CENTRAL Victorian schools are "buzzing" as teachers prepare to welcome some students back to face-to-face learning.
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Students in prep to grade two, and years 11 and 12, will return to the classroom on Tuesday after six weeks of school at home.
Kennington's St Therese's Primary School principal Matthew Mann said it was a "bizarre feeling" to see teachers with start-of-year-like nerves, keenness and anticipation.
Mr Mann said teachers were looking forward to being physically back in the classroom with their students.
About 215 students will return to the classroom from prep to grade one at St Therese's. About 46 children of essential service workers will continue coming to class.
The school has introduced safety measures to prevent the spread of germs as teachers and students return.
At the end of the day just having the students back on site, is what we're excited about.
- Matthew Mann
Mr Mann said students would sanitise their hands every time they entered or exited the classroom, or ate.
Teachers will have access to personal protective equipment including masks, goggles and gloves, he said.
But Mr Mann said talking to staff, he did not expect many would use it, except when dealing with sick children.
Mr Mann said cleaners would also deep clean the school every night.
Teachers will also be assigned to one of four staff rooms, instead of the normal one.
Some students with immune-suppressed family members will continue to learn from home.
Parents will only be able to drop off children at designated points, while parent meetings have been cancelled.
But Mr Mann said the biggest thing for him was students returning to school.
"There's a little bit of hype around the restrictions that school are putting place. But at the end of the day just having the students back on site, is what we're excited about," Mr Mann said.
"The students bring an added dimension to the atmosphere of the school, in fact they're the key to the atmosphere of the school."
Bendigo Senior Secondary College principal Dale Pearce said teachers were excited to have students back in class, while families were keen to be back at school.
OTHER NEWS:
Mr Pearce said a large number of staff had been tested for COVID-19 over the past few weeks, as part of an education department push.
He said most safety measures included controls on staff numbers in work spaces and extra cleaning.
Mr Pearce said all staff were expected to return.
While a small number of families were concerned, uptake for return had been strong, he said.
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