NEW 2020 DAY TIMES

Click the image below to
download a pdf copy.

ALERT LEVEL 2 @ ONSLOW COLLEGE - KEY POINTS

OVERVIEW

We are a community based on relationships of care and connectedness and the health and wellbeing of both students and staff is at the heart of this school plan.

All plans prioritise the 3 key principles of Level 2.

• avoiding people getting sick in the first place
• enable contact tracing
• understanding that this is not business as usual.

HEALTH & SAFETY

What practices will we have in place around hygiene and cleaning?

• Enhanced cleaning around the College campus
• Additional daytime cleaners employed to clean toilets & high use surfaces throughout the day
• Clear guidelines for students about hygiene practices which include students not sharing food, access to drinking water and not overcrowding areas such as the Student Centre
• Hand sanitiser, disinfectant & paper towels/Chux cloths in all classrooms and other non-teaching spaces
• Routines for students when entering classrooms (e.g. students straight into class with doors left open to reduce corridor crowding)
• Improved traffic flow practices for students as they move around the school (e.g. keeping left in corridors)
• While we have a good supply of hand sanitiser we are aware that this is a commodity that could become difficult to source. If you are able to supply this for your own use it would assist the school greatly in the weeks to come.

CONTACT TRACING

• Accurate class rolls will be more important than ever under Alert Level 2. Should there be a COVID-19 case in our school community, we would be required to pass this information onto the Ministry of Health for their contact tracing process. Please let us know if a student is going to be away as early as possible.
• We will require all visitors to sign in when they arrive on site. We would prefer that whānau do not come onto site unless absolutely necessary.
• We encourage students to keep to a safe social distance of 1 metre.

WELLBEING - RECONNECT, CARE, LEARNING TOGETHER

• We need a balance of normality with the acknowledgement of the fact that we are returning to to Level 2. We must remember that this is not business as usual.
• We need to remain responsive and flexible as we move into this next phase.
• We are very aware that the return to Level 2 could be a time of high anxiety and we encourage students who are experiencing high anxiety to speak with our counsellors, and for staff to refer students they are concerned about.
  

TEACHING & LEARNING

• We will endeavour to meet the students where they are at and work together on the next steps.
• We are moving our teaching and learning back online.

TRANSPORT

• We await confirmation from Metlink/Mana regarding the numbers of passengers that they are willing to carry. As soon as we have this confirmation we will communicate this to our community.
• Students will need to continue using the QR Code COVID tracer app
• If you are dropping students off at school please do so outside of school grounds.

Ngā Mihi

Sheena Millar

Principal

MESSAGE FROM ONSLOW GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS

Nicky Depree and Pam Jamieson, the Onslow counsellors will be available during the school term time (weekdays 9-3pm) to help with any difficulties you or your students may be having.

Nicky Depree

Term Time - Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm nicky.depree@onslow.school.nz

School Cellphone 022 014 3676

We know it's an extraordinary and difficult time for everyone. Because the Covid19 pandemic is an unprecedented event we need to have ways to manage it and the fear, anxiety and worry that goes with it. FACE COVID is a brief animation on YOUTUBE by Dr Russ Harris that gives some very practical ideas of how to Respond Effectively to the Covid19 Crisis.

Get reliable info - check out Covid-19.govt.nz for the latest facts and also for more ways to deal with the new "normal". Take breaks from news updates, do things to increase wellbeing - eating well, taking light exercise, finding enjoyable ways to relax and chill out, staying connected to friends and family members - the people you care about - while staying in your bubble, keeping routines in place as much as possible, especially after the term break.

During the revised school break time the following Community Helping Agencies will be operating:

• Youthline, 0800 376 633 or free text 234
• Mental Health Helpline free text 1737
• Parent Helpline (Wellington) 0800 568 856.
• For more serious mental health issues contact your GP or Te Haika 0800 745 477 or if it is an emergency dial 111.

NCEA Assessments and Medical Certificates

A question has been raised about whether our current assessment practices are viable with COVOD-19 & the extra pressure on the Health System.

It has been our practice to require a medical certificate for students who miss assessments. Given that it may simply not be possible to obtain a certificate at the moment, the schools feels that we are potentially putting students at a disadvantage.

We have contacted NZQA for advice & decided the following as a school. For students who miss NCEA assessments due to illness/self-isolation, and who cannot obtain a medical certificate, an email from parents to the teacher concerned will be sufficient to explain the student's absence. Where possible another assessment opportunity may be given. We do not want students who are unwell to feel pressure to be here due to NCEA assessments. This policy adjustment will remain in place until further notice & may be reviewed as the COVID-19 situation develops.

Supporting Our Children

As parents of adolescents you will know unexpected things will happen and young people will all react differently.

Sometimes young people will want to talk to you or another trusted adult about how they are feeling. Let them know it is ok to ask for help and you are available to listen or can help them contact other support agencies.

Some signs to look out for are:

• Changes in behaviour (tearfulness, sleep patterns, eating patterns, up and down emotions or heightened anger or irritability, becoming suddenly calm or happy after being down, feeling hopeless orworthless, guilty, whakamā or ashamed.
• Losing confidence, or a downturn in school or sport performance.
• Becoming isolated or withdrawn from whānau, family and friends, things that are normally of interest (hobbies, sports, friends).
• Talking about depression and death – expressing dark thoughts
• Not coping with day to day problems, or becoming overwhelmed with usual activities
• Using drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings or thoughts
• An escalation of risk taking behaviours including self-harm or sexual activity or stopping taking medicine
• Giving away possessions, tying up loose ends,
• Physical symptoms that don’t have an obvious cause such as aches, pains, feeling sick

If you are worried about your child please contact the Guidance Counsellors during school hours Linda and Nicky on: 04 478 8189 extension 831 and 849.

Outside of school hours and term time:

You can also ring or text 1737

Youthline text on 234 (8am to midnight) or ring 0800 376 633 or email talk@youthline.co.nz

Lifeline 0800 543354