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Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā koutou katoa i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.
Welcome back after what we hope has been a wonderful summer for your whānau.
Our team is feeling refreshed and ready to go for the 2022 year and can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Holy Cross School.
In regard to COVID-19 we have moved fully into the new traffic light framework for all our school and kura activities and events this year. We have outlined all our protocols of what RED setting looks like at Holy Cross school - a copy of this comes with this letter. It is good to know that at RED setting, we are able to support everyone learning onsite.
Events and activities
Large hui and gatherings especially when indoors continue to be one of the riskier activities we can undertake. We have therefore reviewed all our events and activities for the upcoming term to ensure we meet the health guidance for RED.
Learning conferences can take place next week on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th February. We have included a copy of the questions that will be used at this important meeting. These questions are to promote discussion. Please come prepared to share information with your child’s teacher.
Teachers will also clarify aspects of the RED setting, discuss ICT permissions and check that stationery has been purchased. You can bring stationery to school on this day. You will also be asked to check and update your personal details we keep on file.
Ventilation
We have used the Ministry of Education self-assessment tool to review all our ventilation in readiness for the start of the year. Providing good old fashioned fresh air remains the most important thing we can do in our learning spaces to minimise risk for ākonga and kaiako (and the same goes for you at home). We will also be receiving a CO2 monitor in the coming weeks to further support our ventilation plan
Omicron and testing
We have all seen the very large numbers of cases overseas and we will very likely see much larger numbers of cases in Aotearoa than we have previously experienced in the last two years. While Omicron is more transmissible than previous strains, most people who get COVID-19 will have a mild to moderate illness and will fully recover in their own home.
However, some of our community who are immune compromised, are ill or have other vulnerabilities, even when they are fully vaccinated, could be more affected by Omicron. So, we all need to continue to play our part to minimise the spread of the virus.
If you or your child have possible symptoms of COVID-19 or Omicron, please get a test and self-isolate with your family until you have received a negative test result and are symptom free for 24 hours.
Face coverings
Staff and children in Years 4 – 8 must wear face coverings when inside at school when we are at RED.
Public health advice is that an appropriate face covering 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.
Don’t worry if you don’t have these specific types of face coverings, as public health experts also say that any face covering is better than no face covering.
For those of you with children who might be reluctant to wear a face covering, there is some helpful advice from Michigan Health, including using simple, specific explanations about why they need to wear a face covering, adults being the role models, providing small rewards for wearing them, bringing face coverings into play such as drawing face coverings on characters in colouring books, or letting them choose/make the mask.
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 onsite 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. Check the COVID-19 Government site for more information around how to prepare and what to do if you need to self-isolate.
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 back to school. There is also a very important reminder about how you can take care of yourself.
While this might all 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.
Looking forward to a positive start for 2022.
Ngā mihi nui,
Lyn Hough
Principal
CLASSROOMS
- Mask wearing- all students in Years 4-8 are required to wear a mask. It is recommended that these be medical grade masks e.g. blue disposable masks or masks of a higher level of protection. All staff will be wearing masks in the classroom and the administration areas of the school. Please ensure your child comes to school with an appropriate mask every day. If help is needed to do this please contact the office.
- Ventilation- Classrooms will be well ventilated with doors and windows open at all times.
- Good hygiene practices will be encouraged
- Regular handwashing/sanitising
- Cough and sneeze etiquette
- Regular cleaning of high touch surfaces
- Open doors and windows.
- The playground is available to all students with set areas for Juniors, Middles and Seniors to play in.
SHARED SPACES
- The Library is open to students for class visits. During break times access to the library will be rostered for Juniors, Middles and Seniors.
- Drinking fountains are available for use but we encourage students to use water bottles.
- Lunch is eaten outside in the following places:
- R11, 12 and 7 outside R12
- R 6, 5,3 outside R11
- R 1,2 on the stage.
- Music lessons will continue to be offered. There will be no singing inside.
PICK UP AND DROP OFF
- One parent to pick up and drop off students at the gate. Masks and social distancing outside the gate. Please do not linger.
- Parents of 5 year olds who have just started school in 2022 can drop their child to the Room 11 door for the first 2 weeks. These students are to be picked up from Room 12 at 2pm. Parents to scan, sign in at the office and wear a mask when they come on site.
- Staggered times are set for pick ups to manage the number of people gathering: please come at those times only and leave promptly. Children can be collected at Athens Street entrance or from the courts. Please remain in your cars.
Surnames a-h: 2.40pm
Surnames i-p: 2.50pm
Surnames q-z, SKIDS kids and children walking home: 3pm
Please let us know if you will have a problem getting here by the time stated.
STAFF AND VISITORS
- All Staff are double vaccinated as of the 1st January and will receive a booster four months after their last vaccine. All staff will receive their booster by March 1st. (Staff Vaccine register kept).
