COVID Updates 2022
​

9 March 2022

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Pandemic Update
Free rapid antigen tests can be ordered online from a new Ministry of Health website.
 
The RAT requester site will enable household contacts of a positive Covid-19 case and anyone showing symptoms to order a test online.  RAT kits can be picked up, once ordered, from Whanau Ora in Wainoni Road.  Once you order your free RAT pack you will get an order number.  Anybody with this number can pick your RAT package up for you.  NOTE:  I picked up some on Monday from Whanau Ora and did not need an order number.
 
Free RATs will still be available for eligible individuals without an order via Community Testing Centres and can be purchased from some retail stores.

How are we going as a school?
Covid Numbers​










​We are notifying parents, by letter, if a student in their child’s class has tested positive.  We will share overall school numbers, like the chart above, three times a week.  On Monday and Friday afternoons via Facebook and on a Wednesday in our newsletter.  We don’t want to overwhelm you with numbers or data but we do want you to be aware of how we are trending as a school.

Last Thursday morning I met, online, with principals from across our kahui ako (Shirley Primary, Shirley Intermediate, Shirley Boys, Chisnallwood, Waitakiri, Parkview and Queenspark); interestingly as a kahui ako our numbers are all looking similar.

As always, continue to monitor for symptoms and if in doubt get tested.

How does the isolation cycle work?
We are having queries around when children who have tested positive can return to school.  If a child tests positive today and self isolates at home and at day 10 tests covid negative with no symptoms then they can return to school on day 11. This does NOT change if someone in their household, who had been covid negative but then tests positive sometime during that child’s 10 day isolation period.  The new person who has tested positive begins their 10 days of isolation however, the child who had been positive and is now negative may come back to school.  Hopefully the chart below clarifies this.

2 March 2022

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Pandemic Update
 
We have three families who are currently self isolating:
Monday:  A child's parent from Awa  had tested positive (Room 26/27).
Tuesday:  Two children from Dudley have family members who have tested positive (Room 20-22).
Wednesday:  We have had two of our Pasifika Tutors test positive. They worked with children in Kea, Tui and Kiwi last Thursday.
One child, from Awa, has tested positive; their family was already in self isolation. They were last at school last Friday.

​How are we going as a school?
Covid Numbers​
 









​I am sure you are all aware of the changes the government announced last week  in relation to close contacts and new expectations around who will be self isolating.

We have attached two simple flow charts to help you work out if you are a contact and what you need to do if you come into contact with a positive case.​

The implications for us at school are clear.  If we have a confirmed case at school, child or staff member, they will self isolate at home with their families.  All other students and staff, even if they are classed as a close contact, will continue to come to school.  The key thing will be for individuals to monitor for symptoms and to get tested if they are unwell.

Symptoms of COVID-19:
  • A new or worsening cough  
  • Sneezing and runny nose 
  • A fever
  • Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste 
  • Sore throat
  • Shortness of breath 

Less common symptoms include diarrhea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.
 
To reiterate:
With Phase 3 of the Omicron response, the key change is that it is only confirmed cases and their household contacts who need to self-isolate.  Everyone else, including those who may have had close contact with the case but aren’t in the household, must continue to monitor very closely for any symptoms of COVID-19.  Close contacts can continue to come to school.
​

25 February 2022

​Principal's Update
​Kia ora all
I am sure you are all aware of the changes the government announced yesterday, 24/2/22,  in relation to close contacts and new expectations around who will be self-isolating

Below are two simple flow charts to help you work out if you are a contact and what you need to do if you come into contact with a positive case.
The implications for us at school are clear. If we have a confirmed case at school, child or student, they will self isolate at home with their families. 
All other students and staff, even if they are classed as a close contact, will continue to come to school. The key thing will be for individuals to monitor for symptoms and to get tested if they are unwell.
We will notify our whole school community, via our normal channels (Facebook, Skool loop and our school website), if and when we get a case in our school.

To reiterate: With Phase 3 of the Omicron response, the key change is that it is only confirmed cases and their household contacts who need to self-isolate. Everyone else, including those who may have had close contact with the case but aren’t in the household, must continue to monitor really closely for any symptoms of COVID-19. Close contacts can continue to come to school.
​

23 February 2022

Pandemic Preparation
Our Home Learning webpage, with links to each class/team hybrid learning options is live.  Go to our School Website/Our Students/Learning at Home 2022.
On this page you will be able to click on the link that will take you to each team's learning. 
On the same page you’ll see links to ESOL (English as a Second Language) as well as activities the whole family can do.


​At the bottom of the page there are links  to financial and food supports the family can hook into.
We know we are going to get Omicron in the school, it is just a matter of when.

  In order to be prepared check out the Learning at Home webpage now! 

That way, if your child ends up self isolating at home for a period of time you will know how to access their learning.

16 February 2022

Pandemic Update
Sadly preparing for Phase Two of the pandemic has been all consuming for myself and my staff.  We are now entering the Hybrid Learning stage in Phase 2.  We have some children who are immunocompromised and who are staying at home.  We also have some children who are at home as they wait for parents covid tests to come back negative.  
At this moment in time we do NOT have a case of covid in the school. 

Phase 1
Plan, Prevent and  Prepare 
Phase 2
Minimise, Manage and Support
Omnicon is in the community and potentially in the school

​Business as Usual
School open
Children on site
Hybrid Learning
Some children learning at home  (immune compromised), most at school
Children moving in and out of school and learning at home options.
Crisis
Staff shortages
Most children and staff home
Covid entrenched in school / community
No continuity of learning

Teachers are preparing for Hybrid Learning.  This will try to mirror as much as possible class programmes.  We want to ensure continuity of learning for as long as possible.

How will children/parents access Hybrid Learning?
We are in the process of setting up a Hybrid Learning page on our website.  On this page there will be links to each class.  You will be able to click a link and it will take you to a class site where there will be learning activities set up for a week. 
On this page there will also be links to other at home learning options.

As teachers will be teaching in class they will not be connecting each day with children at home although they will endeavour to do a whole class (at home and at school) catch up once a week.

What will happen if we have a confirmed case of covid in the school?
Initially
  • The class where covid is confirmed will be asked to stay home for 24 hours.  Parents will receive an email informing them of this.
  • The class teachers will be covid tested immediately.
  • The rest of the school will be notified that we have covid in the school and we will identify which room/rooms it is in.
  • Senior staff will begin contact tracing immediately and they will work with the MOE and MOH.

