Kia ora koutou,
I hope you all had a good weekend. As predicted, both COVID case numbers and those needing to isolate as household contacts are rising, albeit slowly. We have heard of 4 new COVID cases over the weekend.
Here's a summary of where we are at today:
Total Positive Cases: 10 students
Current Cases: 6 students (4 students have returned to school and 4 students notified us today and over the weekend that they are positive)
Current Isolating Household Contacts: 9 students and 1 staff member
Today, our attendance rate was 75%. When we look at the data more closely, less than 6% of these absences are directly attributed to students with COVID or those that are needing to isolate. The other 19% of absences are for a range of reasons, including other types of sickness or students whose families are choosing to isolate.
I would like to reinforce that school is a safe place to send your children. To my knowledge, none of our positive cases have caught COVID whilst at school. We are following the mask wearing guidelines, and not holding assemblies or other large gatherings. However, I also understand that each family has different circumstances and whatever you decide is right for your child, we will support you as best we can.
Thank you all for getting in touch with the school promptly to let us know about absences. It is really appreciated and allows us to make appropriate decisions around our students' learning. Given that our attendance is still relatively high, we will remain at Stage 1 of our COVID response plan. We will review this again on Wednesday and I will continue to provide a daily update, particularly as our numbers are increasing.
Remember, please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns. We are happy to help.
Take care,
Jo Hunnikin
Principal/Tumuaki