• who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days
• should not attend school after 5 days if still symptomatic
• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school
• advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result

Where students become symptomatic at school they should:

• be collected by their parents/carers
• undergo testing for COVID-19

Face masks

• Staff and students who wish to wear a face mask should be supported to do so. WSSC will continue to make face masks available for staff, students and visitors.
• The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home.
• Additionally, the Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19, for at least 7 days after a positive test, when they need to leave home.

The Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health are seeking feedback on the wearing of face masks in Victorian schools.

You are invited to complete a short survey of parents and carers at our school – your participation is voluntary and anonymous. Our school will not have access to your individual data or responses. The link to the survey is here:

You are asked to complete the survey by midnight Sunday 24 July 2022.

Kind regards,
Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal

The Victorian Department of Health strongly recommends that face masks are worn in indoor settings.

As a result, we are asking all students aged 8 and over and all staff in all schools across Victoria to wear masks when in class (except where removing a mask is necessary for clear communication) from now to the end of winter.

Students won’t be required or expected to wear masks when outdoors, and this expectation won’t stop student participation in the full range of school activities, including music, sport and performances.

We are asking for your support in explaining to your child or children the importance of this simple step that will help keep our schools as safe as possible.

We also ask that you make sure your child (or children) takes a mask to school (and wears it if they are travelling on public transport) or collects a mask when they arrive at school.

We all appreciate how important it is for students to be back at school. This action will help make sure as many students and staff as possible are protected from COVID and other winter illness.

Thank for your help with this collective effort to keep our communities safe and healthy.

Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal

Number of new confirmed Staff Cases: 0
Number of new confirmed Student Cases: 5

Date positive case/s reported: Monday 28th March 2022
Date positive case/s last attended WSSC: Friday 25th March 2022

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms you can continue to attend school, but you should monitor for symptoms. If you show symptoms of COVID-19, you cannot attend school and should get tested immediately and isolate until you receive a negative result.
Staff and students should continue with twice-a-week rapid antigen testing on school days.

If you return a positive result, you have COVID-19, and you must:
• Quarantine for seven days
• Advise the school about the positive result
• Stay home until your symptoms have resolved and you are well
• Everyone in your household is a close contact and must isolate for 7 days.

Reporting your positive test
• Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts or the Checklist for COVID cases (as is appropriate to your situation)
• Inform the school (0260 437 500)
• Not attend school for 7 days (from the positive test date). Not to return until all symptoms have gone.
• Reporting Results
o Students You must also report your positive result to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form (The form can be found here: COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form · Department of Health Portal (powerappsportals.com)) or call centre on 1800 675 398.
o Staff Request personal leave via EduPay

Financial support available to people affected by COVID-19:
For more information, visit: Financial and other support for COVID-19 | Coronavirus Victoria

If you need a payment during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Getting help during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Services Australia

General advice and support
For general advice and support please call the Department of Education and Training COVID-19 hotline. The number is 1800 338 663.

Advice and further resources about what to do if you test positive to COVID-19, or you have been told you are a contact, are at: Your COVID Checklist | Coronavirus Victoria, or call the 24/7 Coronavirus hotline on: 1800 675 398

Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Cass Walters           Vern Hilditch
Campus Principal     Executive Principal

Free rapid antigen tests

Free rapid antigen tests will be available for the first 4 weeks of Term 1 2022.
Twice-a-week testing will be strongly recommended for both students and staff.
The department will supply the tests to our school – you do not need to buy your own.
The department will distribute all kits to schools as early as possible. I will let you know once the test kits are available for collection. Unless you contact the college, it is our intention to distribute the test kits to students for them to take home.
Students and staff will do the tests at home; they only need to report their result if it is COVID-positive. They must report a COVID-positive result to:

• the school by phone, email (CovidResults@www.wssc.vic.edu.au) or the this is so the school can support them, record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms
• the Department of Health via the or call centre on 1800 675 398.

Information about how to do a test and how to read RAT results, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is .

