Thank you to those parents who took time to email or ring in response to the recent announcements concerning teacher vaccinations and return to school by students. We are all very invested in these issues and in what lies ahead as we move toward students returning. While the Central Coast is only in lockdown currently until 10 September, we fully expect this to be extended until NSW reaches the target of 70% of adults being double vaccinated.

We have been preparing a position paper on the issue of vaccination and I will send that out in a few days as we are still finalising it. In it we are not making any decisions as such due to the constantly changing nature of the situation, but are setting out the principles upon which we will make decisions once we need to do so. We are attempting to consider carefully the wide range of opinions on vaccination that exist in our community.

You will be aware of the Government’s announced Return to School Roadmap from 25 October – provided certain vaccination targets are met. It appears that as an independent school, we will not be bound by the Roadmap set out for the Department of Education schools but may develop our own. I have already drafted a Roadmap based on the Department model and the Executive team will be discussing it this week. Anything we do will be in accordance with Government regulations and health advice.

Should Regional NSW (including the Central Coast) come out of lockdown before 25 October, we will be able to see all students return to school with significant restrictions in place. Should we still be in lockdown on 25 October and provided other requirements are met, students will be able to return but with greater restrictions in place. Our Roadmap will set out how GPCC will manage these situations.

With two weeks to go until the term break, I am very aware of the tiredness of students, parents, and teachers as we continue with home learning. I have been very impressed with the commitment everyone has shown and thank you for what you are doing to enable our students to continue to learn. Let me remind you that other similar situations have demonstrated that students are not disadvantaged long term and will soon catch up once we are back into more normal mode. Hopefully, we will be back soon!

In the meantime, spare a thought for our Year 12 students who have now endured two years of interruptions to their normal HSC program. The new and later start date (9 November) for the examinations is causing more difficulty and challenges for them. They need our prayers and support. Year 11 students begin school-based examinations this week, so keep them in your thoughts as well as they engage with these in a modified form on-line.

I speak for all the staff when I say how much we miss students being at school. I and the few staff on site each day also miss all our colleagues not being here. It. Is a timely reminder that we were designed for community and fellowship and so must value it when we have easy access to it.

Phillip Nash

Principal