FOR STAFF and students at Tomaree High School, the first week back of 2022 has been about adjusting to the "new normal".
"It's gone as smoothly as you could hope. Getting kids back into routine and classes has gone really well," principal Paul Baxter - who has returned to Tomaree this year after six years at Irrawang High School - said.
"I guess we've adjusted over the last two years to what it means to live in a pandemic. We're getting used to doing what we need to do to keep ourselves and others safe."
In their first week back, schools across NSW are adhering to the government's back-to-school plan announced at the end of last month.
As part of the plan, most students and teachers undergo voluntary rapid antigen tests (RATs) twice a week.
To distribute the government-supplied RAT kits, Tomaree High set up a "drive through process" in the school's carpark. The drive-through ran for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening on the Friday and Monday before students returned.
"We expect to have over 1100 students this year and close to 90 per cent of families came through on those two days to pick up kits," Mr Baxter said.
"Mainstream students got four kits to last them two weeks and students in the support unit got 10 because the recommendation for those students is to get tested everyday.
"We made it as accessible as possible. For those that couldn't come and collect the kits on the day, they just ring the front office and organise a time.
"We had an update from the department yesterday so we will be handing kits directly to students to take home from now."
Along with RAT kits, the back-to-school plan includes mandatory mask-mearing for secondary students and restrictions around mingling between cohorts.
"We have to work with kids during their break times, using the canteen and staggering those to keep cohorts as separate as possible," Mr Baxter said.
Despite the guidelines, school captain Cooper Lack said it's "good being back in the groove of things".
"It's good to be back and not only have that face-to-face learning but also to be able to talk to your mates about problems you might be having with school work," Cooper told the Newcastle Herald.
According to Cooper, being back at school is worth the testing, distancing and mask wearing requirements.
"A couple of seconds of discomfort is worth the safety of everyone at school," he said.
"It gives me that extra bit of confidence knowing that we are a COVID-safe school and hopefully there's no cases around the classroom."
Minister of Education Sarah Mitchell said the department will continue efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.
"We know students learn best in the classroom, and that school is essential for the social and emotional wellbeing of our children," she said.
"It's encouraging to see the majority of students back in the classroom and how excited they were to see their friends and enjoying the activities they love."
