Return to School Guide - Term 4, 2021
for parents, guardians, students and staff
Issued 15/10/2021
Updated 26/10/2021
Ascot Vale Primary School
‘Unique Learning Community’
Where we value:
RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY EXCELLENCE EMPATHY GRATITUDE
‘Unique Learning Community’
Where we value:
RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY EXCELLENCE EMPATHY GRATITUDE
UPDATE 26th October
Dear parents
Thank you for your efforts in Term 4 to help support the transition to onsite schooling, including getting your family vaccinated and encouraging mask wearing at school.
We are very excited to share that following the vaccination targets being met in Victoria, the staged return to onsite learning is being brought forward, with all onsite schooling to commence full time at Ascot Vale PS from Wednesday 3rd November.
Please be reminded:
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER is a Pupil Free Day – no school this day
TUESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER is a Public Holiday – school closed
The earlier return of students to full-time onsite learning is great news for our school community and families.
From Wednesday 3rd November:
We have taken a number of steps to support onsite learning, including staff vaccination, ventilation, physical distancing for staff and students, staggered start, finish and break times, and mask wearing.
AVPS will be encouraging students to remain safe and practice good COVIDSafe behaviours for the remaining of Term 4.
Ahead of students resuming full-time onsite learning from Wednesday 3rd November, AVPS will/has continue/d to provide onsite learning in line with the staged reopening plan. Please see separate Compass Alert for details.
Thank you again for all your support and we very much look forward to welcoming our students back to onsite learning full time.
Kind regards
Sue Osborne
Principal
Return to School Update – 26th October 2021
The Victorian Government recently made an announcement regarding the return to school being brought forward, consequently, AVPS will be implementing the following from Wednesday 3rd November:
1)Staggered lunch breaks
2)Staggered arrival and departure arrangements
These strategies, explained below, aim to reduce concentrations of students or families and minimise crowds gathering in playgrounds and at gates.
1)STAGGERED LUNCH BREAKS
RECESS
Year P- 2 - 10:45-11:15am
Year 3-6 - 11:15-11:45am
LUNCH TIME
Year P- 2 – 12:30-1:30*
Year 3-6 – 1:30-2:30*
* First 15 minutes is eating time
2)STAGGERED START AND FINISH TIMES AND DESIGNATED ACCESS GATES
ACCESS GATES have been allocated to each unit for arrival and departure.
Unit 1 – Bank Street – in front of blue entry door close to Unit 1
Unit 2 – Bank Street – office entry
Unit 3 – Bank Street – Car park gate
Unit 4 – Moonee Street – double gates near playground
Unit 5 – Moonee Street – pedestrian gate near oval
Unit 6 – Bank Street – North West gate – in front of Unit 6
STUDENT ARRIVAL / DROP OFF TIMES from Wednesday 3rd November
STUDENT DEPARTURE / PICK UP from Wednesday 3rd November
Please note that school gates will be locked outside of these nominated arrival and departure times; i.e. there will be no access to the school yard from gates other than the times above.
Arrival/Departure notes:
15th October 2021
(Updated 18th October 2021 - to include Year 5-6 attending an additional day, i.e., 22/10/21)
Dear parents, carers and students
On behalf of Ascot Vale PS, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our students, parents and carers for your continued efforts, resilience and support during Term 3. We did not expect the term to travel in such a challenging direction when we returned to school, full of optimism and hope for ‘normality’ in July 2021.
Remote and flexible learning has not been our choice for 2021. Nevertheless, through collective efforts, our AVPS students have continued to do their best and make valuable progress in their development.
Our focus in Term 4 will be on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning and transition back to school. AVPS staff will also endeavour to support students who have fallen behind to catch up.
Subject to the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government released a staged approach for students to return to on-site schooling. The purpose of the plan is to get students back in the classroom as soon and as safely as possible.
To achieve these aims, the return to onsite learning has and will continue to be carefully managed at AVPS. This comprehensive Return to School Guide communicates important strategies that will be implemented at AVPS to guide the actions and behaviours of all school community members to ensure a happy and safe return to school for all students, starting with our P-2 groups from 18/10/2021.
We encourage staff, parents, carers and students (if they can) to read this guide in preparation for a positive and smooth transition back to school. Staff have been consulted in the development of this guide and throughout term four, we will continue to respond to feedback from community members, advice and observations and adapt our approaches where possible and practical.
AVPS staff, in partnership with parents, carers and students, have shown we can be flexible and adaptable in responding to the challenges of COVID-19. We look forward to connecting with students and families in person soon and remain optimistic for a productive and enjoyable end to the 2021 school year and ahead to an enjoyable 2022.
Kind regards
Sue Osborne & Michael Downing
Principal Assistant Principal
1. Victoria’s Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan
The Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan (click link) sets Victoria on a hopeful path to opening while also preserving our health system and ensuring Victorians can still get the healthcare they need, when they need it most.
The Roadmap has been developed based on expert modelling from the Burnet Institute and is set against COVID-19 thresholds including hospitalisation rates, and the vaccination targets already set out in the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response.
2. Staged Return to Onsite Learning for Schools
Victoria's reopening roadmap outlines changes for Victorian students as onsite, face-to-face schooling resumes (click link)
Schools will begin a staged return to onsite learning from the first week of Term 4 (VCE). Regional Victoria from Monday 4 October and metropolitan Melbourne from Tuesday 6 October.
Vulnerable children and children of people on the authorised provider and authorised worker list are able to continue attending onsite.
