PGSReady

The Peninsula Grammar Purpose

An exceptional education that inspires the pursuit of excellence, a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead.

PGSReady Guiding Principles

The Peninsula Grammar School reopening plan will fulfil our mission by bringing to life our four guiding principles. We commit to being:

Exceptional – In academic and co-curricular programs
Equitable – In doing everything we can to give all students and staff equal access to the PGS experience
Caring – For our community
Responsible – In mitigating risk and maximising safety for students, staff, and families

“Our behaviour, will control our fate.”

In March 2020 I wrote to our community of the necessity of unity in a time of great uncertainty. I wrote also of the importance of adhering to guidelines, of respecting the decisions made by governing bodies and of understanding the truly profound impact of the situation on our way of living.

In Victoria, the hardest hit state in the entirety of Australia, our journey varied significantly to that of our fellow countrymen and women. It was ultimately our behaviour, our adherence to the mandated guidelines and our commitment to the communities to which we belonged, that enabled us to traverse the obstacles in front of us. Our commitment to following public health guidelines, to learn remotely, to socially distance, to wear masks and to be acutely aware of personal hygiene enabled us to ride out the second wave.

To continue protecting ourselves and our community we call on everyone to uphold an implicit social contract. A social contract is an agreement among people to cooperate for social benefits, in effect to give up certain freedoms so that everyone can flourish. For example, you may agree that you may not like wearing a mask, but you will wear one because it protects yourself and it protects others. As a civil society, and as we proved last year, these small actions serve our society uniting us all for the common good.

We are a school who follows the guidelines of our public health officials, we wear masks to protect others, we limit social gatherings to save lives and we close the School when it is deemed too dangerous to operate.

Our community is unique, our people are purposeful, and we know to thrive, we must keep our students in school whilst making it safe for everyone.

With safety at the forefront of our minds always, and in knowing that Peninsula Grammar shares a commitment to the values of stewardship, integrity, and respect, we re-commit to these through following the specific behaviours and the elements of our reopening plan.

• Wearing a mask (in the classroom and between classes when mandated by the Victorian Public Health Guidelines and advised by the School)
• Keeping a high level of personal hygiene; washing hands regularly and physically distancing
• Being responsible in the same ways when not on campus, always following the state public health guidance
• Following the guidelines of the Victorian Government as they relate to travel beyond the state of Victoria and accepting the requirements of the 14-day quarantine (for international travel) before reentering the School
• Following the behaviour expectations framework that governs the School as it relates to all matters of uniform, mobile phones and self-discipline

In knowing that these are the social expectations incumbent upon us as members of the Peninsula Grammar Community, we will continue to keep ourselves and each other safe and our School strong. We know everyone within our community will uphold our social contract.

The announcement by the Victorian Government on the morning of 11 August that means our campus will remain in Scenario 3 status until 02 September. 

Scenario One

On Campus

• All campus is open
• Normal timetable followed
• AGSV Sport may proceed
• COVID protocols remain in place – as per the Peninsula Grammar Campus COVID Policy 2021

Scenario Two

On Campus & Home

• Government mandated closure of part of the campus
• Online Learning commences for specified year levels
• On Campus learning for specified year levels
• Sport training and Saturday fixtures paused
• Head of School will provide information

Scenario Three

All Classes Online

• Government mandated closure of the whole campus
• Online Learning commences for all students
• Sport training and Saturday fixtures paused
• Head of School will provide information
• All functions/events postponed

The experiences of 2020 provided the School the opportunity to create an alignment between the State response to the situation and the School’s. In doing so we created the three-scenario context that enables us to evolve as the situation does. It is our hope that we remain in scenario one for the duration of the year, however it would be remiss of us not to plan diligently, flexibly, and accordingly for us to prepare for all three scenarios.

Changes to this will be updated through the Principal’s Blog regularly.

In our new world, a best-in-class education means pivoting smoothly between in-person and online learning and sometimes a mix of the two. Though it will remain our preference to always be in person, having exceptional teaching and learning skills in any context is the Peninsula Grammar advantage. Our students are engaged in meaningful learning regardless of the circumstances that challenge us.

Adaptability

It is no coincidence that researchers, long before the events of 2020, deemed adaptability the most important skill of the 21st century. We have proven as a community of staff, students, and parents alike that we are adaptable, flexible, and capable people and so we should look confidently towards this year knowing that we will prevail.

Online Expertise

Our teaching staff worked diligently at the conclusion of 2020 to prepare for any eventuality. Recently they have continued their professional development training in an online context and have enhanced the learning experience from last year, after the success of our Online Learning Program. Students will be guided by their Heads of School, as the need arises, to the requirements of an online learning context, of particular importance will be their ICT policy.