Within 24 hours
  • Close and casual contacts of the infected case will be identified.
  • Emails will be sent to all children in the class where covid is letting parents know if their child is a close contact or a casual contact.  NOTE not all children in the class are necessarily deemed close contacts.  These emails will have next steps for close and for casual contacts.
  • There may be other students/staff with the school who are identified at that stage as a close or a casual contact. These people will also be contacted, e.g. a learning assistant who works across rooms.
  • The class will be thoroughly cleaned.
  • Others within the school community, if not deemed a close or a casual contact, will continue coming to school as normal.
  • As always we all monitor our health and stay home if we are not well.
  • If anyone in the school community displays covid symptoms then they must be tested and stay home until they return a negative result and the symptoms have gone.

What can you do now to help us mitigate infection?
  • Continue to stay off our school site at pick up and drop off times.
  • If it is urgent and you enter the grounds then you must be wearing a mask and your visit must be short.
  • Ring or email our office if someone in your family is being tested for covid.  Then notify us once you have the result back.  As a precaution, if someone in your household is being tested for covid then the child/children should remain home until the test comes back negative.

Is the school likely to close during Red Level?
Our aim is to keep BAS open as long as possible.  Through careful planning and preparation and by following hygiene expectations we want to mitigate the risk of mass infection.

Once we have covid in the school some classes will be asked to stay home and to follow health guidelines (isolation and testing) however the rest of the school will continue as normal.

If we reach the stage where we have mass infection (the crisis stage) then we hope we will continue to have a small team of staff onsite to offer programmes for those children who need to be at school (they are well, but no other options are available in the family for at home learning).  At this stage children would be whanau grouped and they would not be with their own teachers.  We know that at this stage having well staff onsite may become a challenge.  Hybrid learning options would continue to be provided.

Once we are in the crisis stage the leadership team and the Board may need to make the call to close the school for a few days.  We can not foresee when and if this will happen but due to health and safety considerations it may be our only option; it wouldn’t be done lightly.  Hybrid learning would continue.

If you have any queries or concerns, if you need more information or something clarified then please email me or ring me. [email protected] Ph: 3854 163.

Remember to notify the office [email protected] if someone in your household is being covid tested and let us know the result.

Thanks for continuing to support us as we work our way forward during these uncertain times.

9 February 2022

Our plan is split into two phases:
Phase 1:  Plan, Prevent and Prepare. This is the phase we are currently in. School continues as usual with some additional hygiene and social distancing measures.  During this phase we prepare for Phase 2.
Phase 2:  Minimise, Manage and Support.  This phase is split into two parts.
The first part is where we may have some children at home, learning online; we call this part Flexible Learning.  The children at home will be the children who are immunocompromised and those who may need to self isolate as they are close contacts of someone who has covid.  During the Flexible Learning stage we will endeavour to fill gaps in staffing from our own resources and to keep a continuity of learning occurring.  
The second part of Phase two is the crisis stage.  At this stage we will have covid in the school in many rooms and there will be significant staff shortages.  School will remain open however children are not likely to be in their own rooms as we will be juggling resources.  Learning at Home options will be offered.
See below for more detail.
There are two stages to our school pandemic  plan:

Phase 1 is the Preparation/Preventative/Planning stage where we look at:
  • Teaching and reinforcing hygiene expectations across the school.
  • Liaising with school cleaners to align their cleaning routines in a potential pandemic to our needs.
  • Building shared understanding with staff and community in relation to a potential pandemic.  This update is a part of this step.
  • Contact lists are updated - please make sure we have your current contact details.
  • Social distancing options we will enforce are identified e.g., closing playgrounds, cancelling huis and assemblies , no parents on site etc.
  • Preparing for Flexible Learning; a mixture of at school and at home learning.
  • Ensuring we have and are using necessary sanitary supplies e.g.,  tissues, hand sanitiser, cleaning products.
  • Working through different scenarios to ensure we have considered all options as we move into Phase 2

We are currently working through Phase 1.  Phase 2 will be activated once we have Omnicon in our local community or school.

Phase 2 Minimise risk of infection, Manage infection and Support those infected.  During this stage, processes and procedures are activated.
  • Screening flowchart followed for staff and students.  This will be shared with parents..
  • In case of a potential infection, a notification spreadsheet will be used to gather all necessary details, e.g., who has the person been in contact with.
  • If a child in a class is diagnosed with covid we will:
    • Ask all children in that class to stay home for 24 hours.  That will give us the chance to identify close contacts and casual contacts.  NOTE: according to the MOE not all children in a class will be close contacts.
    • Close contacts and casual contacts will be notified within the 24 hour period and told what to do next. Casual contacts will be able to return to school. 
    • Other members of the school would be notified however if they had had no contact with the case they would not be classed as a close or casual contact.
  • Pastoral plan in place to support those affected.
  • Key stakeholders kept up to date with information from school and from the Ministry of Health.
  • Social distancing options activated, e.g., no assemblies, no out of school events.
  • Implement Flexible Learning.  Those children who are immunocompromised will likely be the first children to have a learning at home plan as will any child who is a close contact of someone infected.  Others will continue to attend school.

Our Pandemic Plan  will be made available to all parents on our school website within the next seven days. 
As always, if your child is sick, please keep them home and notify the school office.
Scenarios to think about:

 2 February 2022

Parents on Site
At RED level parents should not be entering the school grounds. We expect you to pick children up and drop them off at the school gates.
The exception to this rule are parents of junior students; these children can be picked up and dropped off at the gate inside the school by room 8.
If there is a situation that requires a parent to come on site then you must:
  1. Wear a mask or have your mask exemption on display. 
  2. Scan in on entry to our grounds.
  3. Make your visit brief and to the point
  4. Limit the areas you visit and walk through.
We are trying to keep our staff and students safe; one aspect of this strategy is limiting contacts while students are in our care. Thanks for working with us as we navigate our way through RED level.

Student Vaccination
I need to reiterate that we will never allow your child to be vaccinated at school, in school time, without your written permission.
I have been told by some parents that they believe sending their child to school is a form of permission.  IT IS NOT.

Our Board had a long conversation about student vaccination.  We have decided that we will not be allowing children to be vaccinated in school during school hours.  Some schools may offer this service but again it would only be done with clear written consent.  We will not offer this service, however we may allow our grounds or buildings to be used after school or at weekends for the purpose of vaccinations.  Parents would be able to choose to bring their children (or not to bring their children)  and no teachers would be present.  If you still have fears about student vaccination then please come and see me.