Remote and flexible learning will continue to be delivered to students on the days they are not attending onsite.
3. AVPS Return to School Plan Term 4, 2021
Students will attend onsite as follows:
WEEK 3
Year 3-6 students will participate in remote and flexible learning in week 3, unless eligible to attend the onsite care program.
The following Year P-2 students will attend AVPS on these days in week 3:
MONDAY 18TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
TUESDAY 19TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER
●Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●Unit 3– Marg’s group
●Unit 5– Amanda’s group
THURSDAY 21ST OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students - updated on 18/10/21
Year P-2 students will participate in remote and flexible learning from home with the same teacher on the days they are NOT scheduled to be at school in week 3 (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
WEEK 4
The following students will attend AVPS on these days in week 4:
MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
●All Year 3-4 students
WEDNESDAY 27TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 3-4 students
THURSDAY 28TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students
FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students
Year P-6 students will participate in remote and flexible learning from home on the days they are NOT scheduled to be at school in week 4 (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
WEEK 5
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER – Pupil Free Day – No School
TUESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER – Public Holiday – No School
WEDNESDAY 3RD NOVEMBER
The following students attend this day:
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
●All Year 3/4 students
Students NOT scheduled to attend this day will participate in remote and flexible learning from home (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
THURSDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
The following students attend this day:
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5/6 students
Students NOT scheduled to attend this day will participate in remote and flexible learning from home (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
FRIDAY 5TH NOVEMBER
●All students in all year levels (P-6) attend school from today onwards
4. Keeping Covid Safe at AVPS
A combination of strategies will be implemented at AVPS to minimise transmission risk. No single strategy completely reduces risk and not every measure will be possible. Where some controls are not feasible, others will be enhanced. Strategies will also be adjusted over time in line with the changing risk of transmission in the community.
For students, AVPS staff will implement:
●Wellbeing check-ins with students
● The Mental Health Toolkit, which has advice and resources to support student mental health and wellbeing.
●The Quick Guide to Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources, which highlights the most relevant evidence-based resources for teachers, parents and students.
●Keeping all available windows, doors and vents open as much as possible.
●Keeping these openings clear of any obstruction to air flow.
●Door jambs to be used to keep doors open.
●All windows and doors across the school have been inspected/audited to enhance natural airflow capacity at AVPS.
●Exhaust fans to be used where available.
●Take measures to maintain thermal, noise and other comfort, such as flexible uniform and seating arrangements.
Mechanical ventilation
●Air recirculation will be eliminated or minimised by setting air conditioning units to use external air rather than recycling, where possible.
●Demand-controlled ventilation controls that reduce air supply based on occupancy or temperature should be disabled.
●increase the utility of mechanical ventilation, where available and practicable, is to run systems when rooms are unoccupied, and ideally two hours before and after use of a space.
Use of fans
●Fans are only to be used with other natural and mechanical methods in place.
●Fans should not be used if a person with respiratory symptoms is in the room.
●If used, ceiling fans can be operated on the winter setting (where possible) and lowest speed.
●Other fans, such as pedestal fans, should not be directed to blow air from one person directly past another and should be set to the lowest speed.
Maximise the use of outdoor learning areas or environments
●AVPS will maximise the use of outdoor learning areas and environments as much as possible.
●Preference will be given to the use of an outdoor space over an indoor space as much as practicable.
Air purifiers
●The Department is delivering air purifier units (model Samsung AX7500) to schools. Air purifiers will be prioritised for higher risk areas. These areas include where high levels of mixing of staff and reduced mask use when eating, higher levels of exertion and increased aerosol projection, and areas of lower ventilation and possible exposure to illness. For example, sick bays, staff rooms, canteens, school receptions and student centres, gymnasiums and music rooms.
The Victorian Chief Health Officer has determined that COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for staff who work in schools. This includes principals, teachers, administration and education support staff, including casual relief teachers (CRTs), pre-service teachers, and Out of School Hours Care
staff. All staff are required to be fully vaccinated by 29 November 2021 unless a medical exemption applies. They are required to show evidence of their vaccination status.
a. Limit Mixing
●Staff movement across schools will be limited as much as possible. For example, MVIMP tutors who usually visit many schools in a week will continue delivering their instrumental music lessons via Webex until restrictions ease.
●Professional development and staff meetings will be conducted online or deferred.
●Staggered recess and lunch breaks will be introduced to where year P-2 and 3-6 are separated from each other. This will reduce crowding in the school yard and limit mixing.
●Multi age activities across units will take place via video conferencing rather than in person.
●Multi age activities within the same unit may take place.
●Specialist classes will be conducted outdoors or in classrooms, rather than in specialist rooms (e.g., Art room or LOTE room, which would be accessed by all students across the school).
b. Maintain physical distancing
A variety of strategies to support physical distancing among all students and staff will be implemented, where possible. Staff will practise physical distancing 1.5m between themselves and other staff members or adults to the extent that is reasonably practicable. Staff will physically distance themselves from students where appropriate and feasible. Staff will reduce as far as possible the use of common areas such as staff rooms.
Students should practise physical distancing where possible. Maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 metres will not always be practical in the school environment and may be particularly challenging in the younger years of primary school. In these contexts, a combination of health and safety measures will be utilised to reduce risk.
Student Breaks– recess & lunch
●Staggered break times will be introduced from Friday 5th November, the day all students are back on site together. (Details to follow)
●Playground equipment may be used by AVPS students but not by outside community members. Hence, the school gates will continue to be locked outside of school hours to discourage community use of the facilities.
