Alert Level 3 – Information for Parents
Kia ora parents/caregivers
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.