The Government has placed all of New Zealand excluding Auckland region in Alert Level 2 from midday today. While none of us are thrilled about moving out of Level 1, it’s important to remember that we have done this before and are well prepared to manage learning at all Alert Levels.
As a reminder at Alert Level 2 it is safe for all students, children and staff to attend school and early learning. There are appropriate precautions in place at Ao Tawhiti to manage the health and safety of all.
The key messages for us all at Alert Level 2 are
- to minimise risk through maintaining distance where practical
- practice safe hygiene habits like handwashing and coughing into your elbow.
- stay home when you are sick.
- get a test if you are symptomatic
At Ao Tawhiti Alert Level 2 means:
- Good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are in place at school.
- All people (including parents) entering the building will need to be signed in. You can sign in using SchoolApps or manually at reception. If you are unsure about how to set up schoolapps, click here
- There are several QR code posters for the NZ COVID Tracer App on display at school that you can use for your own contact tracing.
- As a staff we will encourage physical distancing between students
- The school will be open from 8am to 3.15pm. No students will be allowed in the building outside these times. Students should not be at school unless they are engaged in learning.
- Y1-6 students will continue to work in homebases.
- Y7-13 students will continue to work on the courses they are currently engaged with.
- Devices will continue to be issued at reception (for now). They will be cleaned after each use. We would love that all students who can to bring a suitable device do so.
- Students who need to self isolate, can request work from their Learning Advisor(s)
- Children and staff who are at higher-risk of severe illness are encouraged to take additional precautions when leaving home.
- The Ministry of Education has advised all schools that you do not have to wear a mask at school at either Alert Level 2 or 3. You may of course do so. This advice may change based on future government decisions.
As always, you can expect the website to be regularly updated with the latest information.
Steven