School at Alert Level 2

Kia ora whānau,

As expected we have seen a community transmission re-occurrence in New Zealand. Though we are not regionally affected by this, we have been told that we will be following level 2 protocols for 3 days. This will be in place as of mid day on Wednesday 12th, August.

We are well prepared for this, as the systems we had in place in the previous levels were clear and easy to manage. I have outlined these again below.

The key principles for Alert Level 2 are to:

• reduce the risk of someone getting infected in the first place;

• ensure we can identify and contact anyone who becomes infected;

• understand that Level 2 is not business as usual.

What will school be like at Alert Level 2:

• All staff and children will be onsite

• Buses will be running and we will be required to keep a list of who has travelled to and from school on the bus each day. We anticipate that some families may choose not to use the bus during Level 2, so if you are planning to change this, please let us know so we can be sure who to expect on the bus or not. Please bear in mind that only those who are eligible to take the bus, can.

• MASH will continue to operate.

• Only students and staff will be able to enter our buildings and grounds. The exception to this will be parents of new entrant children who are starting school or those students whose needs require drop off with staff. We are aware of who these students are but if you are new to Kura, please contact us so we can arrange this with staff prior to arriving onsite;

• The office will be open for phone calls and emails only and no one other than staff or pre-approved visitors will be able to come in;

• The school grounds will be locked during the school day and will only be open for school drop off (8.30am to 9am) and school pick up (3pm to 3.15 Monday to Friday and 2.45 to 3pm on a Friday);

• In order to comply with contact tracing requirements, all staff and visitors to school will be required to sign in and out on our vistab iPad at the office (this includes those new entrant parents or other parents who have been granted access);

• It is essential that you are on time to collect your child at the end of the day. Children will not be able to stay and play in the playground after school. If you are not able to collect your child at 3pm, you will need to book them in with MASH;

• Hand washing will continue to be encouraged and we will continue to have hand sanitiser available in all of our buildings;

• Each child needs to bring their own named water bottle as the drinking fountains will still be out of action.

Behaviour: The Ministry of Health guidelines are very clear. For this environment to remain safe social distancing and good hygiene habits must be adhered to. If students cannot follow these guidelines and compromise the health and safety of others, parents or caregivers will be asked to collect their child.

Please speak to your children about the importance of following all instructions given by the staff.

Cleanliness:

• Our cleaners are amazing. They are cleaning the COVID-19 testing centre locally and are fully trained in the requirements for ensuring a COVID-19 free space.

• Washing hands is still the best prevention of transmission, so all learning communities and bathrooms also have soap and hot water.

• Students are welcome to bring their own sanitiser if they wish.

• PPE such as face masks and gloves are not necessary at level 2 but should you wish your child to wear a mask, this is okay. Staff will wear masks if they choose to.

Sickness or Injury:

• If your child is sick, Do Not bring them to school. Even if symptoms are mild this is unacceptable. If staff feel the child is presenting with any symptoms, you will be contacted to come and collect your child.

• If your child becomes ill during the day we will phone and ask for your child to be collected.

• If your child is injured during the day, we will follow our usual protocols. If it is minor we’ll manage it and inform you as is normal. If serious, we will follow our system currently in place and make contact with you immediately.

What do you need to do now:

• Let your child know that school is mostly the same, but drop off and pickups might look different for a few days;

• Explain that you won’t be able to come in to school to collect them - and make a plan with them for where you will meet them after school;

• Talk to your child about good hand washing habits and sneezing and coughing into their elbow;

• Talk to your child about the things that will be different at school - no drinking fountains (bring a drink bottle each day), social distancing and only accessing their learning space.

If you have any queries about any of this, please don’t hesitate to email me: principal@pegasusbay.school.nz

Kind regards Jared Kelly