Alert Level Two Information.

_August 2020 Silverdale School Alert Level 2 Procedures.pdf

Alert Level 2 Information

Here are the main points for schools:

• We are expecting all staff and students back at school in Level Two, starting on Monday 31 August.

• The only exception to this is those who are sick, if you are sick – please stay home!

• There will not be strict physical distancing, rather it is encouraged to distance where possible and we will focus on good hygiene practices, regular cleaning, and giving everyone “breathing space”.
• PPE or masks are not required for staff or students on site. (for those parents whose children use the school bus I’m waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education if the children have to wear a mask on the school bus, once I hear from them I will let you know.)

The most important things you can do are keep washing your hands, cough and sneeze safely, and keep surfaces clean, just as you have been at Alert Level 3. 

The significant changes for schools and early learning services are:

Physical Distancing – Physical distancing is a good precaution to prevent the spread of disease. In an Alert level 2 school environment, this means children, young people, and staff maintaining a physical distance so that they are not breathing on or touching each other, coupled with good hygiene practices (coughing into your elbow, handwashing and drying) and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces. There are situations where physical distancing is not possible. In these situations extra emphasis on handwashing and drying (or cleansing with hand sanitiser) before and after activities and regular cleaning of equipment is very important.

Mass gatherings – educational facilities, and school transport are not considered mass gatherings because they are managed environments. This means there are no restrictions on numbers of people indoors or outside at schools and early learning services other than what other public health or health and safety measures require. Our school has made the decision to cancel all whole school assemblies, team assemblies, kapa haka and choir.

The exception is where people from outside the school may be attending, eg for a school production or school ball.  In these examples and if a school is hiring out their hall or allowing community groups to use school facilities, the mass gathering rules will apply.

Sports and playgrounds – school playgrounds, sports equipment use and activities can resume.  Contact sports can resume.  This relies on being able to contact trace who is on site during school hours and at school team training and competitions.  Any inter school events that recommence will need to have a contact tracing register in place to record those playing for and against teams.

There are no restrictions on groups of children and students mixing with others on site.  Where practicable where groups/classes do mix – attendance should be recorded as it should if the composition of groups and classes change during the day. 

Teachers/staff are not restricted to one group.

All visitors to school will have to report to the office to sign in using the Covid Tracer App. We recommend everyone to download the Covid Tracer App. If visitors can’t use the Covid Tracer App then visitors will complete the “Contact Tracing Sign-in Register”.