Covid 19
A reminder; at RED level:
  • Parents are only allowed onsite for emergencies.  The expectation is that children are picked up and dropped off at the gate.  At red level we are not running a pass system like we did last year. 
  • Please confirm with your child what gate they will be picked up from.
  • The only exception to this will be parents of five year olds; you may bring your child onsite and drop them off at the internal gate. A teacher will be present to hand your child over to.
  • Any parent coming onsite must scan in at the gate and they MUST have a mask on. 
  • Masks are compulsory for students and teachers in year 4 and up.  Please supply your child with a named mask.
  • Teachers will not be available before school or afterschool to meet with parents unless you have made an appointment.  To book an appointment email the class teacher (contact details on our website).
  • All meetings must follow MOH and MOE guidelines: social distancing, masks worn by all parties, visitors scanned in.
  • If you are unable to meet any of these three criteria then we will not do an in person meeting, we will set up an online meeting.
  • Keep children home if they are sick or ill .
These are very challenging times for everyone.  Our goal is to keep it as business as usual for as long as possible while we prepare and plan for what we will do once covid hits our community or our school.  Student and staff safety and well being are always top priorities so we are working hard to keep everyone as safe as possible.  This relies heavily on us working in partnership with each other. Together is better!

Being Prepared
What do you do if you think you have been exposed to covid? 
There are two types of ‘contacts’:
  • Close Contacts; and
  • Casual Contacts

Close Contacts
If you have been identified as a Close Contact of someone with COVID-19, you are likely to be at a higher risk of being infected and you can expect to be contacted by someone from the Ministry of Health’s National Investigation and Tracing Centre or a PHU.
You are considered a Close Contact if you have:
  • been close (within 1.5 metres) to a positive case of COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes and the Case was not wearing a mask or wasn’t wearing it properly
    or
  • had direct contact with respiratory secretions or saliva from a Case (e.g.; kissing, shared a cigarette, vape or drink bottle, or if the person coughed or sneezed directly on you)
    or
  • spent time in an indoor space for more than 1 hour with a case and at least one of the following: 
    • the Case was singing, shouting, smoking, vaping, exercising, or dancing
    • the Case was not wearing a mask or wasn’t wearing it properly
    • the indoor space was poorly ventilated (i.e,; there were no windows or doors open)
    • the indoor space was smaller than 100m2 (about three double garages). 

All household members of a case are Close Contacts.

Any person who receives an orange Bluetooth notification via the NZ COVID Tracer app is considered a Close Contact.  The notification will provide advice about what to do and it is important to follow these instructions. 
These people may also receive a yellow QR notification for a location of interest via the NZ COVID Tracer app.

Casual Contacts
Casual Contacts are people who have been in the same place at the same time as someone infectious with COVID-19 but may not have been near the infectious person.  Casual Contacts are at lowest risk of getting sick with COVID-19.
 
These people may receive a yellow QR notification for a location of interest via the NZ COVID Tracer app.  The notification will provide advice about what to do and a link for more information.

Actions for Contacts
The following actions now apply to all contacts regardless of whether vaccinated against COVID-19 or not.
Contact
Description
Actions for the contact

Close Contact
People who may live or work with or have been in the same place at the same time as someone infectious with COVID-19.
 Casual Contact 
People who have been in the same place at the same time as someone infectious with COVID-19 but may not have been near the person.
  • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days. 
  • If COVID-19 symptoms develop, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received.
  • Guidance for Casual contacts (PDF, 135 KB)
  • Household members (also called secondary contacts) are advised to stay at home until the Close Contact returns a negative day 5 test result.
  • If the Close Contact develops symptoms after returning a day 5 negative test result, their household member(s) are advised to stay at home again until the Close Contact returns an additional negative test result.
  • If one or more household member(s) of a Close Contact develop symptoms, they should get a test, and stay at home until they receive a negative test result and until 24 hours after symptoms resolved
If in doubt, stay home and get a covid test!

Immunocompromised Students
Is your child immune compromised because of an existing medical condition?  If they are then it is likely they will be more vulnerable when covid hits our community.  We need to have a register of those students who are immune compromised so we can consider additional ways we can keep them safe and potentially alternate learning programmes we could offer.

Please email our lovely office ladies [email protected] and state:
  • Childs name - room number
  • Medical condition
  • At what stage would you consider NOT sending your child to school?
    • Covid in the community but not in the school
    • Covid in the school but not their class
    • Covid in their class
  • Is there any additional support you would want from us besides a home learning plan?

Contact your medical professionals for further support or advice  regarding your child attending school onsite during  a Covid outbreak.

 26 January 2022

In regard to COVID-19 we have moved fully into the new traffic light.  As being at RED alert is new to us we wanted to give some clarification before school starts so parents know what to expect.

Parents Onsite 
Parents are strongly encouraged to pick up and drop off children from our school gates.  Only in emergency situations or for specific needs should parents be entering our grounds.  If you do need to come onsite for a valid reason then you must:
  1. Wear a mask.
  2. Scan as you enter the grounds.

Learning Conversations
These will still go ahead next Monday and Tuesday.  

During Learning Conversations you are asked to:
  1. Sanitise your hands at the door.
  2. Wear a mask.
  3. Socially distance from the teachers - more than 2m.
  4. Please do not mix and mingle with other parents onsite - adhere to social distancing practices.

Events and Activities
Large hui and gatherings, especially when indoors, continue to be one of the riskier activities we can undertake.  We have therefore reviewed all of our events and activities for the upcoming term to ensure we meet the health guidelines for Red. 
  1. Mihi Whakatau planned for next Wednesday - Cancelled
  2. Junior swimming - Postponed
  3. Walkathon - Postponed
  4. Kapa Haka and Pasifika - adapted so they occur outside and limited children from one bubble attend.
  5. Playtimes - adapted.  We have zoned the school into three play areas and will not have children playing in alternate spaces..
We will continue to review our activities and our practices.

Ventilation
We have used the Ministry of Education self-assessment tool to review all our ventilation in readiness for the start of the year.  Providing good old fashioned fresh air remains the most important thing we can do in our learning spaces to minimise risk for ākonga and kaiako (and the same goes for you at home).  We will also be receiving a CO2 monitor in the coming weeks to further support our ventilation plan. 

Omicron and Testing
We have all seen very large numbers of cases overseas and we will very likely see much larger numbers of cases in Aotearoa than we have previously experienced in the last two years.  While Omicron is more transmissible than previous strains, most people who get COVID-19 will have a mild to moderate illness and will fully recover in their own home.
However, some of our community who are immune compromised, are ill or have other vulnerabilities, even when they are fully vaccinated, could be more affected by Omicron.  So, we all need to continue to play our part to minimize the spread of the virus.
I have attached a home checklist below to help you prepare at home.

Face Masks
Staff and children in Years 4 – 6  must wear face masks inside at school when we are at Red. 
Public Health advice is that an appropriate face covering will fit snugly and seal well around facial contours.  This can include single use, disposable masks (medical masks) and reusable fabric masks with three layers.
Please name face masks to avoid cross contamination.
The Unite Against COVID-19 website also has information on how to make a face covering.
For those of you with children who might be reluctant to wear a face covering, there is some helpful advice from Michigan Health, including using simple, specific explanations about why they need to wear a face covering, adults being the role models, providing small rewards for wearing them, bringing face coverings into play such as drawing face coverings on characters in colouring books, or letting them choose/make the mask.
 
