Welcome to Balmacewen 2022

By Andrew Hunter | Posted: Sunday January 23, 2022

Nau mai, haere mai! Warmest greetings to you all!

I hope you have enjoyed a happy and healthy holiday break. We are looking forward to welcoming all students to school on Tuesday 1 February.

As you might expect, now that we are in the "red traffic light" of the Covid Protection Framework, there are a number of changes required for schools.

Mostly school will continue as normal but with a few obvious exceptions. It would also be reasonable to assume that there will be regular updates as signalled by the government. We will alert you to these as they come to hand.

Please find below some important reminders:

First Day/Class placement

Because we can't assemble together on the first day of school, you will be sent a welcome email from your child's teacher, on Monday 31January. Your child can then go straight to class at 8.50am Tuesday morning. To restrict numbers, you won't be able to accompany your child to their class but don't worry we'll direct students to their new classroom. Feel free to walk your child to the front gate if you wish. A reminder that the Kaikorai rugby carpark is an excellent place for drop-off and pick up. It's safe and there's plenty of space.

Masks

All staff and students are required to wear a mask whilst learning indoors. Please ensure your child brings their own mask to school. Children are not required to wear masks outside. This will allow for normal lunchtime play activity. 

Hygiene

Good hygiene practice will be expected regarding handwashing, sanitising and cough/sneeze ettiquite. 

If your child is unwell

If your child is unwell please do not send them to school. Please advise us of any absence. Then seek advice from your doctor or Healthline about getting tested.

Settling in

Despite the obvious changes this year, our first aim is the same as always. That is for your child to make friends, feel good and to settle into their new class environment. Everything we do is to build relationships, self confidence and a sense of belonging. 

We're here to help!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Either email your child's teacher or contact our office for assistance.

There's no doubt there'll be some challenges for us all in the coming months but we're up for it and determined to make 2022 a great year at Balmacewen.

Kind Regards

Andrew Hunter