28 August 2020
Dear Parents and Caregivers
At mid-night on Sunday 30th August, Auckland moves to Alert Level 2.
At this level, all schools are deemed safe and will open on Monday 31st August. St Pius X is ready, as I am sure you are. We are required by the Ministry of Education to reactivate our specific Health and Safety Plan for Level 2. This is mostly about extra hygiene and contact tracing in case there are any cases identified. I have published our plan on the school website and hope that everybody has a chance to read it. There are some specific requirements in relation to bringing the children to school or collecting them in the afternoon. Although there are no legal requirements about physical distancing while at school we will be encouraging the practice that has become our new norm this year. We will also be very strict about good and regular hand washing, and we will be regularly sanitising everything that moves and everything that doesn’t move.
We will have staff at the school gate welcoming students and insisting on hand sanitising on arrival as well as on entry to each learning space. We are asking parents not to come on to the site except through the main school office, where we can record appropriate tracing details. The New Zealand Covid Tracer QR Code is displayed at all entrances to the school and everybody is asked to scan in whenever you come onto the property. If you want to talk to a teacher, and we love it when you do, please either email, phone or call at the office to make an appointment. We will be following a ‘one in-one out’ process in the office so visitors are not congregating in the reception area. Please wait outside until asked to enter where we can collect tracing information. Uniform sales are available from 8.15am but if there is a rush, we can take our time, be patient and keep being kind to each other.
We are once again asking that all students bring a named bottle for water to school as it has been recommended we don’t use the fountains while under Level 2. They will be able to fill the bottle but not put their mouths anywhere near them.
We are very aware that everybody has experienced the lockdown in different ways and for some there may be a real anxiety and even fear about returning. I want to assure everybody we will do everything in our power to make the transition back to school as easy as possible and that these necessary restrictions will have a positive impact on the academic, social and spiritual growth of all the children.
Paul Coakley
Principal