Priority alerts are sent out via the Skool Loop App - please ensure you have this downloaded on your phone.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

KBS teachers continue to reinforce fire, earthquake and lockdown emergency safety procedures with their classes.

Lockdown

In the event of a lockdown, you will be notified of this via the Skool Loop App, with further updates sent out until the notification the lockdown is over. DO NOT come and wait at the school or come to collect your child until you are notified the lockdown is over. If we are in lockdown, we need to have easy access to the school for emergency vehicles, and clear lines of sight for the Police. Kaiapoi Baptist Church hall has been offered as a place for parents/caregivers to gather and wait. Students must remain inside with staff until the all clear is given. They can then go home with parents/caregivers or designated adults recorded in our student management system.

Fire and Earthquake

If there is a fire, or major shake, everyone will leave the buildings and assemble next to the Community Dental Clinic. We will then ensure everyone is safe and accounted for, remaining there while the situation is assessed. Once students are accounted for, we will send a text through our School-Link account which messages all the parent/caregiver cellphone numbers we have in our system, to update you and let you know what will happen next. Messages will be sent out via our Skool Loop App.

If you come to collect your children after an emergency, such as a major shake, we ask you to approach your children in a calm manner. Your children may be collected by anyone you have listed as an emergency contact. When you collect your children, you must not enter any classrooms to collect children’s belongings. We also ask that once you have your children with you, you make your way home promptly so teachers can be clear about which children are yet to be collected by an adult.

If there is an emergency or major shake and the weather is very cold and/or wet we will still assemble as per above until we know everyone is safe and accounted for. Following this confirmation, we will then assess where best to position ourselves.

If your child is not collected by 3pm staff members will stay with your children until approximately 5pm while continuing to try to contact you and your emergency contacts. If we are unable to contact anyone after this time your child will be taken home by a staff member they are comfortable with, and a note regarding their whereabouts will be placed on the front door of the office. That staff member will continue to try to contact you using the numbers provided on your contacts list to let you know where they are.

Following a major event, we will most likely need to close the school in order for the safety of our buildings to be assessed. If we need to close the school for this or any other reason throughout the year we will send you a message via the Skool Loop App. Information will also be posted on www.minedu.govt.nz about our school and all schools in Canterbury following an emergency closure.

Tsunami Evacuation Background and Plan

Should we need to evacuate KBS, our evacuation point is Kaiapoi High School (KHS) on Ohoka Road. This is outside of the orange zone.

As Kaiapoi Borough School sits within the orange tsunami zone, the following information details the procedure should we be notified of a tsunami threat during school hours.

How will we decide to evacuate?

· A distant Tsunami threat - advice will be taken from Civil Defence, and families notified of a school evacuation if it becomes necessary.

· A regional Tsunami threat - advice will be taken from Civil Defence, and families notified of a school evacuation. However, if a long and strong earthquake is felt at school, immediately after following our earthquake procedure, we would then evacuate.

· A local Tsunami threat - immediate evacuation will take place if an earthquake is long and strong.

Note: An evacuation procedure may require modification on the day due to unforeseen circumstances.

Tsunami Evacuation Procedure

If an evacuation is necessary the following communication will be sent to our families on Skool Loop, facebook and email. An alert will be added to our website. Phone calls into school will not be answered at this time.

Once the evacuation to KHS has been completed, the following communication will be sent to our families on Skool Loop, facebook and email. An alert will be added to our website. *For additional details, please see SchoolDocs.

Please check with the office regularly to update your contact details and emergency contacts as needed. Please take the opportunity this week to talk to our office staff about this in person or on the phone. Be assured our staff will do everything possible to ensure the safety of your children during emergency situations.

If we need to close the school due to any other circumstance including weather events:

We will notify you via the Skool Loop App.

Pandemic information

The Ministry of Education has instructed all schools to plan for a pandemic as part of each school’s Emergency planning activities. We have developed a Pandemic Plan so that we are prepared and know what actions to take in the event of a pandemic.

We have been advised that in the event of a pandemic, schools will be closed to prevent the spread of infection as soon as a handful of cases have been identified in this region. For this reason, it is vital we have accurate contact information for caregivers of each child, and that we re-confirm this with you regularly.

Another part of our plan is to reinforce basic hygiene messages – even when no specific illness is in the community. Please help us by encouraging and reminding your children to:

WASH HANDS - Wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet – by rubbing their hands together for about 20 seconds in warm soapy water, and then drying them on a clean paper towel.

COVER MOUTH - Cover any coughs or sneezes with a tissue, or even with their upper sleeve (but not their hands).

SOCIAL DISTANCE - Maintaining a distance of 1 metre inside, or 2 metres outside to help avoid the spread of the illness.

In addition, if your child is ill, you must keep them at home for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have gone, or longer should medical advice require this.

If you have any questions about our school’s pandemic preparation, please contact the school or visit our website: www.kbs.school.nz to access our policies on this area.

General Health & Safety Briefing Information

1. All visitors coming onsite are required to sign in and out using the VisTab electronic system and wear a visitor’s badge (if requested by staff). Should other contract tracing procedures be in place, they must also be adhered to.

2. All contractors must sign the additional Health & Safety Briefing for Contractors on site.

3. No vehicles are to come onto site without permission. Parking is available on the road. Please be aware of others, especially children as you use your vehicle.

4. Please note the exit points in the buildings that you enter.

5. In the event of an emergency, please assemble at the block wall behind the Community Dental Clinic, or remain inside in the event of a lock-down, and follow the guidance and leadership of our staff.

6. Toilets for adults are located in the administration building.

7. Personal electrical equipment brought on to school grounds, e.g. mobile phone charges, personal ICT devices, stereo equipment, etc. must be tagged and tested before they are used.

8. Smoking, vaping and non-prescription drugs are not permitted on school grounds at any time. Alcohol cannot be consumed during school hours and out of school hours only by arrangement with our Board of Trustees.

9. Should an injury or accident happen while you are on our site, please notify the school office for both assistance and to ensure the appropriate follow up. There is a first aid kit in our school office, and our office staff are trained first aiders.

10. If you identify a risk or hazard on our school site, please notify the office as soon as possible, and follow the instructions given.

11. Adults on site are to be clearly visible by others at all times when working with students.

12. If you require further information on any aspect of Health & Safety on our site, please refer to SchoolDocs to view our policies and procedures.http://kaiapoiborough.schooldocs.co.nz/ - User name ‘KBCH’, Password ‘shine

School Office (03) 327 7231

Please retain this sheet somewhere safe for you to refer to as needed.