Agile and future ready…

The Peninsula Grammar ICT team support partners with our faculty to ensure we have the right tools to serve teaching and learning on campus and online. They have researched, tested, and equipped Peninsula Grammar learning spaces with the best technology and tools available. In addition to the extensive time and expertise the ICT team has invested in bringing these tools to the School, an investment we have made to provide the necessary access to online learning.

Every member of the Peninsula Grammar Community can help meet the challenges before us, both within the school community and in the broader community. Your support and adherence to safety protocols – and to the Peninsula Grammar Social Contract – will help determine whether our students and teachers stay safe and our campus remains open.

The development of habits as they relate to safety are pertinent to our ability to remain on campus. The advice of the Department of Health and Human Services is evolutionary; however, it continues to provide consistent messaging as it relates to our responsibilities to by hygienic and follow safety protocols, that should by now, be habits for us all.

Our responsibility is now a shared one, incumbent upon us all to follow the guidelines to protect our community.

The following guidelines are effective from 1pm 21 August and will remain in place until September 23. 

TABLE OF RESTRICTIONS

As of December 09, 2020, temperature checking was no longer mandated for students and staff. Staff remain required to sign in and out of the campus, completing the regulated sign in protocols and health inventory, which is submitted electronically to allow for necessary contact tracing should the need arise. The usual roll call remains in place to allow for student registration to be noted and their attendance/absence recorded.

If staff or students, and if parents dropping or picking up their children on campus, are experiencing any symptoms, they will be asked to leave the campus, test and isolate, letting the School know of the outcome at coronavirus@pgs.vic.edu.au.

Some of the most common symptoms (but not all) of the illness are:

PENINSULA GRAMMAR ICT ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

In an online environment the importance of these policies cannot be underestimated. They serve to protect our students and to ensure they understand their responsibilities in a digital context. Please, spend time with your child, regardless of the year they are in, and ensure they understand the expectations incumbent upon them and the responsibilities they have in an online environment.

Peninsula Grammar ICT Acceptable Use Policy JY 2021
Peninsula Grammar ICT Acceptable Use Policy_SY_MY 2021

The co-curricular program of Peninsula Grammar is a fundamental part of who we are. It is important and provides rewarding experiences for every student and is essential to Peninsula Grammar community building. We know that students who engage in the co-curricular program have greater levels of personal and leadership growth, empathy development, resilience, and social connectedness. We are committed to providing the most robust co-curricular experiences possible in each of the three scenarios.

Scenario One

On Campus

• Function/Event takes place
• All staff and students involved in the event and where appropriate parent and community attendance accepted
• Visitors to the school are provided with COVID protocols prior to the commencement of the event

Scenario Two

On Campus & Online

• Limited number of guests invited to the campus
• Event is live streamed to all invited (those not in attendance)
• COVID protocols provided to those one site prior to commencement of the event

Scenario Three

Online

• Postponement of all events/functions
• No guests, staff or students onsite
• All members of the community provided with the link to the event
• A pre-recorded video sent to all members of the community to explain school’s response.

Sport

We are renowned for the prowess of our sporting program and are excited by the opportunities this year. In line with the AGSV and our partner schools within the program, we will be working to ensure that our Saturday Sport Program and weekly training schedules remain consistent. As of Sunday December 6, the provision for sport allowed the following;

Indoor physical recreation and community sport:

• Permitted for all ages
• No patron caps with a density quotient of 1 per 4 square metres for each space
• Gym and exercise classes limited to 50 people (excluding anyone necessary for running the class). COVID Marshals required when gyms are staffed
• At times when gyms are unstaffed, a density quotient of 1 per 8 square metres applies
• signage must state the number of people permitted inside, wipes and disinfectant must be supplied for use by patrons, and record keeping is required and venues with capacity of greater than 500 patrons must publish a COVIDSafe Plan online

Outdoor physical recreation and community sport:

• Permitted for all ages
• Up to a maximum of 100 patrons for outdoor fitness classes with a density quotient of 1 per 2 square metres
• Record keeping is required and venues with capacity of greater than 500 patrons must publish a COVIDSafe Plan online

Pools, including swimming classes:

• Indoor venues open with a density quotient of 1 per 4 square metres
• Outdoor pools open with a density quotient of 1 per 2 square metres
• Record keeping is required

It is important that we understand the impact of the square metre regulation on the School’s capacity to run its sporting program in a safe context. Further information relating to this will be provided by our Director of Sport.

Performing Arts

We are excited by the possibilities of our Performing Arts Program this year. We must understand however, that the context may change by this time, and so we should put in place all necessary precautions to enable our students to perform.

We will continue with the calendared rehearsals for the Senior School Production as listed in the School Calendar.

