All students to return to face to face teaching
With students returning to face to face teaching and learning on Monday 25/5/20, the following information provides an overview of processes for the current conditions
Health and cleaning
While social distancing does not apply to students in classrooms in the updated health advice in the AHPPC guidelines, we are asking all students not to share equipment. We will also be disinfecting desks after each period and will be requesting student help with their own desk. We also have enhanced cleaning each day with extra cleaners frequently cleaning high touch surfaces and bathrooms.
You can help us by ensuring that you keep your child home if they are unwell, even with mild symptoms.
Access to school grounds
There should be no visitors to school sites unless they are essential. Preference should be given to virtual meetings wherever possible.
If there is an urgent reason why, as a parent, you believe it is necessary to enter the school grounds, please call ahead to alert staff.
Canteen Use
Canteen will be open, but will have a skeleton staff. Food will need to be pre-ordered by 9am each day, as per current arrangements.
Online Work
While online lessons will cease in their current format, we have some students who have medical reasons for remaining at home. Teachers will outline the work for the week in the usual Discussion page for their subject. Should these students need clarification, please reply to the weekly Discussion post or inbox your teacher via Canvas. The discussion comments may only be checked weekly.
Travel to and from School
If you are driving your children to school, please note the following drop off and pick up areas.
Primary students –primary gate and in front of the primary buildings.
Secondary students – behind McDonalds. Students should walk, using safety precautions, from here and enter the school through the front gates.
We have received the following information from transport NSW about buses and trains.
All students will have access to transport, and no student will be left behind.
School students will be given priority over other passengers on regular route services even if this means a service goes over physical distancing capacity. Adults may have to wait for the next service or choose to get off if they’re not comfortable with how many customers are on a service.
All services will continue to operate to a normal timetable until advised otherwise. Please keep an eye on relevant transport websites for updates.
Transport companies have increased cleaning measures on board bus services and will continue to monitor transport usage to support students travelling safely to and from school. Contact relevant companies for detailed information on cleaning processes if required.
Please remind students that they are still required tap on and off with their Opal card or show their school bus pass when boarding.
If different school groups are boarding a bus, each school should maintain social distance from the other and students should always maintain a safe distance from their bus driver, where practically possible.
Parents and carers should not send children on public transport if they are displaying any symptoms of being unwell. Customers will need to make the right decisions for themselves when it comes to keeping a safe distance.
Thank you
Thank you once again for the strong support you have provided for your children and for our staff during the online learning phases. We appreciate your support greatly, and are looking forward to having all of our students back with us."
Email from Principal, Jo Gray, to Parents Monday 20 May 2020
"Dear Families of HSPA,
We have welcomed the news from the government and the Department of Education that all students will return to school from Monday 25th of May.
We will be returning to face to face teaching and students will be attending their normal timetabled classes with their usual class teacher, following the official school bell times (Not the 40 minute online lessons).
We have had some queries about whether students should come back if they travel long distances or have an unwell family member.
Click on the link below for all the advice provided by the Department of Education for families, which should address all of these questions.
We will send further information about ensuring student health, travel, drop off, pick up etc in the day.
I would like to thank you sincerely on behalf of HSPA staff for the wonderful support you have given our staff and your children during this extremely challenging period of education.
Of course we may not be entirely out of the woods yet and will respond flexibly as needs arise.
If this attached information leaves you with questions, please get in touch so we can discuss these with you."
A guide to NSW school students returning to face-toface learning