Covid 19 Updates

Previous Covid-19 Updates

LEVEL 1 – UPDATE AND REMINDERS

7 March 2021

Dear Parents and Caregivers

We are now back in Level 1

Swimming Sports are being held tomorrow – Monday 8^th March.  Students must wear school uniform to the pool and change once they arrive.  Students living in Hastings need to be at the Frimley Swimming pool, Frimley Road, Hastings by 8.20am.  Bus students catch their usual bus to school and they will be transported onto the pool.  Students are free to leave the pool at the end of the day.  Bus students will be bused back to school to catch their normal buses.

Year 9 Cricket – there will be a practice after school – please meet at the cricket nets.

Year 9 – Yr 11 Parents Evening – Sports Institute
Wednesday 10^th March – 5.30 – 6.15pm
This evening will give vital information regarding their Curriculum, Pastoral, Spiritual and Sporting needs in 2021. Parents of students in the Sports Institute should attend this meeting.

Workday – Monday 15^th March
Reminder that students have their workday and should be looking for work for Monday 15^th March.  Information has been emailed to parents. The school will be closed and staff will be involved in Professional Development.

Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

BACK TO LEVEL 1

18 February 2020

Moving to Alert Level 1

Kia ora koutou

It was great news to hear we are moving to Alert Level 1 so quickly. While new cases in the community are always disappointing to hear of, it is reassuring to see how quickly they have been identified. I am sure we are all grateful for the efforts of our health workers, scientists and technicians in this regard, and the thousands of people who have been tested.

As a community we need to avoid the complacency which New Zealanders tend to quickly move into when we are at lower alert levels. Please do continue to scan QR codes and monitor closely for illness within your whānau.

Our focus as always will be to support the learning, safety and wellbeing of our rangatahi and tamariki and we continue to be here to support you too.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s kaiako or me, if there is something you need assistance with.

Ngāimihi

Rob Ferreira
Principal

14th February 2021 – We are moving to Level 2 at 11.59pm tonight

PLEASE NOTE:  Yr 9 – Yr 11 Parents Evening on Wednesday 17th February is postponed

Please read information below

14 February 2021

Kia ora tatou

I hope this email today finds you well.  As you are aware the Prime Minister announced today, that we will move to Alert Level 2 tonight, Sunday 14^th February at 11.59pm.

The Health and Safety Committee have put together a comprehensive site plan. The site plan will be discussed with your son on Monday.

We have also implemented an extra layer of contact tracing which will be useful should it be needed.  It is a short survey students and staff will complete at the beginning of House class time.  This information will be held by me, and it will be deleted when it is no longer required.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=4za7aWiTHUau1f-oGdfZz2s5Nw7SHFlJhi5SCGvKYfVUQk5HVDBBVTlVS05ZRTBSNFUxSEdTN1M4VS4u

The format for Monday – 15^th February 2021 is as follows: 

All students must bring their device each day.

Bell times for school are as per normal.

Students must enter the school grounds through the gates opposite the Performing Arts Centre only.

Students must bring their own drink bottle, as the usual way of using drinking fountains will not operate. They may go to the food tech department if they need a paper cup to drik water.

All students who arrive at school must please enter the school and not walk to the corner dairy. 

Parents when you drop your son off at school, please do so on Jervois Street.  If you enter the school premises you will need to sign the register and follow school protocols for Alert Level 2.

Time tabled classes will proceed as normal.

Distance learning will be available for those who need to remain at home.  Distance learning is distinct from online learning.  The teacher will not be expected to teach class at school and be available on line at the same time.  Nor would we expect the teacher to provide a full one on one session after each lesson with students who are distance learning.  The students who are unable to be on site will be provided with work and links to any resources.  Teachers will endeavour to keep communication open to assist the student in a timely manner.

I would urge you to please consult your doctor before you make a decision to keep your son at home.  Public Health Officials have advised that schools are safe to open at Alert Level 2 if appropriate public health controls measures are in place.

An outline for sport will follow in the next day.

Yours faithfully

Rob Ferreira

PRINCIPAL

Please read the latest updates below for Covid 19

WE ARE NOW AT LEVEL 1

20 August 2020

Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures
for visiting sports teams under Level 2

Stay at home if you are unwell
All players / coaches must self-assess their health prior to coming to St. John’s College. If you are not sure of your condition contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or your local GP for advice.

