With the confirmation of the shift to Alert Level 2 on Monday, planning is coming together for the return of students to school on Monday the 18th of May. This is exciting and I’m sure this news will be creating both excitement and anxiety for students and parents. We look forward to school being as close to normal as possible, but with rigorous hygiene and health and safety procedures in place. Procedures have been developed with the safety of staff and students in mind and are focused on three overarching principles:
We have been advised that schools are safe. It is safe for all students and staff to return to school in Alert Level 2. Schools are safe because hygiene habits will be strong and schools will put in place safe and sensible practices.
We will have in place processes that focus on minimising the risk that someone gets infected in the first place. This will mean staying at home if you are unwell and making sure that classrooms are protected with the use of hand sanitiser before entry.
We will ensure that we can identify and contact anyone who has been in contact with a person if there is cause for concern. There will be an absolute focus on contact tracing.
With the return to school, there are some expectations and reminders that must be reinforced.
All visitors to school must be by appointment and must sign in through the office. There will be no exceptions. If you wish to come onto the school site you must sign in. This includes dropping off and picking up students. If you do not wish to sign in at school, do not come through the school gate.
Drop off and pick ups must only be via the stairs next to the courts by the bus bay and via the Allandale Rd primary entrance. No dropping off in the school car park. Road side drop off and pick up only.
We ask that parents do not congregate around drop off and pick up areas. Please do not use this as a social opportunity.
Buses will run as normal from Monday morning, hand sanitizer will be provided on the buses and students will be expected to use it when accessing the bus.
If your child is showing flu-like symptoms or is feeling unwell they must not come to school. There will be zero tolerance, parents will be rung and they must be collected immediately from school.
If you are showing flu-like symptoms or are feeling unwell do not come into school.
Water fountains will be off-limits. Please send your child to school with a water bottle. Water filling facilities will be available.
Devices - Chromebooks The school has distributed a large number of devices across our community and we need them back. If you have a school device in your home, these need to be returned to school with your child on Monday morning, including the charger. Please ensure they are placed safely into school bags. These will be gathered together within their classrooms on Monday morning. If these have been damaged, please be upfront about this and send a note outlining what has happened. We understand accidents happen and we would prefer to deal with the damage immediately rather than wait until we find it. The devices are covered by insurance and there will unlikely be any passing on of cost to families.
Teaching and Learning The shift to AL2 signals the shift away from Learning at Home and back to the classroom. The Ministry of Education language and guidance on this has been very clear. Learning at Home has maintained some momentum and provided engagement for students but it is going to be critical that we now get students back to school. We will continue to support students who are absent from school for a valid reason or who have been instructed to self-isolate on public health advice as we traditionally do. We will not be providing a parallel programme of learning for families that choose to self-isolate.
The opening of school under Alert Level 2 is very different from the situation we faced before going into lockdown. There is increased certainty around our understanding of COVID-19 and where the virus is across our general population. If there was not this certainty, we would not be going to AL2 and schools would not be opening. The H&S measures we are putting in place are a safety net and designed to reassure families that we are taking reasonable measures to protect staff and student safety. I am looking forward to seeing the students back at school next week.
If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch.
I am sure many of you have kept up to date with the recent government announcement around what Alert Level 2 will look like in schools. For the shift to AL2 to happen the government has to be reassured that community-level transmission is not happening. To put it simply, it is expected that schools will be back to as close to normal as possible with solid hygiene and health and safety practices in place. Close consideration will need to be given to some in class, physical education and playground activities where close contact can not be mitigated, but otherwise, we can anticipate that it will be school as normal. Distance learning should only be provided to those students that are required to self-isolate. All other students can look forward to being back at school.
The timing of the school opening will be the Monday following the announcement by the Prime Minister. We anticipate that this will likely be the 18th of May, but we will wait until Monday to confirm. This will allow the school some lead in time to prepare for the return to classroom teaching. At this stage I anticipate that on the Thursday and Friday prior to the return to school, I will require teachers on site and you can anticipate that learning at home will be less supported over those days. Students will likely be finishing off work or task sheets and working independently in secondary subject areas. However, I will confirm all arrangements once we have the announcement from the Prime Minister.
