COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR PARENTS FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Returning to school under Alert Level 2 (8 September 2021)
Moving to Alert Level 3 (posted 27 August 2021)
LEVEL 4 UPDATE – 17 August 2021
New Zealand is moving into Alert Level 4
Kia ora koutou,
You will be aware a confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in the community in Auckland.
As a result, and because of the much greater risk associated with the possibility of the Delta variant, New Zealand is are moving to Alert Level 4 at 11:59pm tonight. Auckland and the Coromandel can expect to be at alert level 4 for seven days. The Alert Level 4 setting for the rest of NZ will be reviewed at 72 hours.
People should shelter in place unless they need to travel home, in which case they should travel as quickly as possible and within 48 hours.
Face coverings are to be worn when travelling and when outside the home.
I realise that children may have headed home without their devices. Because of the importance of the first 24 hours in tracing this virus, at this stage there is no exemption process to allow for devices or hard pack resources, or any other approved arrangement. We will continue to review this and if this changes we will let you know.
While the resurgence of COVID-19 is the last news anyone wanted, it is unfortunately what was anticipated. This extremely short and sharp shift in Alert Level settings will support us prevent widespread infection in the community.
Acting with extreme caution has served us well in New Zealand and will do again. We all know what we need to do to help keep our communities as safe as possible. The below information is a reminder of what is required.
All Ministry staff remain at work ‘virtually’, so please keep in contact with your regional office.
We will continue to update you as this response progresses, so as always, please do let us know if there is any information you need to support you and your community.
Kia kaha!
Iona
Update – Sunday 28.2.2021
INFORMATION REGARDING ALERT LEVEL 2
With the announcement from the Prime Minister on Saturday night that Auckland will be moving to Covid-19 Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand to Alert Level 2, the following information outlines some of our guidelines as we head to school tomorrow:
PUPIL ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Unwell children and adults are not to enter the school.
Parents are encouraged to drop their children at the main gates – Cemetery Road entrances and school carpark gate entrance. There will be a staff member monitoring entry at each gate. Gates from the field will be locked.
The name of any parent who comes onto the school site will be recorded – to enable contact tracing.
Children are NOT to arrive at school BEFORE 8:30am (unless they are attending Kelly Club). If bus children arrive before 8:30am they will head straight to their classroom.
Children must go to their classroom upon arriving at school. They can then stay in class, or play in a designated before school play area – teachers will inform children of where these are.
Some children may be anxious or reluctant to leave parents at the gate. If this is the case, parents may bring their child to the classroom door, do the hand over, and then leave the school promptly.
Children who show signs of sickness will be sent home.
Latecomers are to head straight to the office
Kelly Club staff will notify you of their safe arrival and departure process
It is unreasonable to expect children to maintain a safe distance from each other and from the teachers 24/7.
We will do our best to educate the children that for the time being, closeness could spread sickness but we will not police this unreasonably.
The classroom should operate as normal with the following exceptions:
Children will line up outside the classroom after interval and break times and after being anywhere else in the school – e.g. library, CRT, etc
Hand sanitising or washing at the beginning and end of each session is essential. Such practices should also happen when the children use other areas in the school such as the Owhiro Centre, the playground and the library.
Teachers will ensure there is a supply of hand sanitiser, soap, tissues available in their classroom. Surface will be cleaned with disinfectant regularly during the day.
Each child will need a named drink bottle – no drinking fountains to be used
No sharing of stationery – each child needs to have named pens, pencils, glue sticks
Children are to use hand sanitiser as they enter their classroom
We need to keep a record of all we come in contact with.
Visitors will be discouraged to visit school in the meantime. They will be asked if possible to use the phone or email to communicate with school staff.
School buses will be running as normal
When bus children arrive at school they will go straight to their classrooms
If there are any changes to bus arrangements for your child please contact the office
Thank you for your understanding.
Alert Level 2 Information for East Taieri School – 15 February 2021
Ministry of Education Letter – 27 March 2020
Ministry of Education Letter outlining the closing of school – 23 March 2020
Information Letter – 20 March 2020
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION INFORMATION
From Tuesday 24 March, early learning services, schools and kura will be closed for most students.
Children whose parents are essential workers will be able to attend early learning services or school on 24 and 25 March, while their parents make other arrangements.
Early learning services, schools, kura and tertiary education providers will then close from midnight on Wednesday 25 March for four weeks. Distance education will be provided where possible.
School holidays will start early, from 30 March to 14 April inclusive. During the holiday break, we will support schools to develop e-learning and other distance learning options for Term 2.
25 March
State of Emergency declared
A nationwide message will go out to all of New Zealand between 6pm and 7pm this evening. It is vital that all your community understand how crucial it is that they self-isolate within their group, minimise travel, practice physical distancing when outside their group and outside, and practice very good hygiene for the next 4 weeks.
There will be no tolerance for people who don’t self-isolate.
Schools are closed
After 11.59pm today, no one is to go on site to schools during the lockdown. If there is an emergency Police and/or Fire services will respond.
Government announcement about children aged 0 – 14 of Essential Workers
Further to our Bulletin content about self-isolating groups (circles of care), Government has confirmed the following arrangements today. You may wish to forward this to your community immediately.
Where possible, essential workers need to make their own arrangements for childcare from Thursday 26 March until the end of the lockdown, due to limited capacity.
Where this is not possible alternative arrangements have been made so essential workers can continue to work.