Vaccination for 5 to 11 year-olds
I have had several concerned parents email me asking if we are going to give children vaccinations at school.  We had a long discussion at our December Board meeting about our role in the vaccination process.
At this stage we will not allow vaccinations to occur at school in school time, however, we would allow the school premises to be used after school or at weekends for vaccines but no teachers would be present; parents would need to choose to take their children.
We would never vaccinate children without parents' written consent and ideally parents’ being present as well.
These are strange times and things do change, however, I am 100% certain we would never vaccinate without a clear mandate from parents.
 
Information for Parents on Vaccinations
Vaccination, including a booster shot, remains an important tool to help prevent the most serious harm from the COVID-19 virus.  If children and young adults who have been vaccinated do develop COVID-19, they are far less likely to get seriously ill and less likely to transmit the virus to others.
The free 5 to 11 year-old vaccination programme is now underway and more than 100,000 children in New Zealand have had their first dose. 
There is some helpful information available to support you on the Unite Against COVID-19 website including How to book a vaccine for your five – 11 year old and some great videos on the Kids Health page that can support you to talk to your tamariki about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Kids Health
Health Navigator
The Immunisation Advisory Centre

Managing Cases in our School
We have a good contact tracing system in place so that if there is a confirmed case who has been at school while infectious, we can quickly identify who was a close contact of that person.  We will then quickly advise those contacts of what they need to do.  This heavily relies on you as parents, scanning in each time you enter our grounds.
Only if the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education advises to do so, would we consider closing a physical onsite school and moving to distance learning for everyone.  At some stage we may end up with some children onsite and some at home due to staff availability.  At Red we will keep everyone learning onsite for as long as we can.
Please make sure your contact details we have on file are up to date, so we can get in touch with you if needed.

Preparing for COVID-19
You can also prepare for COVID-19, making sure you and your household have a plan and know what to do.  This will mean your whānau and community can help each other if needed. Find out more here:
 Be prepared for COVID-19
 Download the COVID-19 Readiness Checklist [PDF, 121 KB]    
 What to expect when self-isolating at home 
  What to expect when self-isolating at home | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
 Getting extra support if you have COVID-19 or are self-isolating | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
 COVID-19 positive – managing your symptoms | Health Navigator NZ
If you know anyone in your community affected by COVID-19 and who may need help, such as food and other financial assistance, Work and Income has a range of supports available for individuals, families, employers and self-employed people affected by COVID-19.
 

Finally
Stay home if Sick and get Tested
Ensure tamariki, students or staff members with COVID-19 symptoms get a COVID-19 test and remain at home until a negative result is received and they are symptom free for 24 hours.
Download the COVID-19 Readiness Checklist [PDF, 121 KB]

COVID Updates 2021

 Parent Feedback - Lockdown 2021 - 7 September 2021

As a school we are always looking for ways to improve our practises. Working at Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3 has caused challenges to us as a school and also to you as parents / whānau. It has also given us some opportunities and things that we can celebrate. 
This brief questionnaire is the chance for you to give us some feedback so we can continue to work toward being  "better than before".  I would appreciate having this feedback by Tuesday 21 September. 

7 September 2021

Click on the button below for the latest update. Scroll down to find out how to gain a level 2 pass. 
​

Level 2 Pass Guidelines

A Green Alert level 2  pass will allow you to briefly e nter the school grounds to pick up or drop off children. 
  • To be used only in special circumstances
    • Children in different areas of the school
    • Children very young
    • Children are very anxious etc. 
  • Social distancing must continue
  • No congregating outside rooms before bell has rung
  • No entering the classroom
  • On entering the grounds please scan our QR Code.
  • As you enter our grounds please show your GREEN pass to the staff member on the gate.
  • Teachers will be unavailable to meet and chat….please email them if you wish to relay a message or send a note with your child.
  • If you need to, as a one off, enter our grounds at Alert Level 2 then please sign in and out at the office.

Earlier in the year we issued YELLOW Alert Level 2 passes - these are no longer current and cannot be used. 
 
As this is a new event we need to update contact details; once we have done this we can issue GREEN Alert Level 2 passses.  This will ensure all the information you have given us to get a pass is current and correct. Show your GREEN pass to staff at the gate as you enter our grounds. 

Complete the online form to the right to get a Green Alert Level 2 pass. 

The information we gather through our Level 2 pass procedure will help with our Contact Tracing Register so it is really important that the information requested is correct and accurate.

If there is any change to the pick up drop off routine you have outlined on your form, you must email [email protected]  and let us know.   This information will be added to your contact tracing register form. 

Please collect your GREEN Level 2 Pass tomorrow, Wednesday, 8 September, from the office porch opposite the Library or on Thursday and Friday from the Library.

    Level 2 Pass Request

    By submitting this form you acknowledge that this information is true and correct.​

    ​

30 August 2021

​The quick move to Alert Level 4, record volumes of testing for COVID in the community, extensive wastewater testing, huge numbers of New Zealanders being vaccinated (more than 2 million people have now received their first dose), and a very wide net being cast around confirmed cases, has given Government confidence that we are safe to move to Alert Level 3 on Wednesday.

At Alert Level 3, you legally must stay within your household bubble unless for essential personal movement including going to work and going to school. As the Prime Minister noted on Friday, schools are essentially closed at Alert Level 3 with the exception of those few children whose parents and carers must go to work at Alert Level 3, and there is no appropriate caregiver at home.

Year 11 – 13 students are legally required to stay learning at home.

So we will be open on Wednesday, for a small number of children who need to attend. As you imagine it will not be school as we know it under Alert Level 2 or 1. All our usual safety precautions for Alert Level 3 will be in place which include 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 cover their coughs and sneezes,
and keep everyone physically distanced from others as much as possible (1 metre inside and 2 metres outside). We will also keep school bubbles to no more than 10 students. These bubbles will not mix with other bubbles.

Thank you to the essential workers who have let us know their children will be attending at Alert Level 3. We have put your child/children on our Alert Level 3 roll and we have allocated them to a school bubble. You will receive separate information, on Tuesday, on school bubbles and expectations.

Our contact tracing systems will be in place, which includes our attendance register and visitor register, and we will be limiting staff onsite with the majority of our team working from home.

At all levels you can also assist everyone’s safety by keeping your child at home if they are feeling unwell. Please contact your GP or Healthline, to seek advice about getting tested.

We will continue to support all children who remain learning from home, through our distance learning programme.

If you still have not notified us that you are an essential worker and that your child will be attending at Alert Level 3 then you must do so immediately. Email [email protected]. We urgently need this information so we can put the appropriate staffing in place.

