Kia Ora
The quick move to Level 4, record volumes of testing for COVID in the community, extensive wastewater testing, huge numbers of New Zealanders being vaccinated (more than 2 million people have now received their first dose), and a very wide net being cast around confirmed cases, has given Government confidence that we are safe to move to Alert Level 3 on Wednesday.
At Alert Level 3, you legally must stay within your household bubble unless for essential personal movement including going to work and going to school. As the Prime Minister noted on Friday, schools are essentially closed at Alert Level 3 with the exception of those few children whose parents and carers must go to work at Alert Level 3, and there is no appropriate caregiver at home.
Year 11 – 13 students are legally required to stay learning from home.
With your responses and feedback, we have realised we would only be opening for a very small number of children who might need to attend. As you imagine it will not be school as we know it under Alert Level 2 or 1. In the end we have decided to keep the school and hostel closed until Alert Level 2. Two or three children in the dorm and around the school would not have been a good experience for our students.
We will continue to support all children who remain learning from home, through our distance learning programme.
While we know how difficult it is trying to work from home as well as support your child’s learning, please keep working with you child to ensure they are staying focused. 8 more days then it is the term holidays!
It was pleasing to hear that across New Zealand compliance is high. As you have been doing, please continue to follow all the alert level requirements at Level 4 and stay at home. It is the best tool we have to keep our community safe and get back to the school life we all love and miss!
From the Ministry of Education:
Alert level restrictions: tips for parents from Dr Hinemoa Elder and Nathan Wallis
We have heard that many parents and whānau are feeling anxious about their children’s behaviour and routine changes through alert level changes and extended alert level restrictions.
Thank you for sharing these concerns – in response, we asked Dr Hinemoa Elder (child adolescent psychiatrist) and Nathan Wallis (neuroscience educator) for some tips and advice.
In the video we’ve made, they describe what parents can do if they have concerns.
You can share the video with your school community through your school’s website, Facebook, newsletter or send it via email.
If parents are still concerned their tamariki aren’t coping, it’s important to remind them to reach out and talk with a health professional. There’s lot of support, information and help available.
The link is also now live on the parents website
- https://parents.education.govt.nz/essential-information/covid-19-information-for-parents-and-whanau/lockdown-tips-with-dr-hinemoa-elder-and-nathan-wallis/
- You can share this with your parent and whānau community
Ngā mihi nui
Dr Brian Evans
ONZM
BA, Dip Tch, MEd, PhD
Principal