Cancelled events information

Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 in News.

Dear Staff and Parents/Caregivers,

Mr Walsh and the Senior Leadership Team have looked carefully at the events and school activities over the remainder of the term and reflected on the most recent advice to keep our students safe.
 
Following this advice, we are looking at cancelling or postponing a number of events and school activities. These cancellations are disrupting our school routine and this will undoubtedly be worrying to all students.

Teachers will be talking to students and reassuring them that the changes are intended to help protect them and those most vulnerable in our community. The schools guidance counsellors are also available to support students where needed.

We hope this information helps you talk to your children about covid-19 and this very difficult time.

The school acknowledges that the situation is fluid and further decisions will be based on new information and advice as it becomes available. Across the remainder of the term assemblies and the following activities will be cancelled:

Week 8

• Wednesday Liturgy
• Road Safety year 11 Expo
• Hawaiian group visiting
• Year 8 Retreat – 19 March 2020
• Defence Force presentation
• Auckland University Engineering.

Week 9

• Wintech
• Signum Fidei Meeting
• Bop Swimming
• Massey University
• Wednesday Liturgy
• Photo catch up
• Golf
• Singing practice
• Auckland University presentation
• Shakespeare Festival tbc
• Mountain Bike Champs
• Participation in the Pasifika Festival

Week 10

• Year 13 ABL camp
• Interim Report Evenings (phone conversations instead of meeting)
• Caritas Leaders Day
• Wednesday Liturgy
• Year 9 Parish Mass
• DOE trips

Week 11

• Year 12 camp
• Year 7 Noho Marae
• Wednesday liturgy
• Victoria University Presentation
• Swim Champs cancelled
• Equestrian
• Holy week liturgy
• Tumbling champs
• DOE trips cancel
• ANZAC day parade

School Sport NZ update

Following the government announcement today banning gatherings and events of 500 or more and in conjunction with NSOs with events scheduled this term, the board of School Sport NZ has confirmed that all events on the School Sport NZ national calendar are suspended.

This decision will be reviewed on Monday 6 th  April. Some events where alternative dates are not possible will be cancelled, others may be postponed and we will work with NSOs to make announcements in due course.

From Cycling NZ

• Cycling New Zealand Schools North Island MTB Championships – CANCELLED. Please click here for further details.
• Cycling New Zealand Schools South Island MTB Championships – CANCELLED. Please click here for further details.

Included below is the advice we’ve received from the Principal’s Federation:

COVID -19 Update
Kia ora e te whānau

Yesterday the Secretary for Education sent out a COVID-19 update, 16 March. To help you, I have clarified the key messages:

• School camps are not an option at the moment unless you are confident you can meet the four additional COVID-19 considerations outlined by the Secretary.
• Avoid school assemblies and travel for sporting and cultural events, where students are in close proximity for over 15 minutes.  
• The justification for avoiding assemblies and travel is to limit ‘close contact’—contact within 1.5 meters of a person for 15 or more minutes.

If a staff member or student contracted COVID-19, the process would be to trace and track the people they have been in contact with so that those people can be isolated. Removing assemblies and travel reduces the number that would have to be isolated.

Apart from managing or postponing assemblies, camps and travel for sporting and cultural events, it is business as usual.

Nga mihi
Jean-Paul (JP) Gaston
Board of Trustees Chair