- No non-essential visitors on site.
- Visitors must use the visitors book and the Covid Contact tracing app.
- Essential visitors include staff that support learning- RTLB, RTLit, MOE learning support.
- Visitors must wear masks at all times.
- High rates of sickness throughout Wellington may make it difficult to employ relievers to cover staff if they have a normal sick day. We are awaiting advice from the Ministry of Education on ways to manage this.
MANAGING ATTENDANCE
- Students and Staff will not attend if they are unwell. Students and Staff who become unwell during the school day will be sent home.
- Anyone showing signs of COVID-like symptoms should seek advice from their GP or Healthline. This may result in being advised to get tested for COVID-19. Please stay at home until a negative test has been received and you are symptom free for 24 hours.
- In the event of a positive COVID test, please contact the school immediately. We have procedures in place to manage contact tracing, inform the community and manage learning by distance if this should occur.
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
- Large whole school gatherings inside will not take place under Red.
- Large gatherings can take place outside with social distancing between the classes. Singing can take place outside.
- Mihi whakatau- during Red settings, we will conduct mihi whakatau for new students involving their class group and some senior students to support. Where possible, these will take place outside with immediate whānau invited.
- Learning Conferences will take place. Please leave promptly following your interview time slot.
- Learning Celebrations at the end of term- we will consider ways that these can take place in a managed situation.
- If you need to discuss something with a staff member please make contact via email, phone or txt the office. Face to face meetings can take place following safety protocols.
- IEP- these will continue to take place following safety protocols.
- Some EOTC events can take place following the MOE and venue guidelines.
WHAT: Learning Conferences - 30 minute individual meeting time
WHEN: Thursday 3rd February 2022 9:00am- 4.30pm
Friday 4th February 2022 9:00am -4.30pm
WHO: You and your child
WHY: We believe these Learning Conferences will be extremely valuable for both families and teachers.
The purpose of the conferences is to offer you, your child and your child’s teacher an opportunity to start the year having met and discussed:
- Your ideas about areas of strength and interest
- Possible areas of challenge or concern for your child in their learning; behaviour or social/emotional needs
- Class routines and expectations
- Initial goal ideas for the first term
- Shared expectations
- Any other topics that will assist a positive start to the year.
We will also use this time to update any forms, permission slips and emergency contacts.
These dates are counted as term dates therefore we are expecting every child to attend a Learning Conference on one of these days. Children who do not attend a Learning Conference will be marked absent for both days.
Full classes will resume on Tuesday 8th February 2022 at the normal time of 8:45am.
WHAT TO DO : Book online by going to: www.schoolinterviews.co.nz
Code : 2h9dw or if you do not have access to a computer call the office and we will book a time for you.
Holy Cross School/ Te Rotokura
Name_________________________________ Parents________________________________ Class____________________
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My Connection to Wellington |
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What brought you and your family to Wellington? What do you and your family like to do in Wellington? Are there important places that you and your family have in Wellington? |
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Connections to other places |
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Have you got more than one place that you call home? Where do you and your family like to visit in New Zealand or in the world? What other cultures or countries are important to you and your family? What customs from this culture have a place in your family? Would you be willing to share customs important to you with the rest of the class? What languages are spoken in your home? (Ask the following questions if other languages are spoken at home) What level of understanding does your child have of these languages? In what situations would your child hear a different language spoken? How do you support your child’s learning and understanding of this language? Would you be able to translate words from your language into English for your child to share at school? If your child identifies as Maori, what iwi do you belong to? |
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Connections to Strengthen Learning Social Emotional |
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What are your child’s current interests? (Room 3,5,1,2 What are your current interests?) What would you like us to help nurture in your child this year? (Room 3,5,1,2 What would you like to develop this year? How can we help? ) GTT questions to be shared with parents in R6, R5 and R3.
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The following gives a number of ways to access your child's stationery list
- Click here to access the stationery list directly from The Warehouse
- You can also view and print your child's class stationery by clicking and printing from the links below
- Another option could be to take a photo of the list from the links below with your cellphone and take this take along to the The Warehouse, Lyall Bay with you.
Stationery items cannot be purchased at school so please purchase all items unless your child is a new entrant and they should accompany your child on their first day at school. Please do not buy your stationery from the $2 shop.
Term 1 - Summer uniform dresses may be worn by girls in Years 1-6, dresses are available through the NZUniform shop or online.
Students are also required to bring a hat to school every day. We have a sun smart policy of No Hat No Play. We have hats available to purchase through the office for $8.00.
Please ensure your child comes to school wearing the correct uniform. They should wear black leather shoes or plain black sandals, clean and tidy uniform. PE uniform should not be worn to school or home, students must change into this at school.
If you are struggling to purchase a uniform please contact the office, we have several second hand options or we can help in other ways.
NOTICEBOARD