Onehunga High School logo

Posted in Returning to School Under Alert Level 2

Date: 27 August 2020

Kia ora koutou,

We are so pleased that schools will reopen for all students from Monday 31 August. It has been a pleasure to see the students who have been coming into school during Alert Level 3 – we are looking forward to seeing everyone else back next week. As in May, we are putting procedures in place using the guidelines from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, to ensure that the health and safety of students and staff is protected. Schools are open under Level 2, with increased focus on good hygiene practices including physical distancing (in schools, physical distancing means maintaining enough distance so that people are not breathing on or touching each other) and contact tracing.

Thank you, to all our families, for your commitment to addressing this pandemic together. Please know that we will continue to support the good practices that you have developed at home, at school.

We will be putting the following measures in place at school:

Attendance:
If your child is going to be absent on a particular day, please contact the school on 09-636-6006 or via the attendance form on the app or https://my.ohs.school.nz/enquiries/ to let us know.

If your child shows signs of being unwell, please ensure that you keep her at home.

Digital Learning:
Digital learning will continue to be integrated into every lesson, please ensure that your child brings their device to school every day. 

Visiting the School:
If you need to visit the school for any reason, please ensure that you sign in at the main office. 

School Buses:
School buses will be running as normal. Students are not required to wear face masks on school buses. If students use a public bus to get to and from school, then face coverings are now mandatory for everyone over the age of 12 at Alert Level 2.

Supporting Good Hygiene Practice:
Students do not need to wear a face covering at school. If they want to wear a face covering they are welcome to do so. The school has sourced some washable masks, that will be available for students who would like one at the subsided price of $2. (Limit of one per student)
All classrooms will have hand sanitiser. All students and staff entering the classroom will be expected to sanitise their hands.
Hand sanitiser (as well as the usual soap and water) will be available in all the bathroom areas for students to clean their hands.
High touch surfaces will be cleaned regularly.
Drinking fountains will operate at school and will be cleaned regularly, but students are encouraged to bring their own waterbottle.

Food:
The cafe will be operating under guidelines from the Ministry of Health. Initially this will mean that not all normal menu items will be available. Shared lunches with classes are not able to happen at this time

Practical Subjects:
Practical subjects such as PE are able to occur, students will be expected to clean and sanitise their hands after each lesson. Equipment will also be cleaned regularly.

Physical Distancing:
The Ministry of Education has advised that there is no requirement to maintain the 2m physical distance within school, although, where practical, a minimum of 1m distance will be used. Students will be encouraged to distance themselves so that they are not breathing on or touching others.

Sports Practices:
We hope that school sport will be able to resume its winter season from the 6th September,  however this will be dependent on government guidelines and gathering size restrictions.  School sport practices will resume over the coming weeks and we will let you know in advance this date. When they do, teams will be following hygiene practices, and we will be recording attendance. We ask that if families are coming to pick their child up after practice that they do not come on site, but wait for their child in the top carpark or on Pleasant Street.

We anticipate sharing a newsletter next week with further updates. In the meantime, and at any time, please contact us with any queries or concerns.

He waka eke noa. We are all in this together.
Ngā manaakitanga

Deidre Shea
Principal

Website by 72DPI