ST JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC
SCHOOL
TAKAPUNA
Principal’s Letter – March 20
Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents and Whanua
What a week! I hope you all have a lovely weekend with your family. Thank you for the positive feedback about the communication that has been occuring in relation to Covid-19. As you are aware we are receiving new infomation throughout each day and endeavouring to ensure we stay on top of it all and pass it on to you. Today you will have received three notifications:
- Newsletter 2020: This letter
- Notices: Board of Trustees Letter
- Covid-19: Ministry of Education Update – March 19
You have also received an email earlier in the day containing a letter from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.
The Leadership team have spent this week planning for various scenarios that we may experience. We have also been reviewing our learning programme and the way in which students gather for prayer and learning. Earlier this week in Covid-19 Update # 14 I shared some changes we have put in place. These include the temporary ceasing of:
- Monday School Prayers
- School/Team/Home Group Masses and Liturgies
- School Trips
- Sharing the Learning
- Out of School Sports
Details of these decisions can be found the Covid-19 Update # 14.
Further to these, the following will be happening:
- Team prayers, buddy reading and house meetings will cease.
- Year 5/6 students will not be going to Rosmini for PE.
- The top field will be left for the Summit School students to play on and our students have the rest of our school and the bottom field to play on. Teachers will still be able to do PE on the top field during learning time if they wish.
- Teachers will not be attending professional development courses.
The following activities will continue:
- Waterwise
- Kapa haka
- Cultural group
- Lunchtime football
- Choir
- Parent help
Any visitors to the school, including those leading these groups, are interviewed on their arrival clarifying their health status, if they have been in contact with anyone who has travelled overseas lately and if they have been in contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case.
The Leadership Team are preparing for online learning. This has involved looking at what the learning programme would look like for each team and the possible platforms that could be used to deliver them. We are developing an understanding of how it will look for the student, the teacher and the parent as well as developing a range of expectations for each group. We are also considering the way in which communication will occur between and within each group. This planning will allow on line learning to be put in place if and when it is needed.
Today it has been announced by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops that all Masses at chruches have ceased until further notice.
We are aware that many student and staff families have been impacted by the closure of the borders both here and around the world. I ask that you keep these families in your prayers over the coming weeks as it is very hard to be cut off from your family, even though you know that it is the right thing to have been done.
Thank you again for all your support through this situation and as I said at the beginning of this letter, I wish you and your family a happy weekend.
Ka manaakitia e te Atua
Alister Bridgman
Tumuaki