Our response to COVID-19
Issued 15 March 2022
Dearest SMV Community,
As you may have heard, the WA State Government on 9th March introduced 'very high case load settings' to WA. Refer to the annoucement here.
What this means?
Western Australia will move to very high caseload settings from 12.01am Thursday March 10 to ensure continuity of operations for critical industries as COVID-19 cases approach the peak.
We believe the peak of COVID-19 cases will occur this week and over the next two - three weeks.
How will SMV respond to this?
Given the high case peak load in the next few weeks, the following will be put in place for commencing 16/03 to 10/04, which is until our term 1 break (11/04 - 25/04):
All classes and assessments will be delivered online - teachers will be sharing Zoom details via your class circle on mySMV prior to your classes.
By exception due to logistical reasons, the following class styles will continue face to face:
Bala Vihar
Tabla
Veena
Odissi
Tamil
Specified dance classes (if applicable, your teacher will inform you).
All existing physical COVID Safe guidelines will continue to be followed at all SMV venues (as mentioned in our statement issued 23 Feb 2022)
Should a class require to be canceled during this period based on a teacher being unwell and which cannot be replaced, your teacher will inform you and a credit for this class will be added to your account for Semester 2.
In the event a positive case is detected at an SMV venue, and students/teachers/parents were present, SMV will notify all those affected to check for symptoms as per WA Health guidance.
We will review the above measures, prior to the commencement of Term 2 (26/04).
We thank you for your patience and understanding during this period, and hope to connect with you at our next class with you.
Questions or comments?
Please email us at info@smv.org.au and we will endeavour to respond to your email within the next 3 - 5 days.
Issued 23 February 2022
Level 1 public health and social measures
New public health and social measures will be introduced for regions throughout the state from 6am Monday, 21 February to help manage the surge of Omicron COVID-19 cases and keep Western Australians safe. Based on the latest health advice, Level 1 public health and social measures will be introduced in Perth, Peel, South West, Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Pilbara regions, given growing community transmission, effect from 6am Monday, 21 February.
Level 1 measures require a 2sqm rule capacity limitation to all indoor patron facing spaces. In response, all SMV classes are able to continue as per normal in a physical setting, however this is based on patrons of SMV requiring to adhere to the following rules, when entering into any SMV venue, effective from 24 February 2022:
1) COVID-Safe check-in and exit procedures
All patrons (parents/ carers / students / visitors) must check-in with the SAFEWA app, or manually check-in via the log book, at reception/entry. For details on how to check-in please refer to this WA State Government page
Masks must be worn for all persons 12 years and over or in Year 7 and above, except when completing strenuous or vigorous exercise or physical activity. This means whilst walking in / out of classes and to the bathroom, masks must be worn. Please ensure you keep a mask in your bag for this purpose. For details on mask requirements please refer to this WA State Government page.
Proof of vaccination is required to be displayed upon arrival for persons 16 years and over. Please refer to this site for details on how to obtain your proof of vaccination. Any persons 16 years and over will be asked to provide evidence of vaccination. If you have not been full vaccinated please inform us in email info@smv.org.au and stay home, as you will need to be fully vaccinated before attending classes. If you have a government-issued COVID-19 vaccination exemption, this will also need to be presented via the ServiceWA app or via your AIR Immunisation History Statement (refer here for details on exemptions)
Patrons are to sanitise their hands upon entry and exit at supplied sanitisation stations
The following changes to entry and exits apply to Willetton and Perth venues.
Willetton - Mon-Sun
Entry/exit will be via the large roller door, please follow the signage instructions (keep left on entry into the building, and keep right on exit from the building)
Perth (Beaufort st) - Saturdays only
Entry and exit will be via the large roller door, please follow the signage instructions (keep left on entry into the building, and keep right on exit from the building)
The location of the roller door is via the back entrance of the building. This is located on Tiverton St, Perth. Refer here for a map https://www.smv.org.au/contact
Perth (Beaufort st) - all other days
Entry and exit will be via the normal front door
Note however, teachers will lead the class to the door and parents/carers will collect students from the office area once the above check-in procedures are completed
2) COVID-Safe 2sqm capacity measures
Parents/carers are to drop off children no more than 10 minutes prior to first class, and pick them up within 5 minutes of class ending.
Parents/carers of students are strictly not to wait within the premises for students, as this limits our ability to continue classes within the space as per normal
Students should only be waiting within premises if they are in-between classes, and if students have long breaks. Parents are encouraged to pick them up and drop them back in time for next class.
