Frequently asked questions

What is the school's approach to distance learning?

We know that we need to be flexible and understanding of the many different situations our families find themselves in. We know that many of you are working from home too and so, whilst we do expect that the children will complete school work each school day, we are not setting down particular times for children to work. 

What learning will be provided?

The learning will cover the subjects of the New Zealand Curriculum, with a focus on the foundation subjects of reading, writing, and maths. Some of the tasks will be generic and others more specific to your child's learning needs. The learning includes links to websites, Youtube clips, and other resources to support learning and make sure it is engaging and motivating. Teachers have made sure that there are practical and creative activities that the children can complete without direct parental support or supervision. You may wish to supplement with access to the new educational TV programmes or the MoE learning from home website. 

Where can I find the learning?

The learning plans for the week will be shared at the start of each week in the following ways:

• Year 1 - 3 learning will be emailed directly to parents at the start of each week. 
• Year 4 - 6 learning will be shared via Google classrooms and also emailed to parents. 

How can my child get help or support?

Teachers will be available during the school day, from 15 April. If you have any questions or concerns please email your child's class teacher in the first instance.  Year 4 - 6 students will be able to message their teachers directly on Google classroom. Teachers will get back to you by email or by phone as soon as possible (within 24 hours). You will understand that we do not yet know how much contact parents will wish to have with teachers. 

During the lockdown period, Beverley will oversee Year 4-6 students, Lesley Brewer will oversee Year 0 - 3, and Lesley Gardner will oversee special needs and the work of the Teacher Aides. Please do contact us if you would like any further information, or if you have any concerns or queries. 

What will the role of the teacher be? 

The teachers will: 

• Be responsible for keeping a sense of belonging and community with their class
• Plan a weekly overview and specific learning tasks for the children
• Share the learning at the start of each week
• Interact with families and students on a regular basis 
• Respond to/ mark/ assess work that the children send in to them 
• Create messages or videos for the children
• Respond to any email questions  

Will the children get together with their teachers, for example using Zoom?

We do think it is important that the children get to see their teachers. However, we have decided that we will not initially use Zoom to meet with children due to concerns about security. The Year 4 - 6 teachers are currently exploring other means of facilitating virtual meetings/ lessons. We know that the children are looking forward to seeing each other but we ask you to be patient with us as we determine the most appropriate platform for this to happen. A number of teachers have begun to record story/ chapter book reading for their classes and we expect that the use of visual media will continue to develop over time.