Finally, I have loved parents and children contacting me showing me what they are doing in lockdown. If you have some fun to share (that could go in our newsletter) then please email [email protected].

Stay safe and make memories; we’ve got this!

Ngā mihi
​Toni Burnside,  Principal

23 August 2021 - Parent Update

Food for Thought
A big thank you to all of you for taking the lockdown so seriously – we’ve seen before that staying at home will break the chain of transmission and save lives. Breaking the rules could risk someone close to you and if the rules are not complied with, this could risk the lock down period being extended or could risk the virus being spread to thousands.
At this stage we are waiting to see what the Prime Minister announces today at 4:00pm. Will we remain at Level 4 past Tuesday or will we drop to Level 3? Regardless of what the announcement is, we are ready.
Today there has been a small number of teachers at school getting hard packs ready to deliver to those families where we know there are no devices or where there are other barriers to online learning.
We do not expect learning in lockdown to look like a normal school day. Teachers will provide work and for older children they will schedule online meetings each day, however, there are many other things that children can do at home independently.
  • Reading is always at the top of my list and has many positive spinoffs. Read recipes, read the news, read advertisements, read out loud, record yourself reading, read to siblings. 
  • Writing. Keep a covid lockdown diary, write notes to each other, email a classmate, write a letter to yourself in the future. Later in the week I plan to do a writing lesson, which I will share with families to help with writing about a moment in time.
  • Children need to know their basic facts and their times tables. Use lockdown to practise these! Make games using them, put them into quizzes, display the hard ones around the house. Come back to school, a times table genius!
  • ​Have fun, make memories. Bake, walk, laugh, play board games, do jigsaws, create, capture the moments in photographs.
Share the Fun
We would love to see what you and your family have been up to in lock down. If you have any family pictures or stories you would be happy to share (in our newsletter) please send them through to me [email protected]. If I could have them by 10:30am on Wednesday they would make the deadline for this week's newsletter.

Playgrounds
We are aware some local children may have been in the school, playing on the playgrounds. Please remember that the school, playground and school grounds remain closed at Alert Level 4.

Anyone needing food?
If you are needing some help at these times, some food banks will be running during Level 4.
City Mission - Please phone 0800 787 855 and you will be given a time slot. There will be no contact so stay in the car and open the boot, they will put the food in for you.
0800 Hungry – Please call 0800 486 479. There will be no contact so please stay in the car. Salvation Army Linwood – 03 3893723 please call first. No contact service.
​
QR Code
It has become mandatory to sign in, for each visit to school, using the Covid Tracer App. To help you do this (once we are back on site) we have included our school QR code with this update. This is also available on our website. Keep a copy of this QR code handy as then you will be able to scan it when you drop children off in the morning or when you pick them up in the afternoon as well as any other times you enter school grounds. Our QR code is also available on the fences by the entrance gates and in the school office.
Childcare for Workers at Alert Level 4 Business or Services Scheme
The Government has contracted approved licensed home-based education and care providers across the country to provide childcare to workers in Alert Level 4 businesses and services.
Childcare through this scheme is only available:
· During an Alert Level 4 lock down period as announced by the New Zealand Government. · For children under the care of Alert Level 4 business or service workers.
· Where there are no other adults in the household able to undertake childcare.
· For children aged 0-13.

 The preference remains that Alert Level 4 workers make their own private arrangements where they are able to do so. Conditions of childcare delivery:
  • ·  Carers are only able to care for one household.
  • ·  Funding is not available where the carer normally lives at the same address as the worker in an Alert Level 4
    business or service.
  • ·  Workers in Alert Level 4 businesses or services are not to be charged any fees for this service.
  • ·  All Covid19 Public Health rules must be complied with.


Information for home-based providers
If you are a licensed home-based education and care provider and are interested in being involved in this scheme you can contact us at [email protected]. To become an approved provider, you must:

  • Be meeting the requirements under the Licensing Criteria for Home based Education and Care Services 2008.
  • Confirm that you have undertaken a complete and current safety check including police vet, in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014, for any carers delivering care through this initiative.
  • Be able to confirm, in cases where the care is provided from the carer’s home, your organisation has previously assessed the carer’s home as meeting health and safety licensing requirements and police vetted any adults in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020.
For more information please refer to the Childcare for Workers website.

Wellbeing

As always, please let me know, [email protected] or your child's class teacher, if there is anything you need to support you and your tamariki during this time. In last week's newsletter I included a wide range of community mental health supports. Our school health curriculum is based on the whare tapa wha; this takes into account physical, mental and emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Below are some ideas for well being, under this model, when we work at home.

Finally ...I want to thank our Banks Avenue staff who step up at times like this. They have their own families at home to care for and worry about and yet they always do an amazing job. Thanks to our BAS team for showing HEART!

Toni Burnside
​Principal

18 August 2021 - Alert Level 4

These are very challenging times for us all (once again); every household will have its own needs and its own challenges so the idea that one plan fits all is not feasible. During lockdown, the most important thing is our physical health and our mental and emotional wellbeing. Continuing learning sits under these two priorities! 
Teachers will provide a learning at home plan, however, what you do with it or how you use it is up to you. Please don’t add to your stress levels or the anxiety in your home by battling over learning activities. Keep households calm. Enjoy each other's company. Make pleasant memories. Find the silver lining! As we have gone into lockdown with little warning we are aware that some senior students may have left their chromebooks at school. At this stage we are NOT allowed to go back onto school property to retrieve them. If the lock down continues beyond three days there may be a dispensation; if so we will let you know. We also had learning  packs prepared to hand out to our junior classes; again because of the short notice these will not be available. If we move to level 3 next week we will be able to get these to our junior homes if needed.

How will each team function under Level 4?

BAS Learning Portal

Click on the image to take you to an overview of what each team does while at level 3 and 4.
​

Timetable for online sessions

​​We are aware that in many households devices are limited so we have endeavoured to schedule online sessions for our different teams at different times of the day. 
  • Team Kahikatea: 9:30am - 10:00am
  • Team Miro Roto and Kuaka:  10:30am - 11:15am
  • Team Miro Awa and Dudley: 11:45am - 12:30pm​

Looking Ahead

Once we move out of Level 4 it is likely we may work our way back through the levels before we return to Level 1.  Below I have a summary of what will be involved at Level 3 and Level 2.

Alert Level 3
The key message for you is that if you can, you should keep your child at home.  You should only physically send your child to school if you need to, that is, if there is no one at home who can care for them.  If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness, you must keep them at home.  If your child is sick please also ensure you keep them at home.  If a family member is sick, keep them at home.

We will be creating an Alert Level Three School Roll; this will be made up of the children we will be supervising at school during the level three period.

