Covid19 Updates – Alert Level 2

Update 17th May – Checking in at Alert Level 2

We are very much looking forward to welcoming your child(ren) back to Cornerstone Christian School tomorrow (Monday 18th May). We have spent significant time last week ensuring the school is a safe place for your child(ren) to return to under Alert Level 2. Please ensure you read the school emails sent last Thursday from Mrs Katrina Bannister (Primary) and Mr James Rose (Secondary) so you are aware of all of the safety protocols that will be in place for returning students.

Our approach during Level 2 mirrors our current Public Health guidelines to:

  1. Minimise the risk of someone becoming infected in the first place,
  2. Ensure we can identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact with a person if someone in a school is infected.

On Monday you are welcome to come onsite to drop off / pick up your children BUT please don’t linger. As you come onsite, you MUST either sign a manual (paper) register at the Mihaere Drive, Roberts Line, Gym or L Block gate OR use the Cornerstone School App to sign in and out. Staff will present at the gates ensuring this happens and to assist you if necessary. The manual (paper0 register will operate on Monday only. Parents wanting to come onsite from Tuesday onwards must use the School App or sign in at the school office reception.

 

To Use the Cornerstone School App to Check in and Check out:

  1. You must have the school app installed on your phone. If you don’t, please go to your phone’s Google Play Store, or Apple App Store and search ‘SchoolAppsNZ’.
    Then Search ‘Cornerstone Christian School’ to find our School’s App.
  2. If you already have the App installed, you must have the latest version (2.4.0). If you have an earlier version follow instruction 1. above and this will cause your phone to automatically update your version of the School App.
  3. Once you have the app installed/updated, click the three horizontal bars in the top left-hand corner of the school app screen (the Menu)
  4. Click ‘COVID-19 Check-in’.
  5. Next register your details (this is needed for the first time only).
  6. Press CHECK-IN at the bottom.
  7. When you leave school, click CHECK-OUT and you are done.

For more details, please see the attached PDF file. Covid Level 2 - Check in on School App

We have had confirmation that the Feilding and Ashhurst Buses to and from Cornerstone, will be back up and running as per normal tomorrow. Students must not sit in the seats immediately behind and beside the driver during Alert Level 2.

Thanks for all of your patience, forbearance and support over the past few weeks. We will treasure having your children back at school tomorrow. I am deeply aware that for many of you, the last few weeks have been challenging and we would love to know if there are ways we can further support your family as a school.

Chris Mitchell
Acting Principal

Update 7th May – Preparing for Alert Level 2

Yesterday, the Prime Minister advised that when we move from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2, it will be safe for Cornerstone Christian School to re-open. This includes students in years 11 to 13. The only exceptions are children or young people who are sick, have any COVID-19 symptoms, are in isolation, or are awaiting the result of a test. Safe and sensible practices for hygiene and contact tracing will be the norm, and all students will be able to return, so long as they remain well.

The key principles we will be observing here at Cornerstone for Alert Level 2 include:

  • Reducing the risk of students, staff members or school community members getting infected in the first place.
  • Ensuring we can identify and contact anyone who becomes infected.
  • Understanding that Alert Level 2 will not be business as usual at Cornerstone Christian School.

Attendance under Alert Level 2

It is important for families to understand that the Ministry of Education has advised that schools will be open to all students and year levels at Alert Level 2 from the beginning of the next school week after the announcement is made. Only those students who have been on site during Alert Level 3 will be able to attend school in the interim. It is important that parents consider this when they are in talks with their employers around returning to work under Alert Level 2.

As indicated above, the key Public Health approach is to:

  1. minimise the risk of someone becoming infected in the first place,
  2. ensure we can identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact with a person if someone in a school is infected.

As we have done in Alert Level 3, you can be assured that in Alert Level 2 we will know who is at school, who our staff and students have been in close contact with and take appropriate measures to keep everyone safe. While parents may come on site at Cornerstone during level 2 to drop off and pick up their child(ren), please do not linger and please exercise sensible physical distancing measures.

All other school visitors must sign in at the school office.

 

Physical Distancing under Alert Level 2

We do recognise that physical distancing is challenging in schools. To counter this, we will be ensuring:

  • Children, young people and staff are maintaining enough distance so that they are not breathing on or touching each other.
  • Separate seating arrangements in class as much as is feasible.
  • No hugs, handshakes, high fives etc.
  • Good hygiene practices amongst staff and students, including coughing into your elbow, regular handwashing and drying, and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces with appropriate cleaning products.
  • Hand sanitizer stations will be set up in every room in the school.