I am very supportive of the measured and realistic guidelines announced yesterday and wait with anticipation for Monday's announcement and the hopeful return to some normality.
Lastly, if your childcare needs have changed and you anticipate that you will need support over the coming week, please get in touch with me directly via email.
Ngā mihi nui,
Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College sb@hurunuicollege.school.nz
4 May 2020
May the fourth be with you! Sorry; as we start another week I wanted to take the opportunity to give you a quick update on how we are doing under Alert Level 3.
We are still very fortunate to have no students at school and remain focused on delivering learning at home. While it will certainly have challenges for you at home balancing work and care for your tamariki, we are getting a lot of great feedback and appreciate all the support you have been providing. It is exciting to see the innovation that has been happening and it would be great to see a few more photos coming through of your learning at home. Especially this week from the students in the Exploring Learning Community who after missing out on their Arthurs Pass trip are having their camp week at home. All the best, your teachers have developed some amazing fun activities for you to explore this week. Send any images through to office@hurunuicollege.school.nz.
It's been nice to be able to pop in and out of school over the past week and I can report that starting today we have the solar panel installers crawling around on the roof of the tech block. It’s great to be able to get this project underway while the school is quiet and also provide much needed work for a Canterbury based business. Russell and the cleaners continue to work onsite, ensuring the school will be ready to rumble once we get advice around the shift to alert level 2.
We are unlikely to get a clear indication on when the school will be able to open prior to the 11th of May, although we will start getting a better understanding on what Level 2 will look like in schools over the coming days. There are currently a lot of unanswered questions, especially relating to the expectation of physical distancing. Once I know more I will let you all know.
If your child care needs change prior to the 11th of May, please get in touch with me directly so we can discuss what care we might need to put in place.
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 theNZ 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.
As we prepare for Alert Level 2 we need to remember the core advice, stay 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. Our school’s health and safety plan is all set up to ensure this happens.
Continue your fantastic work in the home and please get in touch if you have any questions,
Ngā mihi
Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College sb@hurunuicollege.school.nz
27 April 2020
Kia ora koutou parents and whānau,
With the country moving to Alert Level 3 tomorrow, it is appropriate that I update the school community on what this will look like at Hurunui College. We are in a very privileged position that after making contact with the vast majority of our families none have indicated that they are initially in need of support. The school is very grateful to our community for the importance they are placing on limiting contact across our community and the sacrifices you are making to keep your children at home. I know teachers and staff are very appreciative. This means our focus can continue to remain on supporting you and your children with learning at home.
What does this mean for Hurunui College under Level 3?
The school will remain physically closed for teaching and learning and open for distance learning. Teachers will continue to focus on the delivery of learning at home.
The school will be available for teachers to access for development of resources, internet etc as long as safe hygiene practices are maintained.
If for any reason parents/community need to access school, this must be prearranged. Although staff are likely to be onsite, the office will remain closed at this stage while under level 3.
There will be no teacher only day on Tuesday. Teaching and learning is to continue as normal.
The school, playgrounds and courts remain off limits for casual/general use.
We do understand that your family situations may change over the coming weeks, especially if Alert Level 3 is extended. If this is the case, please get in contact with me directly so we can discuss what the school might need to do to support you and your children. My email is below.
On a different note, I hope families were able to acknowledge ANZAC Day in their own homes on Saturday. It was certainly a very different ANZAC Day for my family and in some way more pertinent while we remain under Level 4 restrictions. It has been fantastic to see how individual families chose to remember ANZAC Day. It would be fantastic if families have photos they would be happy for the school to share on our Facebook page, please email these to office@hurunuicollege.school.nz. Also if familes have photos of their home learning and home learning setups I would love to also see these.It’s been a while since we’ve seen our tamariki at school and it would be nice to see what they are all up to.
Continue the fantastic work you are all doing at home and I look forward to when we can all be back on site, together as a whole school.
