Term 2 2021 Covid-19 Prevention - Lihir International School

Dear parents and carers,

Due to the current 30 day limitation of face to face interaction implemented to assist in controlling the spread of Covid-19 on Lihir, Lihir International School will be closed until the end of April. It is anticipated the school will re-open for term 2 on Monday the 3rd of May, after the 30 day period pending improved control of the Covid-19 situation. The school's temporary closure will assist in protecting our island and particularly our children. 

Learning packs will be prepared for students to complete at home for term 2, weeks 1 and 2. These can be picked up from the school on Monday the 19th April, at the Aginas Oval car park entrance, through  contactless collection from the tables provided.

A comprehensive audit has taken place, with several Covid 19 prevention measures put in place to ensure children are safe at school and social distancing requirements are met when they return on the 3rd of May.  Queensland Department of Education guidelines, along with a comprehensive Newcrest Covid-19 risk assessment, has been completed to ensure the safe return for teachers and students to school for term 2 after the 30 day period. Please note that these new measures are for term 2 will be re-evaluated as the term progresses. Below you will find links to relevant documents and an outline of the return to school requirements at LIS for term 2.

Kindy Closure

Due to the difficulty in being able to manage social distancing requirements for very small children, the Kindy will be initially closed for Term 2. This also allows our teacher, Ms Saua, to teach the year 3/4 while Mrs Neale waits to return to Lihir from Australia. Learning packs will be prepared for the Kindy kids to complete at home. These can be collected on April 19th as outlined above. The Kindy's reopening will be dependent on the return time of Mrs Neale and improved Covid situation on Lihir. Kindy parents will be updated accordingly.

If you have any concerns, or would like further information on any of the topics in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to make contact.

Mr. Neville

It is imperative that parents and carers do not send their children to school if they are sick or showing any symptoms of a cold or flu. If your child is sick, please keep your child home and seek appropriate medical attention. Children who display any signs of sickness will be isolated under supervision in the school's sick bay and parents called to come and collect them.

1.  A comprehensive deep clean of the school will be undertaken by Nayal LTD, prior to school resumption on May 3rd.

2. Entrance to school for students and parents / carers will be via the Aginas Oval gate only, which will open at 7.45am. Students who arrive before this (which is discouraged) are to Social Distance and  wait in the carpark undercover area until 7.45am. Students should be at school by 8.05am, ready to start the day at 8.10am.

3. All students will be greeted at the gate by a teacher, where they will be temperature checked. They will then wash their hands at the wash station and then proceed to their classroom.  Parents and carers will not be permitted to escort their children to classrooms, If parents need to go to the office, they will be permitted to proceed to the wash station and are then to make their way straight to the school office. Students will not be permitted to return home during the day to collect lunch or forgotten items such as books, etc. 

4. Several wash stations are installed around the school (see pics below) and hand sanitiser is available in all classrooms. Students will be required to wash their hands in the mornings before school, before and after recess/lunch and before leaving school in the afternoons. Educational videos and ISOS personnel will be utilised to support education in hand washing and general hygiene.

5. All desks, door handles, playground equipment and other high contact equipment will be sanitised twice daily or after use by cleaning staff.

6. Play time will be reduced with students allowed to have something to eat, chat with their friends are participate in school organised lunch time activities, implementing social distancing. Contact sports and use of the playgrounds will not be permitted.

7. Social distancing measure of 1.5 metres will be employed in classrooms through desk arrangements. Social distancing markings have been painted on cement areas where students line up and in the undercover area for recess/lunch eating times. The school will implement staggered lunch and recess breaks between the primary and high school to reduce the number of children in the eating area at one time.

8. Students will be issued with a reusable washable mask. Students will be need to wear these masks for travel to and from school and during all activities at school.

9. The school canteen will be closed for the duration on term 2. Students will need to bring a packed recess and lunch each day - there is to be no dropping off of lunches by parents, siblings or haus meris. Students are also asked to bring a water bottle to school that they will refill instead of drinking from the bubblers.

10. In term 2 there will be no after-school activities, sports carnivals or team sports and we ask that in the afternoon, students are collected promptly and no later than 3.15pm. 

11. Term 2 will not have traditional assemblies at school. Virtual assemblies will continue throughout the term, with the assembly link to be published in the weekly Toksave for parents to view.

12. Reduced movement of high school students will be implemented.

Term 2 Curriculum Update

Some parents may have concerns about student learning and progress as we have had the last two weeks of term 1, and will have at least the next two weeks of term 2, as learning at home. We want to assure parents that teachers will be consolidating and building on remote learning concepts when we are back in face-to-face learning.

In the primary school, we have made adjustments to the term 2 timetable to ensure the areas of Mathematics and English (reading and writing) have a greater time allocation. The following adjustments will be reflected in your parent overview that you will receive next term:

• There will be no PE or Arts lessons (besides Music) in term 2.

• In the Prep and Year 1/2 classes, students will study either HASS or Science. Similarly, they will study either Health or Technologies. In the Arts, students will have Music with Mr Neale.

• In Year 3/4, students will study HASS and Science in each term but will study either Health or Technologies in term 2. In the Arts, students will have Music with Mr Neale.

• In Year 5/6, students will study HASS and Science as well as Music, Technologies and Health. 
• PNG Studies will continue in the primary classes for term 2.

In High school, Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 students will continue to study all of their subject areas, with some slight changes due to the changes with PE and the Arts, as well as Work Studies for the Year 9/10 class. These classroom lessons will be allocated to other learning areas dependent on student needs.

We are committed to helping every child achieve their optimal learning outcomes during these challenging times.

If you have any questions about your child’s learning, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.

Happy Easter and please stay safe over the holiday break.

Kind regards,

Ms Langusch

The Work Ready Program will completed last Thursday 1 April, with 10 fine young Lihirians entering our talent pool for future entry level positions with NML and other stakeholders. I thank all of the STMC trainers for the hard work they have put into working with these students and commend the students for the excellent progress they have all made over the past 8 weeks. I wish them all the very best for the future as they endeavour to find suitable employment utilising the new skills they have developed.

 Due to government restrictions our FODE students are not visiting our campus; they are working with resources from home. We look forward to welcoming them back on 3 May.

 STMC are continuing to work with local education authorities and DWU with many of the Lihirian teachers’ applications being processed for the upcoming Bachelor Upgrade Program. A final date for this program cannot be confirmed due to current COVID restrictions.

Please read the Toksave below about the achievements of some of last year's WRP graduates. It is great that they are achieving success in the work force.

I wish everyone a safe and happy Easter.

 Regards,

 Mr. Kevin Collins