IMPORTANT MESSAGES - UPDATES FROM PRINCIPAL, GLEN DENHAM
At Massey High School, our community’s health and wellness are top priorities. With Prime Minister Adern’s extension of travel restrictions, and tightening of mass gatherings by the Ministry of Health (although school’s remain exempt) it is timely to update you on our advice to our community a we aim to maintain high levels of hygiene at the school.
Parent Teacher Academic Meetings
As you are aware, our annual Parent Teacher Academic Meetings (PTAM) were scheduled for the evening of Thursday 26th March and all day Friday 27th March. Massey High School staff will utilise the two days as teacher-only days. Further information on this will be sent out via special newsletter on Tuesday 24th March.
General Advice
Please be mindful of the fact that as of today, there are still only 28 cases in New Zealand (all of which being linked to recent overseas travel), and more importantly, there is no evidence of community transmission. Having said this, it is important that our students do all they can to maintain good hygiene standards through:
· Covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or coughing/sneezing into your elbow
· Disposing of used tissues appropriately in a bin
· Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water and drying them thoroughly, or using hand sanitizer, this is particularly important;
o Before eating or handling food
o After using the toilet
o After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
o After touching public surfaces
o Our day cleaners are replenishing soap and towels twice a day. Likewise, our property team is checking bathrooms on a regular basis. We have also asked our students to notify a teacher as soon as possible if they note that soap in a bathroom has run out.
· Students should try to avoid hugging, shaking hands, high fiving, or greeting each other with a hongi whilst the possibility of transmission is in place.
Our cleaners are using recommended cleaning products to ensure that our school is as hygienic as possible.
Massey High School’s Strategic Leadership team is meeting regularly to review our response in light of information and advice from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. All planned school trips are being reviewed as further advice is made available.
What if students feel unwell?
Any student that feels unwell at school is asked to report to the health centre.
As you are aware, Massey High School has three registered nurses on-site. The advice to school based health care was updated on Thursday 19 March. If students present with any of the following symptoms:
· Fever of 37.5C and over
· Cough
· Sore throat
· Shortness of breath
They will be assessed and if clinically well enough will be sent home with information to contact Health Line.
We do remind our community, if a student has any indicators of illness, they should not attend school.
The messaging remains clear – that if you are feeling unwell please stay home, and the same goes for children and young people. However at the tail end of a cold, there will be runny noses and probably some coughing. This might be worrying for some people who are being vigilant about their own and others’ health.
A diagram has been developed by Dr Siouxsie Wiles to assist you when considering symptoms (sent to us by a teacher who found it useful). What it tells us is:
· A dry cough and a high temperature are common to both flu and COVID-19
· Sneezing is not a symptom of COVID-19, however if someone has COVID-19, then sneezing can spread droplets containing the virus
(See diagram as attachment)
Hui Arotahi/Assemblies
In light of the increasing concerns over mass gatherings of people (despite schools being exempt) we have made the decision to change the format of our Hui Arotahi each morning – these will now take place in student’s tutor classrooms (rather than in year level groups). Hui Arotahi continues to be an essential component of the school day.
This follows on from our earlier decision to cancel House and Level assemblies until further notice.
Tabloid Sports Day
Similarly, our Tabloid Sports Day (a full school House competition event) which was scheduled to take place on Monday 6th April has been postponed until further notice. Monday 6th April will now constitute a normal school day for all students.
Further information is available at:
Gallery
