Dear Summerland Community,

We would like to update you on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the precautions we’re taking.  

The health and safety of our community is our highest priority. We are following advice set out by the NSW Health Department to enhance the protection of our students, staff and families.  

The College Executive is meeting regularly to discuss our ongoing response and to ensure we have the latest information from health authorities. 

For immediate and full information on the virus, including Q&As, please refer to the Australian Federal Government's Department of Health website.

We want to take a moment to talk about how we as a College are responding to this situation. 

The College has instituted appropriate social distancing practices in line with recommendations laid out by the NSW Health Department.

This includes:

• Cancellation of all scheduled assemblies;
• Modification of events, to minimise large groups in close proximity;
• Placement on hold of all upcoming excursions and camps at this time;
• Extended education around hygiene standards and sanitising procedures.

In the aim of keeping our community safe, if a student or immediate family member feels unwell, they are advised to seek medical advice as soon as possible. The symptoms of Coronavirus include fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath.  

If a student presents with these symptoms at school, we will request that they be picked up and stay at home until cleared with a medical certificate. These measures are consistent with New South Wales Department of Health guidelines which require self-isolation and avoidance of all public spaces. Any student who cannot attend school for a prolonged period will be able to access their learning programs at home. 

Currently the College is operating as normal. In the event that schools are required to close, learning will still take place and our experienced College staff will just be an email away. Online learning programs will be made available for our students, at age appropriate levels, with teachers checking in daily with students/families. 

We are committed to following advice set out by state and federal health departments and acknowledge that this is a constantly evolving situation. Regular updates can be found on our school website here. Any information regarding school closures will be communicated through sms text alerts.

We are aware that this time can be really unsettling for our students - here is a link to a resource parents in our community have found useful to help discuss COVID-19 with their kids: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus.

We thank you for your understanding as we work together to respond to this matter.