27 Jan 2022
Good afternoon parents and carers,
Across the break the school has been closely monitoring the emerging COVID situation in NSW and prior to the academic year commencing wanted to update you further on our email of January 23.
The health and safety of all in our community is paramount and as such we will begin 2022 with some of last year’s restrictions continuing to be in place for our school activities. Marsden has implemented a number of mitigation measures to commence the academic year as safely as possible including:
- Physical distancing where practicable
- No mixing of cohorts where possible (including recess and lunch)
- Staff and students are to wear surgical masks indoors
- Students are to wear masks on public transport and school buses
- Maximising the use of natural cross flow ventilation in classrooms and the use of Air Purifiers
- Only essential visitors permitted on site and all are required to sign in using the QR code
- Continued extra cleaning and provision of hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes in our classrooms
Rapid Antigen Test kit distribution
The Department of Education (DoE) stipulates the Rapid Antigen Tests are not mandatory for students; they are a supportive surveillance strategy to ensure your child is well. The DoE guidelines for school’s state:
- School staff will not be administering the rapid antigen tests to students.
- RAT kits should be collected from school by a parent or carer and the tests completed at home in the morning before attending school.
- Each student will receive an initial supply of 4 RATs to be used twice a week in the mornings preferably on Mondays and Wednesday before attending school for the first two weeks.
- More information from the Department of Education will be released around the subsequent course of action after these initial two weeks of school.
Distribution of RAT kits to parents/ carers with Uniform Shop bookings
- Parents/ carers with uniform bookings can collect their child’s RAT kits when COVID checking into the school at Reception prior to their appointment.
- Due to the staff returning there will be no parking available on site for Uniform Shop patrons on Friday January 28 or Monday January 31.
- Limited parking will be available on Saturday in the Gate 5 parking areas which lies between B Block (our Music room block) and F Block (our Industrial Arts block).
Distribution of RAT kits to parents/ carers via drive through entry from Brush Rd entrance only
- To help facilitate a smooth pick up of tests we will have a one-way drive through system. This is to ensure both COVID safety and convenience for parents/ carers so as to avoid large numbers of people congregating.
- Parents/ carers are to enter the school via the Brush Road entrance. This allows for a small amount of queuing. Brush Rd is on the eastern side of the school and runs parallel to Winbourne St.
- Exit from the school will only be through Winbourne St.
The school’s process for distribution
- Distribution and timing for each of the three days has been organised around student Last Names.
- Check-in areas will be 150 metres up the driveway from Brush Rd.
- Please ensure you have:
- either your child/ ren with you or
- your child’s student ID card.
- Primary and previous school ID cards for Year 7 2022 and new students.
- Drivers licence verification of address if there is no student ID card.
- Staff will check off the names against the alphabetised list and you will be directed to drive along further to pick up the required number of RAT kits before exiting the school via Winbourne St.
Distribution for those requiring walk-in access
The school’s preference and organisation is for parents/ carers to drive through from Brush Rd and pick up the RAT kits for their children. We understand this will not be workable for all parents/ carers and request those parents not driving to make their way to the school Cola at the allocated times for their pickup (as per table above) via the pedestrian access at GATE 2 on Winbourne St. Please note there may be a little wait time involved.
Using the Rapid Antigen Test
Please use the first test on your child’s first day of attendance for 2022 before coming to school. If they receive a positive result it is important for you to log that result with NSW Health through Service NSW and call the school to let us know. Your child and members of your household will need to isolate for seven days. If the test is negative your child can attend school as normal, there is no need to call us to report your negative result.
We ask for students to test on Mondays and Wednesdays each week prior to their attendance.
It is important that everyone is vigilant with regard to their health and their children’s health. Please do not send your child to school if they have any COVID symptoms (including runny nose, cough, fever, sore throat) even if they have returned a negative RAT test. This is important for the safety of all our staff, students and their families.
Other related updates
- Year 10 students involved in the Year 7 Peer Support program will not be required for the program and will be undergoing their usual pattern of study upon return to school on Wednesday February 2.
- Information around the Year 7 Camp will be forwarded out shortly.
I appreciate the support families have shown the school during these COVID affected times and will continue to roll out information in the leadup to the return to school and the weeks following. We are looking forward to welcoming your children back to school next week.
Kind regards,
Lance Berry
Principal