5 April 2020 Update - Urgent information request:

To support you during this Alert 4 Lockdown, we need your current email and contact information. We ask you to send the following information today to your child/children's teachers on seesaw or if you are not on seesaw please email it to admin@stleonards.school.nz or text it to 0273082130.

1. Your child/children's names.

2. Your current email and phone contacts.

3. The lockdown address where your child/children are staying.

4. What device your child/children are using for online learning (iphone, ipad, laptop etc).

5. If your wifi is unlimited or not.

Thank you.

COVID-19 Update: 23 March 2020.

SCHOOL IS CLOSED FROM TOMORROW 24/03/2020 for 4 weeks.

Following the Prime Ministers 1.30pm announcement, NZ is at COVID-19 Alert Level 3 for the next 48hrs. Following this we move into Alert Level 4.

As from tomorrow, our school along with other schools across NZ will be closed for four weeks or possibly longer due to COVID-19. The exception to this is that we provide support to families tomorrow and Wednesday where parents or caregivers are employed in essential services. If this is you please contact the school office on 09 8187717.

The first two weeks of the four weeks our school is closed will be considered online home learning. The two weeks after that will be considered holidays. Communication with your child’s teacher can be done via SEESAW. Children’s learning will be on Google Classroom and / or SEESAW. If you need access to SEESAW, please email me on principal@stleonards.school.nz and a QR code will be emailed to you for access. If you need assistance with internet connection, this link can help you access broadband at a reasonable cost https://steppingup.nz/get-jump/

While this is a challenging time, it is important that we follow the advice of our Government to practicing social distancing in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please keep your children home and stay safe and healthy.

Finally, St. Leonards whānau, please look after each other during the next four weeks and be kind. I hope you can use this opportunity to spend some quality time with your whānau. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on 027 3082130.

Kia kaha whānau.

Sharon Fuemana

Update: 22 March 2020. COVID-19: National Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact.

You will be aware that yesterday our PM announced NZ is at Level 2 Alert. This means COVID-19 is contained but risks of community transmission are growing. I want to reassure you that our school has had no confirmed cases or contact with confirmed cases and we are still considered to be low risk. We are still open and will be for as long as we are able to so that we can continue to provide rich learning experiences for all children who attend. Strict health and hygiene measures are in place to ensure a healthy environment.

However, as a nation because we are at Level 2 Alert, to minimise the risk of transmission, I have been advised directly from the Ministry of Education to ask that parents of children who may have health concerns or are in homes where others have health concerns to please make arrangements so they can be kept at home from school at this stage.

Health concerns of concern are, a compromised immune system; liver disease, cancer, kidney and heart disease, diabetes melitus and respiratory conditions such as asthma. We are phoning families we know of, but ask that you please email if this concerns your child or children and if you will be keeping them at home. We will make contact to support with home learning.

I have requested that staff over 70yrs and those with compromised immunity and certain existing medical conditions work from home and avoid non essential travel. This Children at our school are also asked to follow this advice. You may be contacted this afternoon if we know of your child's medical condition, however, if you think your children needs to stay at home, please let us know.

Thank you whanau for your support as we work together to minimise this risk. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me on 0273082130.

Grateful thanks,

Sharon Fuemana (Principal)

Update as advised by Iona Holsted, Secretary of Education: 20 March 2020

With so much information and misinformation swirling around about COVID-19, I wanted to share with you what will happen if we were to have a case in our school community. We have been planning for this and are in a position to respond quickly.

• As soon as a case is confirmed in our immediate school community (eg. a student, staff member, or member of their household), the Medical Officer of Health and Ministry of Education will inform me about this, and we will work together to get quick and clear messaging out to you
• If there was a case confirmed of someone in our school, we will likely be asked to close temporarily by the Medical Officer of Health. This will allow time for close contacts to be traced, appropriate testing to be undertaken, and a careful clean of the school to be undertaken.
• If our school does need to close temporarily, we have a plan in place to support student’s learning.

We know COVID-19 feels scary and of course people are concerned for the wellbeing of our children. Please be assured that with no case confirmed in our school, your children are safe here.

Good hygiene is a priority at our school, and we are reinforcing this regularly with all students and staff. We know that practicing good hygiene is still the best thing we can all do to prevent illness.

We are getting the most up to date advice and guidance so that we can confidently make informed decisions about the safety and wellbeing of our school community.

Click the germ image below for the COVID-19 - 18/03/2020 update.