Dear parents, caregivers, staff and students

We are over one week into lockdown and one week into the school holidays. Although we don’t usually send newsletters home during the holiday period, we thought it might be worth a try given the extraordinary circumstances. So expect a newsletter each Friday!

I do hope lockdown is going well for you and your family and that you have found a new rhythm. I’m still trying to adjust and have even tried my hand at baking! Scones are usually something I try once a decade and I invariably end up with hard little pebbles. As evidenced I have had lockdown success. This spurred me onto trying Yorkshire Puddings. Yet more success – who knew???

Technology is proving invaluable at this time for information, learning, keeping connected or for games, music and videos. With this in mind, we have developed a competition with multiple categories that could keep your children entertained. They can even use TikTok! Details of this competition are in the newsletter. We are also setting up opportunities for virtual play dates for Junior School students. These details are also in the newsletter.

However, it is also pertinent to give a reminder about how to keep young people safe in an online world where, unfortunately there are still some predators.

It is recommended that you agree with your children what they can do online including sites they can visit and appropriate behaviours including:

• reviewing and approving games and apps before they are downloaded
• reviewing privacy settings of sites and applications
• checking children’s profiles and what they are posting online
• check the sites your child is accessing
• reminding children that anything that is posted online will be permanently on the internet
• taking the time to understand what sites they are visiting and who they are talking with and check in regularly
• some social media sites have age restrictions to join, check these before letting your child use them or join them
• monitoring a child’s use of the internet and consider having them use it in an open, common area of the house
• making sure your children know to report any activity they don’t feel comfortable with to you straight away.

There is a unique opportunity during the lockdown of families going out together, albeit it close to home, but if your child is going out on their own it’s still important to check where they are going.

Netsafe continues to be available to provide parents and caregivers support for online safety. They have information for parents and caregivers and have pulled together their top tips for online safety during the lockdown. To report an incident To Netsafe -https://www.netsafe.org.nz/reportanincident/

As noted by the Ministry of Health, Flutracking is an online survey which asks if you have had a fever or cough in the last week and which can help us track COVID-19. Registering online will help our surveillance efforts by providing early detection of community spread of the flu and also of COVID-19 symptoms.

The Ministry of Education is encouraging people to register online at https://info.flutracking.net/ It is a practical thing everyone can do to help monitor flu and COVID-19 symptoms throughout NZ.

Keep safe and kia kaha

Pauline Duthie