We hope that you have had an enjoyable and safe holiday break and look forward to welcoming all students back to site on Monday 2 May.

In readiness for this term 2 start I would like to provide further clarity regarding COVID-19 management for the beginning of term 2.

Face Masks

For the first 4 weeks of term 2, when indoors, face masks will continue to be:

·       required for all adults (including visitors), except when teaching or interacting with children

·       required for students in years 7 to 12

The use of face masks in education settings will be reassessed by the Emergency Management Committee and the department ahead of the start of week 5 – and I will forward you this information as soon as it is received.

Exemptions will continue to be made for students or staff who have a medical condition, such as problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability, or a mental health conditions – please contact your student’s House Leader if further support or information is required.

Testing, isolation and quarantine requirements

In line with changes in SA Health COVID-19 guidelines please find attached the updated definitions and procedures for staff and students in a school setting.

Please continue to keep your children at home if they show any cold/flu symptoms and if you require further clarity or support please contact your child’s House Teacher, House Leader, or a member of our Student Services team.

I would like to thank all families for continuing to work with us through these ever changing regulations.

Regards,

Adie Conley - Principal

Please contact the site via your student House Teacher if you have further queries or require other support.

 Over the past few weeks many would have received notifications of COVID-19 positive cases on our site.

These communications are standardised and are intended to raise awareness.

To protect the confidential information of those involved these do not directly name students or staff, but to assist with clarity do indicate House Team, Learning Group and/or Bus Route affected.

 Where we have up to date details on EDSAS parents are notified firstly via SMS, with full information contained in a letter sent to parents via Daymap Parent Portal and email addresses.

Please Note: we are not able to distribute this information directly to students but are restricted to providing this to parent/caregivers only.

For this reason, it is important that we have the most up to date contact information for all families.

If you wish to update you details, please contact our Student Services Team who will happily adjust your records. Student Services contact details: email dl.0799.studentservices@schools.sa.edu.au or phone (08) 8551 1912

 A reminder that if your child is unwell, even mildly, please keep them at home monitor their symptoms and test if required.

In addition, could I ask that all families please contact the school regarding updating student absences.

It is particularly important that we are alerted of any positive cases, so we can continue to update our wider school community.

 Please continue to seek further clarity and support from your child’s House teachers if required.

Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Regards

Adie Conley, Principal

 It was certainly exciting to have all of students welcomed back on site this week to resume face-to-face learning once again.

Special welcome back to our Disability Unit students and families after the unscheduled closure of this space last week – our staff are pleased you have returned safely to us.

 Classroom Contacts

As we manage site COVID cases this week families may have received a notification from VHHS.

To help clarify this process for families –

A ‘Classroom Contact’ – a school-based term, this is different from a ‘Close Contact’ – which is determined by SA Health guidelines.

 When a student shares a classroom or interact with a student/staff who later tests positive for COVID they are termed a ‘Classroom Contact’.

If a Classroom Contact standard information is sent to families – by SMS, email and Daymap message – notifying them that their child was in contact, and the date this possibly occurred.

The focus of this information is to raising awareness for students and their families, so they are in the best position to monitoring for symptoms and test if required.

 Further Department information is attached below ‘Testing Isolation & Quarantine’ that supports this process.

 If you receive one of these notifications, please read through the information and contact us if you have any further questions.

To help us keep you informed, please update your contact mobile and email details if they have recently changed by contacting our Student Services team.

Learning at home lessons

We understand that there are students and families currently under SA Health isolation guidelines.

If your students can’t attend school face-to-face, you can encourage them to use the suite of lessons on  to learn at home.

Year 7-10 students can access a minimum of 3 lessons each day.

These can be used to further support learning that is outlined on Daymap.

Regards, Adie Conley - Principal

As you know the Department for Education has been working with SA Health regarding the best way to manage the cases of COVID -19 emerging in our Disability Unit.

After a Risk Assessment conducted by SA Health, they have recommended the continued closure of the VHHS Disability Unit for this week (inclusive 08/02/2022- 13/02/2022), reopening on Monday 14 February 2022.

