COVID-19 Update from Dominic College Principal

Dear Dominic College Community,

Firstly thank you to all families for your positive support of our College decisions undertaken in the light of the national and state directives for the management of the Coronavirus and its impact on communities.

The health and safety of our students and staff are upmost in all decisions undertaken by the College Leadership Team. Decisions have today been confirmed to both support directives from our state government and health authorities and implement their advice to reduce the rate of spread in the wider community, while enabling quality teaching & learning to continue.

The risks in Tasmania of contracting COVID-19 remain very low, the risk of increased person-to-person transmission however does continue to increase.

You will no doubt be aware that large scale events involving hundreds of people in Hobart and Australia have been cancelled as a proactive means to prevent possible community transmission if it commences.

Social distancing within the College community and broader community is an important principle and we will apply bans on gatherings of large-medium groups of students.

School Attendance

• School attendance by all students is imperative – daily learning is continuing. Students need reassurance and in these anxious times, normal routines are important in providing calm and harmony. Students should not be kept at home, creating gaps in their learning, through fear of exposure to the virus.
• Students with compromised immune systems should seek medical advice about school attendance and their absence will only be authorized with a Medical Doctor’s directions and certificates

On-site Precautions

• We continue to guide students with their personal hygiene with regular soapy handwashing and protected coughing & sneezing.
• Social distancing makes a difference when people have become unwell, seating and desk arrangements in classes will be re-configured as necessary.
• Access to hand soap and sinks in K-6 classrooms, toilets and communal areas in our 7-10 will continue with vigilance.
• Increased cleaning of classrooms and touch surfaces will continue.
• Students will be involved in cleaning desks each day and in Morning Pastoral Group, using sanitizing wipes.
• Collaborative group activities between students will continue in classes as part of regular lessons.
• School photos will be postponed and delayed until later in the year to avoid congregations of students.

International Travel

• We have earlier made decisions at Dominic not to pursue any overseas travel in 2020 to Japan or Cambodia.
• The government directive to all people travelling overseas, is that they must self-isolate for 14 days after arrival back in Australia; at Dominic this will be strictly tracked and enforced.
• Families are encouraged to delay any holiday based international travel now and into the future.

Interstate Travel

• OZBosco for SYDC and other students in Year 10, has been cancelled in Melbourne.
• Our scheduled Year 9 trip to the Northern Territory and the Year 6 trip to Canberra have been cancelled due to possible travel exposures and risks and non-refundable monies for families. Any deposits made will be refunded.
• Participation in the Melbourne Writers’ Festival will not proceed at this stage due to non-refundable monies involved.
• Staff will not undertake interstate travel for professional learning or meetings.

Interschool Sport

• The SSATIS Swimming Carnival has been cancelled and all inter-school sport rosters have been cancelled – effective last Sunday 15 March.
• The Southern Tasmania Netball Club Roster has been cancelled for the winter and Karana’s booking for the Savio Centre has been suspended.
• Students are encouraged to keep fit through regular walking or jogging with their families or in- house exercise.

Off–site Visits

• Planned excursions to off-site facilities for various subjects, are cancelled indefinitely.
• The Year 10 Marine Science Camp has been cancelled.
• The 7-10 Athletics Carnival in the last week of Term 1 is cancelled.
• The School Dance Eisteddfod held at the end of Term 2 has been cancelled by the Eisteddfod Committee and therefore the College will not be participating in the event.
• The College will not participate in Model United Nations (MUNA) at Deloraine.
• RYPEN for Year 9 students has been cancelled.
• Dance classes will continue in the nearby JDW’s studios with the studio maintaining high cleanliness and hygiene standards.
• Staff will not attend inter-school meetings.

School Assemblies

• We have discontinued school assemblies: K-6, 7-10 and whole school assemblies indefinitely.
• Any planned K-6 assemblies provides an opportunity for our K-6 teachers to continue our EMPOWER program.
• For planned 7-10 assemblies, the period will become a supervised study period for students.
• Year 5-10 EMPOWER assemblies will be discontinued and replaced by an EMPOWER Class.
• The P&F will continue its Easter Raffle but the draw will not involve a K-6 assembly.

Public Masses & Religious Ceremonies

• The St Vincent de Paul Society cancelled its Youth Induction Mass scheduled for Monday night (tonight).
• Scheduled single class masses in our Chapel will continue.
• Catholic Education and associated Masses have been cancelled by the Archdiocese.
• Classes will have their own small Easter ceremonies in class or in the Chapel as directed by the TCEO. The Mission Team will liaise with teachers.

Visitors on Site

• Launch into Learning has been suspended – effective today 16 March.
• Visitors who are guest speakers or facilitators are being cancelled.
• Karana Netball training in the Savio Centre has been cancelled.
• The Tasmanian Community Language classes held on the weekend in our LOTE Centre have been cancelled

Parent Connections

• Parents volunteering in the MMK Program cannot bring their babies or younger children to the program.
• Parents are asked to arrive on time and not wait around K-6 class room entrances for long periods of time before and after school commences.
• The P&F will review its planned meeting schedule; its meeting this week has been cancelled.

Public Events

• RSL Tasmania has cancelled Anzac Day ceremonies due to both the nature of the public gathering and risks posed to elderly veterans. We will therefore not be having contingents of students at the various traditional sites of the ceremonies. Planning for these is therefore suspended.
• The DOSA Quiz Night has been cancelled and will be held on another occasion.
• ‘The Odd Couple’, to be performed in the Oratory Space has been indefinitely postponed.

Co-curricular Programs

• With the exception of Sport, most of our co-curricular programs will continue for our students on site: band, choir, drama, art, chess, robotics etc will operate as normal.

Avoidance of School Closure

All education authorities across Australia are weighing the disadvantages and benefits of school closure. Dominic College has always had disaster plans for possible school closure since the bushfires several years ago. We are proactively refining these contingency plans as all schools are doing at the moment.

One of the greatest threats to our effective state and national management of the virus and containment of its spread is pre-mature and unwarranted closure of schools.

At this stage none of the schools in the state need to close our doors.

Conclusion

Dominic College is a community whose students are deeply enriched by its many diverse opportunities. Whilst it pains us to cancel events and activities, we do so with the safety of our community as the focus. Families will be further informed of other events and gatherings as time progresses.

Please do not hesitate to contact the College if you have any queries: dominic@dominic.tas.edu.au

My gratitude for your on-going support at this challenging time. Please continue your prayers for all those suffering through the Coronavirus.

With kind regards,

Beth Gilligan

Principal Dominic College