RE: STAGGERED RETURN TO FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING
PHASE 1: MONDAY 11- FRIDAY 22 MAY 2020 

As COVID-19 continues to have an impact on our society, maintaining the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and College community continues to be a priority for Charlton.

We know that parents, students and staff are keen to return to school. Coming to school is important for students’ social, emotional and academic wellbeing. Whilst our Remote Learning has been very successful, it is no substitute for the classroom and school experience. We are also committed to socially responsible action to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

On the advice and guidance provided by the NSW Government and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), we have devised a plan to manage the safe return to School for students and staff from Monday 11 May.

The College’s position is that school is safe, and we would like as many students as possible to return to face-to-face teaching and learning and follow the plan below. We will continue to manage the risks with the safety procedures we have in place and have extended.

The first phase of our staggered return will see Kindy – Year 10 students return 2 days per week and Year 11 & 12 students for 4 days per week.

Kindy / Year 2 / Year 4:          Monday & Wednesday
Year 1 / Year 3:                        Tuesday & Thursday
Year 5 / Year 7:                        Monday & Wednesday
Year 6 / Year 8:                        Tuesday & Thursday
Year 9 / Year 10:                      Tuesday & Friday
Year 11 / Year 12:                    Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

The plan will have between 45-50% of students on site at any time and is subject to change due to government directives, health advice and local circumstances.

1. Teaching and Learning
Remote learning will operate only on days that students are not rostered for face-to-face teaching. When a student is not rostered for face-to-face learning, the College remains open for children of families who have no other option for their children.

If your child/ren needs to attend school on their non-rostered days in weeks 3-4, you will need to book them in by completing the supervision survey.  The survey must be completed and submitted by 10am Wednesday 6 May. 

2. Health and Safety
The advice from the Chief Medical Officer continues to be that schools are safe places for students, teachers and staff. New research prepared by the National Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance released on 26 April supports this. Charlton will continue to implement good hygiene measures to make our College as safe, clean and secure as we can. This includes:

1. Regular professional cleaning with high-strength anti-viral disinfectant
2. Regular hand washing protocols and the provision of hand sanitizer throughout the College, with messages about health and hygiene practices displayed prominently
3. Physical distancing within the practical limitations of the College environment, including the continuation of online assemblies, and the cancellation or postponement of large gatherings, Interschool sporting events, excursions, and avoiding close-proximity queuing.
4. Floor markings will be made at Reception and Student Services and when orders are picked up from the College canteen.
5. Use of crowded locker areas will be halted.  Senior School students will operate out of their College bags. Year 7 & 8 students will continue to use their lockers periodically under supervision.

It is critical that any student who feels unwell does not attend school. This is of vital importance if they have cold or flu-like symptoms. Parents are asked to continue to follow health advice; keeping your children at home if they are unwell. Similarly, parents of children with complex medical needs are encouraged to seek medical advice from their health care professional to make an informed decision about a return to school.

3. Drop Off & Pick Up
Drop off will occur in two locations – the normal internal College road and in the lower carpark. All parents are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times. Student leaders will be on hand from 8.20am, at the two locations to assist young children from cars and to guide them to their classrooms as needed.

Pick up will occur in two locations –  the upper carpark and the lower carpark.

In the upper carpark, parents are asked to remain in their vehicles. Staff will be on hand to direct traffic flow and take children to parent cars.

In the lower carpark, parents should wait on the grassed area out the back of Kindyland and maintain physical distancing. Staff will be on hand to assist Kindy students to meet their parents.

If your child is being picked up, please ensure that they know whether they will be collected from the upper or lower carpark.

Parents of Kindy students who do not have other children on site at the College, and whose children are not going to OOSH or catching buses, are asked to pick up their child at 2.30pm from the lower carpark area.

4. College Services
The College buses, Canteen and Uniform shop will return to normal operating hours. Canteen orders can be made for Recess and Lunch but will be online only (no cash sales). OOSH will be open Mon – Fri after school and mornings will be by request.

5. Financial Hardship Support
We recognise that many in our community are facing unprecedented business or income impact. Should your family be experiencing financial hardship at this time, please make contact with the College’s Business Office to discuss your family’s circumstances. The College is keen to work with families where possible to assist them to navigate and transition through the current impact.

6. Review
This plan is based on information available as of 1 May. Whilst it is our hope that College will return to full attendance for all students by 1 June, it is likely that the situation will continue to evolve, and advice to schools may change. We will keep you updated regularly throughout Term 2. We also recommend that you stay up-to-date with communications from the College.