Our staff will continue to connect and work with students and families to support their learning during this period.

Adie Conley, Principal

Some of you may already be aware that since opening we have had a number of positive COVID-19 cases on site.

Following a risk assessment undertaken by the COVID Operations Medical Team, SA Health recommended the closure of the ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Harbor High School Disability Unit for a minimum of 24 hours. This time will allow health and education officials to work together to obtain further information and make a further assessment. Ultimately this decision was made to ensure the safety of students within our unit setting, which remains a key priority.

Information on how schools are responding is available from the Department for Education’s website: 

Note: This closure only effects the learning programs within our Disability Unit, with all other on-site learning programs continuing for students in year 7, 8, 12, Wellbeing and ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Hub and our Special Class.

This closure highlights the importance of preventative measures, keeping your child home if unwell or showing even mild symptoms, and accessing SA Health testing. If your child does test positive or is required to isolate, please contact our Student Services team and they will adjust attendance records and make teachers aware so they may offer additional support.

If you require more information on COVID-19, please visit the SA Health website: [www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVID2019]

Keep safe and contact us if your student requires further support.

Adie Conley, Principal

COVID-19 in schools – SA Health and Department for Education guidance

SA Health and the Department for Education has provided guidance on how to manage cases of COVID-19 in schools.

There will be new contract tracing and close contact arrangements in education from 31 January 2022. 

The new arrangements recognise the importance of providing quality education and care for our students while minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Schools will remain open if there is a case of COVID-19 under the new arrangements.

It’s very important that you notify us immediately if your child tests positive to COVID-19.

If a student or teacher in your child’s class tests positive for COVID-19, they will be deemed a classroom contact and the following will occur:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; We will notify all parents in that class of the positive case

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; All students and children without symptoms can continue attending school. No rapid antigen testing will be required.

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; If your child develops any symptoms (even mild) please keep them home from school and get a COVID-19 test.

Any student who has worked 1:1 with a COVID positive staff member (more than 15mins, indoors, in close proximity and where face masks are not able to be worn) will be asked to complete 7 days of rapid antigen testing (‘test to stay’) each morning before attending school. We will provide you with the testing kits at no charge. Students that test positive must not attend school

Alternatively, if you don’t want your child to complete the 7-day testing, they can quarantine for 7 days. The Department for Education is developing online learning resources for students in years reception to 10 that can be completed during quarantine.

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has recommended that classroom contacts should avoid the following between days 1 to 7 of exposure:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; attendance at OSHC where possible

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; attending extra-curricular-based activities for 7 days (such as camps, excursions, interschool sport, combined choir etc – noting most of these activities have been temporarily suspended until week 4).

The CPHO advises classroom contacts should do the following to minimise risk to others, when outside of the school, preschool or ECEC setting between days 1 to 14 of exposure:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; avoid high risk settings or COVID Management Plan events

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; wear a surgical mask around others (where age appropriate) and outside your home

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; avoid contact with vulnerable people outside of your workplace or family, where possible

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; avoid non-essential activities where possible (eg where there are lots people, inside, in close contact)

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; avoid shared spaces and maintain physical distance.

 Our staff will also undergo 7 days of rapid antigen testing (test to stay) in the event that they are in a classroom with a student or colleague who tests positive.

 It’s vitally important that you please:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; keep your child/ren home if they are:

o    unwell

o    experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms

o    any other member of the household has COVID-19

o    they are a close contact for a person who has COVID-19 and are required to quarantine

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; notify us asap if your child/ren tests positive for COVID-19

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; let your child (if in years 3 to 12) know that they will be required to wear a face mask while indoors at school. We will have supplies (including child sizes) for them to wear if they don’t already have one.

These new settings will be in place until the end of week 4 of term 1. However, with the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, this may be reviewed or changed if and when needed. As always, we must remain flexible and responsive.

I understand you may have a lot of questions about this information. We’ll continue to provide you information as soon as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding and support in implementing these temporary measures as we continue to adjust to this rapidly changing pandemic.

Please stay safe and contact us if you require any further support.