Contact Tracing
All visiting teams must give a printed copy of their team list to the St. John’s College Manager of the team they are playing on arrival.  All coaches, managers and other team staff for home and away teams MUST be listed on the team sheet.  Additionally the St. John’s College QR code will be displayed for all visitors to register at our office or Gym during their visit using the “NZ Covid Tracing” App as an additional safeguard if required. We will have manual sign-in sheets available.

Spectators
At Alert Level 2, no spectators will be allowed to attend games at St. John’s College. With restrictions on numbers of people allowed in each separated playing area at one time and issues with contact tracing, for the safety of all players and staff we ask that this is respected.  Any parent/caregiver who has a dependent minor to be picked up are asked to remain outside close to the designated entry/exit point.  (Front of school – pedestrian gates).  Our main gates will be locked.

Practice good hygiene AT ALL TIMES
Your hands are the gateway to your mouth so washing your hands prior to games and afterwards are paramount.  Wash your hands before placing mouthguards in your mouth and then wash your hands/sanitize ready for your game.  We ask all teams to have a bottle of team hand sanitiser with them.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds including before and after playing or use hand sanitizer. Ensure you have placed your mouthguard in then wash your hands.
• Cover mouth with coughs and sneeze into your elbow.
• Do not share any equipment with other players or teams.
• All players are to bring their own equipment including mouthguards and drink bottles. All disposable drink bottles and other rubbish to be put in the bins provided
• All teams are to bring their own equipment, sticks, mouthguard, drink bottles, hand sanitizer, whistles.
• Good practice rule is “what you take in you take out” including rubbish, although bins are provided and in all changing rooms.
• Hand sanitizer will be located in each separated playing area. Ask the manager of the St. John’s College team you are playing for the location if you cannot find it.
• No spitting

 Gym

• Enter/exit through front doors 15 minutes prior to games and immediately after games
• Hand sanitiser is available at the front door
• QR and manual Contact tracing available at entry
• Team changing rooms will be designated
• Team sheets must be supplied
• No spectators

 General hygiene in changing rooms
For travelling teams allocated changing rooms, soap will be available in each room.  Adhere to the hand washing regime of 20 seconds of washing then thorough dry them.  Please bring your own towel for drying purposes.

Toilets will be available.

Games

• All visiting teams are expected to meet outside the College and away from the entry / exit points to minimise crowding. Teams are asked to enter as one group through the pedestrian gates at the front of the College and ensure distancing to lessen exposure to players from other teams.  Please ensure your team are aware of this and arrive at the time you agree.  All teams MUST provide opposition managers with their team lists including caches, managers, and other staff involved.
• Physical distancing of 2 metres should be maintained wherever possible off the turf.
• Care must be taken to avoid interacting at entry point (pedestrian gates in front of College)
• Teams are to exit the pitch/College together.
• The facility or venue has been separated into individual playing areas. Under no circumstances should players or management from other teams from separated areas move into a different area as spectators unless agreed previously with the College.

Communication and Assistance
If you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our Teacher in Charge of Sport – Mr Jason Pearson – jpearson@stjohns.school.nz

Should you need assistance during your games, please contact our St. John’s College team manager of your sporting code.

Yours faithfully

Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

17 August 2020

SPORTS AT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE DURING LEVEL 2

Due to Level 2 the following precautions will be used for St. John’s College Sports Teams

All sport will be going ahead in Level 2 but with the following conditions:

Games at St. John’s College:

 No spectators.

Only team members, Coaches/managers and players will be allowed at the games.

These players/coaches will need to sign in at the Register either outside the Gym or outside the office.  We have the Covid Scanner Tracker on each of our gates.

The main gates will all be locked for weekend games.  Please have your students enter through the small pedestrian gates at the front of the school.

Parents please drop your boys at the gate and be there to collect them at the end of the game or make other travel arrangements.

Games at other Venues (ie outside schools/venues)
Please abide by the outside schools’/venues’ rules.

Thank you for your co-operation.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the office.

 Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

16 August 2020

Kia ora koutou

It is pleasing to see how New Zealanders are responding to this latest outbreak by getting tested if unwell, and staying home.

