Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

The events of the past few weeks have highlighted to me the very fluid and evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and how quickly the situation can change.  The message from the Chief Health Officer remains clear to Queenslanders - following the health advice and adhering to any restrictions is key to reducing transmission.  

I would like to acknowledge the work, behaviours and commitment of three groups at our school as we deal with the challenges of change and doing our part to keep everyone well.  

The outstanding efforts that our families and community are going to in order to help us manage the day to day organisation of the school, deserves recognition.  Parenting is never an easy job and these restrictions make it all the more difficult.  Your flexibility and commitment to ensuring our school can operate as smoothly as possible is very much appreciated.  Thank you sincerely.  

Second, I recognise how challenging it is to teach and instruct all day long while wearing a face mask.  Staff are required to keep their mask on from the moment they step out of the vehicle in the morning, until the moment they get back in it that afternoon.  Their focus on complying with the government's directive is both responsible and admirable.  Well done.

I am also very appreciative of our wonderful assistant teachers, our School Chaplain and our Inclusion staff.  Their relationships with students and families is truly beautiful to see, as they greet anxious parents and students at the front gate, reassure them they are safe and boost their confidence as they walk them to class.  They really are some of our unsung heroes.

COVID restrictions at school explained

I have taken the pertinent sections of the COVID planning framework for you to peruse.  The full document is available here.  We are in Scenario 5 at the moment.

School start times

• School gates open at 8:00am.  This is when we have staff onsite who are able to supervise your children.  Parents dropping their children off before this time are doing this knowing there is no adult supervising their child. We've had some children still arriving at school at 7:30am (one hour before school starts) and we would encourage these families to consider before school care facilities.
• School starts at 8:30am. This is when we expect students to be in their classrooms ready to learn.  While parents are unable to come on campus, we are deploying more staff to assist at the front gate at 8:00 - 8:30 to assist any children who may require support in walking to class.

School finish times

School finishes at:

• 2:30pm for most students or
• 2:00pm for early departure.  Click here to register Even if you previously registered for last week, we need to register again for this coming week. 

Other early departures cannot be managed during the day.  Please note that we a new rule in place while parents cannot come onto the school campus.

If you need to collect your child early for an authorised purpose, it is vital that you contact the school office by 2:30pm the day before, so that the necessary arrangements can be made.  Emergency situations will continue to be assisted but early collection will not be available to parents unless it is pre-arranged the day prior.  We can help but we need families to communicate early so we can help organise our support.

Kind regards and keep well

Vic