Community Safety Update
Witherlea School: Term Two 2022
COVID - Orange Light Updates
Only a third of our students have tested positive for COVID so we still have a way to go as a school and community with the Omicron variant. We have not YET peaked so the below requirements will be in place;
- Parents and caregivers are welcome back onsite and in the classrooms but we do ask that you wear a MASK both outdoors and indoors
- Indoor mask-wearing remains a requirement at Orange - any time you go in the foyer, classrooms, hall
- Social distancing is still a requirement; 2 meters outside, 1 meter inside
- If you are SICK please do not come to school; adults or children
- Year 4-6 mask-wearing is a choice of both the teachers and the students however this could change with a spike in school COVID cases
- We do not have assemblies anymore we have FLAG RAISING on Monday at 8:55am and everyone is welcome - we give out all sorts of certificates and awards
- We aim to hold the School Cross Country and Matariki Hikoi and Hui this term and as both are outdoors they are no limits on numbers - we are so excited about sharing this with you (see the parent calendar or School Newsletter for dates)
If we see a spike in cases and/or infection rates at school we will notify parents and may change some of the above but for now we are open and you are welcome back!
School Opens AT 8:30am
We are seeing many children who are arriving at school between 8am-8:25am. The school grounds remain closed for our students until 8:30am for IMPORTANT safety reasons.
Let us explain;
- Our Caretaker has a small window to get the school grounds cleaned and safe in the morning from 7:30am-8:30am; leaves, branches, glass, rubbish, and graffiti - around the entire school, forests, and playground
- Our teachers are employed for the work hours of 9am-3pm however everyone is aware they work from anywhere between 7am-5pm onsite (not to mention the work they take home)
- Teachers dedicate themselves to the students and whānau from 8:30am in the classrooms where they; meet, greet, discuss, organise and supervise
- Teachers also regularly make themselves available after 3pm when school closes
We ask that you DO NOT send your children to school before 8:30am for the above reasons. If you work early there are other options; Before School Care and/or organising between families.
School is not an option.
School CLOSED at 3pm
- Students need to go home straight from school at 3pm when the bell goes
- If they wish to return to school to play they must be in mufti NOT uniform and should have the permission of an adult
- If they are under 10 years old they should be supervised - unsupervised roaming kids get up to mischief and this includes 10 year olds upwards
- Supervision is the key to keeping our students safe in and out of school hours
GATES and FENCES
We are continuing to see students climbing on gates and fences with their parents and caregivers nearby and this causes malfunction and costs the school but also poses a risk for the students they are designed for.
- We ask parents to teach their children about fence and gate etiquette - NO climbing and in particular to unlock
- The gates and fences are for our students who are of high safety risk which puts us all in a very unsafe position if these are broken or left open
- As a community we are responsible for everyone; KIND, SAFE, FAIR
- If you see a child swinging on a gate or climbing a fence - help us and tell them to get down
- If you see a gate open (especially during the day) please close it
Road Patrol
If anyone has a spare 20-30 minutes in the morning to supervise at Wither Road, the students are trained, then please email the office; office@witherlea.school.nz
We will make a decision on whether we operate a Road Patrol on Wither Road and inform the community if there are no volunteers.