On Wednesday evening we received the news that staff and students who took part in the recent ski trip to Queenstown may have been exposed to measles while skiing at The Remarkables Skifield on September 1st.

We have no confirmed cases of measles in the school but it is possible that unimmunised staff or students on this trip could contract the disease. Advice from the Southern District Health Board states that the incubation period of measles is 10 to 14 days, meaning those exposed to the virus will not show any symptoms until the 10th to 14th of September. During the incubation period they are not contagious. If students or staff are unimmunised, they should not be at school from the 10th of September until the 20th of September at the earliest. By then a person will have shown no sign of having contracted measles or, if they have contracted it, they will have come out in a rash. The period of contagion is from the onset of symptoms until five days after the rash appears. It is essential to remain in isolation during this time.

We have been contacting all parents of the students on the ski trip to check their immunisation status and have been getting staff to do the same. While indications are that the vast majority of our students are immunised there are still some who aren’t. The message from the health authorities is clear; get your child immunised and get yourself immunised. Further information about the symptoms of measles and periods of incubation and contagion are included in this newsletter.

If you suspect your child has measles, please let us know, and keep them at home.

Congratulations this week go to all our tournament teams who have been playing at venues around the South Island. Congratulations also to the brave staff and students who participated in Dancing With the Staff, an event that is a highlight of the school’s cultural calendar every time it is run. As always it was a lot of fun, with the staff and student talent on show fantastic.

On Thursday our two Class Acts for 2019 had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as they were presented with their awards. Profiles on Melissa and Rose can be found here.

Next week our seniors begin parallel examinations. Preparation and hard work will reap rewards. All the best to all of you.