While most of us are familiar with requirements at Alert Level 2, we will continue to emphasise the importance of:

• Good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette
• Staying away if sick
• Keeping the appropriate physical distance from others
• Cleaning and disinfecting our high touch surfaces daily
• Displaying QR code posters at our entrances and encouraging all of our community to download the NZ COVID Tracer App and use it if they come on-site
• Keeping a visitor register for anyone who cannot use the app and for other essential visitors

We know all these things will help to keep our community as safe as possible. Because of these measures being in place, your child does not need to wear a face covering while at school.

Thank you for your continued support for all we are doing to keep our community safe.

Ngā mihi

 

Rob Ferreira

Principal

 

10^th June 2020

Kia ora parents and caregivers

LEVEL 1 UPDATE

I am sure you were as pleased as I was to hear the Prime Minister’s announcement about moving to Alert Level 1.  For us, there will be no major changes to what we are doing and our school continues to be safe to attend, including any staff and children who are considered more vulnerable to COVID. We have a good cleaning routine in place, people who are sick are staying at home and we continue to encourage good hygiene practices.

What is changing is we can now look forward to inter-school and community sport, cultural events and performances and to welcoming all of our school community on site for these activities. We are also planning increased numbers of field trips and other excursions.

 

14 May 2020

Kia ora tatou

STUDENT RETURN TO SCHOOL – LEVEL 2

I hope this message today finds you well.  As you are aware the Prime Minister announced on Monday that we will move to Alert Level 2 on Wednesday, 13 May at 11.59pm.  This means we will be back on site with all students attending on Monday, 18 May.  I am delighted with this announcement, and the Senior Leadership Team and staff and looking forward to welcoming your sons back to
St. John’s.

The Health and Safety Committee met on Tuesday, 12 May, and we have put together a comprehensive return to site plan. Please click here to access the plan which will be discussed with your sons on Monday.

We have also implemented an extra layer of contact tracing which will be useful should it be needed.  It is a short survey students and staff will complete at the beginning of each day at house class time.  This information will be held by me, and it will be deleted when it is no longer required.

Contact Tracing Form – Please Click

Tomorrow (Friday, 15^th) is a non-teaching day.  Your son will have work set by his teachers which he needs to work on.  I have decided it is important to transition staff back on site first, before we begin the process with our students on Monday.  Staff will begin the day with some professional development followed by department meetings and the opportunity to bring teaching resources back to their classrooms.

The format for Monday – 18^th May 2020 is as follows: 

All students must bring their device each day.

Bell times for school to run as normal per the updated bell times.

Students must enter the school grounds through the gates opposite the Performing Arts Centre only.

Students must bring their own drink bottle, as the usual way of using drinking fountains will not operate.

All students who arrive at school must please enter the school and not walk to the corner dairy. 

Parents when you drop your son off at school, please do so on Jervois Street.  If you enter the school premises you will need to sign the register and follow school protocols for Alert Level 2.

Monday will start off with House class time.  There will be no formal teaching in lessons one and two.  Formal teaching will occur from lesson 3 onwards.  Please ensure that your son comes to school prepared for Day 2 of the timetable.

Distance learning will be available for those who need to remain at home.  Distance learning is distinct from online learning.  The teacher will not be expected to teach class at school and be available on line at the same time.  Nor would we expect the teacher to provide full one on one sessions after each lesson with students who are distance learning.  The students who are unable to be on site will be provided with work and links to any resources.  Teachers will endeavour to keep communication open to assist the student in a timely manner.

I would urge you to please consult your doctor before you make a decision to keep your son at home.  Public Health Officials have advised that schools are safe to open at Alert Level 2 if appropriate public health controls measures are in place.

An outline for return to Sport is also available by clicking here 

News on Tim Donkin has been encouraging over the last week.  An inaccurate blood test last week saw his family very worried about his recovery, however a second test proved that the initial test delivered a false result.  Tim is now able to eat solids and he is able to spend time with his parents who have a flat on site.  He still goes to the ward on a daily basis to undergo care.

Thank you for all your efforts over this difficult period.  I look forward to welcoming your son on Monday.

Yours faithfully

Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

12 May 2020

Kei te rangatira, tena koe

BUS INFORMATION

Fantastic news, all bus services will return as normal on Monday morning 18th May 2020.
We appreciate your patience and understanding with the very many buses the MOE has provided for us. Your emails and questions have been hugely appreciated and assisted us in our preparations.

The school and bus provider Nimon & Sons Ltd have received vast quantities of information from the Ministry of Education over the last two weeks. Please can we assure you that the safety of our students is paramount and we will be adhering to the instructions given to us.