  • At Level 3 school is only open for children of essential workers.  All other children will continue with home learning.
  • Parents need to email [email protected] to advise us that they are an essential worker and that their child will be returning to school at alert Level 3.
    • We need this information so we can get appropriate staffing in place.  Most teachers will continue to work from home at alert Level 3.
    • Children will not be with their normal teacher at alert Level 3; we will make up classes of similar aged children.
    • An adapted programme will run at alert Level 3 for those children who do attend.
  • No parents allowed on site; please drop off and pick up at the Banks Avenue gates.
  • Increased hygiene practices will be in place.
    • Children are asked to  bring their own drink bottles to school.

Alert Level 2
  • All children and staff return to school.
  • Parents asked to drop off and pick up children from the school gates.
  • Covid 19 passes can be used to come onto the grounds if the paperwork has been updated in the office or on our school website (under covid updates).  More information on covid passes will be shared later.
  • Large school gatherings are suspended.
  • Increased hygiene practices will be in place.
    ​    Children bring their own drink bottles to school.

23 February 2021 - Learning at Home - Parent Guidelines
BAS Portal
These are very challenging times for us all and we are in an unknown arena.  Every household will have its own needs and its own challanges so the idea that one plan fits all is not feasible.   Please click on the button to the side for our Learning at Home - Guidelines for Parents. 
While the link below will take you to the BAS Portal site the classroom links will only be activated if we return to Level 3 or Level 4.

15 February 2021 - Principal Update

Please click on the buttons below for the latest information on COVID-19.
​

How to Access a Level 2 Pass

We acknowledge that for varying reasons some of you will wish to come on site. Our Level 2 Pass allows us to meet the MOE and MOH requirements to be able to contact and trace anyone who enters our school site in a manageable and safe way. 
​
Please, if you can,  pick up and drop off your child(ren) at the gate.  If you need to come on site you will be issued with a Level 2 Pass.  
​
To access a Level 2 Pass you will need to complete the form below above or to the right.  This form will tell us who picks up your child(ren) each day; we know there is real regularity and that on any given day there is usually a pattern to pick ups /drop offs.

This information will become our Contact Tracing Register Information so it is really important that the information requested is there and correct.  

If there is any change to the pick up drop off routine you have outlined on your application, you must email [email protected] and let us know.   This information will be added to your contact tracing register form. 

Passes will be available for collection from our school office from today, Monday 15 February between 9:00am and 3:30pm. Bring your form with you or complete it online or complete it when you come to the office. Please bring your own pen.

Staff will be monitoring our entrances so please have your YELLOW LEVEL 2 PASS READY.  

We hope that this process helps to make the return to Level 2 for your children and yourselves a bit less stressful. 

​

​

    Level 2 Pass Request

    By submitting this form you acknowledge that this information is true and correct.

12 May - Principal Update

28 April - Frequently Asked Questions

Scroll down to read our FAQ.
​

22 April - Alert Level 3 Roll Request

Kia ora all
​Thank you to the parents who have emailed [email protected] to justify their request for they child to be added to our Level 3 roll. If you can, you should keep your child at home during Alert Level 3, however, in some cases this is not possible. Requests to be added to our Alert Level 3 roll are being accepted up until 5:00pm tonight. Once we close this roll we will make up our bubble classes and we will contact the parents of those children with more detailed information. All other children will continue to receive support to learn while at home. 

Ou priority will be to keep children and staff safe during Alert Level 3 so we will be running our school with minimal staff on site for at least the next two weeks.

As always, thank you for all you are doing at home in your bubbles.

Stay safe
​Nga Mini Nui
Toni Burnside
Principal

21 April - Principal Update

Kia ora koutou
 We hope that Term 2 and our home learning programme has been a success for you so far. We know there will have been a number of challenges for families to deal with but we have been getting some great feedback about the learning that is happening and thank you for all your support. I have loved popping into the online classes to see what has been happening.

Yesterday the Government decided that we will move into Alert Level 3 on 28 April. That means we will be open to receive some students from the 29 April. We have started to prepare our school today; we have cleaners booked to come in for a deep clean and we are thinking about the way ahead.
 
The key message for you is that if you can, you should keep your child at home. You should only physically send your child to school if you need to, that is, if there is no one at home who can care for them. If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness, you must keep them at home. If your child is sick please also ensure you keep them at home. If a family member is sick keep them at home.

We will be creating an Alert  Level Three School Roll; this will be made up of the children we will be supervising at school during the level three period. Parents are asked to contact me by email [email protected] if you need your child / children to be on this roll. Give your children's names and confirm that for valid reasons no one will be at home who can look after them once we move to Level 3. Please make sure you register your child for our Level 3 roll by Wednesday (22 April) evening, 5:00pm.
If you do not need us to supervise your child when we drop to alert Level 3 you do not need to do anything. We will assume, if we have not heard from a family, that they will be continuing with Home Learning.

We have been given some very specific public health measures that we need to adhere to with our partial re-opening in order to keep our families, children and staff safe. These include: 

  • Before children or staff re-enter the site, the school will have an extensive deep clean.
  • Children will be split into small ‘school bubbles’ (10 or less to start with) and distanced from other bubbles. Family bubbles will stay together so children will not necessarily be with their class cohort. 
  • There can be multiple bubbles in a physical space but there must be distance between bubbles and strictly no mixing between school bubbles. 
  • School bubbles will be supervised by a teacher. This will very likely not be their own teacher.  
  • School bubbles will be kept as consistent as possible to limit the number of contacts children and staff have.
  • We will identify different toilets that different bubbles can use while reinforcing hygiene expectations. Ideally, one child at a time using a toilet.
  • Our expectation is that children will follow the Home Learning Programme and will not be receiving a ‘normal’ school programme. Staff will support them in this, however, teaching will be limited to the same as is currently being provided online.
  • To support contact tracing children will sit in the same space/tables for the day, with their own equipment and device. 
  • Children will wash their hands several times throughout the day and before and after break times. 
  • At morning tea, lunchtime and during PE, there will be rules about how children can play to best maintain social distancing. We will work on these once we know how many students will be attending. The rules will include 2 metre distancing outside and 1 metre distancing inside. Physical education classes and activities cannot include sport where the same equipment is touched by different students.  
  • We may need to arrange different times for pickups / drop offs depending on how many ‘bubbles’ we need to create. This will be communicated at a later date.
  • We are looking at the length of the school day. Further details on this will follow.
  • Children who do need to attend school will be looked after with the best of care. 

While we are at Level 3 our school curriculum will be delivered online regardless of whether children are on our Level 3 roll (supervised at school) or whether they remain at home. Teachers and learning assistants will continue to support your child’s learning at home by providing daily work except for next Tuesday, 28 April. The government has deemed this a nation wide Teacher Only Day. As a staff we will be using this time to adapt to Level 3. Home learning will continue for the rest of this week, Monday is ANZAC day so next week home learning will begin again on Wednesday 29 April. Home Learning is expected to continue until 11 May when there will be another announcement about alert levels.

