Alert Level 2 – Information for Parents

Hi Parents

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 pupils to 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 bottles everyday 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 lunchtime and 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 be Subway 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.

By admin School News