Minister Hipkins confirmed yesterday that all our students in Years 11 to 13 are able to return onsite from Tuesday 26 October. This is very good news as we know how important face-to-face support and engagement will be for our senior students, so that they can complete their studies and continue to the next level.
Although more students will be onsite, our region remains at Alert Level 3, and we know there are active cases in our region. Therefore, we will be following all the public health measures that are required so that we can keep everyone onsite (and their whānau) as safe as possible.
Today’s update includes information about the following:
- Public Health Advice
- Wearing Your Mask Effectively
- NCEA Examinations and Emergency Event Grades
- Term 4 Years 9-10 Students and Online Learning
- Student Vaccination Register
- Senior End of Year Reports
- Year 13 Leavers information
- International Leavers Dinner
- Uniform Shop Hours
- School Café
- A Word from our Counsellors
Public Health Advice:
Public health experts at the Ministry of Health have reviewed our existing health requirements needed to operate at Alert Level 3 (for those small numbers of students we already have onsite). These include:
- Staff and children who are unwell must stay at home and get tested for COVID-19.
- Children at higher risk of severe illness remain home, where possible.
- Staff who are not fully vaccinated and are at higher risk of severe illness should remain home.
- Mandatory mask wearing for staff and students in Years 9-13. Students who do not wear a mask are not eligible to attend learning onsite unless a written exemption is provided by a medical professional.
- Only essential visitors will be permitted onsite – visitors are asked to wear a face covering when onsite.
- Good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette.
- Classrooms to be well ventilated.
- High touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected each day.
- Physical distancing will be adhered to wherever practicable, particularly between adults.
- Physical distancing of two metres will be in place from people we don’t know.
- QR code posters for the COVID app will be displayed.
- A contact tracing register in place for everyone coming onsite including students and staff, through the attendance register, timetable, and visitor register.
To support the return of our senior students, the additional measures that have been agreed by Cabinet to apply at Alert Level 3, based on public health advice are:
- Face coverings will be required on school transport for people aged 12 and over.
- Time outdoors for students and staff will be maximised, including breaks, lunchtime, before and after school (unless the weather does not allow), and rooms will be aired during breaks.
- Exercising and singing will take place outdoors.
- Groups meeting indoors, including assemblies or staff meetings, will be avoided.
- Exams can go ahead, but physical distancing will be maximised within the space available, with a minimum of 1.5 metres between desks.
You can be confident that this approach is designed to keep children, teachers and our community as safe as possible.
It is important though that everybody continues to play their part. Please follow all the Alert Level 3 requirements – stay at home if you are unwell, get tested if you have any symptoms, even mild ones, maintain your bubble, and keep track of where you have been. And finally, please do support everyone you know who is eligible to get vaccinated.
People can access their COVID-19 vaccination record by registering for My Covid Record which is now available.
Wearing Your Mask Effectively:
One of the key public health measures promoted by the Government is mask wearing. Although this appears a simple task, there are some important steps to ensure mask wearing is effective. The link below shows how to correctly put one on, wear and remove a face mask. As we prepare for our full return to school in Alert Level 2, we encourage all staff and students to wear a mask.
NCEA Examinations and Emergency Event Grades
NCEA examinations will proceed in all areas (including Alert Level 3) on Monday 22 November.
In addition to the Learning Recognition credits already announced, Auckland students will now be eligible for an ‘unexpected event’ grade. This will be based on their schoolwork throughout the year so far and in the remaining weeks of this term. Students from Auckland schools will be expected to sit the NCEA exams but will receive whichever has the higher mark out of the actual exam grade and the emergency event grade.
Term 4 Years 9-10 Students and Online Learning
Government requires all Years 9-10 students to continue with online learning at home – except for the essential worker’s children who have registered with Deputy Principal Chris Williams c.williams@bdsc.school.nz to be supervised onsite. Any new students requiring supervision onsite need to email Chris Williams by 2pm tomorrow please.
The Minister of Education announced today that further decisions on schooling for Years 1-10 students and early childhood children will be announced on Tuesday 26 October.
Student Vaccination Register
Information on the process for registering your child’s vaccination status will be sent out next week.
Senior End of Year Reports
Due to limited time and a need to focus on NCEA assessments for the remainder of the school year, end-of-year senior reports will be abridged. Year 13 and Year 12 leavers (upon request) will receive a written report and an NCEA Summary, and Year 11 students will receive an NCEA Summary, which will be published to the web-portal on 26 November.
Year 13 Leavers Information
Graduation Dinner
It is with sadness that I let you know that the Graduation Dinner for 2021 has been cancelled. This event was to be held on Friday 5 November at the Ellerslie Events Centre. Due to the extended lockdown in Auckland and the restrictions on large group gatherings, we have no choice but to make this decision.
You will all receive your graduation certificate and medal to acknowledge your time here and these will be given out prior to your official departure from school.
Graduation Book
You can still purchase a 2021 Graduation Book. The cost of $25.50 has been loaded against your account for ease of payment. If you do not wish to purchase the book, then you do not need to do anything else as this cost will be removed from your account after Tuesday 2 November.
If you do wish to purchase one, you must login to your school account and make the payment before 9am Tuesday 2 November. No payments will be accepted after this date as we need to get the book to the printers.
If you have any queries regarding payment, please email Mrs O’Shaughnessy a.oshaughnessy@bdsc.school.nz.
If you have any other queries, please email me k.holmes@bdsc.school.nz.
Y13 Leavers Gear
These are in the final stage of printing and will be handed out to students during Week 3.
International Leavers Dinner
Due to our current Alert Level restrictions, our International Leavers dinner has also been cancelled.
Uniform Shop Hours (for Years 11-13 students only)
The Uniform Shop will resume trading on Tuesday 26 October and will be open during usual operating hours:
- Monday 8:00am – 9:00am.
- Tuesday 3:15pm – 4:15pm.
- Wednesday 8:00am to 9:00am.
- Thursday 8:00am to 9:00am.
Please note that this will only be available to our current Years 11-13 (Senior) students.
- All visitors must please follow signage and use the QR poster to scan and/or register.
- Only one person at a time will be served in our shop and you will be required to SANITIZE YOUR HANDS and wear a FACE MASK.
- Please practice social distancing.
- Unfortunately, no samples will be available to try on. It is very important that you carefully look at the measurement guides listed on the website.
- During Alert Level 3, we will not process refunds or offer exchanges.
School Café
The School’s Café will be open from Thursday 28 October with a limited menu and with staggered service times for each year level.
Library
This will remain closed until further notice.
A Word from our Counsellors
The counselling team would like to remind you that we are available to offer counselling support for BDSC students (during school hours).
With senior students being able to return to school next Tuesday, we are looking forward to supporting students in person.
If your young person is in Year 11, 12 or 13 and you would like one of the Counsellors to check in with them, face to face, please email Sarah Domigan (Head of Counselling) on s.domigan@bdsc.school.nz or alternatively via the online referrals form https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=1ZIs2WpndE-5_gL3rlfbJcfI-ygYgVtGgmeVRqXIET1UREVFNVROOEVLRElNS0pVUFJXUFJPUkMxUyQlQCN0PWcu
If your young person is in Year 9 or 10, we can continue to offer support via email or phone contact.