Latest update to arrangements:
Many of you have emailed seeking clarification and further explanations about Monday’s return to school. I am sorry not to reply personally, I hope the information below helps. If not, don’t hesitate to contact me again.
Start of the school day:
Some parents have asked about dropping off children to both sides of the school as they have children in the junior school (Roberts Avenue) and middle / senior school (Bayswater Avenue). If this applies to you, there are two choices:
Drop children at one side and then walk round to the other side
OR
Drop all your children to Roberts Avenue (correct gate for the junior child) and the older siblings can walk around the outside of the school buildings to enter their classrooms via the front deck.
End of the school day:
Several parents have asked questions about collecting middle or senior school children through the Bayswater Avenue gates at the front of the school and their younger siblings in the junior school through the Roberts Avenue gates at the back.
Any child in Rooms 1 to 6 with a younger sibling in Rooms 7 to 9 who has not been collected on Bayswater Avenue by 3pm, will be sent through the schoolgrounds to wait with their younger sibling at the appropriate gate. (Rooms 7&8 at Gate E, nearest the relocatable classrooms on Roberts Avenue side of school and Room 9 at Gate F beside the Kohanga Reo). So parents with children at both sides of the school can either:
Wait for your older child at the appropriate gate on Bayswater Avenue from 2:45pm then walk together around the roads to the back of the school to collect younger siblings from Roberts Avenue at 3pm
OR
Wait at 3pm at the correct gate on Roberts Avenue, where you can meet both / all of your children.
Morning tea and lunchtime:
We are extending eating time to allow extra time for hand washing before and after. Children will eat at tables in their classrooms rather than more casually ‘picnic-style’ outside. This is more ‘controlled’ and easier to monitor. Children will play outside, weather permitting. We are having additional staff rostered on duty to remind children about not crowding together. They will be allowed to play on the playgrounds and with equipment allocated to their class. They will wash / sanitise their hands when they go back to class.
The main thrust of the advice from the Ministries of Education and Health is that it is safe to be in school and we must emphasise great hand hygiene, cough and sneeze hygiene and being very clear about who has been on site.
Continuation of home learning for those who choose not to return to school:
A few of our children with specific individual needs will continue to learn at home under level 2. These parents are already in dialogue with class teachers and specialist support teachers about this.
If your child is not in this group and you choose to keep them home during level 2, we will do our best to support you. But, remote learning in its current form will not be available. Teachers will be returning to full-time class teaching and so cannot be available remotely to plan and respond to home learning. If your child is in this group, please refer back to previous home learning slides and revisit incomplete activities, the Ministry of Education TV channel and previously suggested websites such as Study Ladder, STEPs and EPIC.
Arrangements for Returning to school at Level Two
We are excited to be coming back to school next week and welcoming the children.
Additional information has come from the Ministry of Education which means that the arrangements we made for drop off and pick up have had to be amended, with whānau remaining off site (ie NOT on the courts) and children entering through designated gateways. We are also going to stagger the times of departure so that older siblings can collect younger ones to leave together and so parents have time to collect more than one child.
Children should arrive at school between 8:40 and 9:00am, accompanied if at all possible, by an adult. The adult needs to remain outside the school grounds. Whilst waiting with your child, please maintain physical distancing from other parents and children. Children proceed straight to classrooms upon arrival. Once they have arrived, they may not remain outside playing.
Whānau Kokoru and Wai (Seniors and Middles):
Start of Day - Parents drop children at gates on Bayswater Avenue side of school between 8:40 and 9:00am, parent to remain off site, child to walk directly to class via deck (unless they have a bike or skateboard - see specific notes).
End of day - From 2:45pm, parents wait along Bayswater Avenue, children with an adult to meet them to be sent off site by teacher as the adults are spotted. Unaccompanied children and children who are attending Kelly Club will be sent home or taken to Kelly Club from 3pm.
Room 1 leave through Gate A adjacent 179 Bayswater Avenue;
Rooms 2, 3 leave through Gate B main driveway;
Room 4 through Gate C the small gate beside the mail box;
Rooms 5 and 6 through Gate D beside the senior playground.
Whānau Puna (Juniors):
Start of Day - Parents drop children from Rooms 7&8 at Gate E, nearest the relocatable classrooms on Roberts Avenue side of school and Room 9 at Gate F beside the Kohanga Reo from 8:40am. Parents to remain off site. Junior staff will be at the gates to greet and reassure the children.
End of day - Children will be released to an adult from 3pm. Adults wait on Roberts Avenue and their children will be walked to them from the classrooms by staff. Rooms 7 & 8 parents wait near Gate E. Room 9 parents wait near Gate F Kohanga Reo and children will meet them there.
Children are not able to come to school early and play on playground or outside. They need to be collected promptly at the end of the day. If you are unable to do this, please book your child into Kelly Club, which will be running from the first day back. https://www.kellyclub.co.nz/bayswater
Bayswater Kelly Club | Kelly Club New Zealand
Kelly Club is closely aligned with Kelly Sports. Kelly Sports has been providing a range of curricular and extra-curricular sporting programmes for children in New Zealand since 2007.
www.kellyclub.co.nz
We appreciate that this may be difficult for some families but whilst we are in level 2, these arrangements are necessary to keep everyone safe.
Other Information and FAQs:
The will be no Teacher Only Day on 29th May. School will be open.
To keep everyone safe, if you are or have had contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19, please contact school immediately.
Children who are unwell must remain at home. If children are unwell at school, we will contact you and an adult will need to come and collect them without delay.
Please ensure your child has a drink bottle filled with water each day. School fountains will be closed during level 2.
Please wipe down and send your borrowed Chromebook back to school on the first day. We will also sanitise them before giving them out to classes.
Term dates going forward remain the same at this point ie this term finishes on 3rd July.
Please send your child to school with a pencil case. We will fill it with necessary stationery for your child to use. (This avoids children using pencils which others have chewed!)
Please dress your child appropriately for the weather – if it is raining, we will still need to bring the children outside to you at the end of the day so they will need a raincoat.
There will be no breakfast or milk at the moment. (We gave all our supplies away to families right back at the start of the rāhui lockdown!)
There will be no road patrol during the first week back but there will be adults at the front of school to see children use the crossing safely.