Kay Bradley Acting Principal

It’s been so lovely to see everyone back, to what we hope will be a more ‘normal’ term three. As you may know Dr McGrath will be taking some family leave for the first four weeks of this term and I will be in the role of Acting Principal.  Our Head of Department, Melinda Norman will be Acting Deputy Principal during this time.  

I’ve included some of the changes to arrangements for drop off and pick-ups that were communicated in week 10’s newsletter.  It is vital that parents move off the school grounds as soon as possible and remain socially distant whilst at school; this is especially important for the Prep group.  Prep students should be dropped off as close to 8.45 a.m. as is possible and staff will be present to supervise students so parents are asked not to wait in school. We will be monitoring the situation and will continue to take advice from Queensland Health Department.  

• Change to Drop Off Arrangements from the Beginning of Term 3 

 The following arrangements will be in place from the 13 of July: 

• Hawthorne Street and Heal Street will continue to run as ‘drop off’ zones with no parking. 
• Parents are welcome into the school, but adult social distancing should be practised at all times. 
• If you wish to drop your student/students off in school, do so as near to 8.45 a.m. as possible and leave the school grounds, promptly.  
• The ‘Prep train’ will still be operating from the Heal Street ‘drop off’ zone, but students will be taken to the Assembly hall until the 8.45 a.m. bell when they will be escorted to the Prep classrooms.  

• Prep classrooms will not be open until 8.45 a.m. but teacher aide staff will supervise students who have been dropped off close to 8.45 a.m.  Prep parents are asked to drop their student/students off as close to 8.45 a.m. and to not remain on the school grounds. 

• Change to Dismissal Arrangements from the Beginning of Term 3 

The following arrangements will be in place from the 13 of July: 

Preps will continue to be ready for collection, from the assembly hall and from the Hawthorne pick up zone, from 2.50 p.m. We ask that parents of Yr1-6 do not arrive at the pick-up zones before 3 p.m. as Prep parents need to have access from 2.50 p.m. 

• All other year levels will be dismissed at 3 p.m., from classrooms, not the oval. 
• Hawthorne Street and Heal Street will continue to run as ‘pick up’ zones, with no parking. 
• Parents may come onto the school grounds to collect students, but adult social distancing should be practised at all times. 
• Parents and students should move off school grounds as quickly as possible. 
• Adventure playgrounds are only available to Jabiru students, after 3 p.m.  Playtime for students and social ‘catch ups’ for parents, take place off school grounds. 

• The bottom gate on Heal Street is now part of our ‘pick up’ zone; pedestrians should use other access and exit points at our peak dismissal time. 

• Further Adjustments to COVID arrangements 

• Food/ice blocks for birthdays will be allowed, but parents should ensure teachers are given at least one day’s notice.  This will ensure we can check any allergy concerns, prior to distribution.  Food arriving without notice, will not be distributed. 
• Face-to-face meetings can be arranged, with suitable social distancing in place.  Some teachers may still request telephone meetings.  
• Assemblies for the time being will remain ‘virtual assemblies’.  

Dogs on School Grounds 

Whilst dogs are an important part of life for many of our families and may be included in the walk to and from school, they are not allowed on school grounds.  We ask that all dogs remain outside the grounds and if they are tied up, they are not at the gate where children will have to walk past them. As much as you may trust your own dog, it is an EQ directive that animals should not be on the school grounds without special permission from the Principal.