COVID-19 Information & Resources

Updates

Parents are encouraged to download the School Stream app if you have not done so already, as this provides an immediate and efficient communication tool to enable the school to provide information quickly and efficiently.

Please see our Beehive COVID Policy for you to understand all our roles in keeping our Beehive Community as safe as possible.

Ongoing measures include:

A requirement for visitors to sign in to a Visitor Management System in the front office and provide evidence of their COVID-19 vaccination status. Please note that this does not include parents.
Continuation of increased hygiene practices
Continuation of staff and students remaining at home if they display cold or flu like symptoms. We appreciate how stressful it is for parents to keep children at home until they are symptom free, however this is critical in reducing the transmission of any illness including COVID.
Full vaccination of all staff working at school, and all regular visitors including playgroup parents, therapists, contractors and volunteers.

Please be reassured that we will be following all public health advice and Government mandates, and putting whatever strategies we can in place to minimise transmission.

Learning from Home

So much of what we do at Montessori is ‘hands-on’ and makes use of Montessori materials. It can’t be exactly replicated at home so we are creative in how we convert to home learning. The Weekly Work Plan which is sent home for students who are asymptomatic close contacts who are required to isolate is different to what we usually do, however like the Montessori materials used in the classroom it follows the AMI curriculum, is inviting, open-ended and stimulates further exploration.

Montessori students are able to be self-directed and have well developed executive functioning skill sets that are a real asset during this unusual time. Older students will be able to follow the Work Plan, extending their learning as they do in class by following their interests in the form of a project or deeper exploration. Younger students will require assistance in getting started, but should then be able to complete activities independently.

Resources

Mental health and wellbeing are always important, and particularly during the uncertainty of COVID. The Be You website has several resources to help during this time.

YouMeMontessori offer advice on remaining positive during a difficult time https://www.youmemontessori.com/coronavirus-and-depression-stay-calm-and-montessori-on/

This is an item on how to talk to children about the virus https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-04/how-to-talk-to-children-about-coronavirus/12020324

Beyond Blue https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/ have a lot of resources to support families during this time.

Student Wellbeing Hub https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/ has information for both parents and students.

And don’t forget, kindness, love and empathy are contagious too.

The Beehive Montessori School proudly presents………… Hand Washing 2020………. which is always relevant!