Kia ora koutou,
Just updating you all at the end of the week on how school is functioning. We have had a total of 19 cases across the school distributed over Room 1,2, 3,5,6 and 12. Room 11 and 7 have no reported cases. We had no cases confirmed yesterday and two cases reported today.
We were concerned at the beginning of the week with the rapid number of cases that developed in Room 5. We moved to online learning on Tuesday so that we could avoid students being infected at school. Fortunately daily case numbers have reduced with recent cases being as a result of infection happening in households rather than at school.
Room 5 will be back in operation face to face from Monday. We will still continue to offer online learning to students who are self isolating and are well enough to be learning from home. At Phase 3 of the Omicron response, only cases and household contacts are legally required to isolate.
Next week some of our students' isolation time will finish. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health’s current advice about this is as follows-
If your child has experienced COVID 19
- Their isolation period is 10 days from the day symptoms first emerge. If your child has not had symptoms but tested positive- isolation is from the day of their positive Covid test.
- Children are able to return to school if they are symptom free on day 11. They do not need to have any further tests after their initial confirmation test (they have already tested positive).
If your child is a household contact.
- Isolation is for 10 days from the household contacts positive covid test.
- The household contact isolating should have a test on day 3 and day 10 of the cases isolation.
- If a household contact tests negative on day three and day 10 and is symptom free, they can return to school on day 11.
- A reminder that if someone else in the house tests positive, you do not need to restart your 10 days unless you have tested positive.
All classes will be open next week for face to face learning. Where there are lower numbers of students due to students self isolating, classes may work together within their bubbles- junior (R 11,12,7), Middle (R 6, 5, 3) and Senior (R 1 and 2).
Please continue to send your children to school but please keep in mind the following-
What you need to do
- You and your whānau should be very vigilant about monitoring for symptoms.
- If any symptoms develop, get tested immediately.
- Then, stay at home until you receive a negative result, AND until you or your child is symptom free for at least 48 hours.
- Wear a face mask when out and about.
- Wash hands often with soap for 20 seconds and dry your hands completely.
- Wash your hands if you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your face, and cough or sneeze into your elbow or cover your mouth with tissues.
- If you and your whānau haven’t been vaccinated or boosted, please do so as soon as possible. You can book on-line at bookmyvaccine.nz or by calling 0800 28 29 26. It’s free.
Symptoms of COVID-19
- A new or worsening cough.
- Sneezing and runny nose.
- A fever.
- Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste.
- Sore throat.
- Shortness of breath.
Less common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.
For more information, go to the Unite Against COVID-19 website.
What we’re doing
- We are staying open.
- We are using public health measures to reduce the risk in our settings, including masks, physical distancing and ventilation.
- We have appropriate cleaning procedures in place.
Our staff and community have been amazing in their response to the different situations we have faced. Children’s wellbeing has been very much at the forefront of people’s minds.
Many thanks for your patience and understanding at this time. We hold the families of those who are sick in our prayers and pray for a quick recovery.
Noho pai, noho i runga i te rangimarie.
Stay well, dwell in peace.
Lyn Hough
Principal
