COVID Update - 4
Tauranga Primary School Pānui (Newsletter)
Ngā mihi nui, ki a koutou katoa
Warm greetings to you all.
I hope you are all well.
Welcome to our newest TPS students, Cora, Kiara and Quinn, who have started school today under Alert Level 4 conditions. Great to have you and your family as part of our TPS team.
On Wednesday we move into Alert Level 3. At Alert Level 3, you legally must stay within your household bubble unless for essential personal movement including going to work and going to school. As the Prime Minister noted on Friday, schools are essentially closed at Alert Level 3 with the exception of those few children whose parents and carers must go to work at Alert Level 3, and there is no appropriate caregiver at home.
We will be open on Wednesday, for a small number of children who need to attend. As you can imagine it will not be school as we know it under Alert Level 2 or 1. All our usual safety precautions for Alert Level 3 will be in place, which includes 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 cover their coughs and sneezes, and keep everyone physically distanced from others as much as possible (1 metre inside and two metres outside). We will also keep school bubbles to no more than 10 students. These bubbles will not mix with other bubbles.
Preparations for opening TPS Bubble School in Alert Level 3 on Wednesday.
We have a roll of 37 children and will operate 4 TPS bubble classes. The classes have been re-cleaned today and some teachers will access the site tomorrow to set up the classrooms. Moving to Level 3 will mean that we now need to split our staff between bubble school and supporting online Distance Learning. You might notice that another teacher is responding to Seesaw posts from this point on, as they are covering an onsite bubble school teacher.
Teachers who are at bubble school from Wednesday are:
Mrs Savage, Whaea Jen, Mr Mahler, Mrs Beattie, Mrs Wilkins, Mr Jugum, Mrs Brown and Mrs Murray.
Thank you to those parents who have registered for bubble school last week. Parents with children attending TPS Bubble School will receive a letter, explaining the hours of operation and guidelines that families will need to follow, tomorrow.
---------------------------
To brighten up the week ahead we will have a House Spirit day on Friday - you are invited to share photos of your family supporting their House on Seesaw and/or the school Facebook page.
Congratulations to Mauao who won the House trick shot facebook competition.
New hard copy (photocopied worksheets) will be made this week and distributed on Monday the 6th September.
Tauranga Art Gallery has organised a Father's Day portrait competition. Create a portrait of your dad or someone special in your life. Please see this link for more information.
I hope you are all well in your bubbles and you have been able to enjoy some quality time with your family. To those TPS parents who are essential workers, thank you very much for all you are doing to keep our city safe and ensuring that we are all able to access essential services in Level 4.
Covid Updates:
- Choir festival has been postponed to the 18th November. This does clash with Year 4 camp, so we are working to coordinate changing Year 4 camp to the 11th of November.
- ICAS assessments - as yet we have not been notified about how these will be arranged, we will let you know as soon as we know.
- Reports and Learning Conferences have been postponed to Week 2 Term 4.
- Senior Team Art Gallery visits planned for next week are cancelled.
Teachers will regularly check email and seesaw posts between 9:00am - 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.
As always, thank you for your continued support. Please let us know if you need any help or assistance.
Hei kōnei rā
Fiona Hawes
Principal | Tumuaki
HELPLINES
- Mental Health Crisis: 0800 800 717
- Lifeline for counselling and support: 0800 543 354 or 0800 LIFELINE
- Samaritans for confidential support for anyone who is lonely or in emotional distress: 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions: 0800 111 757 or free text 4206
- Healthline for advice from trained registered nurses: 0800 611 116
- Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0508 828 865
- Counselling Free Call or Text 1737.
- Family Services 211 Helpline for help finding and direct transfer to community-based health and social support services in your area: 0800 211 211
- Family Services Directory online
- Unite Against COVID-19: Family and sexual violence prevention for help and support if you’re experiencing family violence or sexual violence.
A few special lockdown moments from Middle Hub 3
The school grounds are closed in Alert Level 4 and 3
Our school site and playgrounds are closed whilst school is in Lockdown Level 4 and 3.
Term 3:
- Week 5, 23rd AUGUST - Level 4 - Distance Learning commenced
- 13 - 17 September - Maori Language Week
- 14 September - 6:00 -7:00pm Structured Literacy Whānau Information Evening
- 14 September - Board of Trustees Meeting- Staffroom, 7:00pm
- 20 September - Photolife - Class and Individual photos
- 20 - 26 September - Chinese Language Week
- 20, 21, 22 September - Chuseok - Korean thanksgiving
- 22 September - International Students' Learning Conferences
- 22 and 23 September - Learning Conferences
- 30 September - FOTS Disco
- 1 October - Last day of term- school finishes at 3:00pm
Thank you to the following businesses that support TPS:
CONTACTS:
Principal
Fiona Hawes
Deputy Principal
Cathy Ediker
Assistant Principal
Robyn Caley
Junior Team Leader
Pam Wilkins
Middle Team Leader
Jason Morgan
Senior Team Leader
Jo Howard
International Student enquiries
Cathy Ediker
Business Manager
Susan O'Neill
Administration & Enrolment Officer
Barbara Turley