News

Covid-19 / 4 March 2022 – Year 12’s to Remote Learning

As mentioned in our email to you on Monday 28 February, our school is moving to Phase 2 of our MGS Covid-19 Response Management Plan, https://www.middleton.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MGS-COVID-19-Response-Plan-PC-1.pdf which will involve Hybrid Learning (mixture of at school and home based).  This is due to the increased number of positive Covid cases in our school community and the number of students and staff who are required to self-isolate for 10 days due to being a household contact.

We have decided to move ALL our Year 12 students to remote learning at home from Monday 7 March 2022  for at least 2 -3 weeks. 

During this time, we will be monitoring the situation closely in order to determine a possible return to school date for Year 12 students, as well as monitoring the need to move other Senior College Year levels to remote learning at home also.

The reasons for this decision are:

  • Year 12 absences are currently the highest across the school at approx. 35% of the cohort and growing daily. Many Year 12 classes have significantly reduced student numbers, some well in excess of 50%, making a hybrid model of curriculum delivery unsustainable.
  • We need to provide some certainty and stability for students and staff to assist with planning.
  • We are noticing increased staffing absences, and fully expect this to grow, making the staffing of curriculum specialists to all face-to-face classes increasingly difficult.
  • Year 12 students do not require parental supervision whilst remote learning from home.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

  1. Normal School timetable still operates even when working from home
  2. All other Year Levels will still be at school for on-site learning, unless sick or self-isolating.
  3. School work will be provided via TEAMS for ALL students who are isolating at home.
  4. Subject teachers will make a ‘live’ contact with each of their Year 12 classes once a week in a TEAMS Meeting in an ordinary timetabled period to be determined by the classroom teacher. There will be no live classes for any other year levels.

TEAMS meeting protocols that are expected of students have been shared with ALL Year 12 students, but please note the additional information below:

  1. Teachers will provide spiritual support via appropriate bible verses and prayer as needed.
  2. Year 12 Students are not expected to attend whānau groups while they are remote learning.
  3. Students should contact their subject teacher or their Dean asap if they are experiencing any difficulties with their learning. If students are having emotional / anxiety / stress difficulties, they are to discuss this with their parents. If they have further concerns, students should contact their Dean, HOS or School Counsellor.

NB:    Y12 students are still allowed on site at school for their Sport, Co-curricular and Cultural
activities, unless sick.

IF YOU, OR A MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19,
PLEASE CONTINUE TO CONTACT MIDDLETON GRANGE SCHOOL ASAP AT:

Email covidpositive@middleton.school.nz  OR call 021 0858 4494

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding during this challenging time.

Psalm 121:

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Nga mihi nui

Mike Vannoort

Principal / Tumuaki