Kitchen access is only reserved for staff. We encourage students to bring a named water bottle for drink
If you have administrative matters to discuss, as a first preference use your self-service online portal, contact us via email (info@smv.org.au) or call us to discuss your matter. Payments can also be made online via the link in your attached PDF invoice.
3) Notification of sickness
Please stay at home if you/ your child is:
sick
in isolation (from return travel from overseas or interstate)
a close contact of either a positive case or close contact of someone who is currently in quarantine (please refer here for the definition of close contact)
have not been fully vaccinated (applies to all persons 16 years and older).
If you have received a COVID-19 positive test result, please inform us by emailing info@smv.org.au . Your privacy will be managed appropriately and according to our privacy policy. In this specific case, if students are unable to attend a class due to isolation requirements, a credit for the class will be added to their account.
If a positive case is identified in relation to SMV, a statement will be issued to all affected SMV students/parents for recommended next steps.
3) Zoom classes
In the event that SMV teachers and/or students require to isolate and at the discretion and agreement between the teacher and the students, a Zoom class will be setup to continue the class.
4) Cancelled classes
In the event a class will require to be cancelled on the account of SMV, we will inform students/parents of the cancellation and endeavor to provide a make-up class - which may occur either via Zoom or physically. In the event a make up class or alternate class cannot be provided, then a credit will be applied to the student’s account for the cancelled class.
Issued 6 February 2022
CRITICAL COVID-19 Safety Guidance
Based on the latest health advice, proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirements apply to SMV, and as a result there are few changes required that we ask that you review and consider when coming into SMV (all venues). These considerations are required in order for us to operate classes in a COVID-safe setting, whilst also respecting social distancing rules enforced by the federal government:
Proof of vaccination is required to be displayed upon arrival for persons 16 years and over. Please refer to this site for details on how to obtain your proof of vaccination. Any persons 16 years and over will be asked to provide evidence of vaccination. If you have not been full vaccinated please inform us in email info@smv.org.au and stay home, as you will need to be fully vaccinated before attending classes.
Masks must be worn for all persons 12 years and over or in Year 7 and above, except when completing strenuous or vigorous exercise or physical activity. This means whilst walking in / out of classes and to the bathroom, masks must be worn. Please ensure you keep a mask in your bag for this purpose. For details on mask requirements please refer to this WA State Government page.
All Parents/Carers must check-in with the SAFEWA app, or manually check-in via the log book, at reception/entry. For details on how to check-in please refer to this WA State Government page
Please stay at home in the following circumstances, if you/ your child is sick, in isolation (from return travel from overseas or interstate) or a close contact of either a positive case or close contact of someone who is currently in quarantine, or have not been fully vaccinated (applies to all persons 16 years and older). Our staff may ask unwell students/parents to leave.
If you have received a COVID-19 positive test result, please inform us by emailing info@smv.org.au . Your privacy will be managed appropriately and according to our privacy policy.
In the event that SMV requires closure, or a positive case is identified in relation to SMV, a statement will be issued to all SMV students/parents our next steps - however, in general, as per our experience in 2020 classes can continue using Zoom (with the exception of a few).
Issued July 2 2021
Dear Students/Parents,
Based on guidance from the WA Government for the COVID lockdown transition phase and current class attendance/space restrictions, in order to avoid further challenges on scheduling, normal classes on Saturday and Sunday will NOT be running. For all those involved in the AntarYana production, a separate communication will be sent to you on a revised rehearsal schedule.
We apologise for the inconvenience, but look forward to seeing you and starting our semester as per normal from the 19th July 2021!
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued June 28 2021
Dear Students/Parents,
The WA Government has recently declared that Perth and Peel will enter a circuit-breaker lockdown for a minimum of four days. Based on guidance from the WA Government, SMV will be closed with all classes and rehearsals canceled until further notice.
We apologise for the inconvenience and hope you remain safe during this period.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 6 February 2021
Dear Students/Parents,
Based on guidance from the WA Government for the COVID lockdown transition phase and current class attendance / space restrictions, in order to avoid further challenges on scheduling, the semester 1 start date will be deferred to commence on 15th February 2021. Given the two week delay to our semester, fees will be adjusted accordingly, with a reduction of two classes. This will occur automatically on invoices sent out in week one.
We apologise for the inconvenience, but look forward to seeing you and starting our semester as per normal from the 15th February!
