Casebrook Update - Wednesday 16th February - Red Setting 'Phase 2'

By Nick Leith | Posted: Tuesday February 15, 2022

New Zealand is now in Phase 2 of the Covid Red Setting - here's how it impacts Casebrook Intermediate School.

Kia ora koutou,

A big thanks for the great start we have had to the year in Covid Red Setting. Students have adapted to the facemask requirements really impressively. Please keep reminding them to pack a mask or two for the day before they depart for school.

New Zealand has moved into ‘phase two’ of the red covid traffic light setting which means covid is spreading more rapidly in the country, with predictions to spread within our community at some stage in the near future. You can read more about ‘phase two’ here: CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON 'PHASE 2'

Now is a really good time to update you on our response plan to keep school open during a community outbreak. Our leadership team has been working closely with the Ministry of Education and has planned how best to manage such this situation.

You can see our framework plan to respond to the challenges of covid in the community below:

• We are currently in Step 1 of our school response plan

• If we have a confirmed case in our school we will:
  • alert all close contacts as soon as possible
  • follow instructions from an assigned Covid case manager in the Ministry of Education
  • provide specific guidance based on the public health risk assessment as soon as possible; which is likely to require any close contacts to self-isolate and get tested.
  • provide information with our school community about the situation
  • You can read more info about what self-isolation could look like here: CLICK HERE (scroll down to 'Phase 2 -  case investigation and contact tracing')
    

• A confirmed case may involve a classroom or classrooms being closed until self-isolation periods are completed:
  • teachers will take the classroom into an online learning set up - if the teacher is unwell and unable to work they will be covered by another teacher who takes over the online teaching of that class.

• Step 2: We have the staffing capacity to cover classrooms and will run a combination of learning from home and/or on site and adapt programmes to suit as best as possible - you might hear this referred to as ‘Hybrid Learning’.

• Step 3 and Step 4: We will communicate this in detail should we get to that point.

The start of a new school year at Casebrook sees a number of new families join our school community. Please feel rest assured that we will communicate with you regularly to outline and support any changes in situations - as we have done throughout the Covid pandemic.

If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch with one of us in the Covid management team:

• Sharon Keen - Principal: skeen@casebrook.school.nz
  
• Christine Gillard - Office: office@casebrook.school.nz
  
• Nick Leith - Deputy Principal: nleith@casebrook.school.nz
  
• Will Stribling - Assistant Principal: wstribling@casebrook.school.nz
  
• Mark Russell - Wellbeing & Learning support: mrussell@casebrook.school.nz
  

In the meantime, please remember the basics during Covid red setting:

• We ask if children are unwell with colds and flu-like symptoms that parents and whānau are proactive in keeping students at home and we will send anyone home if they show any symptoms of illness.
• For track and tracing purposes we have to register any parent visitors on site through the office. Please scan in. In a Red setting, parents and whānau are asked to only come on site if absolutely necessary - but you MUST enter through the main office only and scan or log your name on the visitor register in the foyer.
  

Ngā mihi nui,

Casebrook Leadership Team