From this coming Monday, May 11, schools around NSW are encouraged to return to some sort of face to face teaching. This is moving from Phase 0 to Phase 1 in the State Governments back to school model.

The NSW Government has outlined a 5 Phase approach to get back to normal pre-coronavirus school days. Those five phases are;

• Phase 0. Where we currently are, schools are open for families who need it
• Phase 1. Students at school at least one day per week.
• Phase 2. Students at school at least two days per week.
• Phase 3. Students at school five days per week, with social distancing measures
• Phase 4. Students at school five days per week, with full school activities

Given the suggested model by the State Government the Lismore App wanted to see what that looks like for a range of different schools in our community.

Lismore Public has said that students will return one day a week for Weeks 3 , 4 and 5. Their days will coincide with their sports house colours;

• Monday Bing-ing
• Tuesday Jullum
• Wednesday Gurraman
• Thursday Ngumahl
• Friday: children of essential workers

Lismore Heights Public School will stage their return over four days with classes split into small 8-9 person groups. As an example some Kindergarten students will return on Tuesday and some Year 3 students on Wednesday.

Nimbin Central School is inviting their Stage 6 students (Year 11 & 12) to attend 5 days a week from Monday. Principal Kath Marshall said the rest of the stages for face to face learning is being staggered for 1 day a week;

• Monday Kindergarten 1
• Tuesday Class 1 & 2 and Year 10
• Wednesday Class 3 & 4 and Year 9
• Thursday Class 4, 5 & 6 and Year 8
• Friday Year 7

Caniaba Public School is a different approach to staggered learning with all students returning to School this Monday May 11 for one day. Week 4 will see all students return two days per week (Monday May 18 and Tuesday May 19), Week 5 will be three days for that week, Week 6 four days and by Tuesday June 9 all students returning to face to face learning five days a week.

Lismore High, Richmond River and Kadina High Schools are linked so have the same plan from Monday. Executive Principal Ian Davies said that Year 12 students will be returning for face to face teaching Monday through 3 one and half hour sessions over four days, this will be combined with the existing on-line learning. Year 11 will also be returning Monday but will have 2 one and half hour sessions. While Years 7-10 will return for one day a week from Monday with the days varying week to week. Classroom sizes will be restricted to 10 students.

Weeks 5 onward are yet to be decided.

While the plan suggested by the State Government is for public schools operated by the NSW Department of Education the Catholic and Independent Schools in NSW are required to formulate their own plans.

Trinity Catholic College sees Years 7 and 12 return to face to face teaching from Monday with Year 11 one day a week in weeks 3 & 4 and Years 8, 9 and 10 continuing with their blended on-line learning in Weeks 3 & 4 then one day a week face to face teaching from Week 5. The goal for students at Trinity is to return to full time face to face classes by Tuesday June 9.

St John's College Woodlawn has taken a different approach with all year 12 students returning this Monday, Year 7 and 11 the following Monday (Week 4) with the rest of the school starting face to face classes on Monday May 25 (Week 4).

As you can see the face to face learning timetable varies from school to school.

Whatever the plan, we can all hope for Phase 4 to be reached as soon as possible because that will mean life is back to normal and the coronavirus pandemic is all but over.