Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to a new school year. I look forward to connecting with our students as they return to the College and welcoming those that are about to commence their journey at BCC.

For our students and community to have a safe and positive start at BCC, we will continue with COVID safe measures that have been developed in partnership with NSW Health. Our goal is to help minimise transmissions at the College. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our priority and these measures are designed to help keep our College open and our students learning in the classroom.

These key measures include:

• Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT) kits will be provided to all students to help monitor your child’s health and minimise transmission of COVID-19 across our College. Each student will be allocated 4 tests. Parents or caregivers can collect RAHT kits on either Thursday afternoon 27 January between 1 – 4pm or Friday morning 28 January between 7.30 – 8.30am. Staff will have kits available for a drive through pickup at collection points in the Kiss and Drop area
• Wearing of surgical masks indoors is required for all staff and Secondary students, however, it is strongly recommended for all Primary students
• Only fully vaccinated visitors essential to delivering and supporting learning or wellbeing can come on a school site. Canteen and uniform shop volunteers are included as essential visitors
• Two parents or caregivers are allowed to accompany each child into the College on their first day of Kindergarten or for students who are new to BCC. Heads of school will communicate specifically how this can take place in a safe manner
• Students will be kept in their year groups on school grounds to minimise the spread of COVID-19 across cohorts.
• Drop off and pick up will remain staggered. Parents and caregivers must continue to follow social distancing guidelines and avoid congregating near gates. New Kinder parents will receive specific communication to support safe and organised drop off and pick up for their children.
• We will continue to use good hygiene, enhanced cleaning, good air flow and ventilation in learning spaces, as well as physical distancing practices. While this is not going to be a normal start to the school year, we know that being together in the classroom is the most effective way for students to learn and grow. Your child’s relationship with their teacher is important but as we manage potential disruptions to staffing due to COVID-19, they may get to meet more teachers than usual.

Rapid antigen testing

We will distribute packs of Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT) kits for all students during the two staff development days on Thursday 27 January and Friday 28 January. Parents or Caregivers can choose which day and time slot they prefer. 1 – 4pm on Thursday or 7.30 – 8.30 on Friday. Staff will have kits available at tables in the Kiss and Drop area. Parents can collect for all siblings at the same time – 4 tests per student.

In the unusual circumstance of not being able to make either collection time, you will be able to pick up tests during drop off on Monday morning 31 January and conduct the test on Tuesday morning.

The use of RAHT kits is an important step to support the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. They are a quick and easy screening tool to help detect COVID-19. It is a simple process of placing a nose or throat swab in a chemical solution, which is put onto a scanning device. Results can be ready within 15 minutes. Use of RAHT kits is highly recommended.

Instructions are included in the kits detailing how to use the tests, check the results and dispose of the tests safely. The user guides will also contain a contact number for the suppliers if you need additional support.

Additional information

• School staff will not be administering the rapid antigen tests to students
• RAHT kits should be collected from the College by a parent or caregiver and the tests completed at home in the morning before attending school
• Each student will receive an initial supply of 4 RAHT kits to be used twice a week, each Monday and Wednesday in the morning before attending school.
• If a student or staff member receives a positive RAHT result, they MUST:
• record the positive RAHT result through Service NSW
• notify the College of the positive RAHT or PCR result as soon as possible
• follow NSW Health advice to isolate for 7 days.

Negative results do not need to be reported to Service NSW or to the College.

Unwell at school

Any student or staff member who is unwell and/or displays symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to go home and stay home until they can complete a RAHT or PCR test.

• If symptoms continue, they should stay at home and take another RAHT in 24 hours or have a PCR test.
• If the second RAHT or initial PCR test result is negative and they are displaying no symptoms OR they are diagnosed as another condition such as hayfever, the student or staff member can return to the College.

What happens when a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19

Under the new close contact rules, schools are no longer included in contact tracing. I will inform the necessary classes or year groups, when there is a positive case in our College and advise families on public health advice, including monitoring for symptoms.

Use of surgical masks

All Primary and Secondary College staff will be required to wear masks indoors. No vented or cloth masks should be worn. Primary school students are strongly recommended to wear well-fitted masks indoors. Masks are also strongly encouraged in outdoor settings where you cannot physically distance. Your child can remove their mask when eating, exercising or playing a musical instrument.

Visitors on school sites and vaccinations

No parents, caregivers or visitors will be allowed on the College site until further notice with the following exceptions:

• Two parents or caregivers are allowed to accompany their child into school on their first day of Kindergarten or Year 7 or new students starting at the College
• Volunteers or staff operating uniform shops and canteens must be fully vaccinated
• Visitors supporting school operations and curriculum delivery must be fully vaccinated
• Allied health partners for the wellbeing of students must be fully vaccinated.

Other key measures

Ventilation

We will continue to follow NSW Health ventilation guidelines that natural ventilation is the most effective measure so we will maximise fresh air flow in learning spaces by opening doors and windows. T

This approach is strongly supported by expert advice. Where natural ventilation is not sufficient, mechanical ventilation and/or air purification will be used and we will continue to use outdoor settings where possible.

Air purifiers have been provided to schools as a supplementary measure to support common areas in schools and can be deployed at the principal’s discretion. These purifiers could be located in areas where high levels of student and staff mixing occurs.

Cleaning

We continue to have enhanced cleaning focusing on high-touch and high-traffic areas.

Physical distancing

We will continue to follow physical distancing guidelines and maintain 1.5 metres distance wherever possible. Parents and carers should not congregate near the gates.

Our website will also be updated regularly to include current COVID plans and guidelines for our community.

Thank you again for your continued support as we begin our 2022 learning journey. May God continue to bless and protect us as we manage the ongoing regulations and restrictions that accompany COVID 19.

Kind regards,

____________________________

Sharon Sopher
Principal

Belmont Christian College

Phone: (02) 49228300
Email: college@bcc.nsw.edu.au
Web: www.bcc.nsw.edu.au
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Street: 65 John Fisher Road, Belmont NSW 2280
Post: PO Box 492, Belmont NSW 2280