Principal’s COVID Update to Families – 19 October 2021

Dear Families,

Late yesterday we were advised that members of our school community had tested positive for Coronavirus and, this morning, those students and staff who are Primary Close Contacts (PCC) have been notified by the College and instructed to get tested. This list has been sent to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and they will commence their processes. Please understand that the College community is also impacted by the COVID cases at our feeder schools, St Peter’s and St Therese’s. We are working closely with these schools as they share siblings and have staff that are parents of students who attend those schools.

Overnight, the College has been able to determine the impact across the College and has commenced a deep clean of the areas affected at our Coolock Campus. At this point, the students and staff impacted are limited to the Coolock Campus and the Year 9 cohort.

Other year levels had not been impacted until this afternoon when the College has been directed to contact specific bus travellers who might be at risk. If your son or daughter travelled on Christians Bus Lines School Special 2 on Tuesday 12 or Wednesday 13 October (last week), please contact btyrrell@cmc.vic.edu.au. This is a Tier 2 contact, and your child will need to isolate and register a negative test result before returning. This is an urban bus, so we do not have a register of students who travelled from Kennington via St Mary’s to Coolock.

Please understand that students who have tested positive at other year levels were not on campus last week and do not pose a risk.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 20 October, both campuses will re-open. All areas of concern are being cleaned today and will be fit for purpose.

Students who are not isolating may return to on-campus learning following the schedule detailed below in accordance with the current guidelines. Given the number of staff and students impacted at Year 9, we will maintain the remote learning program for this year level.

On Wednesday 20 October

• Years 7 – 8 students will be permitted to attend at Coolock.
• Years 9 – 10 students will be undertaking remote learning.
• Year 11 students will be permitted to attend at St Mary’s.
• Year 12 students will be undertaking remote learning (see more information below).

On Thursday 21 October

• Year 7 students will be permitted to attend at Coolock.
• Years 8 and 9 students will be undertaking remote learning.
• Years 10 and 11 students will be permitted to attend at St Mary’s.
• Year 12 students will be undertaking remote learning.

On Friday 22 October

• Years 7 – 11 students will return to the classroom full time, as recently announced by the Victorian Government. Hopefully we can then be blessed with some normality.
• Year 12 students will be undertaking remote learning.

The approved arrangements that are already in place will continue as normal for children who are vulnerable and the children of essential workers.

Year 12

Given the escalating numbers of local COVID cases across the community the College has decided to direct the Year 12 students to remain in the remote learning program. We do not want to place our students at risk of exposure or quarantine before the exam period, which commences next week. It is the recommended advice from various authorities and the measure taken by several schools in a similar position across the Diocese. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) recommends that any student sitting an exam needs to avoid unnecessary social contact. Further information will be sent to Year 12 students and families today.

Thank you for your support once again in responding to this situation. If there are any changes or escalations, we will continue communicating across our various platforms as promptly as possible. We are still working with DHHS and supporting their tracing efforts. We understand the difficulties people are confronting in getting tested.

Thank you to affected families for their quick response today. We pray that the impact is minimal, and we also pray for those members who have tested positive, that their health improves rapidly.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Turner, Principal