13 May 2020
Kia ora,
RE: Principal’s update message "Te Hokianga (The Return)”
Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced earlier this week that New Zealand would be moving into Alert Level 2 from tomorrow. Mairehau High School staff can enter the school site from Thursday 14 May 2020 to prepare for a return to school.
Return to School:
Teachers and support staff are looking forward to all students returning to onsite learning from Monday 18th May 2020. The focus for next week will be about wellbeing and re-connection.
School Timetable: ALL Students may return
Monday 18 May
Period 1: Students are to go to their normal form class.
Periods 2- 4: Normal classes
Lunchtime: Students may go home or remain at school for Period 5.
Period 5: A learning centre will operate for all students that remain at school. The purpose of the Learning Centre is to help students to catch up on work missed during the COVID- 19 lockdowns. All students are welcome.
Tuesday 19 May:
Period 1- 4: Normal classes
Lunchtime: Students may go home or remain at school for Period 5.
Period 5: A Learning centre will operate for all students that remain at school. The purpose of the Learning Centre is to help students to catch up on work missed during the COVID- 19 lockdowns.
Wednesday 20 May:
Regular classes will resume.
Health and Safety Planning: The Senior Leadership Team is planning our Alert Level 2 "Return to School". Our Alert Level 2 Safety Plan will be posted on our school website and is currently in development.
The Prime Minister alert level 2 announcement, has signalled that schools are safe and open for everyone. We will focus on welcoming our students, staff and families back to school. A moment we have all been waiting for since we went into isolation.
Hygiene Practices:
We will, of course, continue with excellent hygiene practices, and encourage everyone to continue to respect public health advice, including that which is specific to schools. The link in the bulletin to the Public Health Requirements for Early Learning Services and Schools at Alert Level 2 is particularly useful in this regard. If you haven"t already accessed it, I recommend that you do.
Physical distancing is an excellent precaution to prevent the spread of disease. We do, however, know it is challenging in schools, so good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are even more critical here. Staff and students should cough into their elbows, handwashing and drying and routine cleaning of commonly touched surfaces. While there is more freedom in Alert Level 2, with a one-metre social distancing requirement, we may need to restructure the size limit of our classes.
If you are sick, you will be sent home: Under Alert Level 2, we advise any students and staff to stay at home if they are sick, and we will send anyone home immediately if they show any symptoms.
Safe practices: Our school has safe and sensible practices to maintain the health and safety of everyone on the school site. As described by Dr Payinda in his NZ Herald article, "COVID’s not measles or chickenpox, it doesn’t hang in the air for hours waiting to infect passers-by. It travels on invisible drops of spit. You don"t have to cross the street to avoid anyone. Just avoid getting in their "moist breath" zone". We all just need to remember to have some breathing space at Alert Level 2!
It"s essential, however, that not just at school but at home, safe hygiene habits are practised by everyone, as this is essential to minimise the risk that someone gets infected with Covid-19.
For more information about the public health measures at Alert Level 2, you can visit the covid19.govt.nz website: https://covid19.govt.nz/
Visitors to School:
During Alert Level 2, we are discouraging visitors to our school, including parents. We wish to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19. We would prefer you to contact us by phone or send an email.
Chromebooks/ Devices:
Mairehau High School and the Ministry of Education have issued devices to many students. These devices need to be returned to school.
Water Bottles/ Drinking fountains:
We are discouraging the use of water fountains and would prefer that individuals bring and use their own water bottles. There should be no sharing of bottles or other touch items which go close to the mouth/nose eg phones.
Re-connect:
It will be a time to re-connect and regroup, in support of our wider communities, and especially our senior students. We will all be busy developing creative and responsive approaches to ensure students’ wellbeing at the forefront as we navigate appropriate learning and assessment support.
I take this opportunity to wish you all the very best.
Stay safe, keep well, and use kind words to others.
Harry Romana
Principal
