NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE – 17 MARCH 2020
Please find below a copy of a letter that students will receive in roll call tomorrow. This letter provides you and your family with important information about the Coronavirus and what our school is doing to keep your children safe. Please read it carefully and discuss the contents with your children.

Prairiewood High School

203-215 Restwell Rd, Prairiewood NSW 2176                                                                                    

Principal Ms B Giudice Postal Address Locked Bag 46, Wetherill Park BC NSW 1851

P 02 9725 5444    F 02 9604 6127    E prairiewoo-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

CRICOS NSW Department of Education CRICOS Provider Code 00588M www.deinternational.nsw.edu.au

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE – 17 MARCH 2020

Dear Parent/Carers and community members,

The NSW Department of Education has introduced additional proactive measures to limit the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our schools. This includes a number of mandated changes to school operations, including stopping excursions, assemblies, meetings and carnivals. Efforts are now focused on considered actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community and protect those who are likely to experience more severe disease such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. These steps are also essential to reduce the demands on the health system so that it can function effectively.

The latest updates can be found at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/school- safety/novel-coronavirus

The Department of Education advises the following three actions can be taken to manage the spread:

1)    Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly

2)    Sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, disposing of the tissue straight away and then washing your hands

3)    Stay home if you are unwell and in schools, send home staff or students who show signs of being unwell through the day

Prairiewood High School is providing the following support to students and staff In the area of social distancing:

·     Whole-school assemblies will cease until further notice, at the request of the Department of Education.

·     Representative sporting activities will cease until further notice, at the request of the Department of Education.

·     PDHPE and whole-school sport will continue for now, however, students are permitted to come to school in their sports uniform if they have sport or a PDHPE subject that day. This will minimise the number of students in the change room at one time. Students are reminded that they will need leather shoes for Science and TAS practical lessons.

·     Reducing face to face parent communications at the school. All parent meetings with teaching staff will be conducted where possible via the phone. This includes:

-      Ceasing our P&C meetings. Please contact Dr Ashni Prasad, P&C President on docash@live.com for further information

-      Ceasing our weekly parent/community inclusion programs

-      Individual Education Plan and Individual Transition Plan meetings with Special Education staff

-      Personalised Learning Plan meetings with Learning & Support staff

-      School Counsellor liaison

-      Meetings with the Principal, Deputy Principals, Year Advisors and other school staff as needed. We request you to contact the school to make an appointment. Translator and interpreter services are available as needed.

·  Excursions and activities off-site will cease until further notice, at the request of the Department of Education. A local decision has been made for this to include local based programs and activities (i.e. Cabramatta PCYC, Daystar Foundation Bonnyrigg, Links to Learning Wetherill Park). Where possible, these excursions will occur at a later date when permitted by the Department of Education. If excursions cannot occur at a later date, full refunds will be provided. The school is no longer collecting money for existing excursions/camps.

·  A local decision for student participation at VET Work Placement will be at the discretion of the parent/carers. The school can organise work placements to be postponed. All voluntary work experience programs offered to students will cease until further notice.

·  A Department of Education decision regarding School Based Apprenticeship & Traineeships (SBAT) and TAFE NSW students is:

-      SBATs will be business as usual and individual students will be informed by the host employer or RTO if there is any impact on training or paid work arrangements. Please contact the school for more information.

-      TAFE will continue. TAFE NSW is working closely with the Department of Education and NSW Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation. NSW Health is investigating cases of COVID-19 as they occur. Students from any school that has been temporarily closed due to the coronavirus are not to attend TAFE NSW programs while their school is closed.

-      For Year 11 and 12 students enrolled in the Certificate III Health Service Assistance course at Fairfield Hospital, there will be no face to face classes until further notice. Please contact Mrs Evans (Careers Advisor) for more information.

·  Increasing the use of outdoor settings where possible

·  Increased ventilation in classrooms

In the area of hygiene:

·  Cleaning products will be available for additional extra wipe down activities of hard surfaces, including classroom tables and door handles.

·  The school has ordered additional supply of hand sanitizers, plus large refills, toilet rolls, tissues and paper towels. All staff and student toilets have access to a soap dispenser and/or sanitizer. We are regularly checking dispensers are full in all bathroom facilities. We understand supplies are short, however, we encourage parent/carers to provide their child with personal sanitizer to support best-practice hygiene.

·  Enhancing hygiene and screening practices for illness among food preparation and canteen staff – we will temporarily cease practical Food Technology classes and Special Education Café lessons once our current food supply is exhausted. With regards to our current supply, individuals will be cooking their own food and there is no food handling by other students. We are liaising with our leased canteen and they have indicated that all canteen staff will be complying with NSW Health and Department of Education guidelines.

Consistent with current Department of Education guidelines, children, students and staff who are unwell with respiratory illness should remain at home until symptoms resolve. In accordance with our current practice if any student becomes unwell we will implement our infection control guidelines and follow the advice provided by NSW Health as appropriate. In the interest of safety for all, you will be asked to come and collect your child if they show signs of being unwell or if they show flu-like symptoms.

We will endeavor to keep you up to date with the latest information provided by the Department of Education through our social media channels – SkoolBag app, Facebook and the school website.

Additional information about the department's response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/school-safety/novel-coronavirus

The Department of Education has provided learn from home resources for students that can be accessed at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-from- home/teaching-and-learning-resources More information will be provided by the school as required.

We thank you for your support in this matter. Yours sincerely,

Ms Belinda Giudice Principal