Covid 19 Alert Level 3 → 4 – 24th March 2020
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
This will be our last newsletter for a while, just to catch us all up with the latest information from the government and so that we are all on the same page.
“School holidays brought forward”
School holidays are being brought forward so that they are completed within the 4 week period. Holidays will now begin from Monday 30th March to Tuesday 14th April inclusive (a reminder that the Tuesday after Easter Monday is always a closed day for schools).
At the end of the school holidays, schools will be open for distance learning, but not physically open for staff to work at school.
Please note the instruction to stay home (Alert Level 4) will continue beyond the new school holiday period, but schools will be technically open for distance instruction. Teachers will be working offsite.
Our School:-
Our staff have a few ‘essential services’ students here and we are sorting things on site for today and tomorrow. After that, we are completely closed. There are then 2 days until the school holidays.
Please enjoy your children being home and just start relaxing into a new routine. Keeping everyone feeling happy and safe is the most important thing you can do. ‘Relationships’ is our school-wide overview for Term One. Enjoy interacting and strengthening these, maybe making online links with others, but please keep an eye on internet safety during this time.
Rushing into home learning at the moment is not needed. That is why the holidays start this Friday and will continue for two weeks. Unless the Government changes its guidelines, home learning will start properly on Wednesday 15th April after the very strange Easter break we will be having.
Please let our teachers have a break too. They will not be responding to emails and other online communications until after the 15th April. By then everyone will have had time to relax into the new routines and see how internet services are working etc.
Many families collected the printed workbooks outside our school today. From tomorrow all resources will have to be gained from our online portals.
- Learning Conferences:-
Your child’s Term One information will be shared with you electronically via your class teacher early next term. Follow up phone calls around some of our Target students may also occur.
Our senior students will now be able to communicate with their teachers directly in our Tamahere portal using their School Gmail accounts. Which is the same Gmail login they use to log onto their devices. We urge everyone to remember this is for school communication use – they may communicate with other students to support learning but not just as a social avenue.
“Guidance for parents, caregivers, whānau and teachers.
Help children cope with anxiety by providing accurate information.
Children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events such as COVID-19. Parents, caregivers, whānau and teachers will have a particularly important part to play in reassuring children at this time.
Children will react to and follow your verbal and non-verbal cues. If you are able to stay informed and realistic, it will be easier for you to reassure children effectively as well.
Children need factual, age-appropriate information about COVID-19 so that they can also feel informed and in control. They need to know how they can play a part in avoiding infection and the spread of virus.
They also need to feel that any fears that they may have can be talked about and addressed. Reassure your children
If no one in your family has COVID-19 nor has had close contact with anyone with COVID-19, emphasise to your children that they and your family are fine.
Evidence shows children are less susceptible to COVID-19. Parents and caregivers should follow standard guidelines to prevent the virus spreading by:
- covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or elbow
- washing hands for at least 20 seconds with water and soap and drying them thoroughly:
- before eating or handling food
- after using the toilet
- after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
- after caring for sick people.
Let your children talk about their feelings, and help reframe their concerns into the appropriate perspective.
You know your children best. If they have a lot of questions, consider how much extra information would or wouldn’t be helpful for them to know before replying.
Dr Michelle Dickinson (Nanogirl) has great information for kids about COVID-19.”
We wish you and your families all the very best during these challenging times. I hope you are able to stay healthy and happy during this incredible period in history. Take care, be kind to yourselves – we can shed some of the other work pressures and enjoy the people and simple, beautiful things in our lives.
We are so lucky to live where we do in this magnificent country, and if we can all pull together – separately – we will get through this!
Aroha nui , Kia kaha. Take care out there.
From Waveney and the whole team. We will be thinking of you and staying in touch through our online platforms.
From Nathan Wallace’s Website.