●Where possible and age appropriate, children will be encouraged to observe physical distancing in the playground. Noting, this may be easier for the older students rather than the younger ones.
●Bans will apply on the following (until restrictions are eased):
a.Shared sporting equipment or toys brought from home
b.Contact games (including tag games, hugging, ‘stacks on’, clapping games)
c.Play pod
●Break time arrangements will be observed and monitored over time and strategies adjusted where necessary.
c. Use large spaces
AVPS will consider opportunities to adapt indoor activities outdoors, for example holding classes outside. The staff room will be closed except for access to tea/coffee/food making facilities. Where possible, staff will rest, eat and meet in outdoor areas only. Signage will continue to be used to promote physical distancing in more confined spaces. The school hall will be utilised where appropriate.
d. Limit non essential visitors and apply density limits in common areas
Visitors to AVPS will be limited to essential visitors only. Density limits will not apply in classrooms and other spaces for the purposes of student use, including corridors and other shared areas. Density limits of one person per four square metres apply to staff areas such as the staffroom and areas accessed by the public, such as reception areas. Signage will be displayed to indicate the maximum number of members of the public that may be present in the space at a single time.
e. Designated access gates and staggered start and finish times.
From Monday 18th October, AVPS will implement the use of designated entry and exit points to prevent concentrations of students and minimise parents gathering onsite. From Monday 18th October to Thursday 4th November, students will meet their teacher, who will open their designated gate at the arrival time of 9:00am. They will be departing from the same gate at 3:30pm as follows:
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE ACCESS GATES:
Unit 1 – Bank Street – in front of blue entry door close to Unit 1
Unit 2 – Bank Street – office entry
Unit 3 – Bank Street – Car Park gate
Unit 4 – Moonee Street – double gates near playground
Unit 5 – Moonee Street – pedestrian gate near oval
Unit 6 – Bank Street – Northwest gate – in front of Unit 6
Children attending the onsite supervision program will enter via their unit gate
From Friday 5th November, (the day all students are back onsite together), AVPS will implement staggered arrival and departure times in a greater effort to prevent concentrations of families and minimise crowds gathering at gates. Details of these arrangements will be published closer to the time of implementation.
Arrival/Departure notes:
•Arrival and departure arrangements will be monitored, reviewed and adjusted over time if needed.
•Where a family has multiple children across different units, all students in the family may choose the most convenient gate (within the ‘gates open’ times) to enter/exit the school.
•Families are encouraged to use the vehicle drop off system on both Bank and Moonee Streets for older/independent children, where adults remain in the car.
•Parents of older students (and their younger siblings if applicable) who travel independently to & from school are requested to please communicate (via Class Dojo) their permission for children to be dismissed at the 3:30 pm timeslot without an adult present.
•Please be patient and prepared to wait at a distance for crowds to disperse.
•Children arriving after teachers have locked the gates will be considered ‘late’ and must enter via the Bank Street front door.
•Parents are encouraged not to congregate in groups and are not to enter the school grounds.
•Bikes may be ridden to and from school; to be secured in the usual locations. Bikes are not to be shared by non-family members.
Face Masks
Please visit https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/face-masks for the latest face mask requirements. In summary, face masks:
More information and departmental advice regarding the recent announcement about mandatory mask wearing for students from Year 3 will be communicated with parents and carers once it has been received.
Hygiene and Testing
●Hand sanitiser will be made available at entry points to classrooms. Age-appropriate education and reminders about hand hygiene will be provided. If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 percent alcohol will be made accessible.
●Sharing of food is not permitted.
●Use of non-contact greetings (not shaking hands, hugging or kissing) will be encouraged.
AVPS will carefully manage the use of shared equipment. Such items may include shared computers, class sets of teaching and learning materials, and musical instruments. If used, strict hand hygiene will be followed before and after use. Risk will be further minimised with users wiping down items where appropriate, for example using a two in one disinfectant/detergent wipe.
AVPS will adjust how staff and students interact within the built environment to reduce contact with certain surfaces. For example, a simple measure such as keeping a door open will reduce the need for multiple people to touch the door handle.
Items and resources brought from ‘home to school’ & ‘school to home’
●Books and equipment may not be borrowed from school and taken home.
●Home reading will move to digital platforms and/or students will be encouraged to read their own books.
●Students will, however, be able to access and read books at school and use some equipment. Hand hygiene and cleaning measures will be implemented to mitigate risks.
●Students are to bring essential items to school in their bag and take them home every night – lunchbox, drink bottle, uniform items (e.g., hat), medical items (e.g. asthma preventer), books from home (that return home and are not shared with others)
●Students are not to bring sport equipment or toys to school as the shared use of these increases the risks.
●Year 6 students are to wipe their iPad with disinfectant wipes at the start of each school day and are not to share these items.
f. Management of unwell students and visitors / community members
It is important that any student (or staff member) who becomes unwell with COVID-19 symptoms while at school gets tested and returns home.
The symptoms to watch out for are:
●fever
●chills or sweats
●cough
●sore throat
●shortness of breath
●runny nose
●loss or change in sense of smell or taste
Some people may also experience headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
AVPS will follow department guidance, which sets out actions required to safely isolate individuals prior to being collected and returning home, noting:
●Staff or students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will be advised to get tested and stay home until they receive a test result.
