ST JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC
SCHOOL
TAKAPUNA

Principal’s Letter – May 8

Dear Parents and Whanau

Thank you for your continued efforts to support you children ‘Learning from Home’ while balancing home life and your work life. Alert Level 3 has seen a continued decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases. This is great as it means that we are now heading towards Alert level 2. This level sees all schools fully open.

Yesterday we heard from our Prime Minister on what Alert Level 2 will look like for the country. Schools then received some initial information about Alert Level 2. We have been told schools will receive more specific details next week. 

What we know at this stage is:

• The Ministry of Education will be sending out more Alert Level 2 information next week.
• Alert Level 3, ‘Learning at Home’ and ‘Learning at School’, will continue all of next week
• All staff, other than our current ‘Alert Level 3 ‘Learning at School’ staff will continue working from home.
• If the Prime Minister announces on Monday we will be entering Alert Level 2 at some stage next week, all students will be returning to school on Monday 18 May 
• Parents will be receiving a ‘Principal’s Letter’ next Wednesday 13 May with further information as to what school will look like under Alert Level 2

Below are the ‘Key Messages from the Prime Minister’ which were in the update from the Ministry of Education yesterday.

We wish all mother’s a Happy Mother’s day for Sunday. It will certainly be a Mother’s Day to remember.

Take care, stay safe.

Ka manaakitia koutou e te Atua

Alister Bridgman

Tumuaki

MOE Covid-19 Update – 7 May – Key Messages

“Early learning services, schools and tertiary education facilities are all open.”

“Schools and early learning services are safe environments for children, young people and staff. Additional public health control measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing.”

 “Schools and early learning services will engage with parents about children returning at Alert level 2.”

 “Distance learning is available for those unable to attend school, for example who are self-isolating.”

“If a school has a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19, they must close on an individual or group basis for 72 hours, to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.”

“We also agreed that when we make the decision to move levels, schools won’t open midweek – whenever the decision is made – they will open at the beginning of the following week. So if we make a decision to shift to Alert Level 2 next week, schools and early learning centres will have ten days from now to prepare.”

“The two key public health principles we’re talking to the sector about are one: to reduce the risk of someone getting infected in the first place and two, to ensure we can identify and contact anyone who becomes infected.”

“So keeping kids at home if they’re sick, and good hygiene such as hand washing are so important.”

In schools, physical distancing means children, young people and staff maintaining enough distance so that they are not breathing on or touching each other. We do, however, know it is near impossible in an early learning environment and challenging in schools. So good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are even more important here.

“And all schools and early learning services will collect information about who’s there, so Public Health can contact people quickly if they need to.”

“We know parents will have lots of questions, but please give schools and early learning centres time to plan and contact you.”