7 September 2021
Kia ora koutou
You’ll be aware that all of New Zealand (with the exception of Auckland) is moving to Alert Level 2 from midnight tonight. Extensive wastewater testing and the numbers of people getting tested across the country has given the Government confidence that it is safe to allow a shift down to Alert Level 2 across most of New Zealand.
We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back onsite on Thursday morning. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will be continuing to support the ākonga who have been onsite at Alert Level 3 while we prepare for re-opening to all on Thursday.
At Alert Level 2 there is a low risk of community transmission and it provides us with a lot more opportunities to engage and connect with others. However, there are still a number of public health requirements we all need to follow. Please continue to monitor your health and do not send your children to school if they are not well (and please seek advice about getting a COVID test).
For us all, the required safety precautions for Alert Level 2 will be in place which includes following all the recommendations from the public health experts. This means we will regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands and cough and sneeze into their elbow.
Face coverings are not required to be worn in school. The Director General of Health has recommended that children 12 years+ wear a face covering at school – just as older children are required to wear face coverings in some other places. The decision to wear a face covering is up to you and your whānau, whatever your decision it will be respected.
While physical distancing is not a requirement in schools, we will be doing our best to keep students from congregating in very large numbers. We would like to give our students, who are aged 14 years or older, the option to work from home doing self-directed learning during Home Base class time. They would still complete their 1:1 with their Home Base Learning Advisor, however, they could do this online. If your child would like to do this then they must be in touch with their HBLA and provide evidence of their self-directed learning. If your child would prefer to be onsite during this time then they are more than welcome.
We would also ask whānau to pick up and drop off their children outside the building.
If your child is in the Y1- 3 community then we will ask you to drop them off outside 1C – this is Charis and Peta’s Homebase space. The doors to 1C will be open and the lane will be blocked to create a drop off space.
If your child is in the Y 4 – 6 community then please drop off and pick up at the Dance Room. The roller doors will be open. If you have siblings across communities then please head to the pick up site for the youngest sibling. We are aiming to avoid the congestion that occurs at the front door at 9am and 3pm. While we don’t have to maintain physical distancing for students, we do ask that parents maintain physical distancing while picking up and dropping off their children. We will monitor this arrangement and review it if necessary.
If whānau are coming on site then you will need to sign in. Please do this on School Apps, as we won’t have our signing in devices available. Please find pdf instructions below on how to access the COVID check-in on School Apps. This Pdf has also been emailed to you. If this doesn’t work then please talk to Jonelle or Clint at reception and they will be able to assist.
Students should bring their own food, utensils, stationery and supplies each day. They won’t be able to access the microwaves and toastie-makers during Level Two. They must bring a drink bottle as they won’t be able to access the cups within the kitchenettes. They will be able to refill their drink bottles at the filtered taps.
Students will still be allowed to go on Trust License trips. Please talk to your child(ren) about the Level Two restrictions in the community, and we will do the same at school. They will need masks if they are heading into shops, or supermarkets, or the library. They will need to be able to contact trace. Parks and playgrounds are open at Level Two and they will need to maintain a 1-metre distance between themselves and other people.
If you are not sure what all the rules are for alert level 2 when you are out and about, then the following information may be useful to you:
• COVID-19 Alert Levels summary table
• COVID-19 Alert Levels detailed table
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Home Base Learning Advisor or Community Leader if there is something you need assistance with. See you Thursday!
Ngā mihi
Anita
