As you would be aware, the main topic of discussions amongst school communities right now is responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Health officials have advised that they are seeing an escalation of diagnoses of the virus. This may have an impact on school operations, and has already resulted in some schools closing.
We are relying on the advice of relevant government departments as we manage this rapidly evolving event We are also exploring options to enable our students to continue their education from home if schools are shut down. I will share details with you in due course.
For now, please note the following.
Suspected and confirmed cases:
Please contact us immediately if:
- You, your child or a family member is suspected of having or confirmed with coronavirus.
- You, your child or a family member is undertaking testing due to being a suspected case of coronavirus.
Self-Isolation:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) advice is that students, staff and close community members should self-isolate from the school if the following applies:
- The person is a confirmed case of coronavirus.
- The person is a close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus in the past 14 days.
This advice is likely to take the form of a directive to our school from the Chief Health Officer.
School Closures:
When a student, staff member or member of the close school community is confirmed with COVID-19, the Chief Health Officer can recommend or direct that the school should close for a specified time to enable contact tracing to occur. In all of the circumstances outlined above, we expect that DHSS will offer detailed assistance to affected schools, including advice on communicating with students, parents, close community members, and the wider community.
Our Reaction
Like you, we have heard various rumours circulating today about the possibility of wider school closures. None of these rumours have been confirmed. We will be monitoring the situation and responding according to the advice that we receive from Independent Schools Victoria (who in turn, are working with government agencies to finalise response plans).
I would also like to use this opportunity to mention that as an Islamic community, we believe that all conditions are from Allah. What is most important, is how we act, and who we turn to at times of need and protection.
We are in the process of preparing some material containing dua’s of protection.