COVID-19 Update: May 14

Kia ora e te whānau

There has been a real energy at school today as staff are busy preparing our site for Monday. Most teachers will be in again tomorrow preparing and as such their ability to post remote learning will be limited. They will communicate with you via Seesaw about what is likely to be posted online if anything.

I appreciate you making the time to read through the following guidelines for students and parents returning to school next week. It is a long list but it is vitally important that you understand what is going on. If you are able to it would also be greatly appreciated if you could sit with your child and explain what the expectations are.

Overarching Level 2 Priorities

  • Ensure people with COVID-19 symptoms or feel generally unwell stay away from school
  • Maintain physical distancing (in schools this means children and staff maintaining a physical distance so that they are not breathing on or touching each other)
  • Enable good hygiene practices
  • Keep track of people that enter your school

Our School Priorities

  • All of the above, and;
  • Wellbeing of students and staff.

Arrival at school

  • On Monday May 18, students should arrive at school between 8:40-8:55am. We do not want children wandering around the grounds without first being taken through the Level 2 health and safety expectations. This will take place in classes through out the day.
  • From Tuesday May 19, students can enter the school grounds from 8:30am. Please do not drop your child off earlier. If you need before school care, Kelly Club can look after your children. Please contact them directly.
  • All school gates will be open to use.
  • School ends as usual at 3pm.
  • There are no staggered start and end times to the school day.

Parents on site

  • Parents are encouraged to stay off school grounds at all times.
  • Parents entering grounds must check in and then check out using the provided QR code link found at each gate entrance and around the school. This is not optional, it is a Contact Tracing requirement under Level 2 (more info on QR codes below).
  • If entering the grounds, parents should avoid entering classrooms. Please email teachers to arrange any required meetings.
  • Parents should observe physical distancing of 2 metres from people they don’t know, both in and out of the school grounds.

Where you can go or not go around school

  • As above, we would prefer that parents remain off site (and remain outside buildings if on site).
  • The school office is open however we strongly encourage you to phone (3586671) or email (office@russellst.school.nz) rather than turn up in person.
  • No children are allowed in the admin foyer/office/staffroom areas.
  • Students (and parents) should not use the main office doors as an entry point to school. Please go directly to external classroom doors.

Keeping safe

  • Good hygiene practices are vital and will be followed and reinforced over and over again.
  • Anyone who is sick will not be allowed at school and will be sent home immediately if they turn up.
  • Physical distancing will be in place so that staff and students are not breathing on or touching each other. Our general guide is – if you can smell the person’s breath or feel that you are in their “moist breath” zone, we will move a little further away.
  • Hand washing after toilet, before eating, before morning tea/lunch play, after morning tea/lunch play, before & after using any shared equipment… in other words, everyone at school will be washing their hands a lot!
  • All other good practice such avoiding touching eyes, mouth, nose etc, coughing/sneezing into elbow, using and disposing tissues appropriately will be followed and reinforced over and over again.
  • Daily routines will also include all hard surfaces (desks, door handles, switches, devices etc.) in learning spaces being cleaned and disinfected at least twice during the school day, followed by a full school clean after school by our contractors.
  • Drinking fountains are not switched on so named drink bottles are required for all children.

QR Code Check-In & Check-Out

  • QR codes are a quick and easy way to get info and a set of instructions into your phone.
  • It also avoids sharing pens and clipboards and having to sanitise when using paper and pen each time someone signs in.
  • Scanning our check in/out QR code will take you directly to a simple online form for you to complete entering and leaving our school.
  • Many phones can scan a QR code by using the camera app and clicking the pop-up link.
  • Or… you can download a dedicated QR reader app
  • Or… if you have Google Chrome app on your phone, open it and click in the search bar at the top and a QR code scanner icon appears above your keyboard.
  • Or…. the form is also in our School Stream app in the Forms category
  • Or… you can bookmark this web page https://russellstreet.myschoolstream.net/rss-check-in-check-out/ and just go directly to the form when you come in and out of school
  • Remember, if you come on site check in is compulsory not optional.

We are still developing our approach for those learners who are not returning to school in Level 2. We will communicate this with you as soon as it is confirmed.

There is a lot to take in here and no doubt I have forgotten something! Rest assured I will communicate anything further with you before Monday.

Ngā mihi, Nick

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