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 31 January 2021
Dear Students/Parents,
Based on guidance from the WA Government for a COVID lockdown, the semester 1 start date will be deferred to commence on 8th February 2021.
As I hope you know, your health and safety is our first priority. We know this is an incredibly unsettling time for some of you and as such we want to communicate regularly. It’s important that we are calm and measured in our response and that we adjust as and when necessary.
Another communication will be issued on Sunday 7th February or earlier, if required.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 19th July 2020
Dear Parents/ Students
We hope you’ve had a great break and are ready to start Semester 2 with us, from 20th July 2020!
Given we are now resuming physical (face to face) classes, as per our safety plan there are few changes required that we ask that you review and consider when coming into SMV (all venues).
These considerations are required in order for us to operate classes in a COVID-safe setting, whilst also respecting social distancing rules enforced by the federal government.
Parents/carers to drop off children no more than 10 minutes prior to first class, and pick them up within 5 minutes of class ending.
Please don’t crowd the doorway – enter and exit safely.
Drop-off and pick-up only – strictly no waiting within the premises for non-students
Students should only be waiting within premises if they are in-between classes
If students have long breaks, parents are encouraged to pick them up and drop them back in time for next class.
Students need to bring their own water bottle (or more if required)
There will be strictly NO kitchen access to students.
Students to ensure that all belongings are taken back when they leave. Water bottles and other personal items left behind will be disposed of by cleaners.
Maintain physical distance wherever possible
If you / your child are feeling unwell, please stay at home. Staff may ask unwell students to leave.
Theory classes will not be running for first 2 weeks of Semester 2. Students will be informed of ongoing arrangements for theory classes at the end of this period.
We look forward seeing you again this week!
Regards,
SMV Admin
Issued 21st May 2020
Dear parents and students,
We sincerely hope this email finds you safe and well.
You may be aware that the Western Australian Government is now moving to Phase 2 of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. As part of this initiative, organisations such as SMV must develop and implement a COVID-19 safety plan prior to conducting face-to-face teaching. Guidelines and a generic template were released by Government in the past few days.
I wish to confirm that SMV will continue to teach online for the remainder of Semester 1 2020 (ends on 12th July 2020). This is to give SMV sufficient time to develop and implement the Government required safety plans for each of our campuses. As you can appreciate there are a number of factors to take into consideration to ensure student and staff safety.
Once our safety plans are developed, we will communicate to you anything that impacts classes that you or your children are enrolled in.
Should you have any questions about SMV's online teaching, or it's approach to COVID-19, please do not hesitate contact us at info@smv.org.au or +61412743482.
Regards
Sukhi Shetty Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 27th April 2020
Dear Parents/Students,
We hope that you're well and safe.
Since our last update dated 24th April 2020, we have received a number of questions parents/students in relation to our decision to move to virtual classes. For the benefit of all, please find our response below.
Restrictions on physical classes
Our ambition is to continue sharing the arts with you and in the most ideal sense resume classes physically. However, our priority in alignment with the Australian Government is the safety of our students and staff. At this stage, based on guidance from the Government, SMV's physical teaching activities are restricted - meaning that we are unable to operate from a physical location.
As a result, for the safety of our students and staff, and considering current social distancing rules SMV has made a decision to continue sharing the arts with you through online classe until the Australian Government has removed current restrictions on operating physically.
Online safety is our priority
On the topic of online safety using Zoom - SMV has confirmed that the following security features are in place using the Zoom 5.0 platform that have been specifically designed to increase the level of resilience against any attacks.
Encryption: Zoom's new encryption standard, called AES 256-bit GCM encryption, is considered the “gold standard” of encryption and is used by the US government to secure data.
Report a user and waiting rooms - Zoom 5.0 will allow hosts to “report a user” to Zoom with a new security button and the app now defaults users to a “waiting room” feature, which requires participants to be approved to enter a meeting.
Passwords: All meetings will now require a password to enter
Our staff will:
Invite only the parents of enrolled SMV students to the relevant zoom class. This invitation will include the Meeting ID and password which will be updated frequently, which provides an additional layer of security
Review all participants in the waiting room and admit them individually in alignment with the names on the class register, to prevent any unknown participants
Ensure that all participants have video turned on, and if a participant does not have video enabled they will not be admitted to the class, to prevent any unknown participants.
Please also see attached for additional information related to the security features in place by Zoom.