We have a small number of children who do not have access to digital devices and who are waiting for paper learning packs. We have sent an order to the Ministry for these but we are unsure when they may be delivered to homes. As we are now allowed back on our school site we will be able to put a temporary learning pack together and deliver these to homes. If you were waiting for a paper pack, please make sure the class teacher knows so they can arrange for these to be compiled. 

We know there are many questions and wonderings that parents have. In the first instance please keep connecting with your teachers with any questions you might have.
We are also in the process of completing a Frequently Asked Question page (in relation to Covid 19 and home learning); this will be available on our school website by the end of the week.
 

To reiterate
  • Parents who can keep their children at home, should keep them at home.
  • School will only be open for some children. 
  • Parents must register their child to attend school while we are at alert Level 3 by sending an email to me: [email protected]  by 5:00pm Wednesday 22 April. This list of children becomes our Level 3 roll.
  • Children who are unwell stay at home. If there is a family member who is ill the child should also stay at home.
  • This will not be normal schooling. It will be online schooling supervised at school.
 
Stay safe and keep making memories.  Kia kaha.

Toni Burnside
Principal

9 April - Sparklers At Home

As part of their new All Right? campaign Getting Through Together – Whāia E Tātou Te Pae Tawhiti, the Sparklers team have kindly rewritten twenty-three classroom activities for home use. These include everything from how to talk to kids about Covid-19, to simple ideas for staying grounded, feeling good, and juggling homework and learning during our time spent in our bubbles. To access their site, click on the button below.
​

8 April -  Mana Ake Website

Click on the button below to access the Mana Ake Website. This site has a lot of information and resources that you may find helpful at this time.
​

8 April - Principal Update

Kia ora to our Banks Avenue School whānau. I hope you are all staying safe and making the most of your family time. I have kept myself busy in the garden and playing with some artworks.
Distance learning starts again next Wednesday, 15 April. You should all hear from your teachers before then so you know what to expect for the first few days. We ended term 1 with distance learning but there were some families we didn't manage to make contact with or engage with. If you have not heard from your class teacher and have had no learning offered so far, could you please contact me urgently so we can rectify that. Email me at: [email protected]
We have a newsletter coming out next Wednesday; this will be emailed.
We know this will be an incredibly challenging time for many families. Additional support has been offered by civil defence. A helpline has been set up for anyone needing assistance with accessing essential household goods and services, such as food and medication, due to the COVID-19 lockdown. If you need urgent assistance call  0800 24 24 11 and you will be put through to your local area to discuss your needs.
Finally, staying connected is vital. I was thrilled today when I got asked to send birthday wishes to one of our tamariki. Please feel free to contact me or share a picture of your isolation adventures. We are in this together!

​Nga mihi nui
Toni Burnside
[email protected]

27 March - Principal Update

Kia ora all
I hope you have all managed to adapt to life in isolation. There has been some great learning happening across the school although there are a few hiccups we are working on. I am in the process of touching base with all teachers to see how they have found distance teaching. I will put a parent survey out early in Term 2 to parents/caregivers to gather your voice. In the meantime if there is something urgent I need to know or that I may be able to help with, please email me at: [email protected] 
​We have just learned of a subsidised internet package from Skinny. Details are below. 

Term 1 officially ends today. Enjoy your family time - stay safe!

Nga mini nui
Toni Burnside

27 March - Skinny Jump - Subsidised broadband for Kiwi Homes

​At Skinny, we believe every New Zealander deserves to have the opportunities to learn and thrive in the modern digital world. That’s why we offer super-affordable broadband to thousands of Kiwi homes. Skinny Jump is flexible prepaid broadband: Only $5 for 30GB of data, no contracts or credit checks, and the modem comes free of charge. Just top up as you go. Our flexible prepaid top-up system means you can get a 30GB plan for only $5; you can then renew the plan five times every month. You can get up to a maximum of 150GB every month (and it will only cost you $25). Skinny Jump is a not-for-profit service and we don’t use your information to promote or sell other products. If you think this sounds like a plan for you, continue to read the next bit to see if you qualify.
We specifically support those most at risk of digital exclusion, as identified in the government's digital inclusion blueprint. If one or more of the following sounds like you, then you would probably be eligible:
  • Families with children
  • Job seekers
  • Seniors
  • People with disabilities
  • Refugees and migrant communities
  • Those in social housing
If it is ascertained that they qualify the next steps will be to complete this form  (Providers or organisations can do this on behalf of whanau).

24 March - Principal Update

24 March - Talk  - Explore - Create
​

23 March - Principal Update

Kia ora all
The Prime Minister has announced today that as a country we have moved to alert level three. Schools will close today and will remain closed for the next four weeks. If you work for an essential service e.g.   Health services, emergency services, utilities and goods transport, and other essential services   then we  will provide supervision on Tuesday and Wednesday until 3pm. Please confirm that you need this additional supervision  by emailing the [email protected]. If you are not working for an essential service keep your children home.

This afternoon our staff met to discuss learning at home. Once we have finalised what this will look like we will contact all families. In the meantime you will find Learning at Home Guidelines for Parents below.

We have heard the school holidays will be moved forward but we have no details on this yet.

We will do everything we can to communicate with you and to support you over the next few weeks. This is a unique time in not only our own history but also world history. HEART values will be more important than ever.

Stay strong, stay well!
Nga Mihi Nui
Toni Burnside
Principal 

23 March - Learning at Home

Scroll down to read some tips on learning at home - a guide for parents or click on the button to download.

20 March - Principal Update
​

20 March - Symptoms Of COVID-19, Flue and Cold

19 March - Looking after Mental Health and Wellbeing

The  Mental Health Foundation has some great advice on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during this time. Click on the button below to go to their website.
​

19 March - Resilience Strategies for Coping with Coronavirus 

Below is a brief guide to coping in the days ahead by Dr Lucy Hone & Dr Denise Quinlan
​

Thursday 19 March - Talking to Children About COVID-19

Wednesday 18 March - Child Friendly Book Explaining Coronavirus

Scroll down to read this child friendly version explaining  the Coronavirus that you could share with your child/ren.
​ 

Tuesday 17 March - Learning at Home Survey

Our full Pandemic Plan is available below. An aspect of this pandemic plan is 'learning at home'. Currently we are looking ahead and considering options for how we could keep learning happening for students should we be told to close. We are calling this option 'learning at home'. The MOE have also asked us to gather information on students access to wifi, data and devices in their home environments. The results of this survey will impact on the type of 'learning at home' plan we create. At this moment in time we have had no indication from the MOE that schools will close; this is purely a precaution that will allow us to be prepared. The survey closes on Friday 20 March.

