02-Aug-2020
Dear Families,
Good evening and I hope that you enjoyed the sunshine over the weekend.
I firmly believe that Our finest hour is yet to come!
Earlier today, the Victorian Government announced that, on the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, regional and rural Victoria will move to Stage 3 restrictions and metropolitan Melbourne will move to Stage 4 restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
These requirements apply to all schools across the government, Catholic and independent sectors and across all metropolitan Melbourne and rural and regional Victoria.
The changes to schools’ operations will come into effect from Wednesday 5 August, following a student free day on Tuesday 4 August, and are likely to apply until the end of Term 3.
We know that he Premier’s announcement today will impact on our loved ones, our families and our friends. We remain committed to working for, and with, every one of our Edithvale Primary families to help us all get through this. “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”- Ryunosuke Sator
On Friday we received correspondence from the Chief Health Officer that again stated that “schools remain safe places for staff and students.” So schools, in some form, will remain open.
For Edithvale Primary this means:
All students from Prep to Year 6 students will continue with remote and flexible learning until the end of Term 3 unless they qualify to work (and be supervised) on site.
The criteria for students that can attend on-site has tightened and is now as follows:
- children whose parents are permitted workers. The Victorian Government will provide further advice about this over the coming days
- vulnerable children in out of home care, children known to child protection and other agencies and children the school identifies as vulnerable
- children with a disability who also fit one of the above two categories.
TIMELINE
- Monday 3 August will be a ‘normal’ day of school under current arrangements, with students attending on-site asked to take all their necessary learning materials home.
- Tuesday 4 August will be a student-free day across Victoria.
- Wednesday 5 August will be the first day of new arrangements for schools across Victoria.
STAFFING
- Appropriately qualified school staff, including teachers and education support staff, and CRTs will support the on-site supervision program.
- Staff not required for on-site supervision must work from home.
Please take care and stay safe and we will see this through
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Sincerely
James Whitla