Newton Central School
Te Kura a Rito o Newton

NEWTON CENTRAL SCHOOL COVID PROTECTION FRAMEWORK – Update

Schools and kura are open with staff and students on site.

Purpose:  Learning kanohi ki te kanohi is the best option for children and young people. It’s important for them to connect with their friends and teachers and it helps their social, physical and emotional wellbeing.

How we stay safe at all settings within the Covid Protection Framework

  • Wear masks
  • Stay home if you are sick
  • Stay home if you are sick
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow
  • Improve ventilation
  • Keep your distance from people you do not know
  • Keep track of where you have been

At Red, action will need to be taken to protect both at-risk people and protect our health system from an unsustainable number of hospitalisations.

At Orange, actions aim to avoid exponential growth in case numbers with moderate controls in place.

There are greater risks so extra public health precautions are necessary to protect our learners.

At Green, there is almost ‘normal’ social and economic activity while continuing to build health system capability.

 

Health Measures

All staff and support people are fully vaccinated

Newton Central School will not restrict student, staff or parent access based on vaccination status. We may request information about vaccination statuses for our records, although there is no requirement to provide this information. Where there is a direct risk to a student’s health and wellbeing (e.g. someone with complex medical needs), vaccination records may be required for those working with that child.

If you are sick, stay home and get tested

If you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms you should get a test. If you are unsure, talk to your local healthcare provider or call Healthline. Newton Central School staff will observe children on arrival, checking for symptoms. Those presenting as unwell will be asked to go home or arrange for parents or caregivers to come and pick them up.

Wear a face mask

  • Face masks are required for all Ākonga Year 4 and upwards when indoors or in close contact with others
  • All teachers and staff will wear medical grade face masks indoors at school

Wear a face mask

  • Face masks are encouraged but not required, when inside at school
  • At Orange, we encourage Ākonga Year 4 and upwards to wear masks indoors. There may be times when we will ask them to wear a mask, e.g. during an assembly, or if cases are high
  • At Orange, all teachers and staff will wear medical grade face masks indoors at school
  • While out and about, it is a good idea to wear a face mask and keep a safe distance from people you do not know

Maintain good hygiene

Use basic hygiene measures, including cleaning of surfaces, washing your hands, coughing or sneezing into your elbow and avoid touching your face.

Newton Central School will support children to:

  • Wash their hands with soap and water often or use an alcohol-based sanitiser
  • Cough or sneeze into their elbow or cover their mouth and nose with tissues
  • Avoid touching their face, including their eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Use hand sanitiser at entrances to indoor spaces, and at the gate at Red and Orange

Newton Central School will:

  • Complete regular cleaning and disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces

Ventilate in indoor learning spaces 

Good ventilation is important in minimising the risk of airborne transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. 

Except in Te Aka Pūkāea where there is a ducted air conditioning system, Newton Central School will:

  • Open all windows, doors and ducts (fully when weather allows and partially on cold, windy or rainy days)
  • Limit the number of people in smaller, confined spaces
  • User regular refresh breaks on cold, windy or rainy days, where all windows and doors are fully opened for a few minutes each hour and when children leave for outdoor breaks

Contact tracing

Schools are no longer required to undertake contact tracing; however, Newton Central School will endeavour to inform whānau when there has been a confirmed COVID-19 case in their child’s class and the infectious period of that case.

  • Cases of COVID-19 in a school will continue to be managed across the framework
  • Staff and students should follow public health guidance to identify who needs to self-isolate and get tested
  • Visitor information will be captured in a visitor register at the office

Attendance and distance learning

Children at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 

  • At Red, children with complex medical needs, particularly if not fully vaccinated, can seek advice from their health professional about whether it is appropriate to come to school
  • Support for offsite learning will be provided for those who are advised to remain at home

Children at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 

  • At Orange and Green,children with complex medical needs are encouraged to take additional precautions when leaving home
  • Parents, caregivers and students will need to work with the school to develop a plan to support attendance on site
  • Knowledge of the vaccination status of staff working with these students will be encouraged

Physical distancing

  • At Red, large groups of students meeting indoors will be avoided including assemblies, prizegivings and performances
  • Beyond classroom groupings, physical distancing of 1 metre will be observed wherever practicable
  • Physical distancing and groupings will be observed where practicable
  • Access to playgrounds and other outdoor spaces will be rostered to minimise congestion
  • Exercising and singing will be held outdoors

Physical distancing

  • When cases are proportionately high at Newton Central School, physical distancing of 1 metre between classroom groupings will be observed wherever practicable, to minimise potential spread
  • At Orange, physical distancing is strongly encouraged, particularly from people you don’t know
  • Activities with larger numbers of children will take place outside

Physical distancing

  • At Green, physical distancing is not a requirement

Parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up students  

  • Parents and caregivers dropping off or picking up students are encouraged to remain outside the school grounds
  • They are encouraged to wear a face mask and keep a distance from others when coming onto the school grounds
  • Staggered start and finish times will support physical distancing recommendations (see school hours below) and allow smoother flow of traffic in and out of the school

Physical and cultural activities on site / use of playgrounds

At all settings, access to playgrounds and other outdoor spaces will be rostered to minimise congestion.

At Red, exercising and singing will be held outdoors.

Teaching across schools and groups

Teaching staff

  • At Red, Newton Central School will minimise as much as possible, staff working with more than one group/class of students

Teaching staff

  • At Orange and Green, staff are able to work with more than one group/class of students
  • Staff such as itinerant music teachers and relief teachers will be able to work across different schools

Other visitors  

  • At Red, there are no non-essential visitors on site
  • All visitors are required to wear masks when indoors.

Other visitors  

  • At Orange and Green, there are no restrictions on visitors on site, but they need to sign in at the office
  • At Orange all visitors are strongly encouraged to wear a mask when indoors

Events and activities

Large gatherings

  • At Red, large indoor gatherings will be avoided

Large gatherings

  • At Orange, large indoor gatherings will be minimised

Large gatherings

  • At Green, all gatherings can go ahead with health measures in place

Music, instruments, singing

  • When singing at Red, participants will be outside and two metres apart
  • No singing will take place inside

Music, instruments, singing

  • At Orange and Green practices and rehearsals can go ahead
  • Physical distancing of one metre will be in place indoors, especially for higher risk activities such as singing

Libraries

At all settings, libraries operate as normal.

Drinking fountains and food preparation

At all settings, it is okay to use drinking fountains with safety precautions; however, Newton Central School encourages all students to bring their own drink bottles filled with water each day.

  • There is no shared kai at Red
  • Food will be eaten outside wherever practicable

Managing in an emergency

Fire alarms and other emergencies may require us to either evacuate our buildings or move everyone inside. The priority in these situations is keeping students and staff safe from the threat arising through the emergency event – fire, flood, earthquake etc.

Newton Central School will continue to operate practice drills as normal at Green, Orange and Red.

COVID PROTECTION FRAMEWORK – SCHOOL HOURS

(Gates open at 8:30am, children are encouraged to arrive from 8:45am)

Āhuru Mōwai – all years

Nohinohi – all years

Mārama – all years

Te Uru Karaka – all years

Awahou – all years

8:55am-2:55pm

9:05am-3:05pm

Entrant children may have different hours by arrangement when visiting and starting school

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