We understand moving to an online only class may be challenging for some, however this is becoming the new normal for many within the artistic community with many dance/music schools delivering online classes. We look forward to reconnecting with you this week, and would welcome your feedback in response to this new learning experience so that we can all learn and grow together, with the ambition to embrace and share the arts.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Kind regards,
Sukhi Shetty Krishnan
President
Issued 24th April 2020
Dear Parents/ Students,
As per our last email to you, we're excited to be launching live-streamed SMV classes from the week of April 28 through the Zoom video conferencing platform.
We encourage you to watch the Zoom Tutorial Videos below, before your first class to explore the layout and features of this platform.
We've also included the key information below:
Joining Zoom Session - You don’t need to have a Zoom account to take part; you will be provided with a unique hyperlink you can click on to open the session, or alternatively you can visit the Zoom website and enter the Meeting ID under ‘Join a Meeting’. To ensure our classes are secure and only able to be attended by SMV students you will also be provided with a password which is required to join the session.
Waiting Room - You will be able to join the session from 15 minutes prior to the class start time, and at this time you will be placed in a ‘Waiting Room’ until the SMV Teacher opens the class approximately 5 minutes before the class time.
When you join the class there are a few Zoom features to be aware of (desktop instructions included below):
Join Audio - When you join the session you will be prompted to ‘join with computer audio’.
Mute Microphone - Once you have joined the class please make sure your microphone has been muted by clicking ‘mute’ in the bottom left hand corner of the screen – a strike will appear through the microphone.
Video On - You should also make sure your video is turned on by clicking ‘start video’ in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. To ensure only SMV students (and relevant family members) join the class we require all participants to have video on. The SMV teacher will ensure any participants without video will be removed from the class.
View Options - You can adjust your view of the class to either ‘Speaker view’ where you will see your SMV Teacher in full screen, or ‘Gallery view’ where you will see all class participants in a grid format.
Chat Function - Each class will be hosted by an SMV Teacher. If you experience any difficulties or have any questions in the class, please type them into the ‘Chat’ section in the bottom middle of your screen and your SMV Teacher will aim to help you out.
Display Name - When you join a Zoom meeting you can enter your display name under the Meeting ID box which will be shown with your image during the class, or alternatively when in a meeting you can click on the three dots on the top right hand corner of your image and select ‘rename’. We recommend that you use the student first name plus first initial of your surname (rather than a parent name) as this is the name the teacher will see during the class.
Leave Meeting - At the end of the rehearsal, you will be able to leave the meeting and switch your Zoom off by selecting the red ‘Leave Meeting’ text in the bottom right hand corner of your screen.
Online Safety
At SMV the safety of our participants is always our number one priority. While the way we teach our SMV classes has changed temporarily our focus on safety hasn’t. We will approach our new Zoom streamed classes with this in mind and will:
Invite only the parents of enrolled SMV students to the relevant zoom class for your child. This invitation will include the Meeting ID and password which will be updated frequently, which provides an additional layer of security.
Ensure that all participants have video turned on
Respect your family’s e-safety choices. We know many parents only allow screen time in public family spaces and encourage you to apply this rule to streamed SMV classes as you wish. Our SMV teachers are very happy to have parents and siblings ‘in the room’ for our streamed classes.
We’re aiming for the live-streaming experience to be a safe and enjoyable one for everyone involved, and we will continue to make tweaks to our processes as we learn from the first few classes we deliver.
You’re now ready to enter the world of SMV live-streamed Zoom classes. Put your SMV uniform on, and we’ll look forward to seeing lots of smiling faces in class!
Issued 20th April 2020
Dear Parents/ Students,
We hope you are all safe and well.
As per our previous announcements, in response to COVID-19 and the impact it has had on all our lives, we have been exploring various options to keep us all connected to each other and to the arts.
We had trialled out some different teaching and engagement mechanisms during the last couple of weeks prior to the holidays. Our thanks to all students and parents for participating in this, despite all that has been happening around us.
As a result of our discussions and feedback from various stakeholders including yourselves, we are planning to implement the following for the rest of Semester 1 (from 28th April 2020 - 11th July 2020):
All student-teacher engagement will be online for the rest of the semester (unless there are major changes in Government policy). This would be a combination of pre-recorded audio/video learning materials and virtual classes using video conferencing tools. The exact format and structure of the materials and classes will be tailored to suit the needs of the various subjects and levels that SMV offers, and your respective class teachers will be informing you of the details. There will be some fine-tuning that happens as we refine our teaching and learning mechanisms, so please stay in touch with your class teachers regarding this. Your feedback is highly valued. We understand that everyone is dealing with lots of changes at this time, so we will make every effort to make things as easy as possible. We sincerely believe that engaging in artistic pursuits is highly beneficial, especially in times of social isolation, from both physical and mental health perspectives, and so we are trying our best to keep all our students engaged in their artistic pursuits. More information on how you will be able to join our virtual classes will be sent in the coming days.
