Kia ora,

You’ll be aware that all of New Zealand (with the exception of Auckland) is moving to Alert Level 2 from midnight tonight. Our thoughts and positive wishes are with everyone in Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland.

Extensive wastewater testing and the numbers of people getting tested across the country has given the Government confidence that it is safe to allow a shift down to Alert Level 2 across most of New Zealand.

We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back onsite on Thursday morning. Tomorrow we will set the daily distance learning activities in the morning as normal, but our teachers will be offline as they focus their attention on preparing their classrooms for re-opening to all on Thursday.

At Alert Level 2 there is low risk of community transmission and it provides us with a lot more opportunities to engage and connect with others. However, there are still a number of public health requirements we all need to follow. Please do continue to monitor your health and do not send your children to school if they are not well (and please seek advice about getting a COVID test).

For us, all of the required safety precautions for Alert Level 2 will be in place which include following all the recommendations from the public health experts. This means we will regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands and cough and sneeze into their elbow.

While physical distancing is not a requirement in schools, we will be doing our best to keep students from congregating in very large numbers and keeping spaces well-ventilated.

Face coverings are not required to be worn in school. The Director General of Health has recommended that children 12 years+ wear a face covering at school – just as older children are required to wear face coverings in some other places. The decision to wear a face covering is up to you and your whānau, whatever your decision it will be respected.

If you are not sure what all the rules are for alert level 2 when you are out and about, then the following information may be useful to you:

· COVID-19 Alert Levels summary table

· COVID-19 Alert Levels detailed table

Please see a detailed list of our school-specific requirements and measures below. Please discuss the information with your child/ren before they start back at school on Thursday 9th September.

Drop off/Pick up

• Please drop off/pick up your child at the school gates

• Remember we have three gates that your child can use; front gate, bus gate, and hall gate

• Staff will be located near all three gates at the end of the day to ensure traffic safety

• Most of our Room 6 students can now walk into school by themselves, but if your child still needs to be walked in by a parent/caregiver, please remember to write your name down in the log book in the Room 6 cloak bay

• If your child becomes anxious and you need to walk them into school, please sign in at the school office.

• This does not apply to the parents of children in Room 6 as you will have written your name down in the Room 6 log book

School Bus

• The school bus will be operating as normal

• The seats in close proximity to the driver will be unavailable

• Please follow any guidelines the bus driver sets

• Students are not required to wear face masks on our school bus

Hygiene

• Hand hygiene is incredibly important

• We require the students to sanitise their hands on arrival at school and before leaving, as well as before and after breaks

• Surfaces will be disinfected daily

• Students to cough/sneeze into their elbow

• Students need to bring their own filled water bottle daily; drinking fountains closed

• Respect the ‘moist breathing bubble’ of others - teachers will go over this on Thursday

Information for Parents/Caregivers

• We do NOT require our students or staff to wear face masks, but if they would like to they will be fully supported

• The school site is for essential visitors only

• Essential visitors will sign in and out at our school office

• Please use the contact tracer app and Matapu School’s unique QR code when accessing our school site

• Please utilise the ‘drop off’ car parks if available

• If your child is sick, please keep them at home

• If your child is sick, please contact your GP or phone Healthline 0800 611 116

• If your child arrives at school sick, they will be isolated in the sick bay and their parents/caregivers will be contacted to pick them up immediately

• All essential information will be emailed to caregivers, with an APP Alert, please ensure you have downloaded the school app

Sport

• Our school cross country that was scheduled to take place on Friday 10th September has now been postponed until further notice

• We will follow the guidance of local sporting codes on organised sport and keep the community updated with any announcements

If you have any questions, please ask. Your first point of contact is your child’s classroom teacher, please find their email addresses at https://www.matapu.school.nz/about/staff. I know the information and requirements stated above seem like a lot, please keep in mind we only have the well-being of your child/ren, their peers, and our staff at heart. We really appreciated your support during alert levels 2-4 last time and know that we can count on it again this time. Our message is one of be alert, not alarmed, and together we can keep our community safe.

Ngå mihi nui

James Willson (Principal) and Kurt Parry (Presiding Member)