I want to thank all our parents, caregivers, teachers and students for their engagement and support with remote learning

Dear Parents/Caregivers and Students

You will be aware that New Zealand is transitioning into Alert Level 2 and that schools can finally begin to open for students from Monday, 18 May.

This is welcome news as we know many students and teachers are looking forward to returning to school and resuming their normal routines. However, I understand that there will be some anxiety as well, as we all venture out of our secure bubbles for the first time since late March.

I want to assure you that the College has a comprehensive L2 safety plan in place (follow this link) and that we will do all we can to make the transition back to school as safe and smooth as possible and we will look to provide the necessary support for our students, staff and whanau. The health, safety and wellbeing of our entire community remains paramount.

Bringing back the entire student body in one day poses significant risks and challenges as it does not allow staff sufficient times to teach and practise our new L2 safety routines with students. In addition, I am very mindful that leaving their small bubble returning to enter an environment of 500+ people may be quite overwhelming and disconcerting for both students and staff.

Therefore, we have decided that a staggered return is the safest and most sensible option for our community.

What will this staggered return look like?

Friday 15 May: (Staff Only)

• All staff will attend an on-site L2 safety briefing at the College in preparation for returning students.
• There will be no Zoom classes on this day, but teachers will set work via Google Classroom.

Monday 18 May: (Years 11-13 Only)

• All senior students are to report to school in winter uniform for a 9am start.
• We will run an alternative 6 period timetable on Monday so that students can reconnect with all their teachers and be briefed on new L2 safety procedures (see May 18 Senior Timetable attached)
• Junior students will work remotely from home

Tuesday 19 May: (Years 9-10 Only)

• All junior students are to report to school in winter uniform for a 9am start
• We will be running an alternative timetable on Tuesday so that teachers have adequate time to teach new L2 safety procedures and expectations (see May 19 Junior Timetable attached)
• Senior students will work remotely from home

Wednesday 20 May: (All students on-site)

I understand that a staggered return may be problematic and inconvenient for some families. However, in the balance of things, I believe it is a safer and more sensible option for the reasons outlined above. If this poses a significant problem for you, please contact the school office and we can discuss some possible supervisory arrangements.

I am aware that there will be many questions about returning to school, so I have provided some useful information below:

Attendance:

According to the Ministry of Education, unless your child is severely at risk from Covid-19, they should be returning to school. If however they are unwell, they should remain home. If you have concerns about your child returning to school, please seek advice from your GP or Healthline and also advise the College office.

The College Sick Bay will be closed under L2.

Buses:

Bus routes will be running as normal. The bus companies have their own hygiene procedures in place and will be recording students for contact tracing purposes.

Physical Distancing:

As stated by the Ministry, “Children, young people and staff should be far enough away from each other so that they are not breathing on or touching each other, coupled with good hygiene practices and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces. There does not need to be a specific measurement but where practicable 1m should serve as a guide, particularly between adults”.

The school will be teaching and following physical distancing/hygiene procedures as per our L2 Safety Plan. In addition, each specialist teaching area will have additional specific procedures to follow.

While we have plenty of hand sanitiser and tissues on-site available to students, we also recommend that students carry their own personal supply if possible.

Canteen:

The canteen will be closed at least until 25 May. Students must bring their own lunch, filled water bottle and snacks. Please note that there will be no access to the Foods Room for hot water and that drinking fountains will be shut off.

Uniform:

We remind all students that term 2 means winter uniforms are to be worn. However, if you have not yet had the opportunity to purchase winter uniform, please wear summer uniform in the interim.

School access:

Please note that the Wellington Street entrance is now closed to all vehicles. Drop off /pick up points are at the Cain Street and Craigie Ave entrances.

Parents/Visitors coming on site:

We urge all parents and visitors to please phone the office in the first instance. We are trying to avoid on-site bottlenecks at the office as we need to facilitate contact tracing of all visitors. The office will be happy to assist (03 688 6003).

Finally, I want to thank all our parents, caregivers, teachers and students for their engagement and support with remote learning. While it has presented some challenges, it has also created some quite interesting and exciting opportunities that will no doubt change the course of education in the days, months, and years ahead. Overall, I was impressed with adaptability and creativity of staff and students to this new way of learning and I saw many examples of the skills we emphasise such as self-management, organisation, communication, creativity, independence, responsibility, etc.

I also think that this experience has given our students a life experience that no classroom could ever match. Instead of reading about history, they have been living history and have seen examples of true, everyday heroes living out their values. And we have all witnessed the power of collective action and have seen what can be achieved when communities work together for the common good.

I hope we all remember the lessons we have learnt over the past couple months: The importance of quiet time, connection with family, empathy and sacrifice for others, care for our most vulnerable, respect for nature and working toward a common good.

These experiences will no doubt shape the future of our current students. So, our job as teachers, parents, caregivers, coaches, etc, is to help them make sense of what has happened and help them to find positive and meaningful ways to respond.

We look forward to welcoming students back soon.