Currently, the teachers are putting a lot of thought into planning for what seems to be the likely closure of schools at some stage in the near future.

At present, the Ministry of Education has stated that schools will remain open - apart from temporary closures for cleaning, etc where a student tests positive for the virus, as happened in Dunedin.

However, we believe that the day will come when we will be asked to close. Therefore, our staff has begun to plan around what provision we might make for our students to continue some learning at home, and also remain connected with their teachers and classmates.

Obviously, any learning programme would be significantly different from what we offer in our face-to-face programmes. Limits on resources, technical skills and one-to-one support (as many parents may well be trying to work from home too) mean that while we would provide worthwhile activities for students, they are likely to not be as in-depth or extensive as they might be in a regular classroom.

There is a large amount of information from schools in other countries that have already closed as to what the most successful options have been for them. We are using this to guide our planning.  

When the time comes, we hope that our teachers and students will be well-prepared. In the meantime we continue to carry on with planned activities and will make adjustments as they become necessary. 

This is a very difficult and anxious time for everyone - our staff are parents, grandparents, children of elderly parents, partners just as you are - we are all in this together and we need to continue to be kind and supportive. Let's look after each other.

Nga mihi nui

Carolyn Crow

Acting Principal