 

Facilities running under Alert Level 2

Under Alert Level 2, can we please emphasise that students and staff must stay at home if they are sick. We will send anyone home immediately if they show any symptoms.

  • Distance learning will still be available for those who need to remain at home however please note that this will pause on the Wednesday to Friday following the announcement to move to Alert Level 2. This is to give teachers time and space to return to school to sort out their classrooms and learning programmes and to allow students space to take a breath before returning to school.
  • Playground, sports equipment use and sports, including contact sports, can resume at Level 2 under certain conditions.
  • The Feilding and Ashhurst Buses will also return to normal schedules. The ongoing safety of drivers and students and the ability to contact trace will be a priority at Alert Level 2.
  • Kelvin Kids After School Care will resume for Cornerstone Parents. Please contact the manager, Mrs Chantelle Mulder on 021 038 2661.
  • Every effort will be made to resume normal timetables when school returns under Alert Level 2. Year 9 and 10 woodwork and food-technology programmes will also resume offsite.
  • If our school has a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19, we are required to close for 72 hours, to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.

 

Survey about returning to school at Level 2

Can we please ask all families to complete the 30 second survey using the link below, to let us know if their child(ren) are returning to school under Alert Level 2 or are needing to remain home due to higher-risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Link to Survey: https://bit.ly/2YIOxuJ

 

Looking forward to seeing all your faces again soon. Finally, a verse of encouragement:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Have a great weekend – blessings!.

Chris Mitchell
Acting Principal

 


Update 29th April

A total of six students attended on site for our first day learning under Level 3 restrictions. Thanks to everyone for doing their best to stick to the restrictions, and continue learning by distance. 


Update 23rd April

An update with details of Remote Learning during Level 3 was emailed to parents and Caregivers on April 23rd from Deputy Principal James Rose. If you haven’t received this email, contact the school. 


Update 20th April

Year 1 – 10 Preparing to return on site Wed 29th. 

Dear Parents and Caregivers
As you will have seen on TV at 4pm today, our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has advised that New Zealand will drop to Alert Level 3 on Tuesday 28th April 2020. Cornerstone Christian School will be physically open to cater for years 1- 10 students onsite from Wednesday 29th April 2020. Distance learning will also continue for all years 11 to 13 students. It is important that we make clear however that if there is a parent or caregiver available to look after children at home and school children have access to distance learning, please continue education at home. This is the directive from the Ministry of Education.

How school might look for those that do attend:

  1. There will only be minimal staff in place as many Cornerstone staff are obligated to look after their own children or live in bubbles where there is higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
  2. Students attending school will be supervised and will complete what the rest of their peers are doing via distance learning.
  3. A number of strict health measures will be in place:
    • Parents MUST keep any sick children at home. If a sick child comes to school, they will be sent home immediately.
    • Hand sanitiser must be used by all students on entry to classrooms and in all bathrooms – and regularly throughout the day
    • All School playgrounds will be out of bounds and there will be no use of shared classroom or sports equipment such as scissors, balls or skipping ropes.
    • Initially the number of children must be limited to 10 in a school bubble, but this may be increased to 20 once all processes are running smoothly.
    • Parents will not be allowed to enter classrooms and entry times must be staggered to minimise gatherings of children or parents.
    • Breaktimes will be staggered as will start times and finish times to the day. Bubbles will not be allowed to mix during breaks
  4. To support contact tracing students will sit in the same place each day, with 1m physical distance between all children, young people and staff. Students must maintain 2 metre physical distance outside and 1m inside during breaks and 1m on school transport.
  5. All school surfaces will be disinfected and cleaned daily.
  6. Contact tracing registers will be set up to identify which children are in each teaching space and who they have contact with during the day.
  7. The Feilding and Ashhurst buses will not be running until further notice

So we can plan for this stage, can I please ask that ALL families take one minute to fill in this Level 3 survey about your child’s attendance. This will allow Cornerstone to gain a clear picture of which students will need to attend school because there is NO parent or caregiver available to look after children at home, and which students will continue to remain at home completing distance learning.

Cornerstone at Level 3 survey

If you would like to ask questions or comment on this update, please email: chris@cornerstone.ac.nz. Alternatively, comments or questions can be left on the online survey form.

