5 August 2020

COVID-19 community update: Term 3, Week 3

Dear Parents and Caregivers, I write to you early in Term 3 in order…

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I write to you early in Term 3 in order to provide a brief update on our Blackfriars response to COVID-19.

As I type this letter this morning I am very conscious of the re-emergence of COVID-19 in South Australia and the clusters of potential infection emerging in the geographical areas surrounding our School in Prospect.

Adelaide is indeed on high alert and a small number of students of Blackfriars have had brief secondary links to sites identified in the recent SA Health Alert website and publicised in The Advertiser and media channels on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. These students are currently not at school and are complying with SA Health regulations.

I emphasize that there is no current direct link of COVID-19 to Blackfriars. However, this is no time for complacency and we must all play our part to limit the possibility of the spread of COVID-19 in our School community and in the broader community.

Celebration of St Dominic’s Day Postponed

After consultation with the Executive Team I have decided to postpone the Feast of St Dominic’s Day School Mass and Activities Day scheduled for this Friday, 7^th August. The day will now be a normal school day. We will look to another suitable date in Term 3 or 4 when we are able to safely celebrate the Dominican foundation and heritage of Blackfriars.

Continuing Restrictions

Please continue to comply with government advice and regulations regarding restrictions. The South Australian roadmap to recovery is currently under review and likely to have further changes, so please refer to the SA Health website for the most up to date information.

I remind you of the following basic protocols that will assist in keeping you and our Blackfriars community safe:

Students and staff who are unwell must stay home
Only Blackfriars students are permitted to use our playgrounds
All adults must continue to follow the ‘roadmap’ restrictions and guidelines outlined by SA Health.
Cough etiquette, adult social distancing and the frequent washing of hands & use of sanitizer is absolutely essential for personal hygiene and the safety of others.

Please continue to regularly review the School COVID-19 Info Hub for our Community updates and for further announcements about scheduled school events.

In conclusion, I thank you for your on-going partnership with the School as we continue to provide the safest possible environment for the education of our students.

Yours sincerely,