28 February 2021
Dear Parents,
Well, here we go again! I hope everyone is safe in their bubble and doing ok! This newsletter provides detailed information about how we can continue to support your child’s learning this week. Please have a careful read!
SCREENMEADOWS ONLINE LEARNING
On Monday, after our 9.00a.m. meeting, teachers will once again be launching their online classroom within "Screenmeadows". Should we remain at Alert Level 3 for a longer period of time then Screenmeadows will be how our tamariki will learn from home until we are all able to return to school.
We encourage parents to revisit the "Screenmeadows Guide for Parents" as a good reminder of what the expectations are for learning and how you can support your child in their home learning. The guide also includes a link to a video which shows parents how to help their child to log in to the classroom if you are unsure how to do this. There is new information in the guide relating to specialist classes and how these will work this week.
Students have also been shared into their own guide - you can access a copy of this here.
If your child is experiencing difficulties accessing the google classroom or Mathletics, in the first instance, do email the class teacher. Email addresses for all teachers are on our school website.
BUBBLE SCHOOL
Under Alert Level 3, children of parents who are unable to work from home (and who have no other suitable adult available to look after their child) can attend school. Depending on how many students we have, they will be supervised in the library and will be supported to access their digital classroom for learning. This keeps them close to the office. Should we have more than a few students (we only have one student last time), we will move to a classroom. Please email me directly if you need your child to come to school and I will send more information about how Bubble School works. No child is allowed to come to Bubble School if they are unwell, isolating or have are waiting for results of a COVID test.
SCHOOL OWNED DEVICES and/or HARD PACKS
From Monday 11.00a.m., parents are able to come up to school to borrow a school chromebook for their child if they need to so they can easily access the google classroom. This chromebook will be issued to the student only (just like taking out a library book) and it is for their sole use.
We will also have hard packs of learning materials available for those parents who do not wish their child to learn online, or do not have an internet connection.
Should you wish to borrow a chromebook or collect a hard pack of learning materials, please come up to school between 11.00a.m. and 3.00p.m. on Monday. This will be a “contactless pickup” and we do ask parents to be patient. It will work like this:
Park on Greenmeadows Ave and walk up the footpath to the hall.
Only one family will be allowed into the hall at a time to collect their device or hardpack, so those waiting will need to remain two metres apart in a queue down the drive. (just like at the supermarket!).
It will be a very quick and efficient system if people stick to the distancing requirements.
Parents will leave out the front door of the administration block and walk down the other side of the driveway to their cars.
Everyone must scan in on the COVID APP on entry to the school grounds, so please make sure you have downloaded the app if you haven’t already done so. If necessary, once at school we can help people to download the app using the school wifi. Sanitiser will be available and please wear a mask.
COMMUNICATION DURING THIS TIME
As I have been doing up until now, our main communications will be via email, the school app, Facebook and the school website. Do download the app (SchoolAppsNZ then search for Greenmeadows Intermediate once downloaded) and follow our Facebook page so you receive new notifications of messages.
I do encourage parents to make sure we have your correct contact details - especially email addresses. Teachers are likely to be contacting families of students who are not accessing the google classroom over the next few days to see if they need any further help logging in etc.
Stay safe everyone and stay home if you can! Together we can do this!
Ngā mihi
Cathy Chalmers