​This survey is now closed.

Tuesday 17 March - Parent Update 

Kia ora tatou
Things have escalated in the last week with the request that travellers to New Zealand self isolate for fourteen days and that all gatherings of 500 or more people be cancelled.  At BAS  stage one  of our Pandemic Plan is already being  implemented; this is the prepare, prevent and plan stage.
We are ready to move to stage two if needed;  this is the minimise, manage and support stage.  Our full Pandemic Plan can be found below.
At our leadership meeting last night we decided to implement further actions to help reduce the risk of infection for our students and staff. ​
We:
  • Continue  to focus on good hygiene practices. Hand washing and good cough etiquette are very important tools in preventing the spread of illness including colds, flu and COVID-19. ​
  • Parents can support us by providing students with tissues and hand sanitiser if available.
  • This video explains what Coronavirus is using  language that children can understand . It reinforces for children the importance of washing hands and blowing their noses properly.
  • Ask that children bring their own drink bottle to school. We are  endeavouring to restrict the use of the drinking fountains as a precautionary measure.
  • Have cancelled future whole school and team huis; limiting the number of children in a confined space at any one time to less than 100. This is a measure of social distancing.
  • Have cancelled the school cross country which was planned for later this term.
  • Have cancelled class trips to Windsor House.
  • Have limited the number of children in our Kapa haka and Pasifika groups to less than 100; Team Totara children have been withdrawn temporarily from these groups. 
  • Are eating lunch and morning tea first then playing. This is a reversal of our normal timetable. It allows the teachers to supervise hand washing before touching food.
  • Have added additional handwashing stations outside of rooms. You may see water and soap stations set up. This will allow the children to wash their hands without needing to go into the toilets to do so.
  • Have introduced alternate ways of greeting people which will limit bodily contact, e.g., nudging elbows, saluting, bowing and curtseying. We can have fun with this one!
  •  Ask that you keep sick children at home; if you are concerned that your children or yourself  may be at risk please ring your own doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453.  Please keep us informed.
  • Are looking at the options for Learning at Home. There is the possibility that the MOE or the Ministry of Health may close schools sometime in the future. If they do this, it will be important for us to provide some options so learning at home can continue. 

With digital technology these days there are many options for us to consider, however, some of these are only viable if children have wifi, data  and devices in their homes that they can access. To help us with the planning for Learning at Home , we ask that you complete a short parent survey about access to technology in homes. This survey is attached with this update or it can be accessed on our website and completed digitally. 

The MOE has also asked us for information about student’s  access to technology so it is important all parents fill in the survey above before 3:00pm Friday 20 March.

In the Prime Minister's announcement at the weekend it was noted:
  • all travellers coming from all parts of the world, except parts of the Pacific, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in New Zealand. This also includes Australia and French Polynesia. This self-isolation requirement applies to New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and their families (Category 1B) 
  • All travellers coming from the following parts of the Pacific will be required to self-isolate if they show symptoms, within 14 days of arrival. This includes all Pacific Islands Forum members (except French Polynesia, category 1b), Associate Member Tokelau, and Observer Wallis and Futuna. (Category 2). 
Self-isolation may impact on some families. If this is the case please keep us informed.

Finally I acknowledge the MOE have been very proactive in supporting us; they are sharing daily updates that are enabling us to make informed decisions.  In turn we will endeavour to keep you informed through newsletter articles, website posts or in urgent circumstances mass emailing or social media posts.

If you have any queries or concerns please feel free to ring 385 4163 or email the office [email protected] 

Kia kaha
Toni Burnside  Principal

Tuesday 17 March

We are prepared! Below is our plan in regards to the pandemic. Scroll through to read.
​

Wednesday 4 March

For most of this week I have been reviewing and rewriting our school Pandemic Plan.  This is precautionary as a pandemic has  not been declared.

Definition of Pandemic:
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease: most people do not have immunity to a new disease so it can spread quickly.
There are two stages to our school pandemic  plan:

Stage 1 is the Preparation / Preventative stage where we look at:
  • Teaching and reinforcing hygiene expectations across the school
  • Liaising with school cleaners to align their cleaning routines in a potential pandemic to our needs
  • Building shared understanding with staff and community  in relation to a potential pandemic. This update is a part of this step.
  • Contact lists  are updated- please make sure we have your current contact details.
  •  Social distancing options we could inforce  are identified (if a pandemic is declared) , e.g closing playgrounds, cancelling huis and assemblies etc
  • Discussing options for distance learning if a pandemic is declared and school is closed. Note the decision to close the school would be made by the the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.
  • Ensuring we have  and are using necessary sanitary  supplies e.g. tissues, hand sanitiser, cleaning products
  • Working through different scenarios to ensure we have considered all options and are prepared if we need to go to stage 2.

We are currently working through stage 1. Stage 2 would be activated if a national or regional pandemic is declared by the Ministry of Health.


Stage 2 Minimise risk of infection, Manage infection and Support those infected. During this stage processes and
procedures are activated.

  • Screening flowchart followed for staff and students. This would be shared with parents as well.
  • In case of a potential infection a notification form will be  used to gather all necessary details, e.g. who has the person been in contact with.
  • Tracking logs will be kept to monitor and track those affected.
  • Pastoral plan in place to support those affected.
  • Key stakeholders kept up to date with information from school and from Ministry of Health
  • Social distancing options activated, e.g. no assemblies, no library visits, no out of school events
  • If we are ordered to close the school  then the closure plan will be followed with the potential option for distance/ online learning. Teachers are currently discussing what this may look like.
  • Return to school plan activated once we have all clear from the Ministry of Health. A thorough clean  of the school would take place as part of this phase.
Once our Pandemic Plan is finalised it will be made available to all parents on our school website. In the meantime we are encouraging children to:
  • wash their hands often,  with soap and water, before and after eating as well as after attending the toilet
  • cover coughs and sneezes with clean tissues or their elbow
  • put used tissues in the bin.
As always if your child is sick please keep them home and notify the school office.
The Ministry of Health has updated their advice for travellers :
  • Category 1 – People who have travelled from or transited through countries in category one in the last 14 days are required to self-isolate for 14 days and contact Healthline after they have left the countries. Mainland China and Iran are the two countries included in this category (with Iran added to this category on Friday 28 February).
  • Category 2 – People who have travelled from or via countries lists in category two who develop symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath should seek medical advice by first phoning Healthline’s dedicated COVID-19 number 0800 358 5453 or contacting their GP including phoning ahead of their visit. Countries currently in this category are Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Italy (noting northern Italy is in category 1)
If you have any queries or concerns in relation to this information please feel free to contact me on 3854163 or email [email protected].