We look forward to welcoming students back as we begin the process of a return to face-to-face teaching and pastoral care in Winter Uniform (formal or sport as per normal timetable). 

Please do not hesitate to contact any member of College Executive if you have queries.  We look forward to seeing your child/ren in Week 3.

FACEBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT 30 MARCH 2020

BUS SERVICE //
From Tuesday 31 March the following buses will not be in operation:
– Cameron Park
– Belmont
– Morisset

FACEBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT 30 MARCH 2020

CANTEEN CLOSED //
The Canteen is closed for the rest of Term 1. You will need to bring your own recess and lunch to school for the remainder of the term.

#charlton #covid19 #coronavirus #keepingyouinformed

 
UNIFORM SHOP UPDATE – 26 MARCH 10.40AM

The Uniform Shop is now selling online and via their call centre during the COVID-19 season. At this stage the shop will open on 24 April for Term 2 fittings and uniform needs. Details are available on their website. Thanks to Alinta for keeping our students in uniforms and supporting us during this time.

#charlton #covid19 #coronavirus #keepingyouinformed

Dear Parents
 
RE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE #6 – 26 MARCH 10.30AM

We are missing our students (with daily attendance approx 20-30%). However, there is a buzz in the air as we look forward to next Monday.  Some teachers are already interacting with students and are developing even more innovated ways to ensure learning continues through these uncertain times. The Years 11 & 12 Preliminary Examination block next week will provide a welcome touch of normality. Thank you for your support and patience as we provide learning in a new context.

I want to reiterate that Charlton is open for students and will remain open until the government directs us to close. While the recommendation is to keep students home where possible, we understand the complexity of family life and the broad range of circumstances that contribute to decision-making. Please know that there will be no judgement or guilt around the decisions that you make regarding school attendance.

From Monday 30 March, each student will work their day schedule (JS), Remote Timetable (MS) or normal timetable (SS) including Pastoral Care and interact with their teachers through their learning.
You are welcome to allow your child to experience learning from home and/or from school. Regardless of where they learn, students will have access to the same learning materials. Occasional school attendance may give your child the chance to establish routines to enhance their capacity to engage more independently. 

Our teachers will also be working to communicate with you as well as students. We will seek your feedback as we move forward. Teachers and Learning Support staff are available to answer questions from students and parents by email as normal. If you are opting to keep your child/ren at home, I encourage you to establish routines to allow students to focus on their school work. Students will have set recess and lunch breaks consistent with their timetable. Remote Learning Guides for Parents and Students will be provided soon. 

I also encourage you to be vigilant with the use of technology in your home and to provide a balance with time off technology, to exercise, to connect with family and engage in non-screen activities. We will continue to provide you with further information and resources each day as we work together.

I want to share with you a part of a message that a parent sent to me today:
“I know there can be hours of work behind the scenes that comes with each decision that is made regarding the Charlton College community and I’m so very grateful to all staff for always considering what is in the best interest for all students and families.  At times the best decisions can be the hardest to make, may our great God guide you at all times”.
 
Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
 
We are praying for our school community and hope you can take a moment to feel thankful.

Kind regards

Dear Parents

RE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE #5 – BUS SERVICE – 25 MARCH 8.30AM

As announced last night via email our College will remain open for students until the end of Term 1.  Remote learning will commence from Monday 30 March. During this time we are committed to providing our families with support and daily services. Therefore the College bus service will continue until Monday 30 March (inclusive).

Each day our bus drivers will be taking note of who is catching each bus.  This information will be reviewed and we’ll advise you if the service will continue until the end of Term.

Please keep in mind if remote learning continues into Term 2, then our bus service will not be operational during this period.

If you have any concerns about the bus service not being available for the balance of Term 1 or into Term 2, please email John Kroon.

Remember we are in this together and are here to help and support our families.  We will get through this.

Kind regards

PHONING US/ STUDENT ABSENCES

FACEBOOK UPDATE
24 MARCH 10.00AM

PHONING US / STUDENT ABSENCES //
We understand this is a hectic time for our families. Know we are here to help. Student absences are on the increase and we know families are wanting to let us know about their child’s absence from school. With only one phone line working you can let us know about your child’s absence via the Charlton app or email studentservices@charlton.nsw.edu.au
We hope this helps! Stay safe.

#charlton #covid19 #coronavirus #keepingyouinformed

Dear Parents

RE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE #4 –
23 MARCH 2020 10.30PM

In a rapidly changing landscape, the NSW Premier today encouraged parents to keep their children at home. Charlton will remain open for students who need to be cared for.  In the medium term, on-campus learning will be intended for children of essential services workers, children in need, and children of parents with no option other than to send their children to school.

