Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka
Our Purpose: To prepare students to be active participants who will contribute to their community. As I reflect on the first full 5-day week of school, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in ensuring your child is wearing their uniform with pride and having everything they need for their learning day, including PE gear.
This week children have had the opportunity to participate in
- Youthtown activities
- Class swimming programmes
- Technology programme
OIS classrooms are places where teachers cater to a wide range of differences between students. As well as this, extra support may be available within the school for students who need it. Occasionally, you may hear your child has had contact with Christine Lewthwaite, one of our local Learning Support Coordinators. Her role is in helping to identify the best ways to support learning for particular needs. We are super lucky to have Christine on our team, Christine brings a wealth of knowledge to both supporting teaching and wellbeing for students. If you would like to know more about this please contact the school.
COVID 19 update
This week with the shift to Phase 2 of the Government’s Covid response, there are a few simple messages we want you to know about how we intend to respond to Covid cases in our school community.
- If you have been notified by the Ministry of Health that a student at our school or in your household has tested positive with COVID please contact the school office during school hours 437 0822 or email principal@oamaruint.school.nz if out of school hours.
- When we get a case, we will contact the Ministry of Education and contact-trace the close contacts in order to let them know. Our expectation is the close contacts affected will leave school immediately, to begin their isolation period.
- After we have let close contacts know, we will inform the rest of the school community.
- We will be using email to share information. It is important that you check your emails daily. We may need to phone or text you, please ensure we have your correct contact details.
- Confirmed cases need to isolate for 10 days from the time of exposure, and get a test on day 3 and a test on day 8. The case can only return to the school environment if the day 8 test is negative.
- Close contacts of cases will need to isolate for 7 days from the time of exposure and return with a negative Covid test from Day 5. Note that the isolation period begins from the date of exposure, not the date of discovery, so for some this may mean only a short 1 or 2 day isolation period.
- To be considered a close contact, you need to be within a 1.5 metres radius of a person with Covid for either 15 mins if neither of you has a mask, 1 hour if one of you has a mask or two hours or more if you both have masks on - in other words, the more you mask up, the less likely you will be considered a close contact!
- Unlike in previous years, just because you live with someone else, that does not mean that they are a close contact.
- This year, OIS is using a hybrid learning model for all students so that they are able to continue online learning when required. Class teachers have gone over this with their students.
Continued reminders
STAY AT HOME: If your child is unwell then they must stay at home. If your child becomes unwell during the school day you will be phoned to collect them ASAP.
HYGIENE: Continuing a high level of hygiene is important - handwashing, sanitizing and elbow coughing/sneezing.
MASKS: Students and staff must wear a mask when inside at school. Masks are not needed when students are outdoors. Students can wear medical grade or fabric masks, please ensure the mask is named. Teachers will continue to encourage regular breaks to allow students to take their masks off when outdoors.
SUNHATS: Students will need to wear a sunhat outside. Please ensure your child has a sunhat so they are able to spend time outside.
VENTILATION: Class windows and doors will be left open to help air circulate in the room.
PARENT MEETINGS: All parent meetings need to be prearranged, you can do this via phoning the school office or by emailing the applicable teacher.
OFFICE: If you come into our school office please ensure that you sign in, scan, wear a mask and respect a 2-metre distance if another person is in the office.
Touch
The North Otago Touch Association has let us know this week that their touch tournament is requiring Vaccine Passes for all go for coaches, managers and players over the age of 12 years 3 months. They will have a committee/referees viewing the vaccination passes on the field before games start.
In order to keep numbers down, unfortunately, spectators can not be at the games.
Youthline
Everyone has difficult experiences or feelings at some point in their lives, and it isn’t always easy or useful to try to deal with them alone. Youthline offers a range of different platforms where our children can get support when they need it. Helping them better understand themselves, discover strengths, make decisions, deal with difficult events both past or present, cope with feelings, improve relationships and improve self-esteem. We are very lucky to have two Youthline counsellors who visit the school regularly to support children. This is a confidential service.
For more information please contact Kara at the email address below.