Adie Conley, ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Harbor High School Principal

As has been circulated via the school website, Facebook and Instagram pages, you will be aware of the plan for staged return to school for the first two weeks of Term 1.

Years 9, 10, and 11 students accessing online learning are expected to engage meaningfully with their learning as outlined in the VHHS Teaching and Learning Guide available on our school website. Students of essential workers, or those who are vulnerable, are welcome at school, where they will be supervised as they complete their remote learning program.

To support Year 9 to Year 11 students who will be learning remotely, VHHS House Teachers will be contacting each family very soon. The focus of their initial contact with you will be to introduce themselves and outline their role. They will provide you with their contact details which may include calling the school, email and Daymap. House Teachers will be your first point of contact at the school. They will be able to help answer your questions/concerns and provide further support.

Families with Year 9 to Year 11 students new to VHHS will receive individual emails with their log in details for Daymap and Microsoft 365. If new students or those existing VHHS students who have purchased new devices and need IT assistance to connect to VHHS, please email dl.0799.ictsupport@schools.sa.edu.au or phone (08) 8551 1932 for an appointment.

We encourage you to reach out and have regular communication with your child’s House Teacher to promote positive connections between home and school.

 As Department for Education work with SA Health to set up school COVID-19 immunisation options, this walk-in access will give year 11s and 12s the opportunity to be fully vaccinated before they finish the school year, which is typically a few weeks earlier than other year levels.

 Year 11 and 12 students can receive a vaccination without an appointment at the following clinics:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Noarlunga

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Harbor (call before attending 0468 576 150)

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Mt Barker (call before attending 0468 576 150)

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Wayville (before 3.30pm)

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Elizabeth

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Enfield

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Port Augusta

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Whyalla

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Port Lincoln

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Gawler (call before attending 0468 576 150)

 Students walking in at the above clinics will need to show their student card.

 Those with an underlying medical condition can walk in at the above clinics but will need a referral from their GP. Alternatively, they can book to get vaccinated at participating GPs.

 We encourage students completing SACE exams and assessments to prioritise their COVID vaccination during September.

 Vaccination arrangements for other secondary year levels are currently being finalised with SA Health. We’ll let you know more as soon as possible.

 In the meantime, vaccination is available for all South Australians 16 years of age and over at participating GPs and respiratory clinics in metro and regional South Australia. Families and students who are eligible are encouraged to book ASAP at .

Please find below a handy link related to one of SA’s new COVID-19 requirements in promoting the safety of us all, face masks.

And for your interest

Today the Premier announced that schools, preschools and children’s centres will reopen to all students tomorrow (Wednesday 28 July).

As a result, our ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ harbor High will be open.

We will not be offering an alternative home-based learning program unless your child is impacted by SA Health quarantine orders.

As the Chief Public Health Officer said, just because the hard lockdown is being lifted does not mean that the risks associated with COVID-19 have passed.

As a result, we will:

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; minimise the number of people coming and going from our site. Wherever possible, please drop and collect your child at the gate and maintain the appropriate physical distance from other adults

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; postpone all school events, excursions, and camps for the next week, (more detail on these will be communicated to the students on their return, by the relevant staff)

·&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;&²Ô²ú²õ±è; require all staff and students in years 8 and above to wear masks when indoors, on public transport or on school buses. Please note that staff will not have to wear masks while teaching or working directly with students.

Students can wear their own cloth masks. We also have supplies of surgical masks available if they need them. Bus Drivers have been given surgical masks to distribute to the students as they enter the bus.

Your child might have questions about wearing masks. It’s important we continue to follow SA Health advice and your continued cooperation is greatly appreciated as we help students and staff with this necessary change.

Thank you very much for your support during the lockdown. We look forward to having your child back at ¶¶Òõ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Harbor High tomorrow.

Regards,

Amanda O’Shea

Principal

All students are expected to stay connected through weekly online face to face lessons - details and times are available to students via Daymap. Students who have not connected are being followed up by their House teacher.

Please contact your child’s House Teacher or school Reception if you have any ongoing difficulties.

We are looking forward to seeing you return safe and well at the end of the formal lock down.

Stay Safe

Amanda O'Shea, Principal