Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Nice work everyone. At home for seven weeks to support all New Zealanders. We did and we should be very proud of our contributions.
We look forward to seeing you and your children next Monday as school reopens. Thank you to all of the staff for continuing with structured learning from home while also getting ready for our learners to return.
Please remember to fill out the online survey https://forms.gle/
As we move into a new level and return to school we would like to share some of the changes we are making as well as guidelines that will support us to remain safe at school.
DEVICES
We sent home approximately 50 St Martins School devices for use with structured learning. Can these please be returned to the office cleaned and named on Monday. We will give them another clean before reissuing these to the classrooms.
ENTERING the SCHOOL GROUNDS
For the first three days of school we will have a longer transition time, 8.30- 9.30am. This allows families to stagger their start to school. From Thursday we will go back to the 8.30 – 8.55am transition time. Teachers will be in classrooms from 8.30am.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has given us guidelines around entering the school grounds
The preferred option is to farewell your children at the gate (outside the school grounds), next, farewelling your child / ren outside the classroom and lastly entering the classroom. While the most preferred option is good in theory it may not be the best option to help settle your child back into the classroom. If you are entering the classroom please add your name and details to the Contact TRace form (you may want to byo a pen).
Please remember the general Health guidelines – social distancing from unknown families by 2m.
We have a number of gates to use to enter the school, we will even allow pedestrians through the staff carpark between the office and the hall. If you see a number of people in one entrance it might be best to wait or use one of the other entrances. Children in Ti Kouka, Harakeke and Raupo are to enter by the side doors, leaving the main entrance to the Whare Kukuwai for the children of Aruhe.
HYGIENE
We have received two deliveries of hand sanitiser in the past two days in preparation for next week. One form our regular suppliers and one from the MoE. We have soap / hand sanitiser available in each learning space. Children will need to sanitise on entry into the classroom, before and after using equipment as well as before eating. If you could send your child with their own hand sanitiser that would be greatly appreciated.
Teachers have been in learning spaces throughout the week creating greater space between desks and allocating seating areas. To do this a number of classes will no longer have a mat area for communal sitting.
The MoE has informed us that surfaces will need to be cleaned once a day focussing on high touch areas (eg door handles, bathroom taps, desk tops, handrails). Each class has been allocated a spray bottle of detergent and clothes to be able to clean surfaces as required throughout the day.
Drinking fountains are available, however, we would prefer that each child brings their own drink bottle as this is the safest option.
STRUCTURED LEARNING
Teachers will contact families that are remaining at home for the week or all of Alert Level 2. We will be offering continued learning, this may change and be more paper based (which can be picked up from the office), self selection from the school activities website or even completing tasks that remain unfinished.
TEACHER ONLY DAY
We had a teacher only day scheduled for Friday 29 May. We will take this off the calendar in recognition that the children have already been at home for seven weeks. School will be open for all learners on Friday 29 May.
As always, thanks for your support during this historic event. Have a lovely weekend. See you on Monday.
Regards,
Andrew
