Letter to parents: 20 March 2020

Dear Parents

We are pleased to advise that there are still no cases of COVID-19 at Hope Christian College and still no suspected cases. We are very thankful for this.

This letter is to update you on the measures the College is putting into place to minimise risk. Please understand that we are doing our best in this unprecedented time. We are doing our best to keep your children and you safe. We need your cooperation in these matters.

Change to Home Groups

As of Monday morning students in Years 6-12 will no longer meet in their vertically streamed Home Groups. All students in Years 6-12 will now meet for Home Group with their Core Class. This minimises the contact that students will have with students outside of their Core Class. Where possible, students will be allocated areas in which to play during break times in an attempt to facilitate Social Distancing. These are temporary measures and will return to normal when to the disease has run its course.

Social Distancing and Hygiene

Further social distancing strategies being implemented are :

• Where space permits students will now sit end to end at desks and not next to each other. Where space does not permit, students will sit at opposite sides of the desk and not next to each other.
• The College auditorium seating has been reduced to 100 chairs which are now spaced 1.5 metres apart.
• The College staff room has been rearranged so that staff are sitting 1.5 metres apart.
• New hand washing sinks are going to be installed, however, this may take a little time.

Hand washing and sanitising is being enforced. We ask that parents speak to their children about the importance of these measures. Students will be expected to wash or sanitise every time they enter a room. Please constantly remind your own children to wash their hands and not to touch their faces.

Parents

We are respectfully asking parents not to come onto the College site unless it is necessary. If you need to walk your child to their classroom, please leave as soon as possible and do not stay on the College grounds. Please observe sanitation and distance lines where marked. These measure are to protect you as well as our staff.

NAPLAN

This afternoon we have been advised that the Government have cancelled all NAPLAN testing for 2020.

Canteen

Next week we will be stopping all over-the-counter service in the canteen. This means that all students from Reception to Year 12 who need lunch must place an order in the morning. We are looking at moving to on-linen orders only, however, further information will be sent to you about that.

Staff Training

As you know, for the past 2 days our staff have been working hard to prepare for a potential College closure. This is a difficult task given the unknown timing of a potential closure. Staff have been involved in training sessions for the eventuality of teaching via video link, and they’ve also been learning how to upload content to the SEQTA portal for students and parents to access. This will not be the same as regular classroom teaching but we will do our best to provide some ongoing education for the students.

There will be printed material for young students which will be sent home in the event of a closure. These students will need your help with their work. For older students material will be online and instructions for accessing this, timetables for online video sessions etc will be distributed at that time.

Interstate Travel

We ask that you do not travel interstate. Currently most other states are in full community transmission. If you travel interstate, you are at higher risk of catching COVD-19 and passing it on to your family and into the College. Tasmania has closed its borders to domestic travel. Please do not travel interstate.

Please be assured of our prayers for our College Community, our country’s leaders, our health-care and emergency service personnel and for this whole situation. Staying connected (through exercising social–distancing) is important so that we do not feel emotionally isolated.

Yours sincerely

D Hopps
Principal