Remaining at Alert Level 4

Kia ora koutou,

We are working hard to keep you all up-to-date with news and information as it comes to hand but this I hope will be the last until Friday!  I have also sent the Learning from Home 2021 as an email to all parents to ensure it reaches all.

I think we had all anticipated a further extension of Alert Level 4, and the Prime Minister has confirmed this. The Alert Level will be reviewed on Friday afternoon, but for now Alert Level 4 will remain in place until 12:59pm Friday 27 August.

Despite this news, it is really pleasing to see Alert Level 4 is having its impact on the number of confirmed cases, with numbers not dramatically increasing as they would likely have done if we had been at a lower Alert Level.

And so our distance learning programme will continue- what a fabulous response today, we are well underway; congratulations to all.

Please note. It is only in very limited circumstances that students, parents or caregivers are allowed to come to the school grounds. So please do not come to school unless you have been individually contacted by us to do so.

You may be wondering how, with so many contacts being identified of confirmed cases, we aren’t seeing bigger case numbers identified. Just like the Delta variant is different, so has been New Zealand’s response. Previously we might have moved to Alert Level 2 or 3 if there was a new COVID-19 case in the community (which happened most recently in Wellington). This time we moved immediately to Alert Level 4, after only one case had been identified.

Health authorities are also casting a MUCH wider net to determine who is a contact of a confirmed case. People who previously might have been considered a casual contact are now being treated as contacts. Where schools may have closed for three days while contact tracing was undertaken, they are now closing for 14 days with staff and students all self-isolating for that time. As a result, there are more than 13,000 close contacts being followed up by health authorities.

There is a lot we can all do to protect our whānau and community from COVID-19 including:

• Everyone must continue to stay home in their bubble
• Do not mix with other household bubbles – if they have COVID-19, it can easily spread to your household, and every other household they and you are connecting with
• As new cases are identified, new locations of interest are added to the Ministry of Health website – please keep checking this. You can search by your location and they are sorted by date, so you only need to check the locations which have been added when you last checked
• Wash your hands regularly, especially when you have been out in public
• Stay home if you are feeling unwell and seek advice about whether you need to get a test
• Wear a face covering when out and about, and you MUST wear a face covering in any businesses or services which are open at Alert Level 4 (unless you have specifically been exempted from doing so, which includes anyone aged under 12)
• Keep a two-metre distance from people outside your household bubble
• Check in using the NZ COVID Tracer App wherever you go or keep a manual record (a reminder the App only stores information on your own phone – no one else will know who it is that checked in, or when)

You can go to the COVID19.govt.nz website if you would like more information on Alert Level 4 requirements.

We can also make sure we are passing on good information. There is a very helpful article by Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris in The Spinoff regarding misinformation and disinformation.

Their red flags for how to spot bad information are particularly well-summarised. Bad information will:

• downplay COVID-19 and the pandemic
• focus on survival rate
• ignore long COVID
• emphasise individual freedom
• try to sell you something
• push simple cures/treatments
• make you feel fearful or angry.

“Good information put out to help you make an informed choice won’t make you feel scared or angry. It’ll make you feel empowered.”

Finally, we know some families in our community may be finding it difficult to access food and essential items such as medicine.  This information about how to access to food or essential items summarises the supports that are available, including financial help to buy food.

Please do take care and let us know how we can best support you and your whānau.

God bless,

Celeste

Why Are We Learning at Home?   Information Videos

• We are currently in Lockdown, Level 4 of the Covid 19 Response system.
• Students in schools in NZ all over the world continue to learn in this way,  from home.
• Today, we distributed 36 devices to support families which means almost all Holy Cross children have access to a device (If you are still needing one please email administration@hcm.school.nz)

What Does Holy Cross Home Learning Look Like? 

• Each weekday (Monday to Friday) between 9am-3pm students are encouraged to complete work set by their teachers or on the Ministry website.
• The times for learning can be adjusted to suit your family's bubble. We want you to make the most of this time together as a family.  We want you and your children to be happy and calm and we want to support your child to manage his or her time with increasing independence. 

How Can Parents and Caregivers Support Home Learning? 

Be kind to yourself! Home learning is not home schooling! Our teachers will continue to provide support and feedback to your child.  Make the timetable work for your family.

• Read through the suggested daily plan and listen to the teacher’s daily recordings - discuss these with your child(ren), this will help set them up for a successful day.
• Check in, when you can, with your child(ren) to see how they’re going 
• Check the devices and websites your children are using and have parental controls in place to keep our learners safe.
• Contact your child’s teacher by email or text Celeste on 021 08850566  if there are any issues.
• Remember,  learning is happening at home all the time! When you cook together, when you go for walks and notice different plants, trees, insects, etc  and when you take the time to write together! Research shows the power of a bedtime story! It will help you to relax, your children will treasure the time with you.  Check out the RNZ stories. There are listening stories for all ages to enjoy!

Whatever you can do is enough.

What and How will Holy Cross Students Learn at Home?

• The day is divided up to provide suggested times for Reflection, Exercise, Literacy, Maths and Exploration-  many of the links for these activities are also found on the Holy Cross School website Home Learning Page and  Ministry of Education Learning from home ideas and links 
• Each day students are encouraged to login into their Google Classroom to check the learning activities and  if possible attend zoom times set by the teachers. Junior Parents, we recommend you use this link for an explanation of how to do this.
• Most learning activities have a device or non device option. 
• At the start of the year students had input on and were set an online safety kahoot 

(you may like to revisit this learning as a family HERE)

• We also have non device Home Learning Ideas-   Marcellin Ideas  

How will Teachers Support Home Learning? 

• Teachers have provided age appropriate non device Home Learning Ideas for students as well as links to online learning through the Google Classroom. 
• The home learning activities and tasks will be reviewed and updated regularly
• Learning activities and tasks will be chosen to support your child to grow as an independent learner.
• Teachers will be available at different times of the day to connect through zoom meetings with students and to support caregivers with their learning. (See your child’s google classroom) 

NOTE: We have set these zooms for the same time each day- and kept them to 1 per day - we have had very positive feedback on this action. Do not worry of your child cannot attend every zoom meeting 

Whatever you can manage, it  is enough.

• Teachers will try to respond to emails on weekdays within a 24 hour period.

Remember: Our main focus will be on providing support - not pressure. We want you to make the most of this time together as a family and we are committed to supporting your child’s home learning journey.

On the following page we have put together an easy to follow summary of guidelines for each group:  students, whānau and teacher .  

Summary 

Remember- be kind to each other ….

                  We’ll get through this together…