As schools across Victoria begin returning to in-person learning, anxieties about the process have become visible.
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From Monday October 11, students from grades 3-6 and years 7-10 will return to classrooms on alternate days, joining students from prep-grade 2 and years 11 and 12, who returned earlier.
Questions over the safety of classroom learning and confusion over guidelines have left some students and parents hesitant.
Marian College assistant principal and head of wellbeing, Steph Saravanja, said such feelings were understandable.
"There's a bit of anxiety about returning; people want to get back to normal, but we are also obviously afraid of catching COVID-19 and as the numbers increase, people do get more concerned about that," Ms Saravanja said.
"On top of that, there's just the general anxiety for some kids about returning to school again."
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Ms Saravanja said Marian College had worked to develop a comprehensive student wellbeing plan to accommodate different students with different concerns.
"We'll be having counseling with our school counselor and myself, just to help students with the return to school, talking through some of their anxieties and fears and giving them some strategies for how to get reacquainted with school life," she said.
"It will be individual counselling, but there might also be small group sessions as well.
"We're also having special tutoring programs for those students who may have felt disengaged and might have found it hard to keep up online.
On top of dedicated in-person counselling, Marian College has also organised virtual support as well.
"We have also working with the community and a psychologist, Krystal Browne, through Browne Psychology in Stawell,"
"She's been working with us to create a wellbeing program for our kids through short videos that focus on different psychology and wellbeing topics for our kids."
"These videos are also available on our Instagram so it's available for our kids, our parents, and anyone in the community who wants to benefit from them."
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Alongside its wellbeing program, Ms Saravanja said the school was doing all it could to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and was following the Victorian government's COVID regulations.
Part of these protocols include regular cleaning throughout the school day, which Ms Saravanja said might help alleviate some anxieties for both students and parents.
"We have hired more cleaners that go around throughout the day sterilizing door-knobs and all the rest of it," she said.
"There's mandatory mask wearing all the time, and we have extra masks around if kids forget theirs; we also have hand sanitizers all around the place."
On Friday October 8 Victoria's chief health office Brett Sutton announced schoolchildren in grade three and above will be required to wear masks indoors at school while for kids in prep to grade two it will be strongly recommended but not mandated
Sutton cited scientific evidence that mask wearing reduced the risks of transmission for this decision.
"There is good evidence to support this decision," he said.
Confusion over being in lockdown one week and back at school the next, as well as students not being fully vaccinated could be a source of anxiety, Ms Saravanja acknowledged.
"It's confusing; it's confusing for kids and sometimes even for adults," she said.
"With the directives, you've just got to accept them and try not to read too much into them because some make more sense than others,"
"We've had so many talks with students about COVID and the rules and, and why we have them and the need for them.
"We've been through this now for two years and I think the kids are as understanding as they could be."
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Uncertainty over returning to classroom learning when there have been cases in the community was understandable, according to a Victorian government spokesperson.
"With widespread community transition, it's natural that people in high-risk areas feel anxious about returning to the community," the spokesperson said.
"But we've done the work to make sure schools are as safe as possible, so students can return for term four with confidence."
The spokesperson said students' mental health and wellbeing was a priority as schools returned to in-person learning.
"We know that students and families are keen to get back to school but there may be some hesitation for some," the spokesperson said.
"We are working hard to keep schools as safe as possible with staggered start times, getting teachers vaccinated and by delivering ventilation devices to prevent as much transmission as possible on school sites."
The government has promised 51,000 air purification devices will be rolled out in schools across the state to remove potentially infectious particles from higher-risk areas in schools.
These areas include staff rooms, sick bays, music rooms and other high traffic areas.
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In addition, many schools can accept to a grant to purchase shade sails to create more outdoor learning spaces and make it easier for classes to be conducted outside, where the risk of spreading COVID-19 is lessened.
The spokesperson also noted that home COVID-19 testing kits will also be available from October.
Under the guidelines, schools have already implemented measures like staggered pick-up and drop-off times, QR code check-ins for any essential visitors, and as much physical distancing as is possible in classrooms.
This also means limiting the potential for inter-year level mingling and not using large spaces like halls and gyms where possible.
Until the public health team advises that higher-risk activities are safe to resume schools also must postpone indoor and contact sports, camps, excursions, assemblies and performances to prevent the spread of the virus.
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