Sent to Parents Sunday 28 February:
Preparing for a week of lockdown was certainly not on our minds when we enjoyed Athletics Day on Friday, however these unpredictable times have certainly prepared us to expect the unexpected.
Our three days of lockdown earlier this month allowed us to test the waters, and I hope your daughter contacted her teachers upon return to school if she had any issues. I’m confident our staff are ready for the week ahead, and I hope your daughter is too!
Firstly, I want to mention the students who were due to attend outdoor camps and sporting events this week – especially our rowers who were due to attend the North Island Secondary Schools Championship. I know it will be very extremely disappointing and as a school we feel that disappointment for them.
Here is a refresher on the things you need to know heading into our week of online learning.
Online learning
Google Classrooms will be the primary way your daughter’s teachers will upload work and communicate with her. They will schedule Google Meet and/or Zoom sessions, however these will be infrequent, allowing your daughter to complete work in her own time at her own pace. Her teachers will be available, however, if she does wish to connect with them. Your daughter’s House Deans should be the first point of contact for any concerns or issues you have about your daughter’s learning or wellbeing. There is a list of Deans and their emails at the bottom of this email.
Students of essential workers
As with our previous lockdown, all students aged 14 years and over are expected to stay home and complete online learning. If you are an essential worker and your daughter is under 14, she is able to come to school and should report in at the back door of the Admin Building at 8.45am tomorrow morning. She should be in uniform and bring her device, water, a mask if she desires and a packed lunch. Hand sanitizer will be available in the classroom, and regular handwashing with soap encouraged. There will be teacher supervision in the room, however your daughter will be undertaking work set in her Google Classrooms.
School Facilities
At Level 3, teachers and support staff are encouraged to work from home, so our reception, grounds, sports fields, classrooms and Admin Building will not be accessible to visitors. We understand some students may have items they need to collect from school. At this stage we are making arrangements for students to have access to their locker (not classroom) on Tuesday. We will have more information on timings for you tomorrow.
Moving Forward
As usual, we will be making decisions for our school based on advice from the Ministry of Education. While disruptive, our primary concern is keeping our Westlake community safe and ensuring our students stay happy and well during Alert Level 3. We appreciate lockdown is difficult for some families, so please do reach out to your daughter’s Deans, or our counsellors, if you have questions, or we can assist making this week easier for you.
