16 Sep 2021
Dear Parent / Carer,
The end of Term 3 has been a busy one for our school and others throughout the state. We’re happy to say that together we made it through what has been a constantly changing and sometimes difficult Term. We could not have done it without the commitment from all our families who supported learning from home, and from our fantastic teaching and school staff. I want to thank you all for your efforts to continue to keep our school community safe – I know everyone has faced different challenges at different times through the Term.
I hope everyone enjoys a break over the holidays and is looking forward to the COVID-safe return to school that we are planning for in Term 4. Please read through the following updates before the start of the school holidays and don’t hesitate to reach out for support or with any questions.
Return to school roadmap for Term 4
Shoalhaven High School will return to face to face teaching and learning when we are no longer operating under stay-at-home rules. The school will move to Level 3 operations and a full return of all students with reduced mingling and on-site activities. Masks will be required on site for all staff and students Year 7 and above, indoors and outdoors.
Students in Year 12 and completing the HSC are already able to return in a limited way and this will continue into Term 4 if we are still under stay-at-home orders.
Order of return under staggered approach where we remain under stay-at-home rules
Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health-approved COVID-safe Level 3 plus settings on school sites in the following order:
From 1 November 2021: Years 2, 6 and 11
From 8 November 2021: Years 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
The return to school roadmap is subject to change depending on new information expected through the Public Health Order and additional advice from NSW Health. You can stay up to date with the most recent advice on our Advice for families page.
HSC
Congratulations to our HSC and Year 12 students! You’ve nearly made it to the end of a unique and very tough year. Your resilience and work ethic through this time are to be admired.
As we commence Term 4 our Year 12 students will still have access to the school site, resources and teachers. The way in which this will occur is dependant on the status of the stay-at-home orders. Year 12 will have access to school in one of the following ways:
1. If stay-at-home orders are lifted, then Year 12 can return fulltime and attend classes for revision and class activities up to and including Friday 5 November.
2. If Shoalhaven LGA is still under stay-at-home orders then Year 12 will access to the school site, resources and teachers for a period of 2 hours. This will be communicated prior to the commencement of Term 4.
HSC exams will commence for all students from 9 November 2021 in a COVID-safe way, in line with NSW Health advice.
Vaccinations for students aged 12 years and over
Young people aged 12 years and over are now also eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. You can book in your children for Pfizer now, or Moderna from Monday 20 September.
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.
As we move towards the end of a difficult Term I would once again like to thank our community for their continued support during the time of remote learning. Without the support of our staff, students, parents/carers and wider community we would be able to ensure our students-maintained continuity of their learning. Please have a safe, restful and relaxing time during the school holidays and we hope to return to some kind of normal in Term 4.
Kind regards,
Damian Rees
Executive Principal- Connected Communities
Shoalhaven High School