After all of that sobering news, let’s end on a positive Bible verse that has been going around and around in my head today:

Philemon 1:4-7: I am always thankful to my God as I remember you in my prayers because I’m hearing reports about your faith in the Lord Jesus and how much love you have for all his holy followers. I pray for you that the faith we share may effectively deepen your understanding of every good thing that belongs to you in Christ. Your love has impacted me and brings me great joy and encouragement, for the hearts of the believers have been greatly refreshed through you.

Can’t wait to see you all again. Blessings,

Chris Mitchell
Acting Principal

 


Update 14th April

Term 2 Distance Learning

  • Primary year 1-4 – provision of work set will mainly be around online apps that students are familiar with such as Reading Eggs, MathSeeds and Mathletics. Teachers may also arrange project work and various reading / writing tasks via email.
  • Primary year 5-6 – In these years groups the distance learning will be a blended approach consisting of a range of online tasks using OneNote, Reading Eggs and Mathletics and various other reading / writing tasks.
  • Click to see Education TV Schedule 15-17 April

    Secondary year 7-13 – provision of work set will be predominately via Microsoft OneNote. This is a programme that most secondary students are already using and are familiar with. Teachers will check in with students as they are able via email and other online tools within the Microsoft Office suite. Please note that communication will continue to be based within school-based apps. There is no expectation for teachers to communicate with students via their own personal emails/social media/cell-phones. We are yet to receive any advice from the Ministry of Education around changing NCEA requirements.

  • Educational TV: Don’t forget to use the excellent resources being provided by the Ministry of Education. In particular ‘Education TV’ airing on TV2+1 looks excellent. 

NB: Please remember that most of our teachers have their own children at home and will be balancing looking after their own household alongside trying to assist Cornerstone students with distance learning.

Five Key things to keep in mind as we enter the next phase of Lockdown:

  1. Focus on what you can do
    Significant events that are largely outside our control, like the spread of COVID-19 or a school closure, can create a lot of anxiety in both children and adults. Remember you don’t have to be a superhero in this time. Give yourself space and time. Pray and pray and pray again. Give kids responsibility for tasks at home to help make them feel more in control.
    When there is this kind of uncertainty and confusion, it’s important to focus on the things we can do as this can help to allay some of those larger anxieties.

    Example Daily Schedule by Jessica McHale
  2. Establish a daily routine
    I know I am preaching to the converted but over the next two weeks it will be really important to establish good routines in your household. This will look different depending on the age of your child – for example, older children are more likely to adhere to a timetabled school day (even if they may get up later than younger ones!).
    If you are struggling to come up with a good routine for your child(ren) try the one I have attached (see ‘example of daily schedule’).
  3. Stay connected
    While social distancing is vital, staying in touch with friends is also important for all children. Providing opportunities to interact socially with peers will help children maintain connections and boost their mood. So, if your child is at home, give them a chance to connect with peers during their breaks, like they would during morning tea and lunch at school. There are a host of technology options available to support virtual connections – whether it’s FaceTime with grandparents or having a Netflix ‘watch’ party with friends.
  4. Stay active
    Our kids spend a lot of time moving around at school, so it’s important to ensure that they are still engaging in activities they enjoy while they’re at home. If it’s practical, spend some time outside riding, jogging or walking. It’s worth also looking into some of the many fitness apps available that can ‘organise’ your activity for you.
  5. Handling anxiety
    Parents and carers must make particularly sure to listen to children and hear their concerns about what is happening around them. It’s important to provide them with age-appropriate information that is based on the facts. For example, for younger children keep answers simple, “sometimes people wear masks when they are sick so others don’t catch it”. Ask them what they already know so you can clarify any misconceptions they might have.

As always you will all be in my prayers over the next couple of weeks. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact (email: chris@cornerstone.ac.nz) if you have any questions or concerns.

Chris Mitchell
Acting Principal


Update 25th March

  • Chris Mitchell – Acting Principal

    Parent-teacher conferences on the 7th and 8th April are now postponed. We will advise you of new dates as soon as we can next term.

