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The Jannali High School

The Jannali High School

CONNECT I THRIVE I ACHIEVE

Telephone02 9521 2805

Emailjannali-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Update 5 October 2021

Welcome back to Term 4 and I hope that all members of our school community have been able relax and recharge after what was a most challenging school term in our lifetime.  After our first experience with COVID-19 in 2020 we were all a little better prepared for this extended period of learning and working from home however, it has certainly taken its toll on the health and wellbeing of everyone.

Our school staff (teaching and non-teaching) have done such an amazing job to support the learning and wellbeing of all our students throughout Term 3 supported by the outstanding leadership of our school executive.  Mr Stewart and Mrs Waser were exceptional as they led and managed the school during this difficult and uncertain time while I was on extended leave.

Term 4 of any school year is an extremely busy time across all aspects of the school and this term we will also be managing the return of face-to-face teaching and learning along with the delayed, yet welcomed, start to the 2021 HSC written exams commencing on 9 November and ending on 3 December.

1.    Staged return to face-to-face teaching and learning

The Jannali High School will begin Term 4 under existing learning from home arrangements.

Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health-approved COVID-safe settings on school sites in the following order as announced by the Premier on Thursday, 30 September:

  • 18 October: Department preschools, Kindergarten and Year 1
  • 25 October: Years 2, 6 and 11
  • 1 November: Years 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Students in Year 12 and those completing their HSC are already able to return in a limited way and this will continue for the remainder of Term 3. From 18 October, these students will have full-time access to school campuses and their teachers.

2.    Continuation of learning programs

All faculties have been working on updating their Continuation of Learning Programs from the end of Term 3 across Years 7-12.

These programs will outline the topics and learning that will be undertaken for the first two weeks of Term 4. They will be communicated to parents and students through our usual communication channels on Tuesday, 5 October 2021.

3.    2021 HSC written exams

NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA) released a revised HSC exam timetable on Friday, 10 September. Written exams will start on 9 November and end on 3 December, with results released from 6:00am on 24 January 2022.

Students’ personalised Individual HSC exam timetables have been available via Students Online accounts from Monday, 13 September. The HSC exam timetable is also available on the NESA website https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home

Comprehensive COVID-safe protocols for running the exams have been developed in line with the NSW Health advice. The protocols require presiding officers and exam supervisors to be fully vaccinated and NESA strongly encourages eligible HSC students to receive two vaccine doses before exams start.

Other protocols include:

  • Mandatory face masks for students and staff, indoors and outdoors
  • Check-in and health screening protocols for students and staff
  • Physical distancing between students and staff at all times
  • Minimising mingling of student groups
  • Well ventilated exam rooms
  • Keeping exam group sizes as small as possible
  • Desks spaced a minimum of 1.5 metres apart
  • Hygiene marshals and regular cleaning of exam rooms

4.    Student vaccinations

Students are eligible for a prioritised vaccine if they are 16 or above and either:

  • have a permanent home address in one of the LGAs of concern.
  • enrolled to sit one or more Higher School Certificate subjects (or otherwise completing Year 12 in 2021, including Year 12 TAFE) at a school located in one of the LGAs of concern.

For more information about vaccinations for HSC students in LGAs of concern, refer to HSC student vaccinations within identified LGAs.

Students with underlying medical conditions are currently eligible to receive a Pfizer vaccine at NSW clinics across the state. Bookings can be made via the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker .

Students aged 12 and above are now also eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Parents and carers can book in a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine now.

Vaccination appointments are available at more than 3,000 locations across NSW, including GPs and pharmacies. More appointments will become available as supply increases, so keep checking for new appointments in coming weeks.

Bookings can be made through Vaccines Clinic Finder (healthdirect.gov.au) .

For information about vaccine consent for parents and guardians, visit NSW Health Factsheet Template Plain .

5.    COVID safe protocols

While at school, face masks are required in all indoor and outdoor settings for all staff and all students in Year 7 and above. Within each cohort, students should maintain strict personal hygiene and physical distancing.

Apart from curriculum learning activities, all other activities will be placed on hold.  These include activities such as: Sport (structured and non-structured); assemblies; band and ensemble groups; excursions; Special Religious Education and P&C Meetings; etc.

Students interested in engaging with one of our local youth groups can do so using any of the following email addresses:

Canteens can operate where appropriate hygiene measures are in place including: one cohort at a time can access the canteen; physical distancing is in place and; canteen staff follow normal COVID-safe protocols around vaccinations and testing.

Uniform stores can only operate if they are online or have pre-ordering arrangements in place, with one dedicated staff member attending outside of school hours to arrange distribution.

For families who are continuing to learn from home, the learning from home page has a wide range of curriculum-based activities to further support your child’s learning, if needed.

Thank you again for your understanding and support during what is going to be both an exciting, but also an anxious time over the coming Term.

Please take some time to check out our wellbeing resources for students and families. You’ll find useful tools for mental health and Term 4 preparation. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can do anything to help you and your children to prepare for the return to face-to-face learning or if you have any concerns about the return to school.

We are spending the first week back at school finalising our COVID-safe plans for a return to face-to-face learning and I hope to share these plans with you in the coming weeks.

Rick Coleman, Principal