●Staff and students are not required to present a medical certificate stating they are fit to return to an education setting after a period of illness, however staff and students should not return until symptoms resolve. If they have been tested for COVID-19, they must also wait for a negative test result.
5. School Operations
a. Student attendance
All students are expected to attend onsite as their year levels return to onsite learning. Parent preference is not an approved absence reason.
Please contact the school if you wish to discuss student attendance requirements.
Attendance, both onsite and remote, will continue to be recorded by school staff daily.
b. QR codes and visitors to school
The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record keeping is now mandatory in all schools to enable the effective contact tracing of any COVID-19 cases.
Please check in using the QR code displayed at entrances if you enter any AVPS school building.
Visitors to school grounds will be limited to essential school services and operations. Parents and carers are asked not to enter the school site, except to access the office in exceptional circumstances. Please consider calling the office rather than visiting in person
c. Playgrounds
The AVPS playgrounds are available for school use only. Gates will remain locked to deter community use. Over time we will consider opening the playgrounds for community use as restrictions ease.
d. Inter school activities, school sport and use of pools
All inter school activities will be deferred or held remotely. Swimming and all other pool use in metropolitan Melbourne and other Restricted Areas cannot occur at this time. Outdoor physical activity is permitted.
e. Camps and excursions
Camps, excursions and incursions for Victorian schools cannot take place at this time.
f. School events, gatherings and assemblies
School events, gatherings, assemblies, and non-essential meetings will be deferred or held remotely.
g. Singing, brass and woodwind
Singing, brass, woodwind classes and groups in metropolitan Melbourne and other Restricted Areas must be postponed or occur remotely during this time.
h. AVPS Specialist programs - Visual Arts, Physical Education, Japanese & P-2 Music
●Specialist classes will be conducted in classrooms or outdoor spaces in an effort to reduce student movement and opportunities for multiple hands touching surfaces in a single room.
●The specialist program may evolve over time to meet the term 4 departmental guidelines as they are released.
●Katherine Anderson’s P-2 classroom music role will evolve over time to meet the departmental guidelines specifically related to a ban on the use of woodwind instruments and choirs/singing, due to infection risks.
i. MVIMP/ External Music Provision
●Percussion, bass guitar and strings MVIMP lessons will continue to be provided to students at AVPS, however, these lessons will be administered by tutors via a video platform/Webex. Tutors will be located off site due to the high number of school sites usually visited, which poses a higher risk of infection. Students will log into lessons at school using the technology available (school laptop or personal iPad).
●Due to a ban on woodwind and brass instruments at Victorian schools in term 4, these MVIMP programs will be offered remotely. Lesson times will be negotiated and confirmed by tutors with families.
●Piano arrangements will be confirmed by Lamplight Music.
●Live concerts, requiring large gatherings, will not be taking place in term 4 this year.
j. Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)
The AVPS Outside School Hours Care program, run by Camp Australia will continue to be available for families in need of care outside the hours above. Please register and book at: www.campaustralia.com.au.
k. Returning loaned devices
All school-owned devices that were issued last term, must be returned to the school as soon as they are no longer required, no later than Friday 5th November 2021.
l. Transitions
Alternative and COVIDsafe transition and orientation programs will be developed for:
●Kindergarten to foundation/year prep students
●Year 6-7students
●‘Stepping up’ year levels P-6 - 2021-2022
●Details regarding the above transition strategies will be communicated in the coming weeks via the newsletter and or Compass alerts.
m. Repeating year levels
We anticipate some families may be concerned that their child may need to repeat a year due to the disruptions of coronavirus (COVID-19). There is little evidence to support the benefits of repeating a year to catch up. Instead, we will use teaching strategies that draw on the best evidence available to help students meet their learning needs. Parents, families and carers can be confident that the best option for almost every child is to stay with their peer group, whether that is moving from kindergarten into Prep, or moving from Year 6 into Year 7 at secondary school, or students moving up any year level in between.
n. Contact Us
Please contact the school if assistance or support is needed as you prepare your family for returning to school.
●Principal team and admin staff:
Phone: 9370 6507
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
●Teachers- via Class Dojo: https://www.classdojo.com/
o. References
COVID-19 Advice for Schools
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/Pages/coronavirus-advice-schools.aspx
Education - information for parents, students and educators- Details about changes to education settings during COVID-19 in Victoria - https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/education-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19
Dear parents
Thank you for your efforts in Term 4 to help support the transition to onsite schooling, including getting your family vaccinated and encouraging mask wearing at school.
We are very excited to share that following the vaccination targets being met in Victoria, the staged return to onsite learning is being brought forward, with all onsite schooling to commence full time at Ascot Vale PS from Wednesday 3rd November.
Please be reminded:
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER is a Pupil Free Day – no school this day
TUESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER is a Public Holiday – school closed
The earlier return of students to full-time onsite learning is great news for our school community and families.
From Wednesday 3rd November:
- Staggered start and finish times as well as staggered recess and lunch time breaks will be implemented – see details attached
- A range of school activities will be able to take place so schools reflect the new community settings. Camps, interschool sport, excursions, school assemblies, music, singing and performances will be able to take place (in line with the community settings and vaccination requirements).
- Face masks will no longer be required outdoors by teachers or secondary school students but will remain an important part of our classrooms, and in the community.
We have taken a number of steps to support onsite learning, including staff vaccination, ventilation, physical distancing for staff and students, staggered start, finish and break times, and mask wearing.
AVPS will be encouraging students to remain safe and practice good COVIDSafe behaviours for the remaining of Term 4.
