Following the Prime Minister's announcement we are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School on Thursday 9th September. Tomorrow (Wednesday) our staff will be on site preparing for re-opening to all on Thursday, please encourage your children to engage with any online learning via the Our Bubble website.

This afternoon we received from the Ministry of Education the Alert Level 2 Guidelines SPECIFIC to schools. As schools are not deemed under Ministry of Health definitions as "Public Settings" some of these guidelines differ to other workplaces. However, there are still a number of public health requirements we all need to follow.

ALERT LEVEL 2 GUIDELINES:

• FACE COVERINGS (MASKS): 

• Face coverings are not required to be worn in school for staff or students. The Director General of Health has recommended that people 12 years+ wear a face covering at school. The decision for your children to wear a face covering is up to you and your whānau, whatever your decision it will be respected.

• However, we do ask you or other family members who need to come on the school site during Alert Level 2 to support our students and staff by wearing a mask.

• While physical distancing is not a requirement in schools, we will be doing our best to keep students from congregating in very large numbers and keeping spaces well-ventilated. 

• If possible we ask that you do not access the school site (this includes drop offs and pick ups of your children), instead we encourage you to call the office or email the most appropriate staff member as opposed to coming onsite. We encourage online payments only, no cash payments will be accepted.

• If you need to access the site please ensure you follow the contact tracing procedures as highlighted in this article: CONTACT TRACING PROCEDURES

• Please ensure you or your children are NOT on site before 8.30am.

• If you need to be onsite to collect your child at the end of the school day please don't enter the school grounds before 2.50pm

• Friday Assemblies are cancelled for the rest of Term 3. This will be reviewed in Term 4.

• Drinking Fountains will be initially be CLOSED under ALERT LEVEL 2. Please ensure you child brings a drink bottle.

• If you require a face to face meeting with a staff member please email, requesting a time and the relevant staff member will reply with a time and any Health & Safety measures that may need to be followed.

• We will continue to update you with any relevant details as we become aware, including decisions on upcoming events & activities.

• For us, all the required safety precautions for Alert Level 2 will be in place which include following all the recommendations from the public health experts. This means we will regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands and cough and sneeze into their elbow.

To continue to ease your children during this time please also talk to them that Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School will continue to be:

• safe
• clean
• welcoming
• AND FUN!!!!

If you are not sure what all the rules are for alert level 2 when you are out and about, then the following information may be useful to you:

· COVID-19 Alert Levels summary table

· COVID-19 Alert Levels detailed table

Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me if there is something you need assistance with. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Simon Moriarty (Principal)

Megan Harlick (BOT Chairperson)