Tēnā koutou katoa,

At 11.59pm on Monday 25 October, the COVID-19 Public Health Response Order for Mandatory Vaccinations for Education came into effect. As a consequence of this mandate, everyone who works (including contractors and the Board of Trustees) or who volunteers for a school at a time when students are also present must have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 15 November and be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.

The vaccination requirements apply on the school site but also at school camps, swimming pools, museums, or where other education outside the classroom (EOTC) programmes take place.

This means that we are only permitted to allow people to help at school events with children if they have had at least their first dose by 15 November, and are fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.

If you wish to be involved as a helper in any way from 16 November, please complete our Volunteer Vaccination Register form. To date, we have had over 100 parents register to be a volunteer. 

Once you have completed this form, please bring evidence of your vaccination to the Office where we will verify the information you have provided. As a school, we are asking to sight a copy of your vaccination record stored on the Ministry of Health ‘My Covid Record’. You do not need to order a vaccination certificate, we simply need to see a copy/screenshot of your records. 

When school starts next year, we will need evidence of full vaccination by 1 January for any school helpers. We will store your information privately in our school database. Our school privacy statement is contained within the form.

The requirements do not apply to people who are just visiting the school, such as for a learning conference or a parent, whānau and community evening. As you may know, the Government has announced nationwide mandatory vaccination for the education workforce who physically work on a school site as a means of protecting ourselves, our whānau, our students, each other and of course protecting our school community.

Please note that the current procedures related to drop-offs and pick-ups will remain in place. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Principal Stuart Cameron via the Office Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.

Ngā mihi nui,

Rob Dixon

Presiding Member - Halswell School Board of Trustees