Ahead of students resuming full-time onsite learning from Wednesday 3rd November, AVPS will/has continue/d to provide onsite learning in line with the staged reopening plan. Please see separate Compass Alert for details.
Thank you again for all your support and we very much look forward to welcoming our students back to onsite learning full time.
Kind regards
Sue Osborne
Principal
Return to School Update – 26th October 2021
The Victorian Government recently made an announcement regarding the return to school being brought forward, consequently, AVPS will be implementing the following from Wednesday 3rd November:
1)Staggered lunch breaks
2)Staggered arrival and departure arrangements
These strategies, explained below, aim to reduce concentrations of students or families and minimise crowds gathering in playgrounds and at gates.
1)STAGGERED LUNCH BREAKS
RECESS
Year P- 2 - 10:45-11:15am
Year 3-6 - 11:15-11:45am
LUNCH TIME
Year P- 2 – 12:30-1:30*
Year 3-6 – 1:30-2:30*
* First 15 minutes is eating time
2)STAGGERED START AND FINISH TIMES AND DESIGNATED ACCESS GATES
ACCESS GATES have been allocated to each unit for arrival and departure.
Unit 1 – Bank Street – in front of blue entry door close to Unit 1
Unit 2 – Bank Street – office entry
Unit 3 – Bank Street – Car park gate
Unit 4 – Moonee Street – double gates near playground
Unit 5 – Moonee Street – pedestrian gate near oval
Unit 6 – Bank Street – North West gate – in front of Unit 6
STUDENT ARRIVAL / DROP OFF TIMES from Wednesday 3rd November
- Family names A-G please arrive at 8:50am
- Family names H-P please arrive at 8:55am
- Family names Q-Z please arrive at 9:00am
STUDENT DEPARTURE / PICK UP from Wednesday 3rd November
- Family names A-G please depart at 3:20pm
- Family names H-P please depart at 3:25pm
- Family names Q-Z please depart at 3:30pm
Please note that school gates will be locked outside of these nominated arrival and departure times; i.e. there will be no access to the school yard from gates other than the times above.
Arrival/Departure notes:
- Arrival and departure arrangements will be monitored, reviewed and adjusted over time if needed.
- One teacher from each unit will begin their duties at their allocated gate, unlocking it at 8:50am, greeting students and their siblings and directing them to move straight to their classroom, where the other unit teacher will greet them. A teacher will remain at the gate until 9:05am, when they will lock the gate.
- We encourage families to please do their best to meet these times, noting that AVPS is relying on the majority of school community members to follow the arrangements to achieve the safest possible arrival/departure practices.
- Where a family has multiple children across different units, we encourage them to choose the gate allocated to the youngest child or communicate with teachers if a different gate is selected by the family.
- Families are encouraged to use the vehicle drop off system on both Bank and Moonee Streets for older/independent children, where adults remain in the car.
- Parents of older students (and their younger siblings if applicable) who travel independently to & from school are requested to please communicate (via Class Dojo) their permission for children to be dismissed at the 3:30 pm timeslot without an adult present.
- Please be patient and prepared to wait at a distance for crowds to disperse.
- Children arriving after teachers have locked the gates will be considered ‘late’ and must enter via the Bank Street front door.
- Instruction time will begin at 9:05 am and finish at 3:15pm.
- Parents are encouraged not to congregate in groups and are not to enter the school grounds.
- Bikes may be ridden to and from school; to be secured in the usual locations. Bikes are not to be shared by non-family members.
15th October 2021
(Updated 18th October 2021 - to include Year 5-6 attending an additional day, i.e., 22/10/21)
Dear parents, carers and students
On behalf of Ascot Vale PS, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our students, parents and carers for your continued efforts, resilience and support during Term 3. We did not expect the term to travel in such a challenging direction when we returned to school, full of optimism and hope for ‘normality’ in July 2021.
Remote and flexible learning has not been our choice for 2021. Nevertheless, through collective efforts, our AVPS students have continued to do their best and make valuable progress in their development.
Our focus in Term 4 will be on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning and transition back to school. AVPS staff will also endeavour to support students who have fallen behind to catch up.
Subject to the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government released a staged approach for students to return to on-site schooling. The purpose of the plan is to get students back in the classroom as soon and as safely as possible.
To achieve these aims, the return to onsite learning has and will continue to be carefully managed at AVPS. This comprehensive Return to School Guide communicates important strategies that will be implemented at AVPS to guide the actions and behaviours of all school community members to ensure a happy and safe return to school for all students, starting with our P-2 groups from 18/10/2021.
We encourage staff, parents, carers and students (if they can) to read this guide in preparation for a positive and smooth transition back to school. Staff have been consulted in the development of this guide and throughout term four, we will continue to respond to feedback from community members, advice and observations and adapt our approaches where possible and practical.
AVPS staff, in partnership with parents, carers and students, have shown we can be flexible and adaptable in responding to the challenges of COVID-19. We look forward to connecting with students and families in person soon and remain optimistic for a productive and enjoyable end to the 2021 school year and ahead to an enjoyable 2022.
Kind regards
Sue Osborne & Michael Downing
Principal Assistant Principal
1. Victoria’s Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan
The Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan (click link) sets Victoria on a hopeful path to opening while also preserving our health system and ensuring Victorians can still get the healthcare they need, when they need it most.
The Roadmap has been developed based on expert modelling from the Burnet Institute and is set against COVID-19 thresholds including hospitalisation rates, and the vaccination targets already set out in the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response.
