Kia ora koutou and welcome back to school!

We are delighted to be able to welcome everyone back to school next week as we open under alert level 2. I know we are all looking forward to reconnecting again with friends and getting on with things back at school. Our staff team have worked very hard to keep learning programmes running during the time away and to plan and prepare the school for opening on Monday. 

We are prioritising the support children, parents and staff might need at this time and in the coming weeks and months. Please come and see us if you would like to talk about the health and wellbeing needs for your child/ren.

Although we are back, school is not quite normal yet.  We must meet the requirements on schools to operate under alert level 2 and need your help to do this effectively.

As shared on Monday please be aware of the following....

• Mostly all children can attend school. The exceptions are:

  • Children who are sick

  • Children who have covid19 symptoms

  • Children who are in isolation

  • Children who are awaiting the result of a test.

• All parents and visitors who enter the school site must fill in the school contact tracing register outside the front door entrance. This is compulsory as per Ministry of Health requirements.
  • You can either fill out the paper form or use your cellphone and the QR code

• • We welcome all parents and caregivers but please only enter the school grounds if you need to.

• To avoid congestion in the school grounds and minimise social gatherings we are asking that parents please avoid congregating together. This helps us to meet physical distancing requirements for adults. 

  • we need to avoid having any gathering of parents of more than 10 people

  • 2 metre physical distancing for adults who you don't know is still recommended

  • parents are encouraged to drop off children at the gate where possible between 8:30am and 9:00am. (please use your discretion)

  • At 3pm, if collecting from inside the school grounds, please arrange a meeting point in an area with more space rather than directly outside learning spaces.(ie) netball court instead of verandah…

  • Senior Students (Totara Year 7/8 ) will be released at 2:50pm to reduce congestion.

• There will be regular hand washing and/or hand sanitising at school

  • a hand sanitising station is set up at each main door entrance. Please use this if you need to come inside

  • children will wash hands with soap and water regularly and dry afterwards (especially after playing outside, before eating and when using shared equipment

• Children who are sick must stay home or if they become sick at school parents will be contacted and asked to collect them.

  • If your child is sick (even a cold and runny nose) please do not send them to school.  Please make alternative arrangements.

• Teaching and promotion of public health messages to children and adults will continue

  • coughing into elbows

  • washing hands regularly

  • keeping physical distance where practicable

  • If you can smell a person’s breath or feel that you are in that “moist breath” zone, move a little further away. Avoid touching others and for adults, it is recommended that where practicable you keep a metre distance between you.

  • Teachers promote the above messages in their teaching

• While the playgrounds will be open (lower, upper and skatepark) children will be required to hand sanitise when returning inside.

  • We are permitted to use them during the school day as long as hand washing routines are maintained.  

• • Children are allowed to use shared PE play equipment as long as hand washing routines are maintained

• Drinking fountains will be closed. Children are required to bring a filled water bottle from home.

  • although  drinking fountains are allowed to be used by schools we have decided to close them in the meantime

• • please ensure your child has a filled water bottle to bring to school. These can be filled at school as required.

• • There is to be no sharing of water bottles

• The school bus service resumes. Children who use the service will be recorded at drop off and pick up times for contact tracing.

  • When year 7/8 technology resumes it is permitted that the students travel by 'chartered bus' as usual

• We will continue to receive advice for schools from the MOH and MOE and will adapt our school plans as necessary.

  • It is expected that even while in alert level 2, some advice to schools might change.  We will respond to this when received and make decisions accordingly. This will be communicated with you by email, in the school newsletter and on the website.

Lyttelton Primary School has very clear expectations and support for positive behaviour and will be reminding children of this next week along with teaching new positive behaviours for learning associated with alert level 2.  Please see more here.

There is some updated information for parents about alert level 2 on the Ministry of Education website

• Videos parents may want to watch with their children
• A ‘checklist’ for preparing for the return to on-site learning

Please also see the 'Mana Ake' and 'Supporting children to return to school' articles for further advice and guidance.

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week. 🙂

Ngā mihi

Brendan