From the Principal

21 April 2020

Dear whanau, parents and guardians

As you now know, Alert Level 4 continues until midnight on Monday 27th April.  Alert Level 3, therefore, begins on Tuesday 28th April. Between now and then schools will prepare to reopen, for some select few students of essential workers only.  This preparation will include thorough cleaning, essential maintenance, planning for the return of those few students, and a Teacher Only Day on Tuesday 28th April.

The Prime Minister has asked as many New Zealanders as possible to work and learn from home during Alert Level 3, just like they did for Alert Level 4. That means students, parents and teachers. From the Ministry of Education, “The key message for you is that if you can, you should keep your child at home.”  So if there is a responsible adult staying at home who is able to supervise the children and their distance learning, they must do so.

Any families not able to supervise their children and their learning at home, due to returning to work as an essential worker,  are invited to contact the school by a special log in, on our Interview system, which will be sent out soon. Alternatively if this is not possible email (office@tomarata.school.nz ) to register your child for on-site learning.  Please do not ring. Registrations close at 10:00am on Friday 24th April.  Follow the instructions on the site ,or if emailing, tell us your child’s name, their usual room number, whether or not other children from the same house are also returning, AND whether they are registering for half days or the whole day. Registering allows us to plan for how many staff will be needed. Some of our staff will be unable to return until Level 2 for personal and health reasons, so we will not have a full staff at school. Plus with the 1 metre distancing rule, we need more space, so some students may be spread out over 2 classes. . 

If your child is registering for on-site learning please note the following… 

1) On-site learning begins on Wednesday 29th April;  times TBA

2) School buses are not operating during Alert Level 3; you will have to drop off and pick up your child at staggered times and not be permitted onto school grounds

3) Those who register will be contacted personally to ensure details and reasons are correct.

Please it is VITALLY important that you explain the following to your child if they are returning to school during Alert Level 3…. 

• The children should expect school to be very different to what they are used to, and it won’t be much fun.  
• They will be in classes of 10 students, with different classmates, a different teacher, and being supervised doing their distance learning, all day. 
• They will have to work 1 metre apart in the classroom 
• The learning they will do will be the same as the distance learning done by others at home (the teachers are just supervising them doing their distance learning)
• Their day, and their break times, will start and end at different times to others to minimise social contact
• Restrictions on playtimes will exist.  The playground will not be able to be used. They will have to stay in a restricted area for their bubble of 10. They cannot have equipment to play with. They will not be able to play with their friends as they will still have to maintain 1 metre distance
• High standards of personal hygiene will be taught and practiced throughout the day.

For now, we will continue to support your child’s learning by distance while we progress our planning for what Alert Level 3 will mean for you and us. We will be in touch again soon with more information. As you have been doing, please keep connecting with your teachers with any questions you might have.

In the meantime, stay safe and well, and remain in your ‘bubble’’ as much as possible.

Regards, 

Cherylene Neels

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We would like to thank Bayleys Wellsford for their sponsorship