Vaccination requirements

Parents and carers must have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid medical exception (with limited exceptions) to enter school buildings.
All staff working in schools need to be fully vaccinated or have a verified medical exception.
COVID-19 vaccinations for students are not required for them to attend school but vaccination for students is highly encouraged. If your child has not yet had their first dose, please try to organise this before term begins. For more information on how to book a vaccination, including important information about vaccination for children, visit .

Ventilation

We will also make sure that classrooms are well ventilated by opening windows and doors, to minimise the risk of infection. We have received over 100 air purifiers, which will be used around the campuses as an added safety measure.
Vital COVIDSafe steps
Hand hygiene, mask wearing, and social distancing will continue wherever possible in Term 1.

Staffing our school

I know many of you will have questions about what happens if your child’s teacher gets COVID-19. We will be able to bring in extra teachers and other staff if we need them, and we will be doing everything that we can to make sure our school stays safe and open.

Other information about school operations

Feel free to contact us to clarify any concerns you may have. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Senior Secondary College Telephone 60437500 including Flexible Learning Centres in Wodonga, Benalla Seymour and Shepparton.

Parents and guardians are reminded to ensure they have push notifications enabled for the School Portal mobile app and follow the school Facebook page for updates throughout the Term.

There’s no doubt that this term is going to be challenging for all of us, but we are also very excited to kick off the school year and welcome back all of our students.
Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards
Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal

Schools will continue the process of identifying contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at schools; contacts will no longer be contacted by the Department of Health with quarantine requirements. If your child is identified as a contact the school will contact you directly.

Contacts will be required to complete a standard (PCR) test within 24 hours from when they are identified by the school as a contact.
If the PCR test returns a negative result, the student can immediately return to school, with evidence of the negative result provided to the school.
It is strongly recommended that contacts complete five days of rapid antigen tests in the morning before they attend school.

You will be able to obtain these testing kits from testing centres from Monday 22 November if your child is required to complete a standard PCR test.
Where students are currently in quarantine due to an existing school exposure, they will be able to provide evidence of a negative standard PCR test and return to school following the instructions above.

In exceptional circumstances the Department of Health may determine that contacts in significant school outbreaks are still required to quarantine for seven days. In this scenario, students will be notified directly of any additional quarantine arrangements.

Face masks will now only be required by staff, visitors and Grades 3 to 6 students in an indoor space within a primary school (or schools which have primary students such as P-12 school).
The wearing of masks remains recommended elsewhere where physically distancing cannot be maintained.
As we head into the final few weeks of the school year, please continue to care for yourself and those around you.

Thank you
Vern Hilditch
Principal

Albury/ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Health are coming to WSSC to deliver vaccinations to those students who wish to get one.

The first outreach hub will be on the morning of Tuesday the 16^th of November. There will be further opportunities provided for year 10 students who are getting regular vaccinations on Thursday the 11^th and to administer 2^nd doses.

This is open to all students to receive either:

• 1^st dose Pfizer
• 2^nd dose Pfizer – evidence of first dose will be required
• 2^nd dose Moderna – evidence of first dose will be required

No booking is required and if your child has an existing booking they can still access this outreach service and cancel standing booking.

Students will need to bring:

1. Their medicare card or medicare number
2. Proof of ID
3. Consent form – in most cases students at WSSC are able to provide their own consent.

WSSC can support students who are not able to bring either of these things.

Please follow the hyperlinks  and the  to access information for students.

In addition to accessing this Outreach Clinic in  the school, the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Vaccination Hub has extended hours of operation to encourage attendance by children with their parents/carers after work.  The closing hours for Thursday is 8pm and Saturdays until 9am to 4pm, these are walk in appointments no pre booking is required

These are voluntary vaccinations. Please contact Albury ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Health if you have any  questions or concerns.

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Senior Secondary College

We are committed to ensuring a safe environment where the risk of infection is greatly reduced.
As was communicated over the weekend we have been given permission to return to on site learning tomorrow, Tuesday the 9th of November.

