Resilience and Compassion at Avonside Girls' High School

I am proud of the resilience and compassion shown by staff, students and families through this difficult time as Omicron hit Canterbury. Our aim was to ensure quality teaching and learning happened onsite and that we could protect our rangatahi and kaiako as best we could. Our AGHS team pulled together to provide the above. Teachers taught each others' classes, ako teachers called every home on a Wednesday and lower numbers onsite each day enabled our numbers of staff and students who were unwell to stay level most weeks with just one peak 2 weeks ago. We have been keeping a watchful eye on those returning to school and I urge all students to follow Healthline or doctor's  advice about physical exercise. 

As of April 11th 2022 these are the statistics for AGHS. 

Overall Students Positive: 303

Overall Students Household contacts: 295

Students currently positive: 53

Students currently household contacts: 43

Overall Staff Positive (total): 14

Overall Staff Household (total): 23

Staff currently positive: 2

Staff currently household contacts: 3

Term 2: 

We have worked on a detailed Health and Safety Risk assessment for a Red and an Orange setting with all our students at school. In either of these settings we will follow Ministry of Health guidelines whilst also putting the health and safety of our students at the centre of decisions. Whilst we still have Covid cases in the community we will still be avoiding large gatherings such as whole school assemblies, and will be asking visitors to wear masks onsite. We are investing in ways that we can run large events virtually such as Parent/teacher meetings and our annual Open night for new students. Other events where parents would come on site will be assessed to see how we can reshape things to ensure safety of all. Masks continue to be strongly encouraged at Orange setting as they are the single most effective protection against covid. We will ensure that it is safe for all students to be at school. Keep safe over the April holidays.