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.
Message to parents re the school undertaking a LOCKDOWN EXERCISE this afternoon
Kia ora parents/caregivers
Yesterday we informed parents via email and our facebook page today we are conducting a lockdown exercise under the guidance and support of Harrison-Tew Ltd.
The exercise will be as real-life as possible, which means that parents/families will receive notification by email. This information will emphasise that we are conducting a lockdown exercise/practice and will explain that all updated information will then be posted in the school website and facebook page.
Just like if there was a genuine incident, should you hear of a lockdown or evacuation at the school, please do not come to school or phone, as we will not be able to respond. There will be regular updates on placed on our facebook page, website and via emails. Your presence at, or contact with, the school may make it more difficult to manage the situation and could potentially place your child, and in fact, yourselves at risk.
Letter to parents re the school undertaking a LOCKDOWN EXERCISE TOMORROW (emailed to all parents 11/5/22)
Kia ora parents/caregivers
Recently Richmond School engaged the services of an independent company called Harrison-Tew Ltd, who specialise in emergency management planning for schools. The procedures developed by Harrison-Tew Ltd allow us to respond safely and quickly to a range of circumstances.
As a component of the implementation of the emergency procedures into our school, specialised training has been conducted with the school’s management and staff. Tomorrow afternoon the children will also receive training directed at their respective age groups (conducted by Harrison-Tew Ltd) about how we will respond during a LOCKDOWN. We may go into lockdown at school, due to an event such as a swarm of bees invading our school or a vicious dog on the loose around the school.
The training consists of a low key but detailed approach to potential threats and has been successfully implemented in hundreds of schools throughout New Zealand.
After the training we will be conducting a brief lockdown exercise under the guidance and support of Harrison-Tew Ltd.
The exercise will be as real-life as possible, which means that parents/families will receive notification by email. This information will emphasise that we are conducting a lockdown exercise/practice and will explain that all updated information will then be posted in the school website and facebook page.
If there was a genuine incident, should you hear of a lockdown or evacuation at the school, please do not come to school or phone, as we will not be able to respond. There will be regular updates on our facebook page, website and via emails. Your presence at, or contact with, the school may make it more difficult to manage the situation and could potentially place your child, and in fact, yourselves at risk.
I trust your children have been enjoying the holidays and are refreshed ready for a busy term ahead. Our main topic (Rich topic) for Term 2 is ‘Te Moana’. More details in future newsletters.
You’ll be aware that recently the Minister of Education Chris Hipkins announced the move to Orange Traffic Light conditions at 11:59pm 13th April 2022.
The decision to move to Orange was made on public health advice and reflects that we are moving past the peak of cases and our health system is able to cope. Cases are declining due to high levels of vaccination and natural immunity after infection.
At Orange, face masks are no longer required at school. However, it is strongly recommended face masks continue to be worn by ākonga and staff in Years 4 and above when indoors.
Wearing a mask is a key health measure that slows the spread of COVID-19 in indoor settings.
Visitors, parents and caregivers, are strongly encouraged to wear a mask when indoors. If COVID-19 is circulating widely in your community, we may decide that masks are required indoors again for a time.
As always, our school community should continue to maintain good hygiene and stay home if they are sick. Continue to use well-ventilated indoor spaces.
We will ask children (if they are Year 4+) to continue to bring a mask to school every day. There may be times that they’ll be asked to wear a mask – for example, when they are attending a syndicate assembly in the hall. If there are a high number of cases at school or in the community, we may ask that masks are worn in classrooms for a time.
We will continue to keep all the other health measures in place at school as we know these slow the spread of COVID-19. These include ensuring our indoor spaces are well-ventilated, maintaining good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette, appropriate physical distancing whenever we can and, most importantly, staying home if unwell.
More information for our parents:
· Parents are welcome to come into the school grounds and classrooms.
· There will be notices on the gates indicating if parents enter the buildings are strongly encouraged to wear facemasks and maintain social distances. We ask parents not to linger in classrooms before and after school, if possible.
· Parents coming into the school as parent helpers should wear facemasks in the rooms.
