Latest messages from the Principal
Wednesday 13th April
Important Notice from the Ministry of Education - CAS Enrolment Scheme Consultation
The Ministry of Education has identified that Coromandel Area School is likely to be overcrowded and has given the school board notice of this. After consultation with the board, we have developed a proposed enrolment scheme for Coromandel Area School under section 72 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
As part of this process, we are consulting with the school’s community and with people living in the area for which the school is a reasonably convenient school. The enrolment scheme could affect which school a student will be entitled to enrol in, or school
transport entitlements.
We will be holding a consultation meeting at Coromandel Area School on Thursday 12 th May at 5:00pm, in the School Staffroom, to provide further information and gather feedback from the school community.
If you have any comments about the proposed enrolment scheme for Coromandel Area School that you would like to be included in the final report about this proposal, please forward
them to Waikato.EnrolmentSchemes@education.govt.nz by the 27 th of May 2022.
A copy of the proposed scheme can be viewed at
https://consultation.education.govt.nz/education/coromandel-es/
Thursday 7th April
We want your feedback on how you think CAS has performed so far this year!
Here is a quick survey that we would love as many whānau members to complete. Our students will do their own version.
Click here to open the survey.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
29th March
Kia Ora parents/caregivers,
I have had to make the decision to ask our Year 11 to Year 13 students to stay at home for the remainder of the week, and engage with online learning through Google Classrooms.
We have had more staff come down sick and we just don't have the reliever pool to cover these classes.
If, for whatever reason, you do not want your child staying home, we will allow them to sit in our Library and engage in online learning from there.
Y11-Y13 students involved in the following can still take part:
- Softball tournament in Waihi tomorrow (Wednesday)
- WINTEC on Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
- Level 1 Kayaking OED trip - Friday
We really do appreciate your support with this and we do understand it is not ideal. We have done well not to roster home until this point and we wouldn't be doing so without a real need.
A reminder that we are also asking Rm 18 and Rm 19 students to remain home tomorrow if they can. If not, they can attend school but will be put in a junior class.
Nga mihi nui
Whaea Koren
Tuesday 29th March
Kia Ora parents/caregivers,
Thanks for your support through these times. Tomorrow we are still without a teacher for Rm 18 and Rm 19. If your child is in one of these classes, and you are able to keep them home to engage with online learning, we would really appreciate it.
But.... can we ask that if you allow this, please don't send your child on the bus to hang around in town (especially in uniform). If they are to stay home, it is safer for them, and us, if they are at home and not wandering. This impacts other students who see this, and we field phone calls about students truanting.
We understand that you may not be home to supervise, so in that case, please send your child to school. We will accomodate them and they will be placed in classes throughout the school.
This message is for tomorrow (Wednesday).
All other year levels are still able to attend as per normal.
Nga mihi nui
Whaea Koren
7th March 2022
Kia Ora Parents/Caregivers,
Tonight I was advised that we have had our first confirmed COVID-19 case reported. This was to be expected, with the increase in positive cases throughout our community. The confirmed case is a student in the senior end of our school and we will email parents/caregivers of all students in the specific year group affected.
All students can still come to school, as long as they are not symptomatic. For futher information click on the link.
Be safe and be kind whanau.
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
Principal
28th February 2022
Kia Ora whānau
After a big year of consultation in 2021, we are proud to bring you our 2022 Strategic Plan. We hope that you can see community voice coming through loud and clear. For a full version, with our 2022 Actions, go to our school website.
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
17th February 2022
Kia Ora whanau,
As COVID-19 case numbers rise across NZ, and many schools are seeing positive cases, I would like to reassure you all that we have a robust system set up should this occur in our kura.
This includes identifying close contacts of a positive case, and notifiying those people within hours of us finding out. The only communications/messages you should be reading and listening too are those directly from our school administration team. No other staff member will be making notifications home regarding this.
If we need to let students, staff or community members know that they are a close contact, we will email official letters out and/or make phone calls
We understand there are community members being asked to self-isolate due to being close contacts. Unless your child(ren) have been identified as being a close contact, they are able to come to school as usual.
Our aim is to support the continuation of learning within our school
as much as possible. We have a hybrid model of learning ready to go, which means students can access learning from home, as well as face-2-face at school. We will engage with those students who have been asked to self-isolate, so their learning can continue.
We thank you all for your understanding and support.
If you have concerns about anything please contact the School Office and you will be directed to the appropriate person.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
9th February 2022,
Kia Ora Parents/Caregivers,
We are saddened to inform you that there has been a serious harm incident involving two students outside our school gate just after 3.00pm today.
One student was airlifted to hospital and police are currently investigating this incident.
We are not able to make any further comments at this stage. We will provide further information if, and when, we are able too.
Supporting students through this will be our priority. Classes will run as usual tomorrow but plans are in place to support our staff and students through this.
Take care and be kind.
Nga mihi nui,
Abby Morgan
Presiding Member/Chair
Coromandel Area School
botchair@coroarea.school.nz
Start of 2022 - Important Notice for students & whānau
Nau mai, hoki mai to all returning students and whānau and a massive welcome to all new students, staff and whānau.
I hope that everyone has had a great summer break and made the most of our beautiful weather and environment.
I would like to acknowledge the passing of community members: Keith Stephenson, Minnie Glenister and Raewyn Potae, all of whom have been connected to and still have connections with our kura. It is during these sad times that our community truly comes together and shows manaakitanga and aroha. Our thoughts are with their whānau.
I firmly believe that 2021 was meant to challenge and grow us as a kura. A big outcome of 2021 was that we put our hearts and souls out there as a whole school community and we now have a refreshed vision of where we need to go, how we are going to do this, and who we need to include on this journey. This vision and strategic direction will be shared with whānau and community over the coming weeks.
2022 will be another year of growth for all of us. We will still have our ups & downs, successes and challenges, hits and misses. But as a whole school community: staff, students and whānau, let us weather these together; supporting each other over the hurdles and celebrating with each other through the wins.
Our first hurdle will be navigating schooling through a Red Traffic Light setting.
Unfortunately, due to being in Red Light, we must cancel our annual full school pōwhiri and whānau fun day on Friday 4th February. However, this will still remain the first day of school for all students. So buses will run as usual, we will provide a modified programme for the day, and new staff and students will be welcomed internally. Whānau are not able to be onsite.
This is obviously not the way we wished to start the year, but we must work within the guidelines set by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
Further details of what schooling in the Red Light setting means will be sent out early next week, including requirements of both students and parents/caregivers.
Until then, enjoy the last few days of the summer holidays and we look forward to working with you all to make 2022 an Epic year for all.
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
Wednesday 15th December 2021
Prizegiving tomorrow is a no-spectator event. We will record and upload each segment to both Facebook and our website and let you know when they are up. We hope to have it all uploaded by tomorrow afternoon. No letters are going home to tell students about whether they are getting an award this year. Hopefully all students are coming anyway for their last day of school for the year!
All Year 11 to 13 students are invited and need to be at school by 9.15am. Full school uniform please.
Reports are going home with students tomorrow and for Y1-8 they will also get a letter letting whanau know what class their child(ren) will be in next year.
There will be no Breakfast Club tomorrow.
Buses will run as per usual at 3.00pm.
Teacher Only Day on Friday.
Happy Holidays!
6th December 2021
Kia ora koutou,
After a lot of thought and consultation with staff, we have decided to not continue with the Kiwi Can programme in 2022. This has not been an easy decision. The feedback we have received during our school community consultation, is that there needs to be more effort put into developing our school values and behaviour expectations. As a staff, we understand that we collectively need to pull together and support this mahi in our kura. In order to ensure that our values and expectations are embedded in everything we do, our staff would like to bring this teaching and learning back into the classroom, to support what we already do in this area.We have had a long and positive history with CILT and the Kiwi Can programme and facilitators. They have supported our kura through many years of change and growth and have had a very positive impact on where we are today. The Kiwi Can programme has provided our students with many hours of fun and activities, through a values-based approach. We appreciate their commitment and passion for our school and students. Moving forward, we will be resourcing our staff to embed values based teaching and learning throughout their lessons. We understand that this may cause some upset but we hope that you can all understand our reasons
Nga mihi nui
Whaea Koren
3rd November 2021 - Invitation from the Board of Trustees
Tēnā koutou katoa,
The Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership team are working on our Strategic Goals and how we can build the positive culture in our kura.
We would really love to have your input into this and invite you to complete this brief survey.
There will be the opportunity for group meetings with the Board of Trustees on Tuesday 9th November at 1:30p.m. or 5:30 p.m. at the Coromandel Rugby Club.
The meetings will be facilitated by Jan Autumn and Jean Ashby and we hope as many of our school community as possible will attend to let us know your thoughts and aspirations for our kura.
Light refreshments provided.
22nd October 2021
Food & Nutrition Message
More and more students are bringing energy drinks, fizzy drinks and food that doesn't have a lot of nutritional value. We are noticing the negative effects this is having on students energy levels, engagement in learning and physical health.
Energy drinks and fizzy drinks are not allowed at school.
Our breakfast club is still open every morning and we have school lunches available every day. We have water fountains that are designed for easy bottle refills. We would love whanau to support this message and have conversations with their child(ren) about this issue.
