18 Jul 2022
With respiratory illness on the rise in Canberra this winter, Staying COVID Smart at school is a top priority for Term 3.
The ACT Education Directorate is committed to ensuring minimal disruption to high quality learning while prioritising students’ health and wellbeing alongside that of our dedicated teaching and school staff across the ACT’s 90 public schools.
Learning flexibility
While face-to-face learning in the classroom will remain the core way students learn this term, there will be times where they will do some of their learning a little differently.
When we are unable to support students in the classroom as a result of staff availability, there may be the need to learn online for a short time, either from home or in a supervised setting at school.
ACT Public Schools already have the programs, skills, and technology to do this well and our schools have been planning to enable learning to be delivered in a number of different ways.
We know families need some level of predictability, so as much as possible, schools will provide advance notice if learning from home is required. Additional support for student who require assistance to learn from home will be available.
Students not able to stay at home for any reason can still attend school and will be supervised while undertaking the same online learning activities as their peers.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will continue to be available from schools and will be provided to staff and students on an as needed basis. Parents only need to report a positive COVID-19 case to their school if their child attended school during their infectious period. Parents and carers must report a positive RAT to ACT Health
and follow their advice about quarantine arrangements.
Staying COVID Smart
The best way to prevent and prepare for illness, including COVID-19 and Influenza, is to ensure you follow ACT Health’s recommendations:
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. This is the best protection from severe illness.
- Stay home when unwell and get tested for COVID-19. Do not attend school campus if unwell or if you have tested positive to COVID-19.
- Practice good hand and respiratory hygiene. While masks are no longer mandatory except for in some settings/situations, ACT Health does strongly encourage their use particularly during this period of increased COVID-19 and Influenza cases. Masks and hand sanitiser are available at all schools.
If your student is a household contact, they may still attend school. Please follow ACT Health advice and also let your school know.
In addition, every ACT Public School has an Indoor Air Quality Plan in place with ventilation remaining an important strategy to manage the spread of airborne illness in our schools. Families are reminded to keep up to date with the latest health advice at www.covid19.act.gov.au
Term 3 planning days
Two pupil free staff planning days will occur in Term 3 across ACT public schools to give teachers time for lesson planning and admin work they can’t do while on class. Your school will have communicated the proposed dates already with you.
Students who can’t stay at home on these days will be able to attend school for supervision and general learning activities.
Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our students, teachers and school staff remains a priority.
If you or your children are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety, we encourage you to view the supports available on the ACT Education website.