College News

College News

Case of COVID-19 discovered at the College

School closed for deep cleaning

Update from ACT Health regarding MacKillop's COVID-19 exposure
14 October 2021, 9.20pm

Dear College community,

I am writing to advise that ACT Health has completed its contact tracing process and casual and close contacts have now been advised. Please see the attached letter from ACT Health for more information about this.

Deep cleaning of the College is being undertaken and the College is now working with Catholic Education on a return to school program.

I'd like to thank the community for its forbearance and understanding. The College has not had to deal with this before and has been expertly assisted by ACT Health and Catholic Education.

The messages of support from all of you, from alumni, and colleagues at other schools have been encouraging and welcomed.

To those families who have emailed entirely appropriate questions, please understand that we have not had time to work through those, but will endeavour to do so tomorrow.

Yours in St Mary MacKillop,

Michael Lee
College Principal

View the update


Original correspondence:

Urgent Message from the Principal:
Case of COVID-19 detected at the College
13 October 2021, 8.30pm

Dear College community,

We have been advised by ACT Health this evening that St Mary MacKillop College has been identified as a COVID-19 exposure site.

An individual has attended the College while unknowingly infectious.

Please find an attached letter from ACT Health, signed by me, that provides great clarity about the management from here in partnership between the school, Catholic Education, and ACT Health.

ACT Health are currently determining the precise exposure times and locations. They have advised they will shortly be contacting affected families and staff directly.

Out of an abundance of caution we are closing the school effective immediately until Thursday 21 October to allow for deep cleaning.

Please be assured we are working closely with ACT Health and will notify and update you with further information as soon as it becomes available.

From the very beginning of the pandemic, the College has prioritised safety and learning and the community has responded magnificently, with a powerful sense of individual and community responsibility.

No classes will take place (for students of either campus) on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 October and remote learning will resume on Monday 18 October. The College is communicating clearly with all staff about the directions they need to follow.

All of us have lived with this in our working and family life for some time. I thank you for your forbearance and will communicate with you in an honest and transparent manner when we have information cleared by ACT Health and Catholic Education.

This is a strong community that will get to the other side of this in a safe and timely manner.

Yours in St Mary MacKillop,

Michael Lee
College Principal

View the letter from ACT Health

Published
12 October, 2021

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Acknowledgement of Country

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop made the statement: “We are but travellers here, so while we are here we should do as much good as we can and live in peace with each other.”

With this in mind, the College respectfully acknowledges the Ngunnawal people who are the Traditional Custodians and First People of the land on which we gather each day. The College also pays its respects to the Elders past, present and emerging, and any other Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples living and working in the MacKillop community.

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