I am sure that you all have been following the government announcements, as we have and will be aware that we have moved back into Red (in the traffic light system) as of 11:59 last night.This is necessary as the Omicron variant is now being found outside of MIQ facilities.

Schools are still expected to open for the beginning of the 2022 year and the communication from the government says that there will no longer be ‘lockdowns’ the same as we experienced last year. We would like to assure you that our Senior Leadership Team are working on what this will mean for our students and staff on our return back to school on Thursday the 3rd of February. We will be following all Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education guidelines to make sure we are as safe as we can be.

We will be in further contact with you about how this will look for your tamariki and yourselves as far as entering school grounds etc. At this stage it will mean that children in Years 3-6 are required to wear masks while inside at school. Please ensure that your child has a suitable mask and that you have spoken to them about the safe way to use one. They will need to have this ready for day one. If your child is feeling unwell or showing any symptoms, please keep them at home.

Due to the restrictions on gatherings, we will be unable to hold our full scale pōwhiri that takes place at the beginning of each school year. We will also be in touch with how we intend to continue with our ‘Whānau Days’ as we feel it is now untenable to have these in person. We will most likely keep your interview times, but will hold it via a zoom meeting or a phone call.

School lunches will continue to be provided under the guidelines set out by the government.

We can assure you that all of our staff are fully vaccinated and children aged 5 and above can now be vaccinated. This is the best way to keep ourselves and our children safe against the virus.

We are mindful that these circumstances have affected each of our whānau in different ways and that it has, and will continue to affect the way we learn. We will keep you informed about how we intend to make this the best possible learning year for our tamariki.

As always, we appreciate your support. Please do not hesitate to reach out via email or phone if you have questions or need any other form of support.

 

Paul Pirihi

(Principal)

 

Jasmin Hansen-Mckay

(Associate Principal)

 

To clarify

-Whānau Days are now cancelled due to the covid restrictions under Red. Teachers will be in contact with you before the start of school.

-The starting day for school is Thursday February 3rd 2022

-There will be no pōwiri held for the community, a small pōwhiri will be held with the Te Whānau o Pātiki whānau to welcome newcomers to the school, sorry no parents or whānau are able to attend.