2. Staged Return to Onsite Learning for Schools
Victoria's reopening roadmap outlines changes for Victorian students as onsite, face-to-face schooling resumes (click link)
Schools will begin a staged return to onsite learning from the first week of Term 4 (VCE). Regional Victoria from Monday 4 October and metropolitan Melbourne from Tuesday 6 October.
Vulnerable children and children of people on the authorised provider and authorised worker list are able to continue attending onsite.
Remote and flexible learning will continue to be delivered to students on the days they are not attending onsite.
3. AVPS Return to School Plan Term 4, 2021
Students will attend onsite as follows:
WEEK 3
Year 3-6 students will participate in remote and flexible learning in week 3, unless eligible to attend the onsite care program.
The following Year P-2 students will attend AVPS on these days in week 3:
MONDAY 18TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
TUESDAY 19TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER
●Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●Unit 3– Marg’s group
●Unit 5– Amanda’s group
THURSDAY 21ST OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students - updated on 18/10/21
Year P-2 students will participate in remote and flexible learning from home with the same teacher on the days they are NOT scheduled to be at school in week 3 (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
WEEK 4
The following students will attend AVPS on these days in week 4:
MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
●All Year 3-4 students
WEDNESDAY 27TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 3-4 students
THURSDAY 28TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students
FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5-6 students
Year P-6 students will participate in remote and flexible learning from home on the days they are NOT scheduled to be at school in week 4 (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
WEEK 5
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER – Pupil Free Day – No School
TUESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER – Public Holiday – No School
WEDNESDAY 3RD NOVEMBER
The following students attend this day:
●P-2 Unit 1– Maddie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Marg’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Amanda’s group
●All Year 3/4 students
Students NOT scheduled to attend this day will participate in remote and flexible learning from home (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
THURSDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
The following students attend this day:
●P-2 Unit 1– Annie’s group
●P-2 Unit 3– Doug’s group
●P-2 Unit 5– Heath’s group
●All Year 5/6 students
Students NOT scheduled to attend this day will participate in remote and flexible learning from home (unless eligible to attend the onsite care program).
FRIDAY 5TH NOVEMBER
●All students in all year levels (P-6) attend school from today onwards
4. Keeping Covid Safe at AVPS
- Understanding Covid -19
A combination of strategies will be implemented at AVPS to minimise transmission risk. No single strategy completely reduces risk and not every measure will be possible. Where some controls are not feasible, others will be enhanced. Strategies will also be adjusted over time in line with the changing risk of transmission in the community.
- Covid Safe Plan
- Students who may be medically vulnerable
- Mental health and wellbeing
For students, AVPS staff will implement:
●Wellbeing check-ins with students
● The Mental Health Toolkit, which has advice and resources to support student mental health and wellbeing.
●The Quick Guide to Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources, which highlights the most relevant evidence-based resources for teachers, parents and students.
- The Three V’s - Ventilation, Vaccination and Vital Covid Steps
- Ventilation
●Keeping all available windows, doors and vents open as much as possible.
●Keeping these openings clear of any obstruction to air flow.
●Door jambs to be used to keep doors open.
●All windows and doors across the school have been inspected/audited to enhance natural airflow capacity at AVPS.
●Exhaust fans to be used where available.
●Take measures to maintain thermal, noise and other comfort, such as flexible uniform and seating arrangements.
Mechanical ventilation
●Air recirculation will be eliminated or minimised by setting air conditioning units to use external air rather than recycling, where possible.
●Demand-controlled ventilation controls that reduce air supply based on occupancy or temperature should be disabled.
●increase the utility of mechanical ventilation, where available and practicable, is to run systems when rooms are unoccupied, and ideally two hours before and after use of a space.
Use of fans
●Fans are only to be used with other natural and mechanical methods in place.
●Fans should not be used if a person with respiratory symptoms is in the room.
●If used, ceiling fans can be operated on the winter setting (where possible) and lowest speed.
●Other fans, such as pedestal fans, should not be directed to blow air from one person directly past another and should be set to the lowest speed.
Maximise the use of outdoor learning areas or environments
●AVPS will maximise the use of outdoor learning areas and environments as much as possible.
●Preference will be given to the use of an outdoor space over an indoor space as much as practicable.
Air purifiers
●The Department is delivering air purifier units (model Samsung AX7500) to schools. Air purifiers will be prioritised for higher risk areas. These areas include where high levels of mixing of staff and reduced mask use when eating, higher levels of exertion and increased aerosol projection, and areas of lower ventilation and possible exposure to illness. For example, sick bays, staff rooms, canteens, school receptions and student centres, gymnasiums and music rooms.
- Vaccination
The Victorian Chief Health Officer has determined that COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for staff who work in schools. This includes principals, teachers, administration and education support staff, including casual relief teachers (CRTs), pre-service teachers, and Out of School Hours Care
staff. All staff are required to be fully vaccinated by 29 November 2021 unless a medical exemption applies. They are required to show evidence of their vaccination status.
- Vital COVIDSafe Steps
a. Limit Mixing
●Staff movement across schools will be limited as much as possible. For example, MVIMP tutors who usually visit many schools in a week will continue delivering their instrumental music lessons via Webex until restrictions ease.
●Professional development and staff meetings will be conducted online or deferred.
●Staggered recess and lunch breaks will be introduced to where year P-2 and 3-6 are separated from each other. This will reduce crowding in the school yard and limit mixing.
●Multi age activities across units will take place via video conferencing rather than in person.
