Kia ora koutou

It has been so fantastic to welcome back over 90% of our learners over the past three weeks.   Overall, the atmosphere has been very positive and I know our teachers are really enjoying the face to face teaching that is able to take place.

As we now enter Phase 2 of the Omicron outbreak please see below for key information about keeping ourselves and our school community safe.

If your child is unwell

They must NOT come to school.  Any students arriving at school unwell will be sent home.

If your child has covid symptoms

Please ensure that they do not come to school and are tested as soon as possible.  

Covid symptoms include: 

• new or worsening cough
• sneezing and runny nose
• fever
• temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste
• sore throat
• shortness of breath

Less common symptoms of COVID-19 may include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain or confusion/irritability. These almost always occur with one or more of the common symptoms.

If your child tests positive

Please ring the office and ask to speak to the Principal, Louise Addison.  I will ask you for the following information to assist with identifying any close contacts:

• When symptoms started
• Last day at school
• When they were tested
• When they got the result

Isolation requirements for Phase 2

• Cases are required to isolate for 10 days
• Household contacts of a case isolate for 10 days and test on days 3 and 8
• Close contacts identified are asked to isolate for 7 days with test on day 5

Emergency contact information

If your contact details have changed since last year please ensure you email the office: [email protected] to update these.  It is very important that we are able to get in touch with parents and caregivers if required.

Keeping ourselves safe at school 

Mask wearing

• Well done to our students on the respectful way you have gone about this, especially on particularly hot days.
• Any students refusing to comply with wearing a mask properly (over the nose and mouth) will have their parents called and asked to come and collect their child.
• There are two criteria for exemptions that apply in schools:
  1. you have a physical or mental health illness or condition or disability that makes wearing a face mask unsuitable
  2. you need to communicate with someone who is deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or has a disability which makes it hard to have effective communication
• We will issue a school exemption from wearing a mask if you are able to supply a message from your GP / Doctor that states you are exempt.   You do not have to give the specific reasons for the exemption, and we will not ask for the specific reason.   Please take this information to the Deans area and they will issue a school exemption pass and also discuss with you the other measures you need to follow in order to keep yourself and others around you safe.

Hybrid Learning

For students who are required to be at home as a case or close contact then learning is able to continue via our ‘Hybrid Learning’ model.  Please go to our Hybrid Learning spreadsheet for information about accessing your learning online:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ah7qhQBrhzDkld3WKOcCuWuD6b-oQbU-d1WIAU6axV4/edit#gid=0

Devices

Unfortunately, we have some students who have not returned the device that was issued to them last year to support with their learning.  As a school we supply over 90% of devices to students and we can’t continue to do this without the support of our entire community on taking care of the devices and ensuring they are returned to school.  

Students will not be issued with a second device if they have not returned a previous device, and this may impact on their learning.  Please ensure that any devices you may have at home are returned to school as soon as possible.

Vaccination

The best protection against the impact of COVID-19 is to be fully vaccinated.  Please note that while this reduces the chances it does not prevent you from getting COVID-19 or passing it on to others.  Even if fully vaccinated you must not come to school if you are unwell and must continue to meet our other safety measures such as mask wearing.

Polyfest

The Senior Leadership Team and I have made the difficult decision not to participate in Polyfest this year.  Whilst it is being held online, practices and preparing for this event are very difficult to do and maintain the covid protocols at the RED Traffic light setting.   We will look to have our own cultural festival later in the year when Traffic Light levels allow.

Friday 18 February – Staff Only Day

A reminder that tomorrow is a Staff Only Day so there is no school for students.

Friday 25 February – Early finish

We will be finishing at Break 2 (1.10 pm) on Friday of next week for a Paid Union Meeting.

Ngā mihi maioha

Louise

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