Dear Parents and Caregivers
Remaining at Alert Level 4
I think we had all anticipated a further extension of Alert Level 4, and the Prime Minister has confirmed this. This Alert Level will remain in place in Auckland until Tuesday 31st August. This level will be reviewed on Monday 30th August.
Supporting Learning from Home
Our distance learning programme will continue. Teachers will be in daily contact via a Google Meet and be available to support students learning via Google Chat and email. Our teaching teams have planned work that can be undertaken remotely and this has been shared via team emails.
The Ministry of Education has re-launched Learning from home and Ki te Ao Mārama, two new websites to support learners and parents so that learning for children and young people can continue at home. Click on the links below:
The link below provides ideas from the Ministry of Education on how students can continue to be involved in learning experiences at home. They have been organized into specific year levels. Please note: some activities are not recommended at this time due to the need for social distancing.
Ideas to help with reading, writing and maths.
School Counsellor
Deborah Kevany, our School Counsellor will continue where possible via online connections with students as required. As always, the School Counsellor can be contacted via email on counsellor@kohimaram.school.nz
Online Safety
I would like to encourage our parents, caregivers and whānau to discuss internet safety with your children. You should agree with your children what they can do online including sites they can visit and appropriate behaviours including:
● Ensuring that you have signed up for Family Zone the school community’s online safety tool.
● Netsafe continues to be available to provide our community with support for online safety. They have information for parents and caregivers and have pulled together their top tips for online safety during the lockdown . To report an incident to Netsafe – report here
School Grounds Closed
As in the previous Alert Level 4, there is no access to school sites including playgrounds, fields and buildings. These are all closed by the Ministry of Education to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
The only exception to this is to allow for the distribution or collection of distance learning devices. This was done on Monday 23rd August.
If you are concerned that someone is not following the rules, you can report it to the COVID-19 Compliance Centre. This includes people not complying with:
● Alert Level restrictions such as entering the school site.
The compliance center will work to ensure that everyone is clear about how the restrictions apply.
Protecting Each Other
There is a lot we can all do to protect our community from COVID-19 including:
● Everyone must continue to stay home in their bubble
● Do not mix with other household bubbles – if they have COVID-19, it can easily spread to your household, and every other household they and you are connecting with
● As new cases are identified, new locations of interest are added to the Ministry of Health website – please keep checking this. You can search by your location and they are sorted by date, so you only need to check the locations which have been added when you last checked
● Wash your hands regularly, especially when you have been out in public
● Stay home if you are feeling unwell and seek advice about whether you need to get a test
● Wear a face covering when out and about, and you MUST wear a face covering in any businesses or services which are open at Alert Level 4 (unless you have specifically been exempted from doing so, which includes anyone aged under 12)
● Keep a two-metre distance from people outside your household bubble
● Check in using the NZ COVID Tracer App wherever you go or keep a manual record (a reminder the App only stores information on your own phone – no one else will know who it is that checked in, or when)
You can go to the COVID19.govt.nz website if you would like more information on Alert Level 4 requirements.
School Centennial Celebrations – 10/11 September
Due to the current uncertainty, the difficult decision has been made to postpone the Centennial Open Day events on the 10th and 11th September. A huge amount of work has gone into the planning for these celebrations which can only go ahead in Alert Level 1. A new date in early 2022 will be announced as soon as possible.
Centennial Gala Dinner – 18 September
This event will be rescheduled for Term 1 2022, and the PTA will be in touch as soon as possible with more details. It is hoped those who planned to attend will still be able to join us, however if you would like to be refunded for your ticket please contact the PTA at kohigaladinner@gmail.com
Events Cancelled for this week due to Lockdown:
- Bay Suburbs – Cross Country
- Eastern Zones – Cross County
- Year 7 / 8 Mathex
- PTA Blokes Breakfast
- Junior Kids Lit
- Student Fundraiser – Daffodil Day
- PTA Working Bee
The calendar will be updated with rescheduled events when Alert Levels allow.
On behalf of the staff I want to thank you for your efforts with remote learning at home. As I stated before, every family’s circumstances are different and so teachers are aware of this. We do want students to participate in learning that works for you in these extraordinary circumstances. We know many of you are trying to balance work commitments as well as supporting family.
I wish you all the best during this level 4 lockdown. Stay safe.
Kind Regards
Paul Engles
Principal