●Multi age activities within the same unit may take place.
●Specialist classes will be conducted outdoors or in classrooms, rather than in specialist rooms (e.g., Art room or LOTE room, which would be accessed by all students across the school).
b. Maintain physical distancing
A variety of strategies to support physical distancing among all students and staff will be implemented, where possible. Staff will practise physical distancing 1.5m between themselves and other staff members or adults to the extent that is reasonably practicable. Staff will physically distance themselves from students where appropriate and feasible. Staff will reduce as far as possible the use of common areas such as staff rooms.
Students should practise physical distancing where possible. Maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 metres will not always be practical in the school environment and may be particularly challenging in the younger years of primary school. In these contexts, a combination of health and safety measures will be utilised to reduce risk.
Student Breaks– recess & lunch
●Staggered break times will be introduced from Friday 5th November, the day all students are back on site together. (Details to follow)
●Playground equipment may be used by AVPS students but not by outside community members. Hence, the school gates will continue to be locked outside of school hours to discourage community use of the facilities.
●Where possible and age appropriate, children will be encouraged to observe physical distancing in the playground. Noting, this may be easier for the older students rather than the younger ones.
●Bans will apply on the following (until restrictions are eased):
a.Shared sporting equipment or toys brought from home
b.Contact games (including tag games, hugging, ‘stacks on’, clapping games)
c.Play pod
●Break time arrangements will be observed and monitored over time and strategies adjusted where necessary.
c. Use large spaces
AVPS will consider opportunities to adapt indoor activities outdoors, for example holding classes outside. The staff room will be closed except for access to tea/coffee/food making facilities. Where possible, staff will rest, eat and meet in outdoor areas only. Signage will continue to be used to promote physical distancing in more confined spaces. The school hall will be utilised where appropriate.
d. Limit non essential visitors and apply density limits in common areas
Visitors to AVPS will be limited to essential visitors only. Density limits will not apply in classrooms and other spaces for the purposes of student use, including corridors and other shared areas. Density limits of one person per four square metres apply to staff areas such as the staffroom and areas accessed by the public, such as reception areas. Signage will be displayed to indicate the maximum number of members of the public that may be present in the space at a single time.
e. Designated access gates and staggered start and finish times.
From Monday 18th October, AVPS will implement the use of designated entry and exit points to prevent concentrations of students and minimise parents gathering onsite. From Monday 18th October to Thursday 4th November, students will meet their teacher, who will open their designated gate at the arrival time of 9:00am. They will be departing from the same gate at 3:30pm as follows:
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE ACCESS GATES:
Unit 1 – Bank Street – in front of blue entry door close to Unit 1
Unit 2 – Bank Street – office entry
Unit 3 – Bank Street – Car Park gate
Unit 4 – Moonee Street – double gates near playground
Unit 5 – Moonee Street – pedestrian gate near oval
Unit 6 – Bank Street – Northwest gate – in front of Unit 6
Children attending the onsite supervision program will enter via their unit gate
From Friday 5th November, (the day all students are back onsite together), AVPS will implement staggered arrival and departure times in a greater effort to prevent concentrations of families and minimise crowds gathering at gates. Details of these arrangements will be published closer to the time of implementation.
Arrival/Departure notes:
•Arrival and departure arrangements will be monitored, reviewed and adjusted over time if needed.
•Where a family has multiple children across different units, all students in the family may choose the most convenient gate (within the ‘gates open’ times) to enter/exit the school.
•Families are encouraged to use the vehicle drop off system on both Bank and Moonee Streets for older/independent children, where adults remain in the car.
•Parents of older students (and their younger siblings if applicable) who travel independently to & from school are requested to please communicate (via Class Dojo) their permission for children to be dismissed at the 3:30 pm timeslot without an adult present.
•Please be patient and prepared to wait at a distance for crowds to disperse.
•Children arriving after teachers have locked the gates will be considered ‘late’ and must enter via the Bank Street front door.
•Parents are encouraged not to congregate in groups and are not to enter the school grounds.
•Bikes may be ridden to and from school; to be secured in the usual locations. Bikes are not to be shared by non-family members.
Face Masks
Please visit https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/face-masks for the latest face mask requirements. In summary, face masks:
- Are mandatory for all adults and students from Year 3-12
- Are mandatory indoors and outdoors
- Are recommended for students Years Prep-2
- Are recommended to be washed and disposed of correctly
More information and departmental advice regarding the recent announcement about mandatory mask wearing for students from Year 3 will be communicated with parents and carers once it has been received.
Hygiene and Testing
- Practice good hygiene
●Hand sanitiser will be made available at entry points to classrooms. Age-appropriate education and reminders about hand hygiene will be provided. If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 percent alcohol will be made accessible.
●Sharing of food is not permitted.
●Use of non-contact greetings (not shaking hands, hugging or kissing) will be encouraged.
- Keep surfaces clean
AVPS will carefully manage the use of shared equipment. Such items may include shared computers, class sets of teaching and learning materials, and musical instruments. If used, strict hand hygiene will be followed before and after use. Risk will be further minimised with users wiping down items where appropriate, for example using a two in one disinfectant/detergent wipe.
AVPS will adjust how staff and students interact within the built environment to reduce contact with certain surfaces. For example, a simple measure such as keeping a door open will reduce the need for multiple people to touch the door handle.
Items and resources brought from ‘home to school’ & ‘school to home’
●Books and equipment may not be borrowed from school and taken home.
