Dr Carmel McGrath

Prep and Year 1 Students

As you may be aware, the Premier yesterday announced a further step in the deliberate and measured approach towards students returning to school. 

Already, children of essential workers, vulnerable children and children in designated Indigenous communities have been attending school since the April break.

From Monday 11 May 2020, our Prep and Year 1 students, will be able to return to school for face-to-face teaching. The decision to allow this group of students back to school is in line with the progressive relaxation of measures across the state, is part of the Government’s response to COVID-19 and is supported by Queensland’s Chief Health Officer.

If your child is in Prep or Yr 1 and you wish to keep them at home from school, due to concerns about COVID-19, you may do so.  If you make this choice, you should continue their learning using the material and websites that can be accessed on the Department of Education’s learning@home website.

Yr 2 – 6 Students

Current home-based learning arrangements will remain in place, at this time. Please continue to support your student’s learning, using the material provided by their teachers.  We realise that for many families the decision to have some students at home and some at school will be challenging, but we ask for your support in this gradual return to school.

The Premier has also announced that if low COVID-19 transmission rates continue, all remaining students will be able to return to school from Monday 25 May, 2020. Confirmation of this step will be made by 15 May 2020.

 Health and Hygiene Practices

The advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) provides guidance that social distancing is not required for students during classroom activities. We will continue however to implement clear routines relating to health and hygiene and implement appropriate social distancing for adults in school.  As always, we ask anyone feeling unwell to stay away from the school.

Drop off/ Pick Ups

To help us with these protocols, we ask that all parents who have children returning to school, do not congregate in the school grounds and around the school gates, but use the drop off and pick-up zones where possible.  Our drop off zone and pick up zone will be staffed, allowing parents to remain in their cars at these times. 

Look Out Program registration.

To support our Prep students, we will have a Prep staff member on duty at the drop off zone from 8.30 a.m. to 8.45 a.m., who will collect and escort the children to their classroom.  At 3 p.m., Prep students will be walked by staff members to the pick-up point in Hawthorne Street and will be supervised there until collected.  Any student not collected by 3.20 p.m. will be taken to the school office. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents for their support in these challenging circumstances. All staff are looking forward to the time we return to our normal procedures and routines and when we welcome all our students back to school.

To the hard-working Mums at New Farm State School. The Community and Charity Group would like to say “Happy Mother’s Day” to you all! We have made a video for you in lieu of the Mother’s Day stall, which has been postponed. From Isaac, Greta, Miss Zayn al-Abidin, 6Z and the Community and Charity Project Group, NFSS.