Our school is in a bushfire prone area and is listed as Category 1 on the NSW Department of Education’s bushfire risk register.
To ensure the health, safety and welfare of students and staff, the department has determined that on days when NSW Rural Fire Service declares a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating for Illawarra and Shoalhaven Fire Area, our school will temporarily cease operations for the following day.
In addition, schools may be made non-operational due to changing higher risk conditions and advice from emergency services and the State Emergency Operations Centre.
We recommend that you download the Parent App and select to monitor advice from our school which will push notifications to you advising that the school is non-operational. We also recommend that you stay up to date with bushfire and grassfire activity by using the Hazards Near Me app (set a watch zone for your school area), and by monitoring local media. You can also review fire activity and alert levels on the RFS website.
The Scarborough Public School My Family Hand School Organiser also provides alert messages from the school when urgent communication is required. Parents can register here.
The Fire Danger Rating does not mean there will be a bushfire, but rather weather conditions that could pose a high risk for a bushfire event. The measure is proactive to ensure staff, students and the community remain safe.
To ensure that we continue to support student learning on these days, I have put the following arrangements in place:
- Student learning will be shared with all students through the classroom Seesaw app
Our school will inform our school community after 4pm if there is a change to the operational status of the school for the following day. To assist the school in contacting all families please ensure that you have provided us with up-to-date contact details.
Further information on up-to-date communication of school operations, can also be found through:
this website or our school Facebook page
NSW Department of Education’s School Safety website: education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/school-safety
NSW School Updates app: education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/nsw-school-updates-app, and
social media.
We recommend that all of our families follow the advice of the NSW Rural Fire Service and ensure that your family knows what to do if there is a fire.
It can take as little as five minutes to make your plan. Discuss it with your family so you know what you will do in the event of a fire. www.myfireplan.com.au
Please contact the school on 02 4267 2153 if you would like any further information about this matter.