May 11th 2020

Level Two What does it mean for Terrace End School?

Kia ora Whanau.

Yesterday the Prime Minister announced we would be moving to Alert Level Two. We have already been guided as to what Level Two would look like. We have more freedom of movement for everyone, but a strong focus on playing it safe and good hygiene practices. We are really looking forward to being able to see family and friends again soon!

With the Ministry of Education’s advice we have worked on some safety guidelines for our school as New Zealand moves into Level Two. Our planning at school is taking shape to ensure Terrace End School has robust routines and procedures making this a safe place for your children to learn, and our staff to work.

This has meant we have some new health control measures in place to prevent the spread of sickness and to support contact tracing.

Survey: To enable us to make informed decisions we are sending home another survey. Please can you answer our questions, there are not many at all. We appreciate your assistance.

School Access: As we have done in Alert Level 3, you can be assured that in Alert Level 2 we will take appropriate measures to keep everyone safe.

We must know who is at school, who our staff and students have been in close contact with, and we need to know who has been in our school, and how to contact them. This means we ask all parents and visitors to the school to sign in at the office. If you are dropping your child off or picking them up you will not have to sign in as long as you remain outside our gates, or stay in the car. BUT..if you need to visit the classroom, or move around our grounds you must sign in via the office.

Gates: You will have noticed our new gates and fences. These will be completed by next week. We have new plans that support our safe practices to protect against Covid 19 and physically closing the grounds is a part of these plans.

The gates on the driveway and the pedestrian gate beside the hall, the gates on Wharenui Terrace and at Kauri Street, will be closed for most of the day to make sure we can trace the people who are in our school. The gates on the Ruahine Street entrance will open at 8.20 am. Wharenui Terrace and Kauri Street Gates will open at 8.30 am. This way we can welcome your children into a safe environment as they enter our school grounds. The big gates will be closed again at 9.00 am, there is access through the pedestrian gates. We need all children to be regularly at school on time unless you have a genuine reason for lateness. These children must sign in via the office with a whanau member.

School finishes at 2.45pm and we farewell your children following that. We are expecting the children who are being picked up by whanau will wait beside the court area ( on seats). The gates will be opened at 2.30 and you may park in the carpark area. Your child will come to the pickup area and hop into your car. This means you will not need to sign in. If you need to go and find your child you must go via the office and sign in.

Children walking home will be asked to leave school following the end of the day at 2.45 pm. A bell rings at 3.00.pm indicating everyone should be on their way home. Our gates will be closed after 3.15 pm.

Supervision: Unfortunately, we are not able to provide supervision for children before or after school, but can provide you with numbers for businesses that will welcome your child. Our school hours are 8.20 - 3.00 pm.

Administration / Office. If you need to come to school, you must complete the tracing register in the office. Please remember to use physical distancing in our office area and queue 1 metre apart, similar to the supermarket.

Classrooms: Classrooms will be opened at 8.20 for children to enter their learning space.

We have been asked to monitor that our children are in good health. Each teacher will be keeping a register recording this data. Should your child become unwell they will be asked to come to the sickbay and we will contact a family member to pick them up. If there is anything that may suggest Covid 19, under Alert level two guidelines, the children must return home immediately and they will need to be tested. Results need to provided.

Physical distancing is a good precaution to prevent the spread of disease. We know it is challenging in schools, so good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are even more important here. This includes staff and students coughing into their elbows, handwashing and drying, and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.

An Alert level 2 school environment means children and staff are maintaining a physical distance so they are not breathing on or touching each other, coupled with good hygiene practices ( coughing in your elbow, handwashing and drying, and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.)

Food: I am sure you understand, that at Level 2 ( as at all levels), your child will require their food and drink in clearly named lunchboxes and drink bottles. Children are not able to share their food or drink bottles.

Break times: We have planned for staggered break times to keep groups of children smaller. The Junior Team will have their break first and the Seniors after this.

The Kids kitchen will be open for children who need some top-ups for food.

Communication: Please watch Facebook and the TES website as this is where we post our communications for our school community. We will also try and use emails, however, sometimes these are unavailable.

This week: For the rest of this week we will be working, as in level 3, with the children of Essential workers bubble. The rest of the tamariki continue learning at home using Seesaw, or Google Classrooms for online learning, or the Ministry hardbacks of learning. We need time to prepare for our school to open. We look forward to seeing children back on Monday 18th May.

Home Learning TV: this TV channel is continuing until 10th June.

He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka. A choppy sea can be navigated.

Ka kite Ano

Sue Allomes. Tumuaki.

Terrace End School

To Parents,Families and Whanau

Below is a link to the Duffy Books in Homes webpage. They are still hard at work supporting our school and community.

https://www.booksinhomes.org.nz/Home

To Parents,Families and Whanau

The Palmerston City Council is working alongside local partners and key agencies to make it easy for you to get support.

We’ve developed a registration form so you can contact us no matter what you need – this means that you won’t struggle to find help.

We’re responsible for coordinating access to household goods and services including food, transport assistance, medication collection, and general household goods.

For food parcel provision, Council is working with The Salvation Army, which has already combined its food bank services with Methodist Social Services, Crossroads Church and Just Zilch, and moved into a food delivery-based model.

For welfare needs outside of household goods and services, such as accommodation or financial support, Council will provide information and pathways for people to access the correct support channels.

Below is the link to learn more about this.

https://www.pncc.govt.nz/support