The joy of play is evident on the face of these wonderful new entrants! We are social beings so connecting and working with others encourages communication and social learning opportunities. We all need to be looking for things to look forward to and that make us happy in challenging times like we are in.

As you are aware we are currently in phase 3 of the red light Covid-19 response framework, while safety protocols around school remain the same, the process for identifying close contacts is different - see below. There has also been a letter sent home today with this information and a few other reminders.

We continue to receive notifications from parents and caregivers about positive cases and children isolating as close contacts. For your information we currently have 10 staff and just over 60 children isolating as either positive cases or household contacts.  We greatly appreciate the communication from parents and caregivers and the responsibility shown around notifying us. If your child is isolating but well the teachers will offer either some online or hard pack home learning options. Remember to check your children for signs and symptoms before school each morning - RAT test are readily available from testing stations. Click here to access more information about RAT tests. Remember, if your child is a household contact they will need a negative day 7 test and to have no symptoms before they return to school from day 8. 

Hot off the press from the Ministry of Education # Provision of RAT kits for staff and students with symptoms #

Test kits will be provided to schools in the next few days and will be offered to any child, young person or staff member present at our school with COVID-19 symptoms. Staff members with symptoms can administer the test themselves. For children and young people we expect that tests will usually be administered at home. We recommend that younger children with symptoms are collected by a parent or caregiver and the test provided to the parent or caregiver to administer at home. This will speed up the process of an initial test for a child starting to show symptoms. Confirming KNS staff will not be administering RAT tests on children, once we receive the tests we will contact parents and send a RAT test home with any child showing symptoms.

Our current longest serving KNS staff member started working here in 1987! Ann Hoglund does a fantastic job supporting children in classrooms and working in the school office. We are grateful to have Ann's caring support for all, and organisation to keep us operating effectively and efficiently. Ann has a wicked sense of humour which is enjoyed by all! Out of school Ann is an impressive cook, knitter and still finds time to help her husband run a farm! Thank you Ann for all that you do around KNS!

Upcoming school events:

• Art Gallery outreach lessons at KNS for Raupo classes - March 28
  

• KNS Sport Canterbury top team and HOUSE day - Friday 1st April

• Akeake classes Art Gallery outreach at KNS  - 5th and 6th April 

• KNS cross country Day - Tuesday 12th April, postponement 14th April

• Term 1 ends - Thursday 14th April

• Term 2 begins - Monday 2nd May

Nga Mihi

Jason Miles, principal