It is important to be aware that the Ministry of Education has advised that maintaining distancing is not practicable on school buses.

To ensure that your son is able to travel to and from school safely the following has been actioned:

• Contact tracing is significant, up-to-date lists of students travelling to and from school.
  · As students exit the bus in the morning, a staff member will collect names.
  · As they enter the bus in the afternoon, a staff member will collect names.
  · Hand sanitisers will be available for each student to use as they board the vehicle.
  · Vehicles and surfaces will be sanitised after each journey by the transport company.
  · The vehicles have a Perspex Guard between the driver and the students for safety.
  · Standees are still allowed on the vehicles, the handles will be cleaned before and after every run. Students should spread out based on where the seat and hanging handles are.
  · Students must continue to maintain their own hygiene while travelling on the bus.

The community has been amazing supporting the school with information about which bus the students are using, please continue with this. This will ensure the excel lists are accurate and updated frequently.

The Ministry of Education has considered student safety in our country and believe the above measures are the best approach.

Kia pai tō koutou rā,

Tony Mc Bride
Acting Deputy Principal Pastoral Care

 

8 May 2020 – UPDATE – WHEN WE MOVE INTO LEVEL 2

Kia ora koutou

Like me, I am sure you have followed with interest the announcements made by the Prime Minister.

It is reassuring to hear how well our country has done at minimising the impacts of COVID-19. Alert Levels 4 and 3 have not been easy and I thank you for your ongoing support for the work we are doing.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister advised that in Alert Level 2 schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff and that additional public health control measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing.

The good news is that when we are able to, we will be ready to welcome all students and staff back to our school site.

The key Public Health approach is to minimise the risk that someone gets infected in the first place, and second to ensure we can identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact with a person, if someone in a school is infected.

As we have done in Alert Level 3, you can be assured that in Alert Level 2 we will know who is at school, who our staff and students have been in close contact with and take appropriate measures to keep everyone safe.

Physical distancing is a good precaution to prevent the spread of disease. We do however 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.

Under Alert Level 2, we advise any students and staff to stay at home if they are sick, and we will send anyone home immediately if they show any symptoms.

Our school has safe and sensible practices to maintain the health and safety of everyone on the school site. As described by Dr Payinda in his NZ Herald article, “Covid’s not measles or chickenpox, it doesn’t hang in the air for hours waiting to infect passers-by. It travels on invisible drops of spit. You don’t have to cross the street to avoid anyone. Just avoid getting in their ‘moist breath’ zone”. We all just need to remember to have some breathing space at Alert Level 2!

It’s important however that not just at school but at home, safe hygiene habits are practised by everyone, as this is essential to minimise the risk that someone gets infected with Covid-19.

For more information about the public health measures at Alert Level 2, you can visit the covid19.govt.nz website: https://covid19.govt.nz/

If you have any questions about our health and safety plan, or have a child who might be vulnerable to serious illness and would like to discuss a plan for them, please contact me.

We will be in touch again soon to update you on our plans.

Ngā mihi

Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

3^rd May 2020

Kia ora koutou – UPDATE ON LEVEL 3

We wanted to give you a quick update on how we are doing under Alert Level 3.

Our distance learning is working well. While it will certainly have challenges for you at home balancing work and care for your children, we are getting a lot of great feedback too. It is exciting to see the innovation that has been happening and some brilliant videos coming through of what our students, families and whānau have been up to at home.

We were also excited to be able to reopen our premises for staff and students onsite this week and look forward to welcoming more of you in person very soon.

We also just wanted to provide some reassurance that our school is a safe place for your child to be and safe for our staff too.

We have closely followed the public health measures that have been put in place for Alert Level 3.  These were set by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to minimise spread in the unlikely event that someone in our community is confirmed with COVID-19.

This means our small school bubbles are in place, our staff and students are staying 1 metre apart inside and 2 metres outside, our cleaning programme fully aligns with Health guidance, only essential visitors are coming into school and we have systems in place similar to supermarkets and dairies, to prevent those people from congregating.

We have hand sanitiser in classrooms and lots of reminders to students and staff to undertake good hygiene practices such as good cough and sneeze etiquette, and washing hands frequently. Most importantly, the children on site are enjoying being back with their peers, even though it is in quite a different way.

