COVID-19 Updates at Aquinas College

You would be aware that our public health officials are reporting that a next wave of COVID-19 is emerging (and you probably know someone who is currently suffering from the virus as it is becoming more prevalent). 

It is strongly recommended that students:

• who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days.

• should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic.

• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

A reminder that face masks and RATs continue to be recommended as the best way to prevent exposure and spread of the virus and are available upon request at the Student Offices. The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home. Additionally, the department recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test when they need to leave home.

We are required to notify MACS of COVID-19 positive cases at the College although we are no longer required to report these to our community. Please contact Mrs Suzanne Fernandes on 9259 3043 or deputyprincipal@aquinas.vic.edu.au to report positive student cases.

As we enter the colder winter months we can see that the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing and we are advised to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to help slow the spread of the virus. 

RATs

RATs continue to be made available at the College, however there are changes to the mode of distribution:

• RATs will no longer be distributed to students via homeroom or mentor. Instead, students are encouraged to collect RATs from student reception as they are required and take them home to be administered under parent/guardian supervision. Parents/guardians can request RATs be provided by contacting student reception.
• It is recommended that rapid antigen tests are used by students and staff when symptomatic. 
• Household contacts are required to test negative using a rapid antigen test on at least 5 out of 7 if they are attending or working at a school onsite. 
• If staff students receive a positive test result at any time, they must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398. 
• Students (or their parents) must also report a positive result to the College by phone or written notification (deputyprincipal@aquinas.vic.edu.au); this is so the school can support them, record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.

Masks

Current advice from the Victorian Government on the wearing of face masks is available here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/face-masks.  It states: 

• Wearing a face mask can help protect you and those around you. Face masks stop droplets spreading when you talk, cough, sneeze and laugh, which lowers your chance of spreading or catching the virus. This information is especially important for those who are medically at risk. 
• The advice also strongly recommends the wearing of face masks in indoor settings (noting that exceptions to the recommendation apply to teaching circumstances when clear enunciation or visibility of the mouth is essential). 
• Household contacts attending school who are over 8 years of age are required to wear face masks indoors unless they have a valid exception. 
• Everyone including students aged 8 years and above must wear a face mask when travelling on public transport, taxis or rideshare vehicles.
• Masks are available at student reception.

There are some important changes to COVIDSafe measures for schools that will apply from the start of Term 2.

Face masks

From 11:59 pm Friday 22 April, face masks, while recommended, are not required in any school setting. This means students in grades 3 to 6, staff and visitors in primary schools are no longer required to wear face masks. Any student or staff member who wishes to wear a mask may do so, including those who are medically at-risk.

Rapid antigen test screening requirements

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, and have completed their 7-day isolation period, now do not need to undertake rapid antigen test (RAT) screening for 12 weeks after their release from isolation. This was previously 8 weeks.

Household contacts

Students who are household contacts of a COVID-19 case are not required to quarantine. They may return to school as long as they undertake rapid antigen tests (RAT) 5 times during their 7-day period. They are required to notify the school that they are a household contact.

Students aged 8 years and above who are household contacts are required to wear face masks when indoors at school unless they have a valid exemption.

If a student household contact returns a positive RAT result, they must isolate for 7 days.

Vaccination requirements for visitors to schools

Parents, carers and other adult visitors (not performing work) are no longer required to show evidence of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

RAT screening program reminder

RATs will continue to be supplied for the first 4 weeks of Term 2 to support the early detection of COVID-19 in our school.

The testing recommendations will remain the same this Term for students and staff with:

• mainstream schools – recommended to test at home twice a week
• specialist schools – recommended to test 5 days a week at home due to the higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children.

As we approach winter and flu season, the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 and booster shots for students 16+ remains the best way to ensure protection for students and staff.

If you have any concerns about getting your child vaccinated, please get in contact with your GP or another health professional who can answer your questions.

Thank you for your ongoing support in keeping our school safe.

My sincere thanks to the Aquinas community for your efforts to ensure that COVID-19 positive students are not attending school and are isolating. Your vigilance has played a significant role in maintaining quite a low incidence of positive cases coming on site each day given the large size of our community. An update is being sent to all affected families at 11.30am daily to indicate classes in which there has been a positive COVID-19 case reported.

Parents/guardians will receive notification if your son/daughter has shared a class with a COVID-19 positive person in the past 48 hrs. Surveillance testing, using the supplied RATs, is recommended twice per week on Monday and Thursday and positive results should be reported to both the Department of Health and the College.