Ngā mihi nui,
Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College sb@hurunuicollege.school.nz
20 April 2020
Dear parents and whānau,
With the announcement this afternoon that the country will move to Alert Level 3 at midnight on April the 27th, we are putting planning in place around what schooling will look like at Hurunui College. It is critical to firstly understand that where possible students should remain at home connected to distance learning and distance learning will continue to be available for all students from year 1-13. Coming to school will only be an option if it is essential for children in years 1-10, and where childcare arrangements can not be maintained in the home. School will be a very restrictive and a different place and students will continue with their distance learning when at school. School will not be open for students in years 11-13. They must remain at home. The earliest the school will be open is Wednesday the 29th of April, although this date will be dependent on our preparations and risk assessments over the coming week. Please acknowledge that there is anxiety from both staff and parents around the reopening of schools.
All families will be contacted over the following couple of days to discuss your individual circumstances and to help support you in what decision should be made for your children. The Government's advice is very clear; if your children can stay at home they must stay at home.
We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to when school can be back to normal.
Ngā mihi nui, Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
13 April 2020
Dear parents and whānau,
In preparation for the start of term two on the 15th of April, it is important that families ensure they are familiar with the learning expectation for students across the school. The expectations and delivery of learning at home is different across our four learning communities and I have included the contact information of key teachers within each learning community. If you have questions about learning at home please make contact with the classroom or homeroom teacher/s or curriculum leaders first.
This situation is very new for us all. We will need to work with each family to ensure all students are able to access learning. Here are some simple guidelines that you may want to consider as parents.
Plan what the day will look like. Sit down with your child or children and work out what you will be doing together and what they will be doing alone.
Designate a space where the learning can happen; this may be a corner of the lounge, kitchen/dining area or garage. Try and avoid using the bedroom. For some of our older students they may have a desk in their room. If bedrooms are being used, keep the door open and check in regularly on how things are going.
Develop a routine and discuss what works best for you and your family when planning learning. Remember, learning doesn’t only happen between 9am – 3pm.
Learning happens best in the morning, develop agreed wake up and going to bed times. For our Y8-13 students, it will be expected that they follow their timetable. Lessons start at 8.45am.
It’s important to take regular breaks, get outside for some fresh air and do some physical activity.
Create a space to discuss the day or week's learning. This could simply be the sofa or somewhere outside. It is essential that you are actively involved in what happens during the week.
We are not expecting parents to take the place of teachers, and we are not expecting learning to look the same for everyone.
Discovery Learning Community - Whero, Kakariki and Waiporoporo Classes Learning Community Leader (Primary Year 1-7 DP) - Jane Marsh jm@hurunuicollege.school.nz
Learning at home model - Parents will be emailed once a week to give guidelines and follow up with phone calls as needed. It is not intended that this learning will be heavily reliant on access to devices in the home and it is understood that students will need additional support from others in the home to manage learning expectations. Expected learning time will be between 1-1.5 hours per day.
Exploring Learning Community - Kowhai, Kikorangi and Karaka Classes Learning Community Leader - Janet Tilson - jti@hurunuicollege.school.nz
Learning at home model - Parents will be emailed once a week with a preview of the learning for the coming days. Much of the student directed learning will be organised utilising Google classroom and via devices in the home with a focus on project-based learning. Students will use their school email to access google drive and classroom. Learning will be planned around the use of a task board with must do’s and can do’s. Teachers will regularly check in with students during the week. Expected engagement time will be between 1.5 - 3 hours per day
Investigating Learning Community - Year 8-10 Learning Community Leader - Philip Biddlecombe - pb@hurunuicollege.school.nz
Learning at home model - Teachers will schedule at least one face to face lesson per week with the class, with this being supported by small group and one to one video conferencing sessions as needed. Students are to structure their day around their at school timetable and allocate time accordingly. Students will utilise devices in the home for much of their learning via google docs and through google classroom. Teachers will email parents with concerns and if needed additional support material. Fortnightly Attitude to Learning reports will continue and be accessible via the Edge caregiver portal. Expected engagement time will be between 3 - 5 hours per day.