To provide you with a level of comfort during this difficult time, all fees for the second half of the semester will be reduced by 50%. Those who have already paid this semester's fees in full will be given a credit for the difference towards next semester’s fees. We also understand that many people are facing financial hardship due to the current economic situation, so please feel free to contact us if you are facing any difficulty with fees. Please speak to your class teacher(s) as a first step, so we can then work out a solution that suits your situation.
We will be reviewing these measures as things evolve and will be in contact with you. Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
SMV is here to support and nurture the thirst for knowledge, particularly arts and culture, as these nourish the soul. We feel blessed to have so many students, parents, teachers and other well- wishers who have become a part of our SMV family and community over the last 20+ years. Together we can face these challenging times and come out stronger.
Kind regards,
Sukhi Shetty Krishnan
President
Issued 29 March 2020
Dear Parents/ Students,
We hope you are well and have been keeping safe. Over the past week, our teachers have been engaging with you over WhatsApp and have shared various videos and other learning material. This experience has provided valuable insight around how we can continue to teach and engage with you over the next week and in the future.
We understand this period of uncertainty is challenging not only for you but also for our staff and the broader community. Whilst we hope that continuing to spend time learning/ pursuing the arts will help you keep active and connect with your inner and artistic self, we also know that during this period each of you have individual challenges which may impact how much time/effort you may be able to commit towards the arts. We empathise with you and our teachers and staff continue to remain cognisant of your needs and personal circumstances.
As an update from our last communication to you, the following are a few key updates in reflection over the last one week:
We have brought forward our mid-semester break - which will occur between Monday 6th April - 27th April 2020. Our last class prior to the break will be Sunday 5th April 2020.
Over the next week (30th March - 5th April), building upon the insights gained to date, our teachers will continue to provide learning material and instruction to you through WhatsApp. Look out for this in the coming days prior to your class, and we look forward to your feedback on the material.
We are in the process of learning new ways of teaching/engaging with students and reviewing our teaching plans until the end of Semester 1 (from 28th April 2020 - 11th July 2020) and will communicate these with you in due course.
We thank you for your understanding and we will be in contact again in the coming days.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 22nd March 2020
Dear Students/Parents,
We hope you are safe and well. As per our last announcement in response to COVID-19, in this time of uncertainty and in the interest of keeping us all connected to each other and to the arts:
1) Starting this week (23rd March 2020) over the next two weeks you will receive learning material and instructions from your teacher via WhatsApp. Look out for this in the coming days prior to your class, and we look forward to your feedback on this material!
2) To provide you with a level of comfort during this period, all direct debit payments for this month (March) have been deferred until April, all outstanding invoices have been given an extension of 4 weeks and Customers who have already paid this semester's fees in full will be given a credit of 4 classes for use on their account in Semester 2.
3) We are in the process of learning new ways of teaching/engaging with students and reviewing our teaching plans until the end of Semester 1 (from 28th April 2020 - 11th July 2020) and will communicate these with you in due course.
We thank you for your understanding and we will be in contact again in the coming days.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President
Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya
info@smv.org.au | www.smv.org.au
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Issued 16th March 2020
Dear Students/Parents,
As I hope you know, your health and safety is our first priority. We know this is an incredibly unsettling time for some of you and as such we want to communicate regularly. It’s important that we are calm and measured in our response and that we adjust as and when necessary.
As a result, due to the effects and deep concerns of the present COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately from tomorrow - Tues 17th March 2020, we will be suspending our classes until the 27th April 2020.
1) We are in the process of preparing digital resources for each class, so that all of our students can continue to learn with us, through a virtual means. The first set of digital resources will be distributed to classes, next week (23rd March 2020).
2) All planned exams/assessments will be post-poned until further notice
3) We are in the process of reviewing our teaching plans until the end of Semester 1 (from 28th April 2020 - 11th July 2020), and will communicate these with you in due course.
We thank you for your understanding of the fact that we’re working our way through the details at this stage and we’ll be in contact again in coming days.
Should you have any questions or concerns - please get in touch with us at info@smv.org.au, or call us on +61412743482.
Sukhi Shetty-Krishnan
President