Richmond School, 14 Cambridge Street, Richmond, Nelson 7020, Nelson
Phone: 03 544 8959 or email: school@richmondprimary.school.nz
Latest News
Read all the latest news from Richmond School on our Newsletter page. Important highlights including activities, sports events, class outings and more will feature here.
Our school borders are OPEN again now we have moved to Alert Level 1!
The office area is open again.
Parents, grandparents and caregivers are allowed on the school grounds from now on.
Other visitors need to register at the office as per usual.
We will continue to reinforce the GOLDEN RULES for everyone in New Zealand to follow. For schools this means:
If people are sick, they should stay home (phone Healthline or their GP and get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms).
Continue to regularly wash and dry hands, sneeze and cough into elbows.
Soap, water and the ability to dry hands should be provided in bathrooms.
Regularly disinfect shared surfaces.
Stringent self-isolation of those who display relevant symptoms of COVID-19, test positive for COVID-19, have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, or have been overseas in the last 14 days – Ministry of Health information for self-isolation.
This is all wonderful news – well done New Zealand!!!
Many thanks to everyone for completing the Alert Level 2 parent survey about whether your children will be back at school from next Monday 18th May (Alert Level 2 conditions).
The survey shows 98% of children will be returning to school on Monday 18th May. In other words, teachers will be teaching face-to-face with the vast majority of their pupils. A few pupils will be still involved in Distance Learning with activities provided by their teachers at the beginning of each week. They may checkin with them on a daily basis and it is highly unlikely they would be doing this between the hours of 9:00am – 3:00pm on school days because they will teaching the children in their rooms.
Following, is some of the latest information from the COVID-19 website that is relevant to schools and also some of the conditions and protocols Richmond School will be implementing during Alert Level 2 schooling, starting Monday 18th May (initially for a 2 week period).
At Alert Level 2, all children and young people can go to school. The only exceptions are children or young people who are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms, are in isolation, or are awaiting for the result of a test.Distance learning will still be available for those who need to remain at home.
Public health measures will be in place in schools, including children, young people, and staff staying home if they are sick, contact tracing, and hygiene requirements.
What public health control measures are being put in place in schools at Alert Level 2?
Public Health officials have advised that schools are safe to be open at Alert Level 2, if appropriate public health control measures are put in place. Specific public health control measures to be taken in schools include:
• Parents are asked to keep any sick children at home. If a sick child comes to school, schools will send them home.
• Where possible, children, young people and staff should be far enough away from each other, so that they are not breathing on, or touching each other. This must be accompanied with good hygiene practices and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces. There does not need to be a specific measurement but where practicable 1 metre can be used as a guide, particularly between adults.
• Hand sanitiser at entry to class rooms and in shared spaces.
• Soap, water and the ability to dry hands must be provided in bathrooms.
• Where practicable ensure that children and young people regularly wash and dry hands, cough and sneeze into their elbow, and try to avoid touching their face.
• Physical education classes and break time activities can include access to sports equipment including playgrounds but hygiene practice should be observed after playing with equipment.
• Disinfect and clean all surfaces daily.
• Contact tracing registers must be in place, if parents are permitted to be on-site.
PPE is not required or recommended as necessary in any educational facility by the Public Health Service.
Upon advice from the local medical officer of health, any educational facilities connected to a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 must close on an individual or group basis for 72 hours to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.
At Richmond School we will have the following measures in place for the next 2 weeks of Alert Level 2:
1. Children will be able to enter and leave the school grounds using 3 main entrances (manned by Senior management) –
• Junior pupilsto enter via the gate by the Junior quad hardcourt/RTLB building/Room 18(Cambridge Street). The teachers of the Junior classes will also be at the gate to greet the children.
• Middle and some Senior syndicate pupils by the gate next to the Room 10 and 11 building by the old boiler house (Cambridge Street).
• Senior syndicate pupils by the large gate by the PE shed next to Room 3 (Church Street).
• The other gates will be closed and not accessible at these times.
• We are asking parents not to enter the school grounds (as per Alert Level 3) because with a school of this size it is very difficult to comply with ‘contact tracing’ register requirements.
• Please spend time explaining to your chid(ren) how drop-offs and pick-ups will happen so they are prepared for this when they arrive at school. The children who have attended during Alert Level 3 have coped very well with this system.
