We are looking forward to seeing you all on Monday 2 May 2022, when school returns. 

This term we will be operating under the ORANGE COVID Protection Framework settings.  The settings have been reviewed by the Board of Trustees and based on public health advice, the following protocols have been applied.  

• The wearing of face masks is optional and no longer a requirement of school staff and children.
• Visitors to the school, including parents and whānau, are still required to wear a mask whenever they are indoors on the school grounds.
• Face masks will be available for tamariki in Year 4+, to be worn on occasions when mask wearing is desirable e.g. large gatherings, school trips or if we experience an increase in the number of COVID cases in our school or community.
• Students under the age of 12 are no longer required to wear face masks on school or public transport.
• Where there is an expectation for tamariki to wear face masks, the same will apply to staff.
• The rights of staff and children to wear a face mask is to be respected at all times. 
• All health measures in place at school that we know slow the spread of COVID-19, will continue. These include ensuring our indoor spaces are well-ventilated, maintaining good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette, appropriate physical distancing whenever we can and, most importantly, staying home if we are sick.
• Outdoor capacity limits for curriculum or non-curriculum events or activities have been removed.
• Indoor capacity limits for curriculum related events have been removed. However, for non-curriculum related events and activities we will still adhere to public health advice regarding seating and capacity limits. 

So what does this mean?

• The New Beginnings Programme (4yrs old) will return on Friday mornings.
• Parents/Caregivers (masked) are welcomed back to Friday Assemblies.
• Parent helpers (masked) in school are welcome back.
• School Lunches will recommence on Thursdays, this term.
• FINGERS CROSSED... Inter-school events and activities will recommence this term

Finally, last term was one out of the box for us here at school.  We bucked the trends of having high numbers of students and staff absent from school with or due to COVID and were able to achieve most if not all we set out to back in January. I believe our success in dealing with the COVID lurgy to date, is down to the vigilance of our parents, who have taken a very cautious approach keeping sick and unwell kids at home and taking prompt action when their families have been hit with COVID.   Your efforts meant that we were able to keep the school gates open, classrooms full, buses running and provide a safe environment for teaching and learning.  We now need to maintain this mahi | work, to keep COVID at bay and to defeat those Winter bugs heading our way.    

Nga mihi nui Marty Gameson  Principal | Hororata Primary School Ph +64 3 318 0803 | Mob +64 27 229 11 | E principal@hororata.school.nz