Term 2 Reopening - Lihir International School

Dear parents and carers,

This week, a comprehensive review of the school's Covid 19 Risk Assessment and prevention measures has been undertaken prior to children's return to school on Monday, the 3rd May. This has been done in consultation with the Newcrest Health and Safety Team, ISOS doctors and personnel, Queensland Department of Education guidelines and New Ireland Provincial Education guidelines. Students can return to school on Monday, the 3rd of May, adhering to the measures outlined below. The measures outlined are designed to reduce contact and promote Covid safe behaviours. This arrangement will be reviewed after two weeks:

LIS Opening with significant and controlled COVID safe behaviours:

- Shortened school day (Primary 8.30 – 11.30 with one 10-minute break; High school (8.30 – 12.30 with two 10-minute breaks)

- Focus learning areas will be English, Maths, Science and HASS in the primary school with some additional learning areas in the high school  (More information on this can be seen in Ms Langusch's section below)

- Take home packs for home afternoon learning so that learning continues at home after explicit teaching occurs at school

- Kindy closed until Mrs Neale's return

- Temperature checks on the gate

- Mask wearing in classrooms

- No parents/carers allowed on school grounds

- No recess or lunch playtime

- High school classes from STM Campus will be re-timetabled in open undercover areas to reduce movement

- Hand sanitizer with every student

- increased sanitation of school facilities

These measures ensure the safe return for teachers and students to school for term 2 after the 30 day period. Please note that these new measures for term 2 will be re-evaluated as the term progresses. Below you will find links to relevant documents and further information on the return to school requirements at LIS for term 2.

Kindy Closure

Due to staffing constraints, Kindy teacher, Ms Saua, will teach the year 3/4 while Mrs Neale waits to return to Lihir from Australia. Learning packs were prepared and sent home for the Kindy kids to complete at home. The Kindy will reopen as soon as Mrs Neale arrives on the island. I thank Kindy parents for their patience and understanding and parents will be updated accordingly.

ISOS Parent / Carer Teams Meeting

Next week, on Tuesday at 4pm, a Teams meeting will be offered to parents and carers with ISOS doctors and staff to answer any questions regarding Covid 19 and children / schooling. A meeting link will be sent to parents to join this if they wish.

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

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 8.10am. Students who arrive before this (which is discouraged) are to social distance and  wait in the carpark undercover area until 8.10am. Students should be at school by 8.20am, ready to start the day at 8.30am.

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 their morning snack 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. There will be no play time.

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 recess breaks between the primary and high school to reduce the number of children using toilets etc.

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 snack each day - there is to be no dropping off of food 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 students are collected promptly at 11.30am (primary) and 12.30pm (high school). 

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

Thank you to parents and carers who have been working hard to support students with their at-home learning packs at the end of last term and the start of this term. We know that your children appreciate your time, support and effort, as do the staff of LIS.

Teachers are excited that students are returning to school on Monday, even if the timeframe of the day will be shortened. Primary students will be at school from 8.30 - 11.30 (with one 10-minute break) and high school students from 8.30 - 12,30 (with two 10-minute breaks). Students are to bring a snack that they will eat at their desk during their breaktime. We ask that parents do not send a lot of food as it will be only a short break, with no play time.

Over the next two weeks, we will use our face-to-face teaching time for explicit teaching in English, Maths, Science and HASS in the primary school, with the extra subject areas of MAL in Year 7/8 and Health, Technologies and Business Studies in the high school.

This term, in order to focus on the key learning areas, we will not be incorporating any Arts lessons besides Music, there will be no PE and extra time has been allocated to the teaching of English and Maths.

Over the coming weeks, teachers will be consolidating and building on concepts from remote learning. Please have students bring all of their books on Monday, even if work has not been fully completed. They can keep their stationery equipment for their home activities.

An important part of the next two weeks will be continued learning in the afternoons when students return home. Students from prep – year 10 will have learning activities to continue working on. We ask that parents please monitor that older students are completing their studies and continue to support our younger students with their work, particularly by listening to their child’s reading and sight words.

Primary teachers will set either a daily list of tasks or give a weekly overview that identifies set work for each afternoon over the week. High school students will use their diaries to write down what they need to complete each day as set by each teacher or will have a sheet glued into their relevant workbook.

It is very important that our Early Years students practise their sight words and oral reading, and that all students in years 3/4 and 5/6 maintain daily reading and learn their spelling, as well as practise number facts. High school students need to put effort into revising past work and completing their set tasks.

During these difficult times, we are committed to ensuring learning continues at LIS and we thank you for your support. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions.

Stay safe and well.

Kind regards,

Ms Langusch