Welcome back to Week 6 of Term 2. It is hard to believe that many of you have not been on our school campus for 8 weeks! It has been heartwarming to see most of our girls back, excited to see each other and their teachers. Over the last 8 weeks so much has changed in our world and we look forward to creating our new normal moving forward. We are still closely following Government guidelines and advice from the Public Health Unit to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our community safe. While we await further relaxation of the current restrictions, we will not be conducting Assemblies, Committees and Sisters meetings, and we will not be gathering in groups larger than a standard class. Other restrictions in place is the dining room only being open for our boarding students, day girls and staff are required to bring their own lunch for the next while.
The obvious and most visible changes you will notice around campus is the increase in handwashing and sanitization stations, hand sanitizer and sanitizer spray in every classroom. There are also many things going on in the background you will not see, such as the Boarding and Spotless staff cleaning all student use areas multiple times a day.
It goes without saying that every staff member including our Spotless staff have been working with extra vigilance, going above and beyond to ensure that your online learning experience and return to school have been the best it can be. I encourage you all to show your gratitude as you move around campus in the coming days.
As we look forward to defining our new normal in these challenging times, it is important that we return to a routine. Not only in the classroom but in your day to day activities. While we are unable to recommence our normal extra-curricular program, it is vital to your own mental health to establish a routine that includes regular exercise, socialization and relaxation, along with your normal study and homework commitments. A return to normal sleeping patterns will take a few weeks for most of you to achieve, however following a consistent daily routine will assist.
After 8 weeks off campus and returning to some cooler weather, our uniform is another point of focus. For those feeling the chill in the morning air, can I remind you that you may wear your school jumper and opaque tights (available from the Uniform Shop). Students in years 7 – 12 may also wear their blazer, and senior students also have the option of their senior cardigan. It is not appropriate to mix items of the sports uniform with the day or formal uniforms. Nor is it appropriate to wear other non RGGS items of clothing. When securing long hair off the face and shoulders, hair bands are to be covered in a navy or white ribbon. In addition to ribbon, a RGGS scrunchie may also be worn (available at the Uniform Shop). No other ribbon or scrunchie is to be worn with the school uniform. Further to clothing items, the wearing of jewelry outside of a single plain set of studs, sleepers or pearls in lower earlobe is not permitted. Please consult your student planner for further guidance on uniform standards.
Ryan Cheers
Deputy Principal - Students