27 July 2021
COVID Update
Dear Annesley Community,
We look forward to greeting you tomorrow morning, with our face masks on, when schooling on our beautiful site recommences. The SA Government has made a range of announcements that we are required to action as we recommence face-to-face schooling. I must admit, I am grateful and frustrated at the same time. I know these are feelings shared by you all. Thank you in advance for your support as we navigate this next chapter in the pandemic.
Specifics for the coming 7 days are below:
- We ask parents not to enter the school site except for reasons outlined below. As I’ve stated previously, this is the hardest information to share as I truly value parents and caregivers in our learning spaces and the moments of community connection that occur before and after school as families enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces. Until the new State Government measures ease, we ask that this does not occur
- Visiting adults must always wear masks. All Annesley staff will also wear masks but are exempt from wearing masks when interacting with students, outside, during PE lessons and while fulfilling their teaching duties. Students are not required to wear masks
- Use our QR code if entering our campus
- ELC; Drop your child to their room, sign them in and minimise time in their room
- Reception (including our new Mid-Year Reception class); Drop your child to their room and minimise your time in their room.
- Year 1 to Year 7; Utilise the ‘Kiss and Drop’ zone and encourage your child to be independent in meeting their teacher and entering their learning space. Various members of the Year 1 and 2 teaching teams will be outside near the front gate to greet students as they enter school each morning for the remainder of this week
- We will increase the number of staff on ‘Kiss and Drop duty’ for the rest of this week to assist in the flow of traffic. Thank you in advance for your patience, ensuring you don’t park and leave your car, that you drive to the end of the zone where able to allow for other cars to move in behind you and for respecting the staff on duty. We are focused on keeping our students, the children in our community, safe
- All excursions and incursions postponed
- All co-curricular activities postponed
- All parent/ caregiver and teacher meetings to be scheduled via phone, MS Teams or Zoom, not face to face
- Assembly and Chapel cancelled. Awards will be presented in class
- Teaching staff will continue to communicate and share learning via Seesaw and school wide communication will continue to be shared via School Stream
- Scheduled school tours, staff meetings and teacher meetings will occur online via MS Teams and Zoom
- No school sport or sport trainings (we will advise further once details are received from various associations)
- No external hirers of our facilities
- One on one music tuition to resume, with music tutors to wear masks at all times
- Allied health professionals (speech pathologists, OTs, etc) allowed on site to continue their support of students, with visitors to wear masks at all times
- No volunteers on site at this point (including sports, listening to reading)
- Before and After School Care allowed to drop off and collect at OSHC while wearing a mask and minimising time on campus
These constant changes are exhausting; we know. Let’s keep our focus on our children, the passionate, caring and creative students of Annesley, who we know are delighted to be returning to school. I just had a special moment with one of my daughters, an Annesley student. She ran into my work space with a big smile on her face and shared; ‘dad, the lockdown is over and we can go back to school. I am so happy!’ We know there will be mixed emotions for student as they come back to school. Please rest assured our team is focused on quality care, support and the creative, rigorous learning of our students. We thank you for your ongoing cooperation, understanding and partnership.
Please note we will send a survey this week seeking your feedback on our 4 days of Distance Learning. We welcome your thoughtful consideration in responding as we look to review, refine and prepare for the possibility of future lockdowns. We will also survey staff and our students on their experience of Distance Learning, as they are also key stakeholders. It’s pleasing to note that we have been approached by other schools and the Association of Independent Schools in SA to share our communication and Distance Learning approach and documentation to help others during this time of lockdown.
We will keep you updated, as we have since the pandemic began, in a timely and thorough manner.
Warm regards,
LUKE RITCHIE
Principal