Dear Parents, Caregivers and Whanau
COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) Update 8
12 August 2020
Important information to parents/caregivers/whanau
regarding the return to Covid-19 Alert Level 2 at Middleton Grange School
Late last night the Prime Minister announced that there were FOUR unexplained cases of Covid-19 in Auckland. As a result, Auckland City has gone to Alert Level 3 from midday today for 3 days and the rest of NZ has gone to Alert Level 2 from midday today until midnight Friday. Obviously, this news will be distressing for many and will cause further uncertainty about the future. It is a vivid reminder that we need to remain vigilant about this virus and maintain our personal hygiene practices at all times.
As a school our priorities remain clear, namely
- First and foremost, to honour and trust in God, especially during these uncertain times.
- Secondly, to prioritise student and staff wellbeing, whilst maintaining the necessary health and safety measures required by Public Health.
- Thirdly, but by no means least, to ensure we maintain the integrity of our academic and co-curricular programmes during this time.
SOME KEY INFORMATION AND REMINDERS UNDER ALERT LEVEL 2 FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN
- It is safe to continue attending school under Alert Level 2.
- If you are unwell or showing symptoms of sickness, you should stay at home and you are strongly encouraged to get tested for Covid-19. If you get tested, you should stay at home until you get the all-clear from the test.
- Playground, sports equipment use and sport, including contact sports, remain available at Alert Level 2. School transport services, including buses remain at normal schedules.
- Personal hygiene is extremely important so you must wash your hands regularly using soap and water and use hand sanitizer where available (in classrooms, offices, etc). Also sneeze and cough into your elbow.
- Students and staff must also maintain sufficient distance so that they are not breathing on or touching each other.
- Parents are requested that where possible, they drop their child off at the school gate. Otherwise, ALL parents and visitors who come onto the school site MUST sign in at the school office using Vistab, as well as the QR code for tracking Covid-19. This is for contact tracing purposes.
- Some students may choose to wear face masks. It could be part of their cultural practice to do so and to support their hygiene needs. We need to encourage respect for this and allow people to be proactive in keeping themselves and others safe.
- The school canteen will remain open. However, students must maintain 1m distancing while waiting for and ordering food. Preference is for contactless payment to be used. All food must be brought from home or purchased from the school canteen only.
- Drinking fountains are ONLY to be used to refill water bottles.
- ALL students must take their laptops, devices and essential learning materials home with them EACH day (until at least next Monday), in case we are told that we are moving to Alert Level 3 overnight and are returning to distance Learning.
Please continue to pray for the school as we operate in Alert Level 2 at least for the next few days, as we know many people are still feeling anxious about things and that many families are also facing financial hardship and uncertainty.
Hebrews 6:19
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Blessings
Mike Vannoort
Principal
