Important reminders and updates for Primary, Middle and Senior School.

Dear KingsWay Community,

Thank you for your patience and positive feedback during this challenging time. The leadership continue to monitor the information we receive regarding different COVID Alert Levels and assess the risk to determine the best course of action for KingsWay’s context. We remain committed to adhering to the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Health. Please note that while the leadership have re-scheduled different activities for later this term or year, we reserve the right to cancel or postpone if we deem the situation unsafe. We hope to provide reasonable notice but request that parents confirm the status of all activities on the KingsWay APP and Website on the morning of the event.

A few general reminders/updates for today:

• Face to face teaching at school resumes on 31 August. We hope to see all staff and students back to school, unless unwell.
• Masks are not mandatory for students or staff at this point when at school. However, anyone is welcome to wear a mask at school if they choose. The staff will not enforce this at this point. More information regarding students use of masks when travelling by bus is due on Thursday. However, early indications point towards it being compulsory for Senior School students to wear masks while travelling on buses.
• I will send out an updated procedure for the return to school on Friday. Members of the leadership will monitor the safe return of students.
• I will confirm decisions regarding the postponement, amendment and cancellation of activities closer to the date of the event. The leadership will assess the safety of each activity on its merits.

Primary School

• The Primary School Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held online this term. These are scheduled for Thursday 24 September. More information to follow closer to the time.
• We are hoping to re-schedule our Year 3-6 Cross County event and await confirmation from Regional Parks on a suitable date. The Year 0-2 Cross Country is scheduled to take place at the Junior Campus on Friday 18 September. Please continue to support the Fun Run Fundraiser organised in conjunction with the Cross Country events.
• Under a more restricted Level 2 environment, we are unable to run the Year 5/6 swimming lessons from next week, as planned. The good news is that we have been able to secure the final two weeks of term for our Year 5&6 Swimming lessons. These will now run from 14th – 25th September (Weeks 9 & 10) should lower restrictions levels allow it.
• Year 5/6 students who borrowed a school laptop must return them to school on Monday, along with the bag and charger.
• Year 0-4 students must please bring their Home Learning packs, pencil bags and Bibles back to school on Monday.

Middle School

• While we are focussed on the delivery of a learning programme this week, we have also turned our attention to next week as we return to school.
• Just as we did last time, we will be giving our students time to reconnect and settle into normal routines at school. Teachers are very mindful of looking after the students and supporting them through this process of change. There will be provision for recapping and catching up on anything needing more time from Distance Learning. Specific information will come via the weekly form teacher email as always.

Please Note:

• Our Year 7 and 8 rotation subject dates have been adjusted. Students will continue with the rotation they were on when the recent lockdown was announced.
• We will communicate shortly about another possible Cross Country date so our Fun Run fundraising will still be earnt by our runners.
• Assemblies are held online via Zoom during the time that we cannot assemble in one space. The theme of our first assembly is, “God is our Way Maker – He makes a way where there is no way”.
• Please continue to look at the KingsWay School calendar as events are updated as cancelled or postponed. We are currently looking at events from Week 8 onwards and will update you shortly
• If you borrowed a school laptop for Distance Learning, please have your child bring it on Monday
• Our staff are praying for your families. We are full of faith that God’s love would shine on you and that He would use everything for the good of His people.

Senior School

• This year’s Senior School Options Evening for students in Years 10-13 in 2021 is online. Please CLICK HERE for all information regarding Senior School NCEA subject options.
  
• On Monday, we will be running Tuesday bell times, due to assembly being cancelled, so students should head straight to Form Class at the start of Monday.
• NZQA has recommended that teachers keep evidence of student work. This is in the eventuality that these assessments need to be used as evidence toward completion of Achievement Standards, should both practice exams and final external exams do not proceed. Students must take every opportunity to complete all set work to the best of their ability.
• Likewise, we would like to repeat our earlier recommendation that students remain committed to completing every standard in every course, just in case future circumstances prevent them from finishing assessments. We would not like anyone to be caught out in this regard by assuming certain credits are guaranteed.
• The Senior School teachers are looking forward to the return of students on Monday. However, we request that they engage in the final few days of online learning before relaxing this weekend.

Kind regards,

Graeme Budler
Executive Principal