· Management and teachers will no longer ‘Meet and greet’ daily at the 3 main entry gates, before school and at the end of the day.
· We would have too many people at full school assemblies so only syndicate assemblies will take place – for now.
· Interviews to be conducted Week 10 Term 2 as planned.
· Our annual school cross-country day at Rabbit Island (and the junior one at school) will continue as planned – more details to follow.
· Choirs and kapahaka can be held. Maintaining social distancing whenever possible.
Please bring all your raffle tickets and any basket donations back to the office by tomorrow Wednesday 6/4/22. Tickets will be drawn and winners notified on Friday 8/4/22. Thank you!
No doubt everyone will have heard about the government announcement that from 11:59pm Thursday 24th February we have entered Phase 3, Red Traffic Light conditions. Following is the relevant details about schooling and COVID matters. I quote from a Ministry of Education Bulletin sent to schools.
In Phase 3, only household contacts of confirmed cases are required to self-isolate. The isolation period will be 10 days. All other contacts of COVID-positive people are not required to isolate, but they will need to monitor for symptoms. Rapid antigen tests will become the primary testing method.
This is a decision that has been made based on public health advice – the high vaccination rate across the country will do its job in protecting us from transmission during the next surge of cases.
Attending school has many benefits for the learning and wellbeing of children and it is wonderful to see virtually all our students at school. We have very good systems in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Since we are still at Red under the COVID-19 Protection Framework, the most effective measures to reduce spread of COVID-19 remain in place: vigilance about symptoms, staying away from school if one is unwell and maintaining high hygiene standards – these continue to be a priority.
Moving to Phase 3 means only household contacts of a case must isolate. All other contacts should continue to monitor for symptoms. If any arise, they should stay home from school and get a test. Confirmed cases are now asked to undertake their own investigation to identify close contacts. As such – staff, students, parents and caregivers should notify our school if they or their child was positive while at school.
Isolation period for confirmed cases and household contacts
A case will need to isolate at home for 10 days, as will anyone else in the household.
Rapid antigen tests will now be available as a diagnostic tool
There will be a lot more rapid antigen tests (RATs) used at Phase 3. There will be a list on the COVID website of places these will be available to be picked up from.
PCR testing will be prioritised for people who are unwell and people who are more susceptible. For example, this will include those in hospital or who are immunocompromised or pregnant – people for whom it is very important to have a clinical diagnosis. It will also continue to be used for border testing.
Anyone who tests positive with a RAT test will need to self-report their positive result and then isolate for 10 days. There is no longer a need to follow up with a PCR test to confirm that result.
Contact management
Cases will now receive a text notification advising they have COVID-19. The text will outline what the case and their household need to do.
Many thanks for your on-going support and understanding. Please take care during these unprecedented times.
Tim
Welcome back after what we hope has been a wonderful summer for your family.
As you will know by now, we have moved fully into the new COVID-19 traffic light framework for our school.
You will be familiar with all the health measures we need to have in place during this pandemic. I would like to outline some changes since the end of the 2021 school year.
It is very pleasing that at the Red traffic light setting, we are able to support students’ learning on-site and so we look forward to them all being back at school next Wednesday 2nd February starting at 9:00am. If/when we move to Orange or Green there will be further changes.
We will be continuing with good hygiene and cleaning practices, such as, regular hand washing/sanitising, cough and sneeze etiquette, regular cleaning of high touch surfaces, and open doors and windows.
Here is a list of the significant changes since the end of the 2021 school year:
• Children who are Year 4 and older should be wearing facemasks inside. The staff will be also. This is the advice we have received and so we need to comply with this. Children of all ages may wear facemasks to and from school. The Ministry of Education is supplying facemasks for children who don’t have them. Children in Year 3/4 composite classes do not have wear them. Having said that it would seem to me to be best practice for them to do so. Our aim is to keep children and staff safe. Children and staff in other classes may also choose to wear them.
• Public Health advice is that an appropriate face covering is one that will fit snugly and seal well around facial contours. This can include single use, disposable masks (medical masks) and re-usable fabric masks with three layers.
