COVID Alert level 4 update 26 August 2021
Thursday 26 August 2021
Kia ora koutou
Today, once again brought positive news in relation to the Canterbury region with no community cases being detected here. Our thoughts are with those people in Auckland and Wellington who have the Delta variant and their families and friends who will be very concerned for them.
We now look to tomorrow’s (Friday 27) update and hopefully more insight into a potential Alert Level shift and what that might look like.
NCEA Exams and Assessments.
NZQA, who are responsible for NCEA, have now confirmed a date change for the end of year NCEA exams. This is a significant support step for our students as it gives them a further 2 weeks at school during Term 4. NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams were scheduled to start on Monday 8 November and will now run from Monday 22 November until Tuesday 14 December. For those students who have portfolios to submit, these will also be pushed back by 2 weeks. NZQA will look to take further steps to support students if the Alert Levels at 4 and 3 continue.
Week 6 timetable
Below is our teaching and learning plan for Week 6. At this stage, we are assuming we are continuing to work remotely. As you can see from the table below, our form teachers will be reaching out to students on Monday to support our connections between home and school. On Friday, we plan to run a number of online sessions for senior students to begin the course selection process for 2022. More detailed information about how Friday will run, will be shared with you early next week.
We would appreciate parents/caregivers ensuring students are aware of the timetable below. Please support students to be present, where possible, for their face-to-face google meet sessions. These sessions are invaluable as they provide clarity to students building on their learning remotely. It is also important to note that this timetable alerts you to when students have planned google meet sessions, however, when there are no scheduled meetings, students are to continue working on their learning tasks independently.
Format of Term 3, Week 6 (Monday 30th August - Friday 3rd September)
School-Wide Timetable for online “Face-to-Face” Sessions - Google Meet
We hope that Friday will bring a positive shift in the Alert Level for the Canterbury region. We will continue to keep you updated the best we can as we receive information.
Tomorrow (Friday August 27), as indicated, will be a mid-term break and a chance for everyone to pause before we move into the final 5 weeks of Term 3.
We have again included the latest information from the Ministries of Education and Health at the bottom of this email as this contains a range of useful information.
Keep safe and take care.
He waka eke noa - We are all in this together
Ngā mihi nui
Mr. Jeff Smith
Principal - Tumuaki
The Ministry of Health and Education has provided the following supporting information;
Please find below information regarding childcare for Covid level 4 workers. This is intended as support for parents and whānau of children 0-13 years who are required to work providing essential services and who are unable to source private childcare.
Thank you to those home-based providers who are providing this care.
Childcare for Workers of Alert Level 4 Business or Services Scheme
The Government has contracted approved licensed home-based education and care providers across the country to provide childcare to workers in Alert Level 4 businesses and services.
Childcare through this scheme is only available:
· During an alert level 4 lock-down period as announced by the New Zealand Government.
· for children under the care of Alert Level 4 business or service workers.
· where there are no other adults in the household able to undertake childcare.
· for children aged 0-13.
The preference remains that Alert Level 4 workers make their own private arrangements where they are able to do so.
Conditions of childcare delivery:
· Carers are only able to care for one household.
· Funding is not available where the carer normally lives at the same address as the worker in an Alert Level 4 business or service.
· Workers in Alert Level 4 businesses or services are not to be charged any fees for this service.
· All Covid19 Public Health rules must be complied with.
Information for parents, caregivers and whānau
A list of approved licensed home-based education and care providers can be found at https://www.education.govt.nz/covid-19/childcare-for-workers-of-alert-level-4-business-or-services-scheme/ If you are an Alert Level 4 business or service worker, you can organise childcare by contacting one of these providers directly.
Information for home-based providers
If you are a licensed home-based education and care provider and are interested in being involved in this scheme you can contact us at [email protected]
To become an approved provider, you must:
· be meeting the requirements under the Licensing Criteria for Homebased Education and Care Services 2008
· confirm that you have undertaken a complete and current safety check including police vet, in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014, for any carers delivering care through this initiative.
· be able to confirm, in cases where the care is provided from the carer’s home, your organisation has previously assessed the carer’s home as meeting health and safety licensing requirements and police vetted any adults in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020.
For more information please refer https://www.education.govt.nz/covid-19/childcare-for-workers-of-alert-level-4-business-or-services-scheme/
Food and Essential Items
Finally, we know some families in our community may be finding it difficult to access food and essential items such as medicine. This information about how to access food or essential items https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Documents/School/SchoolsBulletin/2021-Bulletins/2021AUG23/Access-to-food-or-essential-items.pdf summarises the supports that are available, including financial help to buy food.
Keeping yourself updated
· The Ministry of Education website http://www.education.govt.nz/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-3/ will continue to be updated with education related information.
· The Ministry of Health website https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus will be regularly updated with health and status information.
· The All of Government website https://covid19.govt.nz will also have the latest updates.
Support Services Available
Our primary focus remains supporting the well-being of our students while maintaining an ongoing teaching and learning programme. It is important to note that we are all learning and adjusting to being back in COVID Alert Level 4 and the stresses that this can bring. Should you feel it necessary please contact the services below.
- Free call or text 1737 support from trained counsellor
- Child, Adolescent & Family (CAF) Emergency Team (Business hours) 0800 218 219 - press 2
- Crisis Resolution, Freephone 0800 920 092, (After hours), 7 days a week.
- Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234
- Lifeline – 0800 543 354
- Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
If it is an emergency or you, or someone you know, is at immediate risk call 111