●Home reading will move to digital platforms and/or students will be encouraged to read their own books.
●Students will, however, be able to access and read books at school and use some equipment. Hand hygiene and cleaning measures will be implemented to mitigate risks.
●Students are to bring essential items to school in their bag and take them home every night – lunchbox, drink bottle, uniform items (e.g., hat), medical items (e.g. asthma preventer), books from home (that return home and are not shared with others)
●Students are not to bring sport equipment or toys to school as the shared use of these increases the risks.
●Year 6 students are to wipe their iPad with disinfectant wipes at the start of each school day and are not to share these items.
- Stay home when unwell and get tested
f. Management of unwell students and visitors / community members
It is important that any student (or staff member) who becomes unwell with COVID-19 symptoms while at school gets tested and returns home.
The symptoms to watch out for are:
●fever
●chills or sweats
●cough
●sore throat
●shortness of breath
●runny nose
●loss or change in sense of smell or taste
Some people may also experience headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
AVPS will follow department guidance, which sets out actions required to safely isolate individuals prior to being collected and returning home, noting:
●Staff or students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will be advised to get tested and stay home until they receive a test result.
●Staff and students are not required to present a medical certificate stating they are fit to return to an education setting after a period of illness, however staff and students should not return until symptoms resolve. If they have been tested for COVID-19, they must also wait for a negative test result.
5. School Operations
a. Student attendance
All students are expected to attend onsite as their year levels return to onsite learning. Parent preference is not an approved absence reason.
Please contact the school if you wish to discuss student attendance requirements.
Attendance, both onsite and remote, will continue to be recorded by school staff daily.
b. QR codes and visitors to school
The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record keeping is now mandatory in all schools to enable the effective contact tracing of any COVID-19 cases.
Please check in using the QR code displayed at entrances if you enter any AVPS school building.
Visitors to school grounds will be limited to essential school services and operations. Parents and carers are asked not to enter the school site, except to access the office in exceptional circumstances. Please consider calling the office rather than visiting in person
c. Playgrounds
The AVPS playgrounds are available for school use only. Gates will remain locked to deter community use. Over time we will consider opening the playgrounds for community use as restrictions ease.
d. Inter school activities, school sport and use of pools
All inter school activities will be deferred or held remotely. Swimming and all other pool use in metropolitan Melbourne and other Restricted Areas cannot occur at this time. Outdoor physical activity is permitted.
e. Camps and excursions
Camps, excursions and incursions for Victorian schools cannot take place at this time.
f. School events, gatherings and assemblies
School events, gatherings, assemblies, and non-essential meetings will be deferred or held remotely.
g. Singing, brass and woodwind
Singing, brass, woodwind classes and groups in metropolitan Melbourne and other Restricted Areas must be postponed or occur remotely during this time.
h. AVPS Specialist programs - Visual Arts, Physical Education, Japanese & P-2 Music
●Specialist classes will be conducted in classrooms or outdoor spaces in an effort to reduce student movement and opportunities for multiple hands touching surfaces in a single room.
●The specialist program may evolve over time to meet the term 4 departmental guidelines as they are released.
●Katherine Anderson’s P-2 classroom music role will evolve over time to meet the departmental guidelines specifically related to a ban on the use of woodwind instruments and choirs/singing, due to infection risks.
i. MVIMP/ External Music Provision
●Percussion, bass guitar and strings MVIMP lessons will continue to be provided to students at AVPS, however, these lessons will be administered by tutors via a video platform/Webex. Tutors will be located off site due to the high number of school sites usually visited, which poses a higher risk of infection. Students will log into lessons at school using the technology available (school laptop or personal iPad).
●Due to a ban on woodwind and brass instruments at Victorian schools in term 4, these MVIMP programs will be offered remotely. Lesson times will be negotiated and confirmed by tutors with families.
●Piano arrangements will be confirmed by Lamplight Music.
●Live concerts, requiring large gatherings, will not be taking place in term 4 this year.
j. Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)
The AVPS Outside School Hours Care program, run by Camp Australia will continue to be available for families in need of care outside the hours above. Please register and book at: www.campaustralia.com.au.
k. Returning loaned devices
All school-owned devices that were issued last term, must be returned to the school as soon as they are no longer required, no later than Friday 5th November 2021.
l. Transitions
Alternative and COVIDsafe transition and orientation programs will be developed for:
●Kindergarten to foundation/year prep students
●Year 6-7students
●‘Stepping up’ year levels P-6 - 2021-2022
●Details regarding the above transition strategies will be communicated in the coming weeks via the newsletter and or Compass alerts.
m. Repeating year levels
We anticipate some families may be concerned that their child may need to repeat a year due to the disruptions of coronavirus (COVID-19). There is little evidence to support the benefits of repeating a year to catch up. Instead, we will use teaching strategies that draw on the best evidence available to help students meet their learning needs. Parents, families and carers can be confident that the best option for almost every child is to stay with their peer group, whether that is moving from kindergarten into Prep, or moving from Year 6 into Year 7 at secondary school, or students moving up any year level in between.
n. Contact Us
Please contact the school if assistance or support is needed as you prepare your family for returning to school.
●Principal team and admin staff:
Phone: 9370 6507
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
●Teachers- via Class Dojo: https://www.classdojo.com/
o. References
COVID-19 Advice for Schools
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/Pages/coronavirus-advice-schools.aspx
Education - information for parents, students and educators- Details about changes to education settings during COVID-19 in Victoria - https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/education-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19