We will adhere to the necessary mandates of social distancing and personal hygiene – the following are examples of such mandates.

• Masks will be worn at all times, until guidance on theatrical productions changes
• Scripts will be digital, with no shared papers
• Costumes & make-up will not be shared. Costumes will be issued at the onset of rehearsal and kept by students for the duration of the production
• Temporary changing locations will be identified, with specific protocols for use to be shared with each production by season
• All microphones and shared tech equipment will be disinfected after each session

Rehearsals

• Rehearsals will take place either on campus and/or online in accordance with the Scenario in effect at the time

Live theatrical performances will remain a central part of our program as long as they can be produced safely and in a way that our audiences can enjoy them with minimal risk and concern. To this end, based on current plans for the 2021 academic year, all audiences will be invited where the facilities can provide for mandated distancing. Until large groups are able to congregate indoors, all performances may remain online. In the interest of continuing the live communal experience as best we can, we plan to release our productions as either videos or live online events.

Music

Like our Sport and Performing Arts programs, Music plays an integral part in the life of our school. We remain guided by the most recent DHHS guidelines as they relate to the playing of instruments and to the many choirs that the School has. As of December 20, 2020, the following provisions remained for the Music Faculty and students therein. Our Director of Music will keep you informed of any changes that may occur upon commencement of the academic year.

Musical instruments

Do musical instruments pose a risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Some instruments pose a higher risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) than others. This is because different instruments generate different concentrations of aerosols (He R, et al, 2020). Higher-risk instruments generate higher aerosol concentration levels and a smaller aerosol size when played in comparison to lower risk instruments and speaking. This generation of higher numbers of aerosol particles may lead to an increased risk of airborne disease transmission, including coronavirus (COVID-19).

The variability of aerosol concentration from different instruments can be attributed to the combined effects of sound production mechanisms of with the instrument type, (that is, brass versus woodwind), the type of mouthpiece (that is, air-jet, single reed, or double reed) and tube structure (that is, tube length, turnings, and valves).

The type of mouthpiece and the instrument type affect how aerosols are injected into the instrument and the tube structure influences how the aerosol is transported inside the instrument tubes. Instruments with a straight tube design, like oboes, have an increased risk of aerosol generation.

High-risk musical instruments include trumpets, bass trombone, and oboes. Saxophones are likely to produce lower levels of aerosols compared with trumpets (He R, et al, 2020).
Breath condensate (‘spit’) in brass instruments could potentially represent a risk of droplet, aerosol or fomite transmission if not carefully collected and disposed of. Musicians must drain this fluid and dispose of it in a rubbish bin and then perform hand hygiene.

Transmission could also occur if reeds from woodwind instruments, such as saxophone or oboe, are touched or shared by other musicians (O’Keefe J, 2020).

Can wind and brass instruments be used safely?

Musical instruments may still be used during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There are several measures that may prevent or significantly reduce the risk of infection transmission.

• Reducing the number of people present. This could include reviewing seating arrangements for different musical activities involving wind and brass instruments, including; orchestras, bands or music classes
• Incorporating additional physical distancing between the musicians. Those musicians playing high-risk instruments (trumpet, bass trombone, oboe) should be more than two metres apart (to account for the length of the instrument) and maximise distance between those playing wind instruments and other musicians
• Any audience should be distanced as far as is practical from brass and wind musicians and should wear masks
• Increase room ventilation for example, by opening windows (He, R, 2020)
• Performers playing non-wind instruments (percussion and string players) should wear a face mask
• Users of brass instruments must regularly monitor and drain their breath condensate (‘spit valve’). Musicians must drain this fluid and dispose of it in a rubbish bin and then perform hand hygiene
• Wind instruments are for individual use and should not be shared unless thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before reuse
• Using a barrier cap on the bell of a brass instrument significantly reduces the release of respiratory aerosols into the immediate surroundings (He R, 2020). This offers a possible mitigation method for playing in groups, especially in hard to ventilate spaces

Choirs

Can choirs resume safely?

Group singing may transmit coronavirus (COVID-19). Singing inside in a poorly ventilated area with singers not physically distanced for several hours has been associated with the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

It is important that anyone attending group singing does not have any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) to ensure the safety of others. People at high-risk of severe illness should not participate in group singing while there is active community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Group singing is safest when the following measures are applied:

• Singing outside or in a well-ventilated room (with windows open)
• Physical distancing of at least 2 metres between each person while singing
• Short performances (of less than an hour)
• Singing softly

Outdoor lessons, class or practice is permitted with the number of singers based on current restrictions. Singing lessons need to ensure enough space to allow for physical distancing – allowing for people to keep at least 1.5 metres apart.

FAQS – CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION