KOPUTAROA SCHOOL

VISION : Nurturing confident, future focused learners

IMPORTANT Update for you all:

23.3.2020

Kia ora whānau

Please see following the update from the Secretary for Education. Which also includes Koputaroa School specific information.

This will also be on our Skool Loop app, school website, our newsletter contact list.

Government announcement – moving to Alert Level 3 for 48 hours and then Level 4

The Prime Minister has today announced we are moving to Level 3 for the next 48 hours and then from Thursday 26 March we move to Level 4 in the COVID-19 Alert Level structure for a further period of 4 weeks where people are instructed to stay at home.

For Tuesday and Wednesday, the expectations are that teachers will come to work to teach the children of essential workers, including children of teachers, and to prepare online work.

Teachers/School Staff will not be able to access the school site from midnight Wednesday and will work from home.

Schools will be open for Tuesday and Wednesday this week for children of essential workers, which includes teachers children. We will ensure that we continue to support good hygiene practices with these students and also undertake physical distancing.

Please have all children of Essential Workers report to the school office in the morning before heading to the Learning Centre which is our biggest space.

Essential workers

A list of essential businesses can be found here - https://covid19.govt.nz/government-actions/covid-19-alert-system/

All other children will be at home.

We will provide you with learning opportunities to the greatest extent practicable.

The Ministry will be working over the next few weeks to provide support for distance learning.

School holidays brought forward

School holidays are being brought forward so that they are completed within the 4 week period. Holidays will now begin from Monday 30 March to Tuesday 14 April inclusive (a reminder that the Tuesday after Easter Monday is always a closed day for schools).

At the end of the school holidays, schools will be open for distance learning but not physically open for staff to work at the schools.

Please note the instruction to stay home (Alert Level 4) will continue beyond the new school holiday period but schools will be technically open for distance instruction. Teachers will be working offsite.

Supporting learning from home

We will be working over the next two days to ensure we make contact with families and share all information about accessing learning from home.

Today the Ministry have launched Learning from home and Ki te Ao Mārama, two new websites to support teachers, learners, parents and whānau so that learning for children and young people can continue.

The websites include resources for parents and whānau, teachers and leaders. Resources span the learning pathway from early learning through to senior secondary, and more resources will be added as they’re developed.

The information and resources are available at https://www.learningfromhome.govt.nz/ and https://www.kauwhatareo.govt.nz/ki-te-ao-marama/

More resources will be added as they’re developed. Hard copy packs are being prepared for learners and whānau who don’t have connectivity at home.

The website will help you to get through the next few days as we move towards remote learning. This will help you and your staff to get ready, support you to be working from home, and maintain wellbeing.

Over the next two to three weeks we will be working on next steps to support distance learning where it is most needed and as part of contingency planning in case the 4 week period is further extended.

We are working with the Ministry to establish online learning and distance learning options to support all children’s ongoing learning. These will be made available by the end of the school holidays - this is after the Easter break, which commences Wednesday 15 April.

School transport

All school buses will run as normal on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March but only for students of parents working in to provide those workers with time to make arrangements for their children

After Wednesday, no school transport will operate as schools will be closed until further notice.

Finally - although of course this won't be my last communication...

thank you all for your amazing support and understanding. Remember we don't expect families to try to replicate a regular school day, there are many ways your children can learn at home that don't necessarily mean a lot of screen time. The learning we are planning is not all 'online' it is better we believe, to call it remote learning or distance learning. Cooking, gardening, playing games, doing puzzles etc. Likewise we are nearing the end of term, so children are getting tired and need a two-week break to recharge. To quote the PM "be kind, keep safe, and look after each other".

Danielle

Haere Mai, Welcome to Koputaroa School

Koputaroa School (est. 1891) is a beautiful rural school located approximately 7 km north of Levin (New Zealand) between SH 1 and SH 57. We are a full primary, decile 6 school with a roll that fluctuates between 160 – 180.

Koputaroa is the name of the local settlement and in Maori it means Breast of the Albatross. This name refers to the heavy fog that fills the valley, and from the hill near the Marae, looks like the breast of an albatross. Koputaroa was originally called Kereru and the school’s emblem is of a Kereru.