Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Another two weeks of remote learning are complete, and I am genuinely proud of how our school community has worked together to problem-solve and stay connected. I know it hasn’t been easy and many have faced obstacles and hurdles adjusting to their new normal. However both our students and our teachers are showing resilience, flexibility and determination to keep on top of their studies.
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.
With the Government announcement due on Monday, we’re cautiously preparing for what Level 2 will look like for our students and staff. Once the decision has been made, we will work closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure we have a robust plan in place for the safety of everyone who enters our school gates.
What we do know is, if the decision is made on Monday 11 May for the country to move to Level 2, schools will return on Monday 18 May. This means online learning will continue for all students next week, however staff will be allowed in at Level 2 to prepare classrooms. Staff and all students will then be onsite from 18 May. We will, of course, continue with excellent hygiene practices, and encourage everyone to continue to respect public health advice.
The Prime Minister has advised that in Alert Level 2 schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff and that additional public health control measures will be in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing. This means there will be no restrictions in our school environment as to how many people can gather – either indoors or outdoors. It also means sports will be back, with regulations to enable easy contract tracing if needed.
Even though an announcement is yet to be made, I’m sharing this with you so you can prepare your daughter for a transition back to the classroom – hopefully in the very near future.
Happy Mothers’ Day for Sunday to all our Westlake mums. I hope you enjoy the weekend and appreciate even more the time you have with your family.
Kindest regards
Jane Stanley
Principal
