Welcoming you back to school at Level 2

I thought today I’d reshare parts of yesterday’s update with you and include the requirements for the Kindergarten in greater detail.

The staff have had a great day getting prepared for the students. As I said yesterday, we’re all really excited to welcome the students back.

As parents you can support us as we return to school at Alert Level 2, by familiarising yourself with the messaging below.

The key messages for us all at Alert Level 2

• to minimise risk through maintaining distance where practical
• practice safe hygiene habits
• to stay home when we are sick
• masks wearing (for those 12 and over are encouraged but not a mandatory requirement in schools)

In practice that means schools need to

• have good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are in place at school.
• have robust contact tracing
• encourage physical distancing where possible
• be open for distance learning for students who have been instructed by health officials to self isolate.

Kindergarten

Dear Parents and Whānau,

Naumai, haere mai!

With the shift down to Alert Level 2 we are now looking forward to seeing your children return to Kindergarten. We will be open from tomorrow Thursday 9 September at 8.40am.

As usual, under Alert Level 2, there are changes to the way we operate in line with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health requirements. Please read the following details carefully:

• If your child is not entirely well, they must stay home. Also, if you are not well, do not come on site. If you or your child have even slight symptoms of sickness, then phone your doctor or Healthline
  0800 358 5453 for guidance. If someone in your household is unwell with a potentially infectious illness seek advice about your child attending Kindergarten.
• When you come into a building at drop off and pick up times, we require you to fill in the daily contact tracing sheet outside each room. Please pass this on to any caregiver who may be bringing or collecting your child. All adults need to record having been on site. There are QR codes posted in all parts of the school for this purpose, or you can fill out the contact tracing sheet at the main office.
• Please use the signed entry gate closest to your child’s room. Avoid congestion at all entrances, gates, and hallways, and maintain physical distance wherever possible. If there is a cluster of people arriving at a similar time, then just stand back and wait a moment. Cherry Blossom and Tī Kōuka groups, as you will use the same entrance, please move to your end of the corridor on entry.
• While we will enjoy seeing each other again, please keep any time spent on site to a minimum and maintain distance where practical. For Walnut Nursery whānau, we understand that you may wish to come into the room and settle your child in the usual way. For the older kindergarten children, we would appreciate it if you would drop them outside their room where the teachers will greet them.
• Some children may need extra help to settle back in. If you think this is likely, please talk with your teachers beforehand to make a plan together.
• We will regularly clean and disinfect high touch surfaces, encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands and cough and sneeze into their elbow. We will keep spaces well-ventilated while maintaining the required temperature.
• Although physical distancing is not a requirement in early learning services, we will be doing our best to keep physical distance of 1 metre between adults. Wearing face coverings is a personal choice.
• As the outdoor drinking fountains will not be available you will need to provide your child with a named drinking bottle of water.
• We will still serve rice and bread at morning tea and share mealtimes together. However, the children will need to bring a named container of cut fruit for morning tea plus their usual lunchbox.
• If your child is not returning just yet, please inform their teacher by Thursday 9 September.
• Lastly, Spring has sprung and brought with it some beautiful weather. However, we can still have cold, wet days at this time of the year so to be prepared please pack your child’s rain jacket, hat and gumboots, and a spare set of clothes.

We are keen to welcome you all back and to re-establish our safe and warm family groups. Please be in touch with me or your child’s teacher if there is anything you need help with or if you have any questions at this time.

Ngā mihi nui, warmest greetings from us all,

Lily England Kindergarten Coordinator

Lower and Upper School (from yesterday’s update with minor alterations)

• Contact tracing is a requirement when you are on site. 
  • If you go into a building you will need to be signed in our internal school system.
  • If you come on the school grounds but not the buildings, you must use the QR codes that are placed around the school, including at the office and kindergarten, to sign yourself in
  • Class 1 and 2 need to sign in and sign out each day.
• Keep your distance from other people in public where possible
• Wash your hands regularly
• Sneeze and cough into your elbow
• Wear a face covering if you can. This is not a requirement for schools but all people over 12 are being encouraged to do so.
• Parents cannot enter any school building or classroom, for any reason. The one exception is the school office.
• Your first point of contact, outside of pick up and drop off times, on site must be the school office.
• If the office calls you to collect your child, please go to the office to sign them out, and wait there whilst the office goes to the classroom to collect your child.
• If your child has a prearranged appointment off site, notify the office of the time they need to leave. Go to the office and sign your child out. If the child is returning, then sign them back into the office.
• If you need to deliver something for your child, please take it to the office who will deliver it to your child’s teacher.
• Please do not pick up your child during lunch breaks. If your child needs a half day, please discuss the timing with your class teacher.
• For Class One and Two parents
  • After we have signed you in and out, please immediately make your way off site.
  • We have staggered the finish times so there is as little overlapping of parents on site as possible. School finishes at 2.45pm for Class One and Two
• For Class Three and Four parents
  • As it may be congested in Hansen’s Park, we recommend using the other entrances other than the Hansen Park entrance, unless you are collecting Class Three and Four students.
  • remember to collect your younger children from Kindergarten and Class One and Two first, then wait for your older child in Hansen’s Park.
• If, for any reason you need clarification or are unsure of any process, please ring the office.
• Hygiene info
  • Posters are placed in each bathroom.
  • Hand sanitiser will be available in each classroom.
  • Washing hands with soap and drying hands before leaving toilets.
  • Contactless greetings.
  • No sharing of food or bottles or other touch items which go close to the mouth/nose (including phones).
  • If any person on site starts to show signs of illness, they should go the office.
  • Physical Distancing: There is no minimum distance requirement for schools at Alert Level 2. There are situations where physical distancing may not be possible.
  • If you haven’t already, download the NZ Covid QR tracing app and use it everywhere you move to over these next two weeks.

Steven Mustor – Acting Principal

e: principal@ch.steiner.school.nz