this may not be possible and ask that you remind your children of the importance of mask wearing and good hygiene practices. Students are not to eat or drink on the buses to ensure their masks always remain on. Students walking home or being picked up will exit the school from their nominated cohort gate, students catching buses will exit through the main entrance gate.
School Activities
During Term 4 many school-based activities will remain on hold until NSW Health advise otherwise. This includes large celebrations like assemblies, presentation days, graduations, arts, and sports events. As soon as any information is available, we will update you.
Orientation and transition to school
Onsite orientations and transition programs are not currently allowed in person on school sites until we are advised differently by NSW Health. We will share more information in the coming weeks about our school’s orientation and transition program.
Year 7 (2022) Orientation is being explored. We will work closely with the primary schools to collect and analyse information about students to support their transition. Individual parent/carer meetings if required may be via Zoom.
Higher School Certificate (HSC) student revision and support
Teachers of HSC subjects are continuing to deliver learning for all HSC subjects that have an exam. Year 12 return to school on Monday, 18 October as per the return to school plan.
HSC Exams
We are putting in place and preparing COVID-safe arrangements for exams to minimise mixing between students. These plans include appropriate spacing for students and those exams are conducted in well ventilated rooms and spaces, mask wearing for students and staff onsite. We are also organising alternative venues in the event we need to relocate the exams.
Yours faithfully,
Mr Ross Mackay
Principal