28 January 2022
Tēnā anō koutou katoa i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.
Our team is feeling refreshed and ready to go for the 2022 year and can’t wait to welcome everyone back onsite. We have moved fully into the new traffic light framework for all our school activities and events this year.
Learning
It is good to know that at Red setting, we can support everyone learning onsite. Like last year, Google Classroom will be set-up for each class where students can get access to subject information and documents. Zoom lessons will only run if the school is closed and we move to distance learning.
Events and activities
Large hui and gatherings especially when indoors continue to be one of the riskier activities we can undertake. Therefore, while under Red, whole school assemblies, events and activities have been postponed.
Ventilation
We have used the Ministry of Education self-assessment tool to review all our ventilation in readiness for the start of the year. Providing good old fashioned fresh air remains the most important thing we can do in our learning spaces to minimise risk. We will also be receiving a CO2 monitor in the coming weeks to further support our ventilation plan.
Face coverings
At Red, students must come to school with a mask and must wear it when inside school buildings. The Government is now requiring that a face covering to be an actual mask. It is recommended that masks be a medical-grade mask (for example a Type IIR/Level2 masks or above). These include the widely available ‘blue’ medical-grade masks that many New Zealanders are already wearing. Don’t worry if you don’t have these specific types of face coverings, as public health experts also say that any face covering is better than no face covering.
The following are the times when masks can be removed:
- eating lunch in the hall
- outside during break times
- outside during subject activities [PE]
Managing cases in our school
We have a contact tracing system in place so that if there is a confirmed case who has been at school while infectious, we can quickly identify who was a close contact of that person. We will then quickly advise those contacts of what they need to do.
Only if the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education advises to do so, would we consider closing a physical onsite school and moving to distance learning for everyone. At Red, we will keep everyone learning onsite for as long as we can.
Please make sure your contact details we have on file are up to date, so we can get in touch with you if needed.
Work and Income support
The beginning of the year can be a tough time for parents who are faced with many costs and it is important you are aware of what assistance you may be able to get from Work and Income. These are available to people on a low income as well as those on a benefit.
Check what you might get here
• Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy
• Help with living costs (including food and rent/mortgage)
Use the links above or call 0800 559 009 to find out more, or to apply.
Money Talks can assist with free budgeting and debt help
Getting ready to return to school
The Ministry of Education has some helpful information on their Parents and Whānau website to support your tamariki to get back to school. There is also a very important reminder about how you can take care of yourself.
While this might all feel a little overwhelming at times, we know that all these measures will help our children return to school.
We are also here to help. Please get in touch if you have any concerns or need help in any way.
Ngā mihi
Marama Allen
Principal
Updated December 3, 2021
WARNING: This post is over a year old. Some of the information this contains may be outdated.