Please read the points below as they are important to ensure your child’s smooth transition back. If your child has ANY COVID symptoms they are to stay home and get tested. COVID symptoms are:

• Ìý´Ú±ð±¹±ð°ù
• chills or sweats
• cough
• sore throat
• shortness of breath
• runny nose
• loss or change in sense of smell or taste.

More information about symptoms and what you should do can be found at:

To ensure the health and safety of our students and staff there are some requirements for students who have been identified as a PCC to be able to return to school. The following requirement has been communicated to parents a number of times.

All students who have been identified as a PCC MUST provide:
1. Vaccination status and a negative day 6 test result OR
2. a day 13 negative test
before returning to on site learning.
This info is to be sent to covidresults@www.wssc.vic.edu.au. Screen shots are fine.

Please avoid your child being removed from their class if they have not complied with the above.

We are aware that some families have only just been notified (or have yet to be notified) by the Department of Health of their child’s status as a PCC. These exposures were on the 20th and 21st of Oct. These students will be required to get 1 negative test to be able to return to school.

COVID safe practices are non-negotiable for students. All students must wear a mask (unless they are carrying their exemption card), all students must sanitise hands as they enter buildings, all students must sanitise work stations when they get to class. In addition to this teachers will be setting seating plans which are designed to reduce the number of PCC’s identified in a class if there happens to be a COVID positive student in there. Additional safety measures such as open doors and windows, air purifiers and an increase in the fresh air being pumped into the main building have also been implemented.

There have been changes to the structure for the rest of the year. Exam week has been changed. This is outlined in the letter attached and is designed to maximise the amount of time students are in school with their teachers.

Year 12 exams will continue at WSSC with a change of venue. All exams will be in the MDC.

We thank you for your cooperation in what is a difficult time for parents, students and schools.

We look forward to seeing all year 10 and 11 students back at school with smiles under their masks.

Further to my contact on 1 November 2021 regarding the Department of Health direction to close the school, we have now received clearance to re-open on Monday 8 November.

At this stage, all students in Year 10 and 11 will continue with remote and flexible learning arrangements up to and including Monday 8 November and return to face-to-face learning on Tuesday 9 November. This is to allow for a full Occupational Health and Safety audit to be undertaken at the school and ensure appropriate measures are in place for students when they return.
VCE exams scheduled to take place during this time will go ahead as planned.
Information for students and staff identified as Primary close contacts (PCCs).

Primary close contacts will no longer receive a clearance text message from the Department of Health to confirm their release from quarantine. For those who are undergoing 7 days of isolation, the return of a negative day 6 test is sufficient for release. For those who are undergoing 14 days of isolation, the return of a negative day 13 test is sufficient for release. Primary close contacts will need to provide evidence of a negative test result before returning to school.
If you or anyone in your family develops even the mildest of symptoms, please get tested.

If you have questions about what this means for our school, please call the Department of Education and Training COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663, available 8:30am to 5pm Monday through Friday, and 10am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday.

If you are concerned you have COVID-19 you can call the Department of Health COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For school information in languages other than English, call TIS National on 131 450. Please ask them to call the DET COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663 and they will help interpret. For health advice in languages other than English, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translated-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19.
Thank you for all of your patience and understanding during this challenging time.

Kind regards
Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal
ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳senior Secondary College

Until we advise otherwise, remote learning will continue for Year 10 to Year 11. However, VCE exams scheduled to take place over the coming days will go ahead as planned.

I would like to reassure VCE students and their families I have received advice that examinations can continue safely, so please note there are no changes to examination schedules, procedures or venues.

I am aware that this is a challenging situation, but please be assured I will provide further advice regarding arrangements for our return to on-site learning as soon as possible.

If you or anyone in your family develops even the mildest of symptoms, please get tested.
I would like to thank the entire school community for your support during this time.

Yours sincerely,
Vern Hilditch
Executive Principal