Thames South School

Empowering learners through language, identity and culture.

Nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei pae tukutuku o Te Kura o Te Kauaeranga!

E toru ngā wahanga - Three Strands in One School

Kia Ora e te Whānau,

We have two big announcements; Free School Lunches for 2021 and the introduction of a Thames South School uniform.

Starting Term 1, week 2 in 2021, every Thames South School student will get a free school lunch every day for a year. We have been invited to be a part of this Government Initiative, pilot programme and we look forward to providing nutritional lunches for our students.

The Board of trustees would like to know your preference about our kura introducing a school uniform in 2021 or 2022.

Please follow this link https://tinyurl.com/yxn84aut and let us know your preference.

Ngā mihi nui,

Thames South School Board of Trustees

Mā te kahukura ka rere te manu

It is the unity of feathers that allow the bird to fly

We are all in this together

Kia noho haumaru anō

Again, stay safe

Be kind

Whānau Update – Covid-19 Alert Level 2

14th August 2020

Kia ora e te whānau,

The Board of Trustees have confirmed that we will be open for instruction from Monday 17th August. Kaiako will offer the same learning programmes via our distance learning platforms, if this option better suits you and your whānau. At Level 2, students only, will be permitted to enter our school grounds. We ask that all parents, caregivers and whānau, please adhere to our Procedure and Planning for Alert Level 2 policy, and stay at the gates to ensure that we keep to our learning bubbles. If students or anyone in your whānau bubble present with Covid symptoms, we ask that you get tested immediately and stay home until those results return negative.

We would like to acknowledge our kaiako for their commitment to the continued quality of learning programmes that were offered over the past two days and thank them for their swiftness in ensuring that all students were considered. Finally to parents, our number one priority will always be, the overall wellbeing of our students’, their whānau and our community at large. At times, this may vary from how other schools in our area may choose to operate. Our consideration will always be our peoples’ hauora and safety first and foremost.

Noho haumaru anō e te whānau.

Nāku iti nei,

Whaea Barbara Hetaraka

Covid-19 Procedure & Planning for Alert Level 2

Latest Covid-19 Procedures & Planning - August 2020

Thames South School Covid-19 Procedure & Planning for Alert Level 2 (Updated 17 August 2020)

Cleaning & Hygiene

Movement In & Out of School

Hauora (Wellbeing) & Reporting

Hand sanitiser and/or soap is available in all learning areas. If using soap, paper towels are available to dry hands. Used towels must be left in the bins beside dispensers.

Staff and students are expected to use either hand cleaning option when entering and exiting all learning spaces.

PE gear can be accessed during break times and class learning programmes. Hygiene practice will be adhered to before and after use.

Coughing and sneezing etiquette (into elbow) will be adhered to at all times.

Regularly used surfaces will be cleaned at the close of all blocks.

Under Alert Level 2 we ask that parents, caregivers and whaanau drop students off at the school gates before school, and collect them from the gate at the close of the school day. Please be respectful of this as it is the “most likely” chance of Covid-19 entering the school grounds. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, please contact us:

· Phone 07 868 6594

· Email office@thamessouth.school.nz

· Text 027 217 6072

If you need to make an appointment to see your child’s kaiako please email them directly or contact syndicate leaders on the following numbers:

· 027 6000 514 – Junior Explorers

· 027 6000 527 – Adventure Zone

· 027 6000 521 - Ama Maaori

When students return to school in Level 2 their hauora (wellbeing) will be our number one priority. This will require a lot of communication between whaanau/families and the school. Please contact your child’s Syndicate Leader if there are issues we need to be aware of. If the child or anyone in the home is sick with Covid symptoms, we ask that all get tested and stay home until the results come back negative and symptoms subside.

Covid Symptoms: a cough, a high temperature (at least 38˚C), shortness of breath, a sore throat, sneezing and runny nose, temporary loss of smell.

We have access to the District Nurse; Wendy King and Tracey Van Iperen our Social Worker in Schools.

· 0212251359 – SwiS (Tracey Van Iperen)

· 021341845 – Public Health Nurse (Wendy King)

Please communicate your needs to the services directly or via syndicate leaders.

Attendance

Getting To & From School

Classrooms

Students and staff will not attend if they are unwell. Students and staff that become unwell during the school day will be sent home. Contact will be made directly with you via the contact numbers that we have in our school files. If needed, we will organise the unwell child’s transport home. If medical advice warrants a Covid-19 test, the result will be required before the student or staff member returns to school.

Our school QR Code is displayed on our front admin door – please scan in before you step in staff.

Contract tracing will be monitored by our sign in process for staff and class registers for students. These provide the required information for Health Authorities if they need to contact people that might be considered a close contact of a confirmed case, and determine whether they need to self-isolate.

Students are encouraged to arrive at school at 8:45am, not earlier and are to be collected at 3:00pm. There will be no playing on site after school, the school will be closed from 3:00pm and will be locked down with no thoroughfare out of school hours.

Under Alert Level 2 hand sanitiser and/or soap will be provided in every classroom/learning space. All staff and students will be permitted to cleanse on entry and exit to all classes.

Each class has disinfectant spray bottles available for students and teachers to sanitise spaces throughout the school day as required.

Year 7 & 8 students will be able to attend tech classes at Thames High School – there will be no interaction with THS students. Students will be escorted to classes by our staff and picked up for their return walk back to school.

EOTC – will be permitted within a close radius of school not exceeding Kuranui Bay in the north, Rhode’s Park and Parawai. All EOTC at this level will adhere to the stated social distancing requirements (1m indoors, 2 metres outdoors). There will be an opt in, understanding with all EOTC.

Break Times

Hui / Assembly

Staffroom

Staff to ensure that students adhere to the physical distance recommendations of 1m remain in place. This means students and staff should be far enough away from each other so that they are not breathing on or touching each other.

Drinking fountains will remain closed for the remainder of Term 3. Students will need a named drink bottle at school and be responsible for it.

Karakia has an integral role to the start and close of our learning programmes across campus. We will be ensuring that these can be adhered to whilst adhering to physical distance provisions.

Whole school gatherings will resume at Level 1.

Staff are to maintain a minimum of 1m physical distance where practicable including in the staffroom.

Staff will be responsible for cleaning the utensils used and ensuring that surfaces are wiped post their use.

Soap and sanitiser is provided in the staffroom. Disinfectant/wipes are available to be used on shared keypads (ie. Photocopier, sign in, alarm).

Staff to clean and disinfect hands at the start and finish of each class.