2. As per Alert Level 3 conditions, entry will be on a bell sounding at 8:45am. Please don’t send your children to school prior to this if possible.
3. On a table outside/inside each classroom there will be hand sanitiser pump bottles for children to sanitize their hands prior to entering their classroom. These will be available throughout the day and in other places like the library and computer suite. The hall floor has been re-oiled and is hardening up at present so the hall won’t be used for at least a week.
4. The children will be frequently reminded of standard hygiene practices (i.e. hand washing and coughing/sneezing).
5. Children will remain with their class teacher for the majority of the day (other than their weekly Information Literacy lessons in the library, Reading Recovery lessons or those involved in the extension or GATE programmes). Teacher-aides will be working in classrooms with individuals or small groups.
6. It looks like at least 95% of our children will return on Monday (maybe as high as 98%). This means Alert Level 3 ‘social distancing’ regulations aren’t possible nor practicable for middle and senior classes with 26- 32 children. These is not required under Alert Level 2 (‘There does not need to be a specific measurement but where practicable 1 metre can be used as a guide’).However, we will continue with the procedures we have in place for those on-site at present. For example, sitting at their own seat, using their own stationery and using a certain device (and if shared it will be cleaned prior to another person touching it).
7. We would like children to bring their own water bottleseveryday and take them home each night to clean and refill.
8. The library will be closed at lunchtimes.
9. Play-times and lunch-times will be at the usual time. We will not be rotating classes through staggered morning-tea times and lunch-times. However, there will be set areas and adventure playgrounds where children from certain syndicates can play. Adventure playgrounds and fields will be open.
10. Children will eat their morning tea and lunch in their rooms prior to going out to play. They will clean their hands prior to eating. They will use the hand sanitizer after morning tea, after lunchtimeand after they have been outside for fitness/P.E.
11. The children will be able to take library books home to read. However, on return these will be collected by our librarian and cleaned.
12. The bike/scooter enclosure will be available for use. Under Alert Level 3 conditions children were able to use bikes, scooters, roller blades etc at during play-time and lunch-times. Due to the larger numbers back at school under Alert Level 2 this will not be possible.
13. There won’t beSubway orders under Alert Level 2 (at least for the next 2 weeks).
14. The hall won’t be available for community users under Alert Level 2 (at least for the next 2 weeks).
15. We will not be holding assemblies under Alert Level 2 (at least for the next 2 weeks).
16. Our kapahaka groups and Middle and Senior choirs will not be happening under Alert Level 2 (at least for the next 2 weeks).
17. The main office door will be open for people to access the office. There will be a table set up outside the door for couriers to deliver items.
18. Children will not be allowed in the photocopier rooms nor the staffroom under Alert Level 2 (at least for the next 2 weeks). The office staff will ring the school bell.
A brief survey was emailed out to all parents yesterday regarding school opening on Monday 18th May at level 2. Thank you to those who have responded. Please complete it ASAP if you have not yet done so to give us an indication of how many children we can expect. It will only take a minute. Thank you!
I would like to thank all parents /caregivers for supporting your children during the present ‘Distance Learning’ programme during Alert 4. We know there will have been any number of challenges for you to deal with but we have been getting some great feedback about the learning that is happening and thank you for all your support. Last week, the Government announced that we will move into Alert Level 3 on the 28th April for 2 weeks (until Tuesday 12th May, when the Alert level will be reassessed). This means Richmond School will be open for some students to return to school from the 29th April. Thankyou to everyone who responded so quickly to the parent survey. We had virtually 100% respond. A few have had to change their response in recent days, mainly due to changes in their employment circumstances about whether they are returning to work or not next Tuesday. The key message from the Prime Minister to parents/caregivers being – if you can, you should keep your child at home. You should only send your child to school if you need to. If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness you must keep them at home. If your child is sick during the 2 weeks of Alert Level 3 then please also ensure you keep them at home and notify the office of this. In order to ensure the safety of those children and our staff who do come to school, we will be operating with strict health and safety measures devised by Richmond School guided by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Worksafe regulations and advice. I need parents to be fully aware that children who are returning to school on Wednesday 29th April for the duration of Alert Level 3, will find it very different to what school has been like in the past. They may struggle with the conditions that we have to comply with. Please make sure you inform your children of the conditions noted below, so they are well aware of what they will experience. I also want to assure parents that teachers will be providing Distance Learning activities and daily support for children learning at home during the two weeks of Alert 3. This will be undertaken by your child’s class teacher. The same learning tasks will continue whether the teacher is on-site at school or operating from home. 12 of our 18 class teachers and 5(maybe 6) of our 10 teacher-aides will be ‘on-site’ at school. There are health and family reasons for some not being at school. Hence, some children who will be on-site at school will be in a class ‘bubble’ with another teacher in their syndicate.