Aspiring Learning Community- Year 11-13 Learning Community Leader (Secondary Yr 8-13 DP) - Iain Thompson - it@hurunuicollege.school.nz
Learning at home model - Subject teachers will schedule at least one face to face lesson per week with the class, with this being supported by small group and one to one video conferencing sessions. Students are to structure their day around there at school timetable and allocate time accordingly. Students will utilise devices in the home and access their learning via google docs and through google classroom. Teachers will email parents with concerns and if needed additional support material. Fortnightly Attitude to Learning reports will continue and be accessible via the Edge caregiver portal. Expected engagement time will be between 4 - 6 hours per day.
Learning at home can also be supplemented with additional resources being provided via the Ministry of Education. We have requested some hard pack learning material for children whom we have identified as not having adequate access to the internet or who would benefit from additional hard pack material. In addition the MOE is rolling out it’s own at home learning TV channel that will be starting on the 15th of April. The broadcasts will run over six and a half hours during the day, and include specialised content to help support children’s education and deliver a broad curriculum that includes movement, music, physical education, wellbeing, numeracy, literacy and science through an integrated approach to curriculum and an hour of Te Reo Māori. Web based resources and support for parents is also available at www.learningfromhome.govt.nz.
If you are not feeling that expectations are clear or learning is not being adequately resourced, you also have the option of emailing me directly. Good luck and I trust we can make the coming few weeks as purposeful and rewarding as possible.
Ngā mihi nui,
Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
2 April 2020
Kia ora koutou,
There is a considerable amount of work going on behind the scenes to ensure the effective delivery of distance learning to students across the country. We are aware of the differing access to reliable internet and the appropriateness of digitally accessed resources for students of different ages. The Ministry of Education is looking very closely at this issue and are working to support schools in providing hard copy resources when and where appropriate. The tight restrictions being placed on school property access is amplifying these issues as teachers are not permitted on-site to prepare packs that could go home to students. One avenue that is being progressed is the creation of an at-home learning television channel that will broadcast 24hrs. This will provide learning for students at a range of ages and will be a welcome addition to the learning that will be provided through the schools.
We have been very lucky to be able to provide devices to many of our families. These devices are not toys and should be kept for the purpose of accessing and supporting learning. We are already aware of two devices that have broken, and although accidents, both were damaged while being in bedrooms. With these devices going into the home it is essential that parents/caregivers manage these with care and take reasonable precautions. - Keep devices out of bedrooms and in an open, common area of the house where direct and indirect supervision can be maintained. - Check what your children are doing on the computer and take the time to understand what sites they are visiting and who they are talking with. - Some social media sites have age restrictions to join, check these before letting your child use them or join. - Make sure your children know to report any activity they don’t feel comfortable with to you straight away. - Discuss internet safety with children of all ages and agree with them on what they can do online including sites to visit and appropriate behaviours. - Monitor your child’s time on their device. We have seen huge chatroom use by students and this will be placing additional pressure on your own data usage as well on our local networks.
While the internet is a great place for learning and education and during this time a great tool for delivering distance education there are some dangers and things that parents and caregivers should remember to be aware of to try and prevent children and young persons from becoming victims and exploited online. To get ahead of the overseas trend and prevent sexual predation, sexting, cyberbullying and other types of cybercrime occurring please refer to the links and information provided by Netsafe. - https://www.netsafe.org.nz/online-safety-for-parents - https://www.netsafe.org.nz/the-best-online-safety-tips-for-lockdown/
Remember if your children were going out you would go with them or depending on their age check where they are going. If your children are online you should be with them or check what sites they are visiting.
Ngā mihi nui,
Stephen Beck Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
Please ensure you stay connected with the multiple forms of school communication.
School website - access to the longterm school calendar and general information about the school.
Skool Loop App - pushes out school notices and newsletter, school calendar and can be used for notifying absences - critical mode of communication - download Skool Loop from the app store/google play and select Hurunui College