Food and Nutrition Policy
At Coromandel Area School, we promote a healthy lifestyle to our community – students, staff, and families – as part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive school environment and to the National Administration Guidelines.
Educating students about nutrition and encouraging healthy active learning contributes to their personal success and wellbeing, and to a healthier community for everyone.
Our school follows food safety guidelines.
Promoting a healthy food and drink environment
A healthy food and drink environment helps support a young person's wellbeing (hauora), including their immediate physical and mental growth and development. It also helps establish positive behaviours for the future.
At Coromandel Area School, we:
- ensure that any food or drink provided by/through school (e.g. in class or sold at school) aligns with any national food and nutrition guidelines, such as the Ministry of Health's Healthy Food and Drink Guidance – Schools Website link icon
- incorporate nutrition education across the curriculum, including the health programme
- encourage staff members to model healthy food and drink choices
- communicate our nutrition messages to the wider school community clearly and consistently in various ways
- acknowledge the diversity of our community and consider those with special dietary needs (including allergies and intolerances)
- with our nutrition messages and food provided or sold at school
consider our nutrition messages when deciding on class rewards and celebrations, student prizes, special events, fundraising activities, and school camp menus
- actively promote physical activity as the partner of good nutrition
- encourage students taking part in physical activity (e.g. school sports teams, athletics groups) to drink water for hydration and to refuel with healthy snacks.
14th October 2021
Kia ora CAS whanau,
As you would have seen, the Government has confirmed mandatory nationwide vaccination of teachers and those who work closely with students, as a means of protecting each other and of course protecting our broader school community. We will be doing our part by working toward all our staff being vaccinated.
We will also need to know if your child (over 12's) has had their first or second vaccine dose or is exempted from being vaccinated. This information will be held by us in accordance with the Privacy Act and will only be shared with public health authorities.
The reason for this is because if we were to have a case of COVID-19 in our school, public health authorities will want to know if we are a school with a high vaccination rate. This information will then be used as part of the local health authority’s risk assessment. The more highly vaccinated we are (staff and eligible students), the less likely it will be that we will have to close down for a long period of time, or we might not need to close at all.
The scope of this requirement is broad and doesn't just impact teachers. It includes all of the people who work at our school/kura, such as support staff, contractors, visiting Ministry staff and volunteers. Further information about which volunteers are included in this will be distributed once we receive it. This breadth of coverage is again intended to afford the greatest possible protection to our students, ourselves, and communities.
As a school at Alert Level 2, all of our staff are all required to have received our first COVID-19 vaccination by 15 November 2021 and we all, including our volunteers, need to be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.
Our school will be required to record the vaccination status of everyone who works on our site. Over the course of the next couple of weeks we will be getting our data collection system in place and will shortly be requesting further information on the vaccination status of both students, staff and volunteers. A reminder that this information will remain private and only shared with health authorities if required.
This announcement will affect us all in different ways and we are very conscious that this may be confronting for some. We need to support each other in considering these measures to protect our community, ourselves and our whanau.
If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding this issue please contact me directly.
Nga mihi
Koren HopoiPrincipal
12th October 2021
Kia Ora whanau,
If you have a child(ren) in Year 11 to 13, you should have received a letter in the mail explaining about NCEA requirements for the end of year, information about what your child(ren) require to achieve at each level and an invitation to a parent/teacher evening on Wednesday 20th October.
We hope to see as many whanau as possible at this Y11-Y13 parent/teacher evening, as it will be a chance to set some learning goals with your child(ren) for Term 4.
Attached to this letter is also a print-out of your child(rens) credit summary to date. You can also get this information through the Edge App.
Here is a link to the letter sent if you haven't yet received it.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
30th September 2021 - Message to our community
Kia ora e te whanau,
Over the last little while we have seen some unwanted behaviours creeping in at school and this morning I addressed some of these with our Year 11 to 13 students, whom all have a lot riding on the remainder of this year with their studies towards NCEA.
The common behaviours we are seeing are around leaving classes without permission, leaving school grounds at break times, not bringing the correct equipment for learning, disrespectful language, and most importantly being disengaged from learning.
I would like to let our community know that all of our staff are working hard to support all of our students to engage in learning and do the right thing. We have put certain measures in place to address some of these behaviours, and we are working with individuals most at risk through mentoring and academic guidance.
We would like whanau to support us by reiterating the importance of coming to school to learn and to also support the consequences put in place when our expectations are not met.
I understand that community and student voice is hugely important when developing a positive school culture and the systems and processes through which this is enacted.
With that being said, our Board of Trustees are currently preparing a community hui that whanau will be invited to which will focus on 'Building a Positive School Culture'.