Student attendance

It is stated by the State Government of Victoria that:

• All students are expected to attend onsite unless they are formally registered as being home-schooled. Parent preference is not an approved reason for students to be absent due to COVID-19. Students who are required to isolate or quarantine should be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided to support their continued learning. 
• As such, the College will not be providing a remote learning program as we did during recent lockdowns, but learning resources will remain available on SIMON and/or Google Classroom as determined appropriate by the subject teacher.

Students who may be medically vulnerable:

As per the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, COVIDSafe measures have been put in place to ensure that schools are as safe as possible for all children including those with medical vulnerabilities, however independent medical advice should always be taken on an individual basis.

An individual assessment is recommended and decisions regarding school attendance should be informed by the nature of the young person’s condition, its severity and intensity of required treatment. Parents/guardians should contact the relevant Team/Year Level Leader to discuss the needs of their son/daughter and receive further advice.

Mental health and wellbeing:

The mental health of the students remains an important consideration for our College. For all our students, the College ensures to have wellbeing check-ins together with recording student attendance as a way to monitor students’ wellness, progress and engagement. If you have any concerns regarding the wellbeing of your child, please contact the relevant Team/Year Level Leader for support. 

COVID-Safe Strategies

The College has formulated an extensive COVID-Safe Plan which directs all members of the community to engage the following strategies while at school:

• Face Masks - Face masks remain strongly recommended but are not required in secondary schools. If worn, a face mask should cover the nose and mouth. It is important that those who still wish to wear a mask at the College can do so without being made to feel uncomfortable by others.
• Hygiene - It is important that students wash their hands often, do not share food and avoid contact with others.
• Social distancing - Except in classroom settings where it is not possible, 1.5 metres distancing should be maintained at all times. This includes while eating. 
• Stay home when unwell and get tested - The most important action our community can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. Everyone should consider their health before they attend school, and ensure that they are free from coronavirus symptoms and have not had contact in the past 14 days with a person confirmed or suspected to have the illness. If your son/daughter develops COVID-19 like symptoms while at school, they will be isolated and you will be required to pick them up and to test them or seek further medical advice. Our Health Centre staff, who are registered nurses, will assist this process. Please support your son/daughter and the College by responding promptly and respectfully to a request to collect your young person.
• Ventilation - Windows and doors will be opened to enhance ventilation and, where appropriate, activities will occur outdoors. The College has received a shipment of air purifiers courtesy of the Victorian Government and these devices will be deployed to areas of poorer ventilation and higher risk.

Rapid antigen testing

Free rapid antigen tests (RATs) are available and distributed to all staff and students at our school for the entirety of Term 1. It is recommended a RAT is undertaken twice a week at home at a time that best suits your circumstances. The RAT is designed to be used as part of a surveillance strategy in an effort to avoid asymptomatic individuals attending school. Should your son/daughter be showing even mild COVID-19 symptoms they should not be attending school and you should seek medical advice. If your child receives a positive test result at any time, you must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398. Information about how to do a test, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is available at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests. A rapid antigen positive test portal is being developed for result upload and details will be provided as they become available.

You must also report a positive result to the College, by emailing Dr Nap Rodezno, Deputy Principal, at deputyprincipal@aquinas.vic.edu.au. This is so the College can support the student, record that they will be absent while in 7 day isolation, and while maintaining confidentiality, let the relevant members of the College community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.  Where a student is identified as a positive case, education contact tracing will no longer be a requirement. Students who have come in contact with a positive case at school should be monitored for symptoms, but are not required to isolate.

In summary, the process is set out below:

• Parents/guardians should report if their son/daughter tests positive to COVID-19 (via a PCR or rapid antigen test) and notify the College. 
• Students who report a positive result must isolate themselves for seven days and not attend school during that period.
• Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period. Please ensure to notify us through the Deputy Principal Email listed above. 
• Please ensure that your child refrains from returning to school if they remain symptomatic, unless it is known that their symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition or medication.

Visitors to the College

Visitors are permitted onsite and must check in with a QR code (including proof of vaccination) when entering College buildings, but not College grounds (i.e. during school pick up and drop off).

School commencement 2022

School is resuming for students as planned with Year 7 and Year 12 returning on Wednesday 2nd February and with Years 8 to 11 returning on Thursday 3rd February.

As you will be aware, the Victorian government has announced a number of strategies to address the recent rise of COVID-19 infections in the state. Aquinas College follows guidelines from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and will be implementing the necessary adjustments recommended to help protect the community. 

Victoria’s Back-To-School plan

The measures set out in the Victorian Government’s Back-To-School plan will ensure every possible effort is made to ensure staff and students are safe and that schools remain open. The plan maintains the importance of the 3Vs: Ventilation, Vaccination and Vital COVIDSafe steps and introduces some new measures.

