NGS is committed to ensuring all students receive a quality education while maintaining the safety of our staff and students. Schools have been asked to commit to the distancing recommended by the NSW Government and NSW Health and remain in an online at home or school model for the first two weeks of Term 2, with a gradual return to school from May 11 (Week 3). We want to support this stance and be a responsible member of our community in continuing to help flatten the curve.
 
This means for the start of Term 2 we will continue to follow the parent choice model. Lessons will be delivered online whether your son or daughter is at home or at school and I ask parents to choose what they believe will be best for their child. Classroom teachers will also have the same choice, following advice from the Government and work from home or school for the first two weeks of the term. This helps protect our teaching staff and their families.

Our move to an online environment has been successful for most of our students and captures the essence of the major pedagogical and delivery changes that are happening in education. We know that this model has not suited everyone and we encourage any student who is now finding this difficult or feeling disengaged at home to come to school in the first two weeks of term – you will be learning with others and have teachers here to support you. To be able to master some aspects of online learning will benefit all students in the long term.

Be assured if you choose to send your child to school, staff will be onsite to assist in their learning and ensure break times are fun.  We ask that you do not send your child to school if they are ill and take the precautions that we are now all used to. Staff at NGS will reinforce and insist on good hygiene practices.
 
Pre School, OOSH (normal hours) and the Hill Campus library (until 5.30pm) will all be open to support parents and students at this time. Year 5 and 6 students will start the term on Park Campus.

From May 11, we will invite year groups back to school for one or more days each week. We will initially balance the numbers on each campus each day and stagger re-entry into the school. On the day a student's year group is designated to come to school, teachers will be in the classroom teaching their class and those who choose to stay at home will receive the same lesson. The online timetable will be used so students at home and school continue to learn at the same time. Any child may come to School should supervision be needed, whether it is their designated day or not. Bus services will recommence. I will send more details about this transition plan when School resumes next week.

The NGS staff and School Executive have been very grateful for the tremendous support received from our parents as we navigate this time. At present we are committed to following the NSW Government stance in the hope we can transition quickly to a post COVID-19 world. Indeed – the best part of our planning meeting today was a discussion around what this world would look like!

My best wishes to our community as we begin Term 2.