What essential workers need to know when making their own arrangements
Essential workers will need to use their existing networks for in home care, for example a neighboor, relative, friend or current carer/nanny who can come to their house, or provide childcare in their own home. There are Public Health rules that must be observed:
- The person caring for your child becomes part of your self-isolating group
- This group must remain the same for the whole period
- The carer must not care for children from other households (other than their own) over the same period
- If a child or carer becomes unwell, they must stay at home
If essential workers do not have access to childcare through their own networks
If essential workers are unable to access childcare to perform their essential service, the government will fund other licensed childcare providers (for example through PORSE, Barnados and Edubase / Home Grown Kids) to provide in home care to the children aged 0-14 of essential workers. The carer would be subject to the same Public Health rules as set out above.
For the purposes of providing care to children of essential workers, the in home carer will be classified as an essential worker in both cases.
Initial list of contact details for providers
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| Thank you to all of you who have shown considerable leadership in the last few weeks.
This is an unprecedented event, and will continue to challenge us all.
I iterate the words of the Prime Minister – be kind, keep safe, and look after each other.
I look forward to working with you and those staff who are interested in developing our distance learning options.
We apologise sincerely for the delays in getting this information to you. We have been working with a range of agencies to be able to provide the following information.
Government announcement – moving to Alert Level 3 for 48 hours and then Level 4
The Prime Minister has today announced we are moving to Level 3 for the next 48 hours and then from Thursday 26 March we move to Level 4 in the COVID-19 Alert Level structure for a further period of 4 weeks where people are instructed to stay at home.
For Tuesday and Wednesday, the expectations are that teachers will come to work to teach the children of essential workers, including children of teachers, and to prepare online work.
They will not be able to access the school site from midnight Wednesday and will work from home. Those staff already identified as over 70 and/or vulnerable to COVID-19 should remain at home but can work from home as needed.
Schools will be open for Tuesday and Wednesday this week for children of essential workers. Please ensure you continue to support good hygiene practices with these students and also undertake physical distancing.
All other children will be at home. You will need to provide them with learning opportunities there to the greatest extent practicable. This could be either as a pack of materials, or for those with online learning already in place, implement your online learning programme.
The Ministry will be working over the next few weeks to provide support for distance learning. We would be pleased to connect with teachers interested in working with us.
Depending on how many children of essential workers arrive at school tomorrow morning, you may want to work with a neighbouring school to support their learning.
The exceptions to this are those schools where there is a case of Covid-19 that affects them. They will remain closed for a defined period based on health advice and which includes children of essential workers.
Essential workers
A list of essential businesses can be found here – https://covid19.govt.nz/government-actions/covid-19-alert-system/
School holidays brought forward
School holidays are being brought forward so that they are completed within the 4 week period. Holidays will now begin from Monday 30 March to Tuesday 14 April inclusive (a reminder that the Tuesday after Easter Monday is always a closed day for schools).
At the end of the school holidays, schools will be open for distance learning but not physically open for staff to work at the schools.
Please note the instruction to stay home (Alert Level 4) will continue beyond the new school holiday period but schools will be technically open for distance instruction. Teachers will be working offsite.
Supporting learning from home
We are asking that where possible you put together small packs for your learners. Packs could include reading material and familiar activities for your learners. Where eLearning is established ensure your learners have passwords and access to the things they need.
Today we have launched Learning from home and Ki te Ao Mārama, two new websites to support teachers, learners, parents and whānau so that learning for children and young people can continue.
The websites include resources for parents and whānau, teachers and leaders. Resources span the learning pathway from early learning through to senior secondary, and more resources will be added as they’re developed.
The information and resources are available at https://www.learningfromhome.govt.nz/ and https://www.kauwhatareo.govt.nz/ki-te-ao-marama/
More resources will be added as they’re developed. Hard copy packs are being prepared for learners and whānau who don’t have connectivity at home.
The website will help you to get through the next few days as we move to remote learning. This will help you and your staff to get ready, support you to be working from home, and maintain wellbeing.
Over the next two to three weeks we will be working on next steps to support distance learning where it is most needed and as part of contingency planning in case the 4 week period is further extended.
We are working to establish online learning and distance learning options to support all children’s ongoing learning. These will be made available by the end of the school holidays. |
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| Sunday 22 March
We really appreciate how you are all responding to what are very uncertain times.
Unfortunately the situation is going to remain uncertain for some time yet.
It is important to maintain contact with colleagues and help one another. Everybody is facing tough decisions; talking those through with a colleague is a powerful act to help you, and you will be helping them too.
We will do our very best to help and we know you will also help each other. |
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| 21 March
With the announcement that New Zealand has moved to Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact for COVID-19, people over 70 years of age and those with compromised immunity and certain existing medical conditions are asked to remain at home as much as they can from now on and avoid any non-essential travel.
Staff, children and young people in schools and early learning services are therefore asked to follow this advice.
Where possible, please encourage your staff at home to continue to support school curriculum or other school activities for example providing pastoral care by phone, marking, and lesson planning.
High risk individuals
While the majority of people who are confirmed with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms, some individuals are at risk of more severe symptoms.
Older people, particularly those with pre-existing health problems are more likely to get severe illness and are therefore considered at risk. High risk individuals also include people with underlying medical conditions, such as:
- a compromised immune system
- liver disease
- cancer
- kidney disease
- heart disease
- diabetes mellitus
Further information is available at:
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