  • All normal academic reporting (secondary) is also suspended for the time being.
  • As the school holidays have been brought forward, both James Rose (Sec. DP) and I (Chris Mitchell, Acting Principal) have asked our primary and secondary teachers to take a good break during the holidays. This is important so they can spend time with their own families and rest up to get ready for the new term. Please refrain from emailing teachers over two week holiday whilst they are on break. 
  • From April the 15th, when the new term starts online, teachers will be providing classwork for as many classes as we are able. For secondary (year 7-13) students this will mainly be online via Microsoft Office Teams and OneNote. Our focus here will be on setting classwork, not individualised education. Teachers will attempt to keep you in the loop with the expectations they are setting for their classes via email. However, please be aware that this will be dependent on a number of variables including internet access in your home, and therefore, may not be possible in some instances. 
  • We are aware that with much of the learning moving online, there is increased opportunity to misuse this technology. Please note that until the doors at school open again, our capacity to investigate and process problem behaviours will be severely limited. We ask that parents regularly and proactively monitor their children’s use of online media to ensure that our school values are maintained throughout. Respect, Diligence, Integrity, Kindness and Humility before God will all be needed across the board to ensure that the online learning is as safe as it can be for everyone. Any student the school deems to be misusing or responding inappropriately to the misuse of school-supported media will have their School Office 365 account suspended. This is because all online forums that teachers are using are to be treated as professional public spaces. As such we need to maintain a high standard of conduct. If you experience any concerns around online bullying through social media from any source, report the concerns to Netsafe. The following information was released from the MOE today. 

Netsafe
In response to the Alert Level 4 requirements, Netsafe have changed their Helpline hours to 9am – 5pm seven days a week and for now they cannot take incident reports over the phone.  People can still report in three other ways and their team will respond with expert incident advice:  
1.            Email help@netsafe.org.nz
2.            Free text Netsafe to 4282
3.            Complete a form at netsafe.org.nz/report.

  • From the 15th of April, our secondary pastoral staff and Primary Team Leaders will do what we can to support parents. However again, this will be severely limited as staff are in isolation in their own homes. Our School Guidance Counsellor, Mrs Crowther will be sending an email out to parents with well-being information, support and advice.
  • A reminder that the primary source of communication between school and student and school and home during this time will be via email. From this Friday at 3pm, we intend to shut down the Microsoft Teams video chat for years 5-13, for the holidays. It will open again from the 15th of April.

My sincere prayers for you all are that you remain safe and healthy, and that you enjoy the enforced family time together! Can I please ask that you follow the advice of our country’s leaders around isolation, physical distancing and hygiene. This along with prayer will beat this virus. Of course, this situation that we find ourselves in is not ideal and can create high levels of anxiety amongst children. At these times the example of our faith and dependence upon God as being our immovable place of refuge becomes really important.

Ma Ihowa koe e manaaki, mana koe e tiaki katoa.
The Lord bless you and keep you all!

Chris Mitchell
Acting Principal


Update: 23rd March

Teaching and Learning this week
Some home-based learning tasks will be provided for Thursday and Friday 25/26th March where possible. These tasks will be class-based and there will be no expectation for teachers to provide individualised online learning programmes.

During this period of school closure, the primary method of school communication with parents and families will be through school email and on occasion the phone-based SchoolApp.

Please note that many of our teachers are also parents and many are in primary care-giver roles for their own child(ren) or elderly parents. There is no expectation from the school that every class will have work provided online.

Term 2 Distance Learning

  • Primary year 1-4 – provision of work set will mainly be around online apps that students are familiar with such as Reading Eggs, MathSeeds and Mathletics. Teachers may also arrange project work and various reading / writing tasks via email.
  • Primary year 5-6 – In these years groups the distance learning will be a blended approach consisting of a range of online tasks using OneNote, Reading Eggs and Mathletics and various other reading / writing tasks.
  • Secondary year 7-13 – provision of work set will be predominately via Microsoft OneNote notebooks. This is a programme that most secondary students are already using and are familiar with. Teachers will check in with students as they are able via email and other online tools within the Microsoft Office suite. Please note that communication will continue to be based within school-based apps. There is no expectation for teachers to communicate with students via their own personal emails/social media/cell-phones. We are yet to receive any advice from the Ministry of Education around changing NCEA requirements.

Update: 22nd March

Physical Distancing practices at school.

Parent Contact: Can I (Mr Mitchell) please request that all parent face-to-face contact with school is minimised. Staff will not be available for face to face conversations. They will all welcome telephone calls (outside 9-3) or emails (preferred). This is another way to keep our staff and students safer.

Moving Forward: We know COVID-19 feels scary and of course as parents you are most concerned for the well-being of your child(ren). Please be assured again there is no confirmed case in our school.
We are getting the most up to date advice and guidance so that we can confidently make informed decisions about the safety and well-being of our school community.   
 
From Mr Mitchell: Let me share one Bible verse with you before I close that has bought peace to my heart today – from Hebrews 6:18-19 Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls (NLT).