From Monday 9 May 2022, ACT public schools further relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. All public schools have adopted recent changes to ACT public health directions and follow a COVID-19 Management Plan, based on Australian Health Protection Principal Committee principles.

A summary of changes follows:

School activities

Families allowed back on campus to participate in a greater range of activities, including after-hours performances, fund raisers and events. You can also come onto school grounds for drop-offs and pick up. Checking-in with the Check In CBR app is no longer required.

Strict student cohorting is no longer required, however we will continue to manage school activities in COVID Smart ways.

Masks

Secondary students are no longer required to wear a face mask at school but can continue to do so if they choose to. School staff and teachers will continue to wear masks when moving around indoors on school sites, and when physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained. Masks can be removed when teaching, when physical distancing can be maintained, when outdoors, or when eating and drinking.

Household contacts

People who live with someone who has tested positive to COVID-19 can attend school for work or study, if they have met ACT Health’s risk mitigation requirements for household contacts. Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms must not come to school.

COVID-19 vaccination

With high vaccination rates across the Canberra community, COVID-19 vaccination will no longer be mandated for any staff working in ACT public schools, after 13 May 2022. Vaccination against COVID-19 and the seasonal flu is strongly encouraged for all staff and eligible students.

Rapid antigen tests

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will continue to be available at our school and will be provided to staff and students on an as-needed basis, or in response to increased cases reported to a school.

Air quality and ventilation

Good ventilation will continue to be one part of our suite of measures to minimise COVID-19 transmission in schools. Our indoor air quality plan is being reviewed and we will balance thermal comfort and ventilation during the colder months. Outdoor learning and natural ventilation will be used where appropriate depending on weather.

Staying COVID Smart

While these changes will bring back many of the school activities that students and families love, this does not mean the pandemic is over. Our school will continue with COVID Smart measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission onsite, including good hygiene practise, cleaning and staying home when unwell.

Some restrictions may be reintroduced in the winter months if there is a significant increase in COVID-19 cases across the Canberra community.

We expect COVID-19 will also continue to impact our school staff and limit the availability of teachers at times. Where appropriate, our school may use temporary remote learning periods as a way to manage a local staff shortage.

More information about how COVID-19 is being managed in ACT public schools can be found on the ACT Education website. 

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