If you are choosing to keep your child home, we ask that you notify the College via the usual means to assist us in keeping track of all our students.

From next Monday, there will be a limited canteen service available via Much Monitor for children who do attend school. There will be no cash service.

Remote learning from Monday 30 March
From next Monday, Charlton will provide access to ‘remote learning’, both for students at-home and students on-campus. We are well placed to support remote learning but parent support will be needed. The decision to begin next Monday is about giving time for parents to prepare for this transition. Specifically, please ensure that your family devices and home WiFi are operating, that your child has a place set up for home learning, and appropriate supervision has been considered.

In terms of IT, please ensure that you can access and log into Class Dojo (K-4) and/or Parent HQ (Yrs 5-12). For assistance contact:
– Email your child’s class teacher for accessing Class Dojo
– Email ICT for accessing Parent HQ

For your child/children to learn effectively from home, please remember that students will require boundaries around using devices at home, along with frequent supervision.

HSC studies
The Preliminary Examination period will proceed as communicated last week. Hygiene and social distancing procedures will be met in the MPC. Students who are ill should follow the College’s Appeal process. Forms are on HQ. The College is following NESA advice about assessments.

Financial challenges 
With the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the economy, business closures will impact our community. We are aware that some school families may be experiencing financial hardship or uncertainty about their future capacity to pay school fees.

We want you to know that we are not only sensitive to this but willing to support families due to the current economic downturn. It is important to us that our families have peace of mind and that we can assist in providing stability for your children. Whether it be a pause in payments, an extension of time, fee remission, or a combination of these, we are willing to provide some flexibility around fee payments.

The College has set up an emergency relief fund to assist families in this situation. If you are in this position, please make an appointment with our Business Manager, John Kroon, by calling reception on 4959 9111. We want to make sure your children have the stability of school during this time.

Gatherings, hygiene & cleaning
In terms of gatherings, we continue to uphold the Government directives about groups of people: there are no indoor activities with more than 60 students; and we are promoting social distancing in the playground and as appropriate in classrooms.
Hygiene is a priority with all students being encouraged to wash their hands regularly and also following guidelines about hand sanitizing and going to the bathroom.
In terms of cleaning, the following items are cleaned before school starts each day.

• Door handles
• Light switches
• Taps
• Benches
• Desks
• Railings

We are endeavouring to provide room cleaning packs (disinfectant and disposable cloths) to allow for users to clean desks and common work spaces after recess and after lunch.  As you can appreciate, the items in these packs are in short supply, but we are working towards having these packs in use by the end of the week.

Monitoring symptoms on site
There is a strong national directive for all parents to keep children with symptoms of fever, muscle aches, fatigue or coughs at home. If students present with identified symptoms at school, they are isolated in the student sickbay, parents are called and the student collected by family as soon as possible.  Any student who is sick has been told to stay at home.

If there is a COVID-19 case in the school, we will contact all families and work with the advice from NSW Health about our next steps.

Further updates
You will be updated as the situation changes on our COVID-19 Webpage and via email.

Your family’s well-being is important to us. Together we will navigate through these challenging times. Let’s continue to pray for our community and nation.

Kind regards

18 MARCH 2020 4.00PM

FACEBOOK CANTEEN UPDATE

Due to limited volunteers in the Canteen, TOMORROW and FRIDAY we will ONLY be accepting orders via Munch Monitor. Unfortunately there will be no over the counter sales or paper bag orders. Due to COVID-19 this situation may carry forward into the next few weeks as we have limited volunteers.

Given the current environment, we are wanting to limit our students and staff from handling cash particularly around food.
To assist us in this process you can upload “snack money” onto your Munch Monitor account for your child to make over the counter sales at the Canteen. You can set a daily limited for spending on Munch Monitor.

18 MARCH 2020 9.00AM

PRIME MINISTER UPDATE

The Prime Minister announced this morning, following a meeting with all Premiers and Chief Ministers last night, a number of further measures in responding to coronavirus (COVID-19).

Effective immediately the travel advice in relation to overseas travel is at Level Four: Do Not Travel.

As described on the Smartraveller website – “At level 4, your health and safety is at extreme risk. This may be because of a high threat of terrorist attack, conflict, violent social unrest, widespread infectious disease or critical levels of violent crime. It could be a combination of risks.”  All staff should be advised not to undertake overseas travel.

Effective immediately there is a ban on non-essential gatherings of 100 or more people indoors. States and Territories will be tasked with implementing the restrictions on social gatherings under public health legislation.

