Dear Parents/Caregivers
I am writing to keep you updated about how our school is continuing to respond to COVID-19. As you may have seen, in the last few days the media has reported a reduction in the number of daily cases, however there is no change in the red light setting. Until the end of term one we will be keeping the additional layers of protection in place to help prevent or reduce the risk of onward spread and will not be making any changes to our current protocols. We will review this for the beginning of term two dependent on any change to the red light setting. When completing our risk assessment, we are guided by the Covid19 protection summary which can be found here. We continue to stay vigilant to keep our school community safe.
While we know that cases in school will rise and fall with that of the level in our community, health experts tell us that children are much more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 in the community than at school. We also know that nationally in mid-March no more than 4% of teachers in any seven-day period reported as testing positive. It is currently around 3.5%.
As you know, it’s great for any child’s wellbeing and learning to be at school with their friends, teachers and other school staff. You also know that we have very good systems in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. This term we have had an average attendance rate of 87%, this is very pleasing. Our focus continues to be on face-to-face teaching and we have worked very hard to try and minimise disruption and remain open throughout the term for all children. For any children isolating at home we will continue to provide online learning that can be accessed through our school website - undefined. Please scroll to the bottom and click on the distance learning hub. Any questions please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
Mask wearing for our students Year 4 and above and for adults remains in place in indoor spaces and we are getting lots of fresh air during the day. We also continue to focus on basic hygiene such as washing hands regularly, covering any coughs and sneezes, and cleaning surfaces regularly.
KidsHealth has some other great resources you may be interested in:
- Why wearing masks and creating airflow helps – KidsHealth
- Back to school with Omicron in 2022 – KidsHealth
If you have any concerns about sending your child to school, please get in touch – Year 1-4 Mrs Deane and Year 5-8 Mr Harper-Travers. We want all children to be at school and engaging in learning with their friends.
Your job remains the same, too: please continue to keep a really close watch of your whānau for anyone with symptoms. If unwell, please stay at home and get advice about getting a COVID-19 test.
Kind Regards
Mark Keenan
Principal
