Nowra High School

Wisdom Through Knowledge

Telephone02 4421 4977

Emailnowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Corona Virus (COVID-19) Letter from Mr Kingsley

this image shows the Nowra HIgh School crest

Important Information regarding COVID-19 virus

 

17th March 2020

Dear Parent/Caregiver,

We are certainly living in interesting and challenging times right now. As you are aware, schools are still operating as normal for the time being. Students are being reminded to wash their hands thoroughly (20 seconds) and sneeze or cough into their elbows. Soap has been provided in all toilets so that students can wash their hands. The Department of Education and NSW Health have instructed schools to ensure the safety of our students and we ask you in helping us to implement the following procedures:

·         If your child is sick please keep them at home until they are well. If your child presents to sick bay feeling unwell, office staff will contact you asking you to collect him/her and keep them at home until they are well.

·         If you, your child or someone in direct contact to your family is suspected of having COVID-19 or tests positive, please inform the school ASAP. We have protocols to follow in either case to ensure the health and safety of students and staff.

We have been provided specific information regarding self-isolation and the advice is as follows:

If you are self-isolating your children due to fear of them contracting COVID-19 their absence will be recorded as unexplained as the current advice from NSW Health is that students attend school, unless they have returned from overseas from today (17 March) or have a pre-existing health or respiratory condition such as asthma etc. and have medical advice to self-isolate. When students are away for 2 consecutive days the school will contact you (as per normal school procedures) to ask about the absence.

Accepted reasons for student absences due to self-isolation are as follows:

·         Having direct contact with someone who has tested positive with COVID-19 and your student needs to self-isolate as a result

·         Students self-isolating for 14 days after returning from overseas travel (as per procedures introduced from midnight 16 March)

·         Students infected with COVID-19. A medical clearance is required before they are able to return to school.

·         Students self-isolating due to sick family members (those suffering underlying health conditions). You will be required to provide a note and / or medical certificate to the office or your student’s teacher.

School work for when students have to self-isolate:

·         Staff are currently developing digital resources and lessons for those students who do need to self-isolate. If students have tested positive to COVID-19 they will not be expected to complete work.

·         If your student needs to self-isolate, please contact the school. We will send school work digitally to student and parent email addresses, so your student continues to learn at home.

We have been advised by the Department of Education to cancel school events and assemblies. As a result, the following events are cancelled until further notice:

•       All school assemblies

•       All excursions, interschool and representative sports, and school camps

•       P&C meetings

Please be aware that information to schools is provided daily to reflect any changes from the advice from NSW Health as a response to what is happening with the COVID-19 virus. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the school.

To keep up to date please make sure you follow the school’s Facebook page.

Yours sincerely,

Glen Kingsley

Principal