Otaika Valley School CPF action plan for 2022 start

Otaika Valley School CPF action plan for 2022 start

 

28/01/22

 

Dear parent caregivers / staff / Board of Trustees

 

Welcome back to 2022.  I hope summer was kind to you and your families.  The first day of school is Thursday the 3rd of February.  The following information is intended to clarify the start of school based on the current situation. 

The teachers have recently met and used the Covid Protection Framework (CPF) and the latest Secretary of Education Covid19 Update, dated 23rd January (the first update since the end of 2021) to plan the school organisation to mitigate and minimise risk at Otaika Valley School.  We have done this as soon as possible on receiving the latest information and prior to any board of trustees meeting.  This information as we know from experience will change and we will continue to adapt to government and Ministry of Education guidance.  

Under Red the advice is to minimise, as much as possible, staff working across groups/classes of students.  Our biggest challenge at school will be minimising risk, keeping students out of each other’s breath zones, and slowing any community spread. Staffing will become a challenge, as will be finding relievers.  If we cannot get a reliever  a class will not be able to be split across the school.  Parents may be asked to keep students home on short notice.  This is all an educated guess at the moment and will be informed by the Ministry of Education/Health Guidance when and if it happens.  Again we will have to wait and see.  Please have a child care contingency organised if possible.  

PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW (starting 3rd Feb)…

• Ensure tamariki, students or staff members with COVID-19 symptoms get a COVID-19 test and remain at home until a negative result is received and they are symptom free for 24 hours.

• • No non-essential visitors on site. 
  • All visitors MUST wear a face mask – any exemptions to be sent to principal@otaika.school.nz before entering school
  • To minimise congestion, parents and caregivers will need to do drop offs and pick-ups from outside the school grounds. Some will still need to come onsite, for example to settle in a new entrant into class. In these circumstances, teachers will preplan visits with parents.  They (parents) MUST wear face coverings in these instances and should be encouraged to remain physically distant from others, especially when indoors.

 

• QR SCAN at the gate 

• Parents are not able to enter the office or classrooms.  For the office, come to the side window by room 1&2 toilets to eliminate inside contact.  Knock on the window.  This is what the teachers will be doing as well to limit staff contact. 2m distancing outside for parents.

• Hand sanitiser will be available indoors

 

• If Parents need to make an appointment with teachers or principal – email the teacher directly or phone the office to make an appointment time that suits. 
• No principal / parent meetings in his office (too small)
• Assemblies – done by video 
• EOTC week set for week 8 (21st to 25th March).  This is to replace the uncertainty of camps being cancelled under RED.  It is planned to run a week of controlled events that meet the requirements of RED.  More information will be provided closer to time with explanations.  Vaccinated parent volunteers may be required if we do day trips to things like Surf School etc.  The dates are provided for parents who wish to book time to support their child’s class.  At this stage – no overnight camps.
• VENTILATION – All rooms to have the doors and windows open to maintain as much natural ventilation as possible.  Teachers reduce the number of students inside during instruction by moving desks onto covered decks – where possible

Wearing of masks 

The Government confirmed today (23rd Jan) that masks (not face coverings) will be required at Red for children and staff in Years 4 to 13 when indoors. 

• Room 5 (Y3/4)  – Y4’s in Room 5 mask wearing is optional – decision to be made by parent/caregiver
• Room 6 & 7 (Y4 to 6) mandatory to wear masks inside
• all visitors must wear a face covering
• All  staff to wear a face covering when meeting with visitors, including parents and caregivers
• All masks wearers must wear their mask to the toilets.  Staff also.
• At this stage it is the parents responsibility to supply and manage the rotation of mask use from day to day.  Children store them in school bags during breaks and take them home to wash or dispose of.  Only Staff are to pick up any masks that may be outside – staff to manage own safety 
• physical distancing of two metres is recommended where practicable
• engagement with parents and caregivers to be held outside rather than inside
• hold meetings which do need to go ahead via Zoom, Teams or similar
• if it is necessary to meet onsite, ensure the room being used is spacious and well ventilated

School Bus South

• Y4 up to wear masks on the bus – a date is pending when this is mandated 

Staff

• Masks in Admin Block – open doors and all windows in staffroom 
  • Staffroom is an in and out to get food/drink
  • Room 1 to be staffroom (no class until NE roll growth later in the year)
  • inside 2m spacing between staff with good ventilation
  • masks on unless eating – distancing as much as possible
• All staff meetings to be held in Room 1 with 2m distancing, ventilation and wearing of masks for meetings

Sickbay 

• all children sent sick to be asked to wear a mask
• only major (seriously sick or injured) sick children who require monitoring to be in sickbay 
• Staff in the sickbay must wear a mask
• 1x child in sickbay
• overflow sickbay kids waiting to go home in staffroom 2m spacing

Teachers to … use green sick slips identifying ailments and teacher to decide on home or not – Jen or Terry or Robyn to write a note if child is not going home and returning to class e.g pamol given

Playground Duty Teachers – staff to take mask to wear if in close contact administering first aid etc.  Have surgical masks for crying children to give if required.

First Aid Staffroom duty teacher in Room 1 

• children to come to door of R1 and call out/knock – blue first aid bag to be in R1.  Hello Fresh bag with Hello Fresh ice packs in Room 1 daily. Returned to freezer at the end of lunchtime.  Robyn to collect ice pack bags from R1 & rinse with water and return to freezer.  Robyn to take icepacks to R1 before each break
• icepack minor injuries outside Room 3 duty teacher to check / staff to check as walking past how long ice pack on and give guidance 

Playground and physical distancing for the kids

• Contact sport is out e.g touch rugby / close contact soccer / wrestling 
• Teachers to support making up outside games with their classes to play that keep children out of breath zone

• Playground roster to reduce numbers cross grouping during breaks
  • Day 1 – Room 6 & 7
  • Day 2 – Room 4 & 5
  • Day 3 – Room 2 & 3
  • To be displayed in daily book

Hand-washing

• After break times and physical education – All classes to social distance outside classes waiting for the teacher.  Teacher to send in small groups etc to wash hands then SSR until all done to reduce close contact. 

 

Lunch eating – all outside

• No sharing of food
• No birthday cakes etc can be shared in classes

The above is what staff will be implementing at the very start of the year.  We have a plan.   It will no doubt be tweaked as we go.  We don’t have all the answers but ask you kindly to support the good intentions of the staff to keep all children as safe as we possibly can.  The Board of Trustees will also support us in this planning and provide governance for the school as we negotiate this year.

We look forward to welcoming back the children to school.

Kind regards

Terry 

Principal

Otaika Valley School