Catholic Education

Current Advice

This page provides up to date information and ongoing updates regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Information has been collated from the relevant government agencies including ACT and NSW Health.

The information on this page is current as of 22 May 2020.

Media Statements

Media Release from the Director of Catholic Education, Mr Ross Fox (Thursday, 7 May 2020).

Media Statement from the Director of Catholic Education, Mr Ross Fox (Monday, 23 March 2020).

Catholic Schools Plan Full Return To School

All systemic Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn are preparing students to return to school, based on the advice of government and health authorities.

Our Catholic schools in NSW are currently planning for a return to face to face teaching from the week beginning Monday, 11 May (Week 3 of Term 2). Systemic schools in the ACT plan to transition from the following week, beginning Monday, 18 May.

Principals are working with their school communities to determine the return to school that will suit their particular school context. They will advise school communities of these specific details.

Social distancing will remain in place for all adults, and good hygiene and environment cleaning will continue to be prioritised. All parents, staff and students are asked to stay home, away from the school, if they are unwell.

Catholic school teachers, Principals and staff have done a great job in delivering a quality remote learning program for students. Remote learning has provided wonderful opportunities for engagement and collaboration with students and their families. Our school communities have remained connected and strong throughout the social distancing restrictions. We thank parents and carers for their cooperation, patience and understanding over the past months. It remains true, that face to face teaching offers the best learning experience for students, academically and pastorally.

If the community health advice changes, schools may need to review their plans for return to school. If this occurs, we will immediately inform parents and adapt our plans to respond to the new information. The patience and understanding of parents and carers in these circumstances is very much appreciated.

We look forward to welcoming back our students in the coming weeks!

Current Health Advice For Schools

ACT Chief Health Officer Letter to Non-government School Parents (Thursday, 7 May 2020)

When to Stay Home

Please keep your child at home if they are showing any symptoms of sickness. Once your child is well again, they can return to school.

If your child develops any symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath:

Call your GP in the first instance. By calling your GP before arriving they can take appropriate infection control measures.
Call your school to let them know.

School Excursions, Events and Activities

The following events have been cancelled in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn:

Upcoming school or regional/ACT swimming, athletics and other sporting events, large band or other music concerts where there would be large gatherings of students.
Local and interstate school excursions, including camps will be cancelled.
All camps scheduled to commence from Monday, 16 March will be postponed and rescheduled, or, if there is no other option, cancelled.
School assemblies.
Parent/teacher nights.
School open days/nights.

Travel Advice

New quarantine requirements are in place for anyone arriving in Australia from overseas from midnight on Sunday, 15 March 2020. Anyone returning from any overseas country, should isolate themselves for 14 days.

ACT and NSW Health continue to work closely with the Australian Government and other health authorities across the country to monitor and respond to the evolving global situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn School Communities

To ensure the continued health and well being of our students, staff and school communities, Novel-Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs for school communities have been developed.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – FAQs for School Communities

Information for Catholic Early Learning Centre Families

Information for ELC Families

Hygiene and Social Distancing

Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn, is focusing maintaining the best possible hygiene standards for staff and students. All Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn have been asked to ensure school-wide hygiene practices such as hand washing are in place, encouraged and maintained and that signage is displayed around good hand hygiene, preventing the spread of germs, coughing and sneezing.

Maintaining good hygiene practice is an important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Based on government advice, we are advocating that students and staff:

Wash hands regularly and thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds.
Utilise hand sanitiser and rub thoroughly for 20 seconds.
Sneeze or cough into your elbow or tissues. Dispose of all tissues in the bin and wash or sanitise your hands after use.
Minimise hand to face contact.
Avoid hand contact with others.

Social distancing is an effective measure to reduce the spread of the virus. Social distancing includes:

Avoiding crowds and mass gatherings where it is difficult to avoid close contact with others.
Avoiding small gatherings in enclosed spaces.
Keeping the recommended 1.5m distance from others.
Avoiding handshakes and minimizing all non-essential human contact.
Avoid visiting vulnerable people in Aged Care facilities, hospitals, infants or people with compromised immune systems due to illness or medical treatment.

Resources

ACT Government COVID-19 Education Videos

ABC Educational Content
The ABC is launching an expanded schedule of free education content to support students, teachers and parents, with so many children forced to learn at home due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. To enhance its educational programming, ABC Education is working with state and territory education departments and other education providers to deliver additional curriculum-linked content to children of all ages. For more information please click here.

Online and Interactive Resources for Physical Education, Health and Road Safety

2020 Parents’ Guide to Google Classroom

Cover your cough

Handwashing

Hand Sanitiser