We are requested to err on the side of caution for the first four weeks of term at which time the plan is to be reviewed. As such, the College will assess each non-classroom activity planned for the first four weeks on its individual merit and level of risk and determine how it should safely proceed.

Student attendance

It is stated by the State Government of Victoria that:

• All students are expected to attend onsite unless they are formally registered as being home-schooled. Parent preference is not an approved reason for students to be absent due to COVID-19. Students who are required to isolate or quarantine should be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials provided to support their continued learning. 
• As such, the College will not be providing a remote learning program as we did during recent lockdowns, but learning resources will remain available on SIMON and/or Google Classroom as determined appropriate by the subject teacher.

Students who may be medically vulnerable:

As per the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, COVIDSafe measures have been put in place to ensure that schools are as safe as possible for all children including those with medical vulnerabilities, however independent medical advice should always be taken on an individual basis.

An individual assessment is recommended and decisions regarding school attendance should be informed by the nature of the young person’s condition, its severity and intensity of required treatment. Parents/guardians should contact the relevant Team/Year Level Leader to discuss the needs of their son/daughter and receive further advice.

Mental health and wellbeing:

The mental health of the students remains an important consideration for our College. For all our students, the College ensures to have wellbeing check-ins together with recording student attendance as a way to monitor students’ wellness, progress and engagement. If you have any concerns regarding the wellbeing of your child, please contact the relevant Team/Year Level Leader for support. 

COVID-Safe Strategies

The College has formulated an extensive COVID-Safe Plan which directs all members of the community to engage the following strategies while at school:

• Face Masks - Face masks covering the nose and mouth are to be worn at all times when indoors and while outdoors if social distancing cannot be maintained. Please ensure that your son/daughter has a mask with them and encourage them to wear the mask on the way to and from school if taking public transport.
• Hygiene - It is important that students wash their hands often, do not share food and avoid contact with others.
• Social distancing - Except in classroom settings where it is not possible, 1.5 metres distancing should be maintained at all times. This includes while eating. 
• Stay home when unwell and get tested - The most important action our community can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. Everyone should consider their health before they attend school, and ensure that they are free from coronavirus symptoms and have not had contact in the past 14 days with a person confirmed or suspected to have the illness. If your son/daughter develops COVID-19 like symptoms while at school, they will be isolated and you will be required to pick them up and to test them or seek further medical advice. Our Health Centre staff, who are registered nurses, will assist this process. Please support your son/daughter and the College by responding promptly and respectfully to a request to collect your young person.
• Ventilation - Windows and doors will be opened to enhance ventilation and, where appropriate, activities will occur outdoors. The College has received a shipment of air purifiers courtesy of the Victorian Government and these devices will be deployed to areas of poorer ventilation and higher risk.

Rapid antigen testing

Free rapid antigen tests (RATs) will be made available for all staff and students at our school for the first four weeks of Term 1. When RATs arrive at the College they will be distributed to students via their homeroom/mentor teacher. We will alert you on the day that the RATs are distributed so that you can expect them to arrive at your home.

Your son/daughter is encouraged to undertake the RAT twice a week at home at a time that best suits your circumstances. The RAT is designed to be used as part of a surveillance strategy in an effort to avoid asymptomatic individuals attending school. Should your son/daughter be showing even mild COVID-19 symptoms they should not be attending school and you should seek medical advice. If your child receives a positive test result at any time, you must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398. Information about how to do a test, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is available at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests. A rapid antigen positive test portal is being developed for result upload and details will be provided as they become available.

You must also report a positive result to the College, by emailing Dr Nap Rodezno, Deputy Principal, at deputyprincipal@aquinas.vic.edu.au. This is so the College can support the student, record that they will be absent while in 7 day isolation, and while maintaining confidentiality, let the relevant members of the College community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.  Where a student is identified as a positive case, education contact tracing will no longer be a requirement. Students who have come in contact with a positive case at school should be monitored for symptoms, but are not required to isolate.

In summary, the process is set out below:

• Parents/guardians should report if their son/daughter tests positive to COVID-19 (via a PCR or rapid antigen test) and notify the College. 
• Students who report a positive result must isolate themselves for seven days and not attend school during that period.
• Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
• Please ensure that your child refrains from returning to school if they remain symptomatic, unless it is known that their symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition or medication.

Visitors to the College

Visitors are permitted onsite and must check in with a QR code (including proof of vaccination) when entering College buildings, but not College grounds (i.e. during school pick up and drop off).

Incursions/Excursions/Camps/Assemblies

While these activities are permitted at the College’s discretion, we are currently looking at each of the activities that have been planned over the next four weeks and determining how we will proceed in terms of our CovidSafe plan. A risk assessment needs to be conducted in relation to each activity. Further details will be provided in the coming days and weeks.