The following areas are exempt from the 100 person ban: airports, stations, platforms, stops, trains, trams, buses, medical and health service facilities, emergency service facilities, disability or aged care facilities, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other places of custody, courts or tribunals, parliaments, food markets, supermarkets, grocery store, retail stores, shopping centres, office buildings, factories, construction sites, mining sites and other workplaces necessary for their normal operation.

Education facilities including schools, universities, and child care facilities will also be exempt from the 100 person indoor ban.  However, we advise schools to avoid groups of this size wherever possible.

Schools should remain open. The Prime Minister was very clear that he and all Premier and Chief Ministers, on the basis of expert medical advice, remained of the view that at this stage schools should remain open.  The Chief Medical Officer spoke to reinforce this advice based on the experiences overseas and acknowledged the difficulties of schools seeking to meet some of the general social distancing measures.

No school groups should visit aged care facilities. This was part of the measures for protection around aged care facilities.

Social distancing measures, keeping a minimum of 1.5 metres from others where possible and ensuring good hand hygiene were reinforced as a critical measure.

The Prime Minister also reinforced that plans need to be made for any measures put in place to be sustainable for at least six months.

16 MARCH 2020 9.00PM

RE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE 

Dear Parents

The Prime Minister announced Sunday afternoon, following a meeting with all Premiers and Chief Ministers, that all those arriving from overseas from midnight on 15 March will be required to self-isolate for two weeks.

These measures expand those previously in place only in relation to certain countries advised to you previously. Updated information on travel restrictions and isolation requirements are available on the Australian Government’s website.

We continue to expect that all parents and carers within the College community will ensure that they are aware of and comply with these Government requirements.

In light of unfolding events, the College has taken the decision to cancel the Senior School Manila Mission Trip and postpone preparations for the Junior School Safe Haven Mission Trip until further notice.

At the College, we note that isolation is also required for those who have had contact with somebody with COVID-19. “Contact” is defined as spending more than 15 minutes face-to-face with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or sharing a closed space for more than 2 hours with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. This includes having this type of contact with the person 24 hours before they became ill (symptom checker).

Students with flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat or fatigue) should not come to school until symptoms resolve. If your child manifests these symptoms whilst at school, our Student Services staff will phone you and ask you to pick up your child as soon as possible.

Both the Australian and NSW Governments have considered School closures, however at this stage, have deemed that such action is not prudent.

In the most recent development, Dr Kerry Chant (NSW Chief Health Officer) stated yesterday that schools should expand the range of strategies used to reduce transmission to include avoiding mass gatherings. In support of this request, Charlton will not be holding events which bring parents and friends into the College in groups.

Therefore, we would like to advise we have cancelled the K-4 Parent-Teacher Interviews and the Years 5-12 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences.

In addition to reducing mass gatherings, until further notice we are also cancelling the following:

• Incursions and on-site gatherings greater than 100 (including Assemblies and Chapels)
• Excursions that are indoor and are in enclosed spaces

In the meantime, while the College remains open, cleaning procedures have been upgraded to include extra disinfecting of door handles, railing surfaces, bus rails and hand rests with the aim to reduce possible transmission through contact.

Of course, your children play a key role in this.

Once again, can I ask that you promote good hygiene practices to your child/ren, and staff will continue to do this at school. Particularly, encourage children to:

• Clean their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially before and after eating, and after using the bathroom;
• Practice cough etiquette – cover their nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow;
• Dispose of tissues in the bin immediately;
• Avoid unnecessarily touching mouth, nose and eyes;
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms;

It’s important for us all to be aware of the facts surrounding COVID-19, and a Fact Sheet is available on the NSW Health website. Management of COVID-19 and the safety of our students is a priority for us all.  I thank you for your ongoing support and understanding during these extraordinary times.

We will continue to keep you updated if there are significant changes or new developments, but also encourage all parents and carers to remain personally informed of the latest Government advice.

Please continue to pray for each other and the health of our nation.

Kind regards

Mark Ash
Principal

9 March 2020

RE: COVID-19 VIRUS

Further to our reference to the COVID-19 virus in last week’s Newsletter, the College is promoting hygiene education measures to minimise infection as we approach the main cold and ‘flu season of the year.

The College is operating as normal with increased vigilance around hygiene. We have taken steps to increase the awareness of appropriate good hygiene practices to protect against infections. Good hygiene includes:

1. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
2. Covering your cough and sneeze, disposing of tissues, and using alcohol-based hand sanitiser
3. If unwell, avoiding contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people)

Kind Regards