We hope that everyone who wishes to have their voice heard will attend this hui. It will be early in Term 4. This will then help to form our strategic focusses moving into 2022.
In the interim, I encourage any whanau who wish to be heard contact me directly as I am always willing to talk about how we as a kura can grow and improve.
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
027 7587420
principal@coroarea.school.nz
Lockdown 2021 - Wednesday 8th September
Kia Ora whanau,
Here is all you need to know about school re-opening at Alert Level 2.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Lockdown 2021 - Tuesday 7th September
Kia Ora whanau,
Late this afternoon, I was sent the Alert Level 2 rules and recommendations for re-opening, from the Ministry of Education. I will put the important facts together and communicate these with you tomorrow morning. In the interim, here are a couple of key things you need to know now:
- Teachers will not be focussing on communicating with students tomorrow as much as what they usually do through distance learning. This will give them a chance to prepare to return.
- If students received a school device, a school text book, or any other resources that usually remain at school, please get these ready to return. Learning will be affected if we don't get these back.
- School lunches will be provided from Thursday onwards. However, Breakfast Club won't be operating until Monday next week to give us time to check our stocks.
- WINTEC will be operating from Thursday onwards, and all students should catch the bus as normal.
- All Schol Buses will be operating from Thursday onwards.
- School uniform is required to be worn. Classes will be ventilated through opening doors and windows, so make sure uniform jumpers/jackets are worn. We still have excess uniform stock for sale at the School Office for $5-$10.
All other information will be given out tomorrow.
We are really looking forward to seeing everyone's smiling faces back at kura!
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Lockdown 2021 - Monday 6th September
Kia Ora whanau,
As you would no doubt have heard, schools are able to open on Thursday this week. Over the course of the next couple of days, we will get advise from the Ministry of Education about what the rules & requirements will be at Level 2 for schools. We will communicate this with you prior to Thursday.
We will still be offering distance learning tomorrow and on Wednesday this week.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday!
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Lockdown 2021 - Saturday 4th September
To our Coromandel Area School whanau
After a recent enquiry from a parent the Board of Trustees wish to advise the following.
Our school hall is a space which has always hosted community events. These are generally held outside of school hours.
Examples are: voting, civil defence, tangi, community sports, concerts, etc.
The Board has no opinion on the community activity that the hall is used for as long as it meets our Health and Safety and Ministry of Education use of property guidelines and rules around hall hireage etc.
Our Local Health Providers may book the school hall as a vaccination site to provide vaccinations for those in the community that are participating in the Covid 19 vaccination program. This would not be during normal school time.
The Board does not express a view about vaccination. As members of the public service, it is not appropriate for teachers, school leaders or board members to use their position to promote their personal views. Participation in any vaccination program is a personal choice that is a decision for parents and families-whanau.
We are concentrating on our core business which is the education of our tamariki in this challenging Lockdown environment. We wish to support all our families-whanau in this aim.
Abby Morgan
Board Chair
Lockdown 2021 - Tuesday 31st August
Level 3 at CAS
Kia Ora whanau,
We would like to say a huge thank you to families for keeping their child(ren) at home during Alert Level 3 if someone is able to be at home to care for them.
We understand that this is not always easy, especially when you are also trying to work from home. It does help us beat this virus, and it also helps us at school keep a minimum number of students and staff onsite.
We have 10 students returning at Level 3 and we have a skeleton staff who have kindly said they will come in to supervise. These students will continue with their online learning programmes in the main part.
Our staff will continue offering distance learning for all students. The uptake and engagement of students this time round has not been as positive as during the last lockdown. We hope you can encourage your child(ren) to engage in some form of learning daily. This could be as basic as linking on a Zoom hui with their class, if nothing other than to stay connected.
Parents/caregivers of the ten students returning at Level 3 have this morning been sent this information about returning at Level 3, so they know how to prepare.
Once again, thank you all for your patience and understanding. We look forward to seeing everyone back at Level 2.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Lockdown 2021 - Friday 27th August
Schooling at Level 3
Kia Ora whanau,
On Wednesday 1st September we will reopen school for Y1-10 students whose parents/caregivers are essential workers and they aren't able to look after them at home.
All other children should remain at home if they have a parent or caregiver available to look after them.
All Year 11 to 13 students will remain at home.
Distance learning will remain in place for all of Level 3 and our staff will continue to provide this for all students. Students who come to school at Level 3 will be accessing the same distance learning opportunities that have already been set by their teacher(s).
We will only have a minimum number of staff onsite at Level 3 and hope that our bubble will remain fairly small, in order to follow health & safety protocols.
All whanau will be contacted by their mentor/homeroom teacher by Monday afternoon to ascertain who is returning at Level 3 as their parents/caregivers are essential workