The Bible reminds us that through prayer and with thanksgiving, we can have peace in times of trial.
Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Since the school term began, Christian Schools Tasmania (CST) and our Principals and staff have continued to monitor and follow the advice of the National and State Health authorities regarding the spread and impact of coronavirus.
The advice and our approach has been to operate in a climate of ‘business as usual’ but with a heightened awareness and focus on personal and community hygiene practices.
Since there have been two positively identified cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Tasmania, it is important that as a community we all take responsibility for doing our part to minimise risks to our students and staff. This applies not only to the coronavirus, but any communicable diseases we may be exposed to including the influenza (flu) virus. These responsibilities include:
Taking reasonable precautions against transmitting a condition if you know or suspect that a child has a transmissible notifiable condition;
Informing the Principal as soon as possible if you have reasonable grounds for believing that a child may have an infectious disease, has been in contact with an infected person, or has been diagnosed with an infectious disease.
We will continue to follow advice from the National and State Health Departments and will keep parents informed in the event of any further developments that may affect students and families.
Rest assured that we are being proactive and using this opportunity to improve our preparedness for this virus and other seasonal viruses such as the flu. All staff have access to free flu vaccinations and we are in the process of ordering a number of automatic hand sanitising dispensers for each of our schools.
Over the coming weeks we will be providing regular updates in our newsletters to provide further information about what we all can do to improve hygiene and make our schools safe and healthy places for our students and staff.
Most importantly, be encouraged to pray for protection over our community, state and nation, particularly for the more vulnerable. Pray for wisdom for our school leaders and National and State Health authorities.
David Gillman – CEO Christian Schools Tasmania
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