Only 12 classrooms will be in use during Alert Level 3. 8 classrooms, the library, the computer suite and the hall will be closed. The children who will be on-site at school will be in small ‘bubbles’ with a class teacher and 5 bubbles will also have a teacher-aide. They will be in their bubble from 9:00am – 3:00pm daily, primarily in their designated room. The children will be doing the same “Distance Learning’ activities as their usual classmates who are at home. Children will be sitting at their designated desk/table for the 2 weeks. They will be at least one metre apart at all times. If they are sitting on the mat area, staff will be indicating where they must sit. They will use their own stationery. Children will not be permitted to touch other children or staff nor interact at any time with any other bubble. Classroom doors will be left open to rooms – weather and temperature permitting (so no one needs to touch door handles.
Playtimes and lunchtimes will look like this:
· All food will be eaten in their classroom.
· Staff will supervise their own ‘bubble’ when they are eating and playing.
· The will play in their ‘bubble’ in specific areas. Senior syndicate children will have breaks at staggered times.
· Children will not be able to play games like 4 or 8 square. They can’t share sports equipment.
· Adventure playgrounds and the back field will remain closed.
· We recommend the older children can bring named scooters or skateboards that are kept in their ‘bubble’ classroom.
· Children will have their own individual skipping rope, stone (to play hop scotch) and possible a sports ball.
· The children must maintain the recommended 2 metre social distance rule when outside.
Arrival and departure times:
· School will begin at 9:00am and finish daily at 3:00pm.
· Parents must not enter the school grounds (due to issues with contact tracking and varying bubbles).
· We will not be manning the road crossings (we have 4). So, parents are asked bring their children to school after 8:45am each day.
· Once there the children must report to the gate ‘manager/teacher’ noted above and then they must go straight to the ‘bubble’ classroom – no playing in the playground.
· Parents should bring their children to school and pick them up each day from these specific areas.
· Glenna Armstrong (Associate Principal) at the Cambridge main gate – Juniors. Some other teachers may be present.
· Tim Brenton (Principal) at the gate by the Room 11 entrance – Middle syndicate children.
· Raewyn Brenton (Senior syndicate leader) at the staffroom gate behind Room 11 – Senior syndicate children.
· Children arriving late are not to report to the office. The ‘Bubble’ teacher will phone the office.
· School will start at 9:00am and finish at 3:00pm daily. We will not be staggering these times but will organise staggered playtimes and lunchtimes. These times (especially lunchtimes) will be shortened and the children will be more than welcome to be in their ‘bubble’ classroom at this time (maintaining their social distances of course).
Other matters:
· The bike enclosure will be closed so please don’t let your child bring their bikes to school.
· Water fountains will be sealed off and can’t be used so we want children to bring their own water bottle to be taken home each day and cleaned.
· Staff will be frequently reminding children to wash hands (and how), to use hand sanitizer and the correct way to cough if they need to. Hand sanitizer will be available in every classrooms.
· Children will not be permitted to enter the staffroom or photocopying room.
· At the end of each day teachers and teacher-aides will clean desk tops when children have been sitting, and ipads/laptops they have been using.
· Neither the Year 3/4 extension group nor the GATERS programme will operate during Level 3.
· Afterschool care programmes will not be operating.
· Subway lunches will not be available.
· No parents or volunteers will be allowed on-site.
· We need to keep a ‘contact tracing’ register for each ‘bubble’ so this a reason we don’t want parents, volunteers or visitors on-site.
· McIlroy Painting and Decorating Ltd personnel will be on-site painting specific exterior areas away from the children. Similarly, Tasman Floor Sanding Ltd will be sanding and re-oiling the hall floor. They will work and have meal breaks in the hall’s kitchen and meeting room.
Office organisation
· The best way to make contact with the office is either by phone (03 5448959) or email aharris@staff.richmondprimary.school.nz
· The Office is shut to all parents and children. The sliding window (by the principal’s office) can be opened for anyone who needs them.
· On the front foyer door there will be a sign advising people to use the sliding window on the other side of the office. Also advising them that during Alert 3 we prefer not to have visitors and not our school phone number. Dots to be placed on the concrete outside indicating the 2 metre divide.
· Couriers will leave parcels outside.
· Our Visitors book available at the office slide (if necessary). Office staff will fill it in, adding cell number and area going to (in case tracing is needed).
· The sickbay should not be used – boxes of plasters given to each room, extra ice packs will be available, as will masks, gloves and hand sanitiser. The office staff will help if necessary.
· Office personnel to follow-up on ‘on-site’ absences as per usual.
Kia ora koutou
Firstly, I would like to thank all parents /caregivers for supporting your children during the present ‘Distance Learning’ programme during Alert 4. We know there will have been any number of challenges for you to deal with but we have been getting some great feedback about the learning that is happening and thank you for all your support.
Yesterday the Government announced that we will move into Alert Level 3 on the 28th April. That means we will be open for some students to return to school from the 29th April. We have started to prepare our school site from today.
The key message from the Prime Minister for you is that if you can, you should keep your child at home. You should only physically send your child to school if you need to. If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness you must keep them at home. If your child is sick please also ensure you keep them at home.
In order to ensure the safety of those children and our staff who do come to school, we will be operating with strict enforcement of health and safety measures.
I want to assure you that we will continue to support your child’s learning at home during the rest of this week (Alert 4) and the following two weeks (Alert 3).
Attached to your email is a survey we need all parents to complete a.s.a.p. (by 9:00pm Wednesday 22nd April at the latest please) to find out whether you can keep your child learning from home, or need your child to attend school in person. It is also available on our facebook page.
The Ministry of Education has advised that they are working closely with health experts to develop clear guidance that will support schools to safely re-open their premises to students and staff. This will help us work through the public health requirements that we all need to meet. As you will be doing, we want to be sure that what we do will keep our community as safe as possible.
For now, we will continue to support your child’s learning by distance while we progress our planning for what Alert Level 3 will mean for you and for our school. We will be in touch again soon with more information. As you have been doing, please keep connecting with your teachers with any questions you might have.
Please remember to complete the survey as soon as possible. Ngā mihi
Tim Brenton PRINCIPAL
The Prime Minister has stated:
“We are asking parents, if you can keep your child at home, you should keep them at home.”
Information for parents – an update (13th April 2020):
Many of you will have seen differing reports in the media about when and how schools will re–open once we move from Alert Level 4 to other levels. I would like to add some clarification – my understandings.
The main points:
1. No decision has been made yet about when schools will re–open. This decision will be made based on data about the spread of Covid-19 and how we are tracking in terms of stamping it out. It is unlikely that a decision will be made by the government before 20thApril.
2. The very earliest schools would open would be 29thApril. And this would likely only be SOME schools, some students and probably not all.
3. The Ministry (and us) are preparing for several possible scenarios – opening only for staff, opening for essential workers’ children, opening in shifts so that children can stay 2metres apart, opening for just senior students, a combination of distance and on-site learning, staggered opening, not opening for a number of weeks etc. We want to be prepared for whatever the decision is once the informationbecomes clear.
4. There will be ample notice before schools open. They will not be closed one day and open the next. We will be given ample time to ensure that the school has a deep-clean, that our planning for the term is completed and that we put in place any Health and Safety regulations.
5. The Ministry has been VERY clear that we will NOT be moving out of Alert Level 4 early.
6. Chris Hipkins(Minister of Education) this week, is working on guidelines for what Alert Level 3 could look like for schools. We look forward to his guidance on this matter.
7. I have applied to the Ministry for 67 laptops for students in need of these and also for hard copy learning packs to be couriered to them if they do not have a device they can use. My concern is very much I believe (and have believed this from Day 1 of the Lockdown) it is unlikely primary students in Nelson will receive a laptop to use during the Lockdown. The main reason is, as reported in the Otago Daily Times yesterday:
“(At present the Ministry of Education) have 17,000 devices. We estimate we need about 145,000, so we do need to prioritise devices as they become available.”
These will be more than likely to be sent to secondary school pupils and lower decile intermediate and primary schools.
