COVID-19 Update #2

Dear Bellaire Primary School Community,

The staff at Bellaire PS would like to thank you all for your support during this truly difficult and unprecedented time for all.

We were extremely excited to welcome back our students yesterday. It was so nice to see their smiling faces again at the gate and when walking around the school and throughout the classrooms.

We understand that this is still an uncertain time for all. We cannot predict what is going to happen and thoroughly follow the advice from the Government and the Department of Education Guidelines. This term we have kept our gates locked for the safety of our school community. We continue to supervise our students sanitising their hands as they enter the school and throughout the day. The Office is now locked, and you must call the Office ahead and use a doorbell in order to enter the school (this includes deliveries to the school). We are also continuing to be vigilant with cleaning the school throughout the day – which is a continuation of last term.

There have been questions raised by parents regarding some differences between the Metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire schools who are in lock down compared to the situation in our school. The Department of Education Operational Guidelines are extremely clear with the differences between the situations at this time. One question that we have been asked is around temperature checks. The below information comes straight from the Operational Guidelines –

Temperature Checks

Based on guidance from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, in order to support community awareness of the symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and to help identify children displaying symptoms, all schools located in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will commence temperature screening of students while the stay at home restrictions are in place. For schools outside metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, the widespread routine use of temperature screening is not required. However, temperature screening of students from metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire should be undertaken if they are attending a school outside these areas.

At Bellaire we conduct temperature checks on any child who teachers deem unwell or complain that they are not feeling well to the teacher. They are sent straight to the sick bay where, through Covid safe protocols, the student’s temperature is tested.

As always we will continue to be transparent with our communication to our community.

We sincerely thank our wonderful community for their support and understanding during this unprecedented time
for all.