Dear Families,

Information regarding our school’s bushfire emergency arrangements for the upcoming bushfire season.

Our school is located in a bushfire-prone area as identified by the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS). To ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our students and staff, Catholic Education has determined that on days when the RFS declares a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating for our region, our school will close temporarily the following day.

In cases where there is an Extreme Fire Danger Rating or a High Fire Danger Rating, Catholic Education may also consider closing the school the next day. This decision will be based on consultation with the RFS and in alignment with local NSW Education schools.

There may be times when our school will need to close temporarily due to changing, high-risk conditions or based on advice from emergency services and the State Emergency Operations Centre. The Fire Danger Rating itself does not indicate an imminent bushfire but rather signifies weather conditions that could lead to a high risk of bushfire, and our goal is to proactively safeguard our school community.

Should there be any change to the school’s operational status for the following day, we will notify families after 4 pm. Please ensure your contact information with the school is up-to-date so we can reach you promptly.

In the event of a catastrophic or extreme fire warning closure, there will be no staff on-site. To stay informed on bushfire or grassfire activity, we recommend using the Hazards Near Me app, where you can set a watch zone for our school area, and monitoring local media. You can also find updates on fire activity and alert levels on the NSW Rural Fire Service website.

Further updates regarding school operations will be available through:

· Our school website or Facebook page

· The Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn website at www.cg.catholic.edu.au 

We encourage all families to follow the advice of the NSW Rural Fire Service and to develop a bushfire plan with your household. Creating a plan can take as little as five minutes. Discussing it with your family in advance will help ensure everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. You can create or review your plan at www.myfireplan.com.au 

If you would like further information on this matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us.