Kia ora e te whanau, Welcome to Week 3 of 2021. I hope the start of the year has gone well for you all. As a school staff we have been very pleased to see how positively all the children have come back to school. Thank you to all those parents who attended last Friday's Junior Community Activity. As usual it was a wonderful event and everyone had an amazing time building floating and flying machines. Unfortunately, we start this week with the news that we have a new case of community transmission of COVID-19. This means that Auckland has moved to level 3 for the next 72 hours, while investigations are underway as to how it was contracted. For the rest of the country this means we move into Level 2. At this stage this is for 72 hours, but we will be notified if there is a need for this to be extended.

From our school perspective things will continue as close to normal as possible. Key points to note.

1. Schools are open to everyone, and all children must attend.
At Alert Level 2 the virus is contained but there is still risk of community transmission. It is safe for children and staff to attend school.

2. Schools are not classified as gatherings and a range of events and activities can go ahead.
For most day to day activities at schools, the rules for gatherings do not apply. Under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Order, schools are exempted from physical distancing requirements when people are there to receive, provide, or support education services. However as soon as your event or activity brings people onsite who are not there for education purposes, including students, parents and caregivers, then the rules for gatherings do apply. This would include performances such as school plays, cultural events and sporting activities.

3. Sick people must stay at home.
They should seek medical advice if they have COVID-like symptoms and get tested if advised to do so. If that person displays relevant symptoms of COVID-19, tests positive for COVID-19, or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they must self-isolate.

4. Parents must use our contact tracing system if they are on-site.

5. Fundamental public health measures continue to apply at every alert level:

• Physical distancing (not touching and not breathing on each other at Alert Level 2)
• Hand hygiene
• Cough and sneeze etiquette
• Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces.

At this stage the senior school swimming sports will go ahead. (It is more than 72 hours away.) If the Level 2 classification is extended we may need to alter or postpone the event.

Drop off and pick up

In the morning please drop your children at the drop off zone at the gate. If you have new entrants you may walk them around to the classroom. If for whatever reason you come passed the drop off point could you please use the track and trace app on your phones or sign in at the school office.

In the afternoon we encourage parents to pick their Junior school children up from the classroom area. This is a change from last year but there just isn’t enough room to social distance at the gate. Please use the track and trace app when you come into the school grounds. Once you have collected your children could you please leave the school grounds.

Unfortunately this also means that for the next three days there will be no community access to the school pool.

Senior students will continue to be walked out to the gate as per normal.

The school bus operates as per normal and children are not required to wear face masks on the school bus.

Stay well, stay safe and thank you for your ongoing support.

Warmest regards

David Taylor & Andrew Spencer

Week 3 Calendar:

Monday: Assembly (cancelled)

Tuesday:

Wednesday: 

Thursday: School Swim Sports

Friday: Whānau Friday

Weekly News:

Building Partnership Conferences

This year we are running our ‘Building Partnership’ conferences in week 5. This is a valuable opportunity for parents, students and teachers to meet together to discuss expectations, goals and any concerns that you may have for 2021. We would like all parents to attend these interviews.

Interviews will be held on Monday 1st March 3:15pm – 7:00pm and Tuesday 2nd March 1:00pm – 7:00pm (school will close at 12:30pm on Tuesday)  To book your Interviews go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and enter the code q36ku (Interview bookings close Thursday 25th February ).

Because we close at the early time on the Tuesday some parents may not be able to organise child care. If this is the case can you please contact me (andrew.spencer@fernside.school.nz). We will have some staff free to supervise children until normal pick-up time.

Music Lessons:

Will be starting soon. If you would like your child to learn an instrument this year please fill in the form attached.