Just to remind you also that COVID-19 is not an illness that impacts heavily on children and young people.  An article by Dr Gary Payinda in the NZ Herald highlights this:

• The young are less likely to get infected, less likely to get seriously ill, and less likely to spread the infection to others.
• When kids are affected, the illness is almost always mild. Luckily, unlike flu or many other infectious diseases, children with Covid are not super-spreaders.
• Covid’s not measles or chickenpox; it doesn’t hang in the air for hours waiting to infect passers-by. It travels on invisible drops of spit. You don’t have to cross the street to avoid anyone. Just avoid getting in their ‘moist breath’ zone.
• Make hand hygiene a habit – more than being scared of runners passing by, touching groceries, or standing in queues at the supermarket, we should be afraid of our own hands.

You will also be interested to know there have been no confirmed instances of a person with COVID-19 who never developed symptoms spreading the virus. For more information on how COVID-19 is spread go to the Ministry of Health website.

Staying home if sick, physical distancing, good hand hygiene, not touching your face, good cough/sneeze etiquette and regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces minimises any potential spread of the virus, if we were to have a case in our community. Our school’s health and safety system is all set up to ensure this happens.

Please get in touch if you have any questions, including about our health and safety management for children, staff and visitors coming onsite.

Ngā mihi

Rob Ferreira

Principal

 

22^nd April 2020

Kia ora Tatou.

I hope this message finds you well and taking care of yourselves. My last update on Tim Donkin was a pleasing and uplifting piece of news as we follow his recovery and progress. Tim’s parents are very grateful for all our thoughts and prayers.

Principals have been receiving a lot of information on what Level 3 will look like next week. Yesterday you received two pieces of information detailing what Level 3 will look like next week. Year 9 and Year 10 parents, please respond to our request for information on whether you intended to send your son to school from Wednesday 29^th April.

On Tuesday next week, 28^th April, schools nationwide will have a teacher only day. This has been signalled by the Minister of Education, thus allowing staff to discuss current issues, and plan for the next few weeks. Going into Alert Level 3 will allow staff to meet in person, as well as onto our site so that we can access resources and hold meetings relevant to teaching and learning. As a result of this, there will be no remote learning on Tuesday 28^th April. The teacher only day will count as Day 2 of the timetable. Remote teaching and learning will resume on Wednesday
29^th April and will be Day 3.

Kind regards

Rob Ferreira
Principal

 

Dear parents and whanau – UPDATE MOVING TO LEVEL 3

21 April 2020

As we prepare for COVID 19 Alert Level 3 it is important that we gather precise information regarding the students who will be returning to school on the 29 April. The message continues to be: Stay home. Save lives.

However, if your son is in Year 9 or Year 10 and care is not available at home due to adults returning to work, there will be supervision provided at our St. John’s College site to support you.

Clear directions from the Government and Ministry of Education have given us a platform on which to open St. John’s College. There will be a number of changes under Alert Level 3 from what we would normally offer when our students come on site to ensure we adhere to the Health and Safety Guidelines:

• Lessons will continue to be provided in the online distance learning format. Teachers on site will be supervising only, not providing lessons or tutorials.
• There will be no access to resources on site other than classroom furniture, outside seating area, and toilets due to contamination risks.
• The canteen will not be operational, and no provision is available for the cooking of noodles etc. Lunches and personal water bottles will be required to be brought from home.
• Physical distancing will be enforced. Students will be seated apart in class and no discussion will be encouraged. Students will not be able to mix freely with each other.
• Staggered break times to enable each small bubble of students to remain within their allocated bubble. There will be no free moment between groups of students.

In addition to these new arrangements:

• Students will be expected to be on site for the full school day in school uniform.
• All usual school rules will apply.
• Students own devices and headsets will need to be brought to school so that students can participate in their online classes.

It is very important that we have an accurate record of which of our students will be attending school from Wednesday 29 April so that we can prepare to ensure their health and safety whilst they are on site.  Once the students have opted in, they will be allocated to bubbles on the SJC site. It is essential that you opt in now and once set, the bubbles will not be changed. We will not be able to add more people after the set up.

Please reply to this email before 3pm Thursday 23 April if you need your son to attend the College during COVID 19 Level 3: 

NOTE: Only reply if you need your son to attend.

If so please state if a bus is required for transport to and from school.

Thanks for your support