School Reopening

Friday 12 November 2021

Reopening of School

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Return to School on a Part-time Basis

We are looking forward to welcoming students through our gates on a part-time basis from next week beginning Wednesday 17 November. Please refer to the schedule below to see the date of your child’s first day back. We understand that this plan will not suit everyone but it has been created to ensure the return to school is as safe as possible for our students and staff.

We Need to Hear From You

Please Seesaw or email your child’s classroom teacher by Monday 15 November to confirm if your child will be returning to school on a part-time basis or not.

Schedule for Onsite Learning

The following table outlines:

• The days of the week each year level will attend full days of school onsite.
• The room your child will be in for those 2 days.
• Please note due to Health and Safety considerations, some classes will not be located in their regular classroom.
• The Drop Off and Pick Up gate for each class is designated below.

First Day of School Onsite

Year 1 = Monday 22 November

Year 2/3 = Monday 22 November

Year 4/5 = Wednesday 17 November

Year 6 = Thursday 18 November

Health and Safety Considerations

• Classes will only learn and play with their class members. 
• Drop Off and Pick Up locations will be spread between Sunnybrae Road, Northgrove Avenue and Ellen Ave to assist with social distancing.
• Each classroom will have a space for Morning Tea, Playtime and Lunch eating.
• No parents allowed on school grounds.
• Year 4 – 6 wear masks.
• Staff wear masks.

Drop Off and Pick Up

Drop Off (8:30 – 8:45 am)

• Please drop your child at their designated gate and leave straight away. 
• Alternatively you can drop your child away from the entrance and allow your child to walk the last little bit themselves. 
• Parents/caregivers will not be permitted to come onsite. 
• Parents and caregivers should maintain a two-metre physical distance from those not in their household group.
• Parent/caregivers wear a mask and model correct social distancing during Drop Off/Pick Up.
• Staff will be greeting students at the school gate.

Pick Up (3:00 pm)

• Students will need to leave the school grounds promptly at 3:00 pm.
• Meet your child at their designated gate.

ESOL, GATE, Music and Support Groups Cancelled

There will no longer be GATE, ESOL, Music or support groups online or at school.

Changes to Zoom Sessions

As our teachers will be doing face to face teaching with their own class at school 2 days per week, we will no longer be able to provide some of the Zoom sessions that have been running. If applicable, revised Zoom Times for each level will be included in the Distance Learning Programme sent out today.

How You Can Help?

Please ensure the following when your child returns to school:

All Students Wear Full Uniform to School

Students wear their Sunnybrae uniform including a school jersey as classroom doors and windows will be open at all times.

Hat and Sunscreen

Students bring a hat and sunscreen to school as classes will be spending time outside.

Year 4, 5 and 6 Students Wear a Mask

Year 4, 5 and 6 students wear a mask to school.

The wearing of a mask for Year 1-3 students is optional.

Brain Break, Morning Tea, Lunch, Water Bottle

Students bring Brain Break food, Morning Tea, Lunch and their own Water Bottle to school each day. 

Drinking Fountains Closed

Drinking fountains will be closed.

No Lunch Orders

There will be no lunch orders available.

Library Books

Send all library books back to school with your child.

Reading Books

Send all reading books back to school with your child.

Distance Learning Continues

For those who choose to keep their children at home, please continue to follow the Distance Learning Programme. The same programme will run at school along with time covering curriculum areas as well as reconnecting with classmates and their teacher. Class Zooms will continue on days that classes are not at school. This will now include Wednesdays, beginning Wednesday 24 November.

Essential Bubble Classes Continue

If your child is already attending Bubble School, they will continue to do so. They will remain in their same designated Bubble Class. The children in the Bubble Classes will not be allowed to join their regular class during onsite school due to Ministry of Health/Ministry of Education guidelines.

Shifting Locations of the Bubble Classes

In order to begin onsite school, we need to shift the Bubble Classes to new locations on Monday 15 November as follows:

Public Health Requirements

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health have instructed us to implement the following Public Health measures to mitigate the risks of contracting Covid-19 at school. These measures are designed to reduce transmission between staff and students, to provide clarity about who is a contact and what is their risk and to minimise school closures and disruption to learning. 

• Students have the opportunity to attend school part-time. 
• Students must be formed into groups that do not intermingle either inside or outside – groups must be contained and physically distanced from each other. 
• Students will have specific toilets that their class will use.
• Students who are in our existing Bubble Classes (the children of Essential Workers +) will continue to attend as they have over the past weeks of Alert Level 3. 
• There must be no congregating onsite, including during Drop Off or Pick Up. 
• Public health advice is that large groups of students meeting indoors must be avoided, including no assemblies, prizegiving or performances. 
• All staff have had at least one vaccination and a negative Covid test before physically returning to school. 
• Students and staff must stay home if unwell and must return a negative test before returning to school.
• We will send students home who display any signs of illness. 
• All staff and students in Years 4, 5 and 6 are required to wear masks while at school. 
• Practice good hand hygiene which includes the regular use of hand sanitiser. 
• Disinfect and clean all surfaces daily.
• Indoor ventilation must be optimised. 
• Teaching outdoors is encouraged, however, there are issues related to sun safety and the practicality of being able to teach effectively outside the classroom for us to consider. 
• There will be separate times and space for break times for each classroom. 

Update Your Contact Details

The school must maintain accurate and accessible records to facilitate efficient contact tracing should it be required. To assist us in this regard, please email office@sunnybrae.school.nz if you have changed your phone number or email address.

Vaccinations Status

We are following the government mandate for educators in regards to our staff. Due to the Privacy Act 2020, we are unable to share staff vaccination status and we are unable to ask parents/caregivers about their vaccination status.

No Before or After School Care

The current Public Health Order restrictions prevent before/after school care and holiday programmes from operating at Alert Level 3.

Conversations with your Child

We would encourage you to talk to your child about what the new plans are for reopening school and why this is happening.

Thank you for your cooperation during these unprecedented times.

Kind regards,

Lorene Hurd

Principal