• Large hui and gatherings especially when indoors are risky activities and can often be super-spreader sources. We have therefore reviewed all our events and activities for the upcoming term to ensure we meet the health guidance for Red. Hence, our annual Week 2 powhiri/mihi whakatau has been postponed for now. Kapahaka and choirs won’t be happening at present. Swimming sports (school and interschool events) will not take place. Assemblies won’t be taking place in the foreseeable future.
• We will endeavour to keep classrooms well ventilated and provide children with plenty of opportunities to be outside in playground (fresh air).
• We would prefer parents not to enter the school grounds. We understand that for the first few days with little ones (especially New Entrants) or children who are anxious, parents may wish to come along to the classroom and speak to the teacher. If parents enter the grounds then please have a facemask on and remember to comply with social distancing requirements. Please speak to the class teacher outside in a ventilated area and again – we ask parents not to enter classrooms. An email may well be a preferred option to discuss matters with the teacher or a way to arrange a meeting with the teacher. Teachers email addresses are on our school website (under ‘Staff’ dropdown):
• If you enter the school then please sign in on the Visitors Record booklet or by using the QR code signs (set up at the 3 entrances). Remember to wear your facemask.
• As per last year there are 3 entrances and we prefer parents/children use these:
– Juniors (Rooms 13-20) by the Junior hardcourt area
– Middles (Rooms 6-9 and Room 12) by the Rooms 10&11 block
– Seniors (Rooms 1-5 and Rooms 10&11) by the PE store/bike enclosure
• Class Introductions (Week 2) won’t be held this year – information to be sent out via comprehensive newsletters by class teachers.
• Goal setting interviews – a decision about these (Week 5) can be made at a later time.
• Swimming pool key-holders can continue to use the pool. There is a limit of 25 in the pool enclosure. Please respect this. Also could key-holders make sure you lock the changing rooms and toilet when you leave as these are frequently left unlocked.
• If you children are unwell please keep them at home. If children are unwell at school we will ring their parents immediately and arrange for parents to collect them pronto. Parents need to follow Ministry of Health advice at such times.
Further information from the Ministry of Education:
Vaccination for five to 11 year-olds
Vaccination including a booster shot, remains an important tool to help prevent the most serious harm from the COVID-19 virus. If children and young adults who have been vaccinated do develop COVID-19, they are far less likely to get seriously ill and less likely to transmit the virus to others.
The free five to 11 year-old vaccination programme is now underway and more than 100,000 children in New Zealand have had their first dose.
There is some helpful information available to support you on the Unite Against COVID-19 website including How to book a vaccine for your five – 11 year old and some great videos on the Kids Health page that can support you to talk to your tamariki about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Managing cases in our school
We have a good 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 on-site 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.
Preparing for COVID-19
You can also prepare for COVID-19, making sure you and your household have a plan and know what to do. This will mean your whānau and community can help each other if needed. Find out more here:
• Be prepared for COVID-19
• Download the COVID-19 Readiness Checklist [PDF, 121 KB]
• What to expect when self-isolating at home
Self-isolating at home because of COVID-19
Many people will be able to manage self-isolation with help from friends and whānau, but there is help available if you need it – both with health support and access to food and other essentials.
• What to expect when self-isolating at home | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
• Getting extra support if you have COVID-19 or are self-isolating | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
• COVID-19 positive – managing your symptoms | Health Navigator NZ
If you know anyone in your community affected by COVID-19 and who may need help, such as food and other financial assistance, Work and Income has a range of supports available for individuals, families, employers and self-employed people affected by COVID-19.
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
• School costs
• Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy
• Other Childcare Assistance
• School and Year Start-up Payment (for people getting Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit)
• 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.
MoneyTalks can assist with free budgeting and debt help
You can also contact your local community provider. Please find more information here.
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 ready to return to school. There is also a very important reminder about how you can take care of yourself.
While this might feel a little overwhelming at times, we know that all these measures will help our children return to school, reconnect with whānau and friends and do what they enjoy.
We are also here to help. Please get in touch if you have any concerns or need help in any way.
