COVID-19 Update

Cleaning

• Extended and increased formal cleaning of high-touch areas including toilets, door knobs, taps, air conditioner buttons, light switches etc.
• Extra hand sanitising stations (recently installed) throughout high traffic areas of the School and in Staff rooms 

Hygiene

Continued promotion of good hygiene practices for staff and students including:

• Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or using hand sanitiser, when entering school, and at regular intervals throughout the day particularly before and after eating, and after going to the toilet.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with ones elbow or a tissue and placing used tissues straight into the bin.
• Avoiding touching one’s eyes, nose and mouth.
• Encouraging students to not share food or drink.
• Continued adherence to strictest food hygiene preparation standards for the Canteen.

Distancing

HVGS will continue to encourage social distancing for students and staff including:

• Using rooms with with enhanced ventilation
• Where possible, arranging classroom furniture to leave as much space as possible between students
• Teachers maintaining 1.5m physical distance from other adults in staff rooms
• Encouraging non-contact greetings
• Two visitors only at any time in the uniform shop

• NO external visitors are permitted to enter or visit the School unless an emergency, critical to the School’s operations, or have approval from the School to do so.
• All approved visitors to the School must complete the HVGS External Visitors sign in form or scan the COVID QR code upon arrival. 
• Parents and carers are asked not to come onto the grounds unless your child requires your urgent attention, which would be notified to you by the School. The exception to this is to drop children at school, and collect children. Please remain in your vehicles for this.

• When dropping off and picking up students from Kindergarten through to Year 12 parents/carers must stay in their vehicle. This includes for regular school times, co-curricular activities, and late arrivals. The exception to this is;
  • Dropping off or picking children up from TeamKids.
    These exceptions are due to legislation requiring children to be signed in and out.
  • Picking up children from sickbay.
  • ELC parents signing children in or out of the service.

• Parents/carers are required to drop off and collect their children from the front of the ELC. This will assist to minimise the volume of visitors who attend our setting on a daily basis. Staff will be on hand to sign children in and out of the ELC and assist children with morning and afternoon routines.

• You may have noticed the ELC’s Coronavirus Policy on display in our foyer area. Here is a digital copy of the policy which outlines the steps we are taking to minimise the spread of any infectious illness, links to the latest Government information and requirements, as well information regarding the payment of fees.

• You may see some ELC staff wearing masks when you pick up or drop off your children, this is just to provided the staff with added protection during a time when they cannot socially distance from other adults. 

• Parents are allowed on-site to collect, given the legal requirement that student be signed out
• Parents will not be required to sign their child in or out on an iPad, TeamKids staff will do that (parents still need to escort children in and out of TeamKids). 

Parents who have an appointment at the Uniform Shop prior to school resuming are asked to access the Uniform Shop via the South Seas Drive Gate, only. A COVID sign-in register and QR code will be available at the Uniform Shop.

Please do not access other parts of the School before or after your appointment time.

Only two people will be served at a time, and physical distancing rules will apply.

Additional information:

• Uniforms can be purchased online through QKR.  Uniform price list and more information can be found on the Parent Portal under School Resources.
• During term-time parents can also attend the uniform shop, where social distancing rules will apply. The uniform shop is open Tuesdays and Thursday from 8am – 4pm during term time. 

• Students or staff who have been identified as close contacts of a person diagnosed with COVID-19 during their infectious period must also self-isolate at home, and should not attend school or childcare settings until 14 days after their last contact with the infected person
• If a student is unwell with respiratory illness, or cold or flu-like symptoms they should remain at home until symptoms resolve and, where appropriate, seek advice from a medical practitioner

Where appropriate and possible, we ask that families please be mindful about their travel beyond the region, particularly to Sydney and other COVID hotspots.

• Take all steps and precautions to combat Coronavirus, and to press home the relevant messages to children and students;
• Supervise hand hygiene; regular hand hygiene routines when at home (using soap);
• Enhance frequency and cleaning for high touch surfaces at home; and use outdoor environments; and