Dear Parents/Caregivers
Many of you will already be aware that a lockdown for 11 Local Government areas in South East Queensland has been declared by the Queensland Government. The lock down takes place from 4pm Saturday afternoon (31/07/2021) and is for a period of 3 days until 4pm Tuesday 3 August. This is due to locally acquired cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, confirmed early Saturday. The Acting Premier, Steven Miles announced that this is the strictest lockdown we have seen thus far in the Government Areas of South East Queensland.
Our school will therefore be closed on Monday 2 August and Tuesday 3 August 2021. During these two days, the school will ONLY be open for vulnerable children and children of essential workers. Essential workers are those who must currently continue to work and attend their workplace due to the provision of essential services. We kindly ask that all parents who are able to keep their children at home please do so for the sake of the health and wellbeing of everyone in our entire school community.
If you are an essential worker and need to send your child/children to school for supervision only, please note the following important information:
- Children MUST be registered online by no later than 7.30 am Monday 2 August for roll compilation and roll marking purposes.
- Email your registration ASAP to: admin@waterfordss.eq.edu.au
- In your email please include your child's name, year level, and the day/days that they will be attending for supervision.
- Administration and support staff will be at the front and back gate from 8am only to monitor attendance of students and to ensure that students are correctly registered. All other gates will be closed.
- Students are not to arrive at school before 8 am as there will be no staff supervision provided until that time.
- Upon arrival, students will be directed to their location by staff.
- The school day will finish at 2.45pm as usual. We would appreciate that children are picked up promptly by parents/caregivers at that time or as close to that time as possible.
- If any student of an essential worker shows any sign of illness while at school during this 2 day lockdown, parents will be contacted immediately to make arrangements for the child to be sent home.
- Parents will not be allowed on site during the 2 day lockdown. We respectfully ask that you maintain social distancing at all times, and organize drop off and pick up at the front gate only. Any communication with staff/administration needs to be via the school phone number 3451 8222 or via the administration email – admin@waterfordss.eq.edu.au
- The tuckshop will be closed so therefore any students attending will need to bring food for the day/days.
Other important information:
- The Uniform Shop will be closed until school re-opens.
- During this time all on-site sports, Parent-Teacher Interviews, Enrolment interviews and all training and extracurricular activities will be cancelled/postponed. Children of essential workers who need to attend school over the two days will be supervised only. There will be no new learning occurring during these two days.
- Parents will not be permitted on school grounds during the 2 day lockdown. All drop off and pick up of students is to happen at the front or back gate (supervision from 8am until 8.45 am; 2.45pm). If parents need to communicate with staff, please email admin@waterfordss.eq.edu.au or ring us on 3451 8222.
- If parents need to collect their student/s throughout the day, please ring the administration and we will organize a staff member to escort them to the front gate.
- ALL Staff in the school will be required to wear face masks.
- Staff who are able to attend school will attend on-site as normal to supervise children in attendance. (Children of essential workers/vulnerable children).
- Monday 2 August will be a planning day for staff to prepare for online learning.
- The provision of online/remote learning will only take place on the second day of the lockdown (Tuesday 3 August).
- Parents and students at home are able to access a wide range of resources via the department's Learning@home website https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home
As a reminder, while the school is closed it is important that we all continue to follow state-wide recommended hygiene and physical distancing measures and to stay within our homes as much as possible adhering to the lockdown guidelines. If you are unwell or develop any COVID-19 symptoms at all, please get tested immediately. Please continue to monitor the Queensland Health website for affected locations. If you have been to any of the listed locations as advertised by QLD Health, you should get tested, isolate immediately and contact 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) if you have any questions.
It is important that we all continue to focus on our own wellbeing and mental health and there are some great resources and information tools available on this Queensland Health website.
For assistance in languages other than English, please refer to the National Translating and Interpreting Service, and the Translated Australian COVID-19 information and resources.
I thank all parents/carers for your support as we embark on this temporary closure. I would like to reassure you that the health and wellbeing of our entire Waterford community remains our number one priority. This situation is very different to the one we experienced towards the end of Term 1 this year, in that the DELTA variant of COVID19 is highly transmissible and extremely contagious, therefore, we need to be very vigilant and careful during this lockdown period.
I look forward to bringing our whole school community back together again and resuming our normal school operations as soon as possible.
As always, I will continue to provide any further updates as appropriate, in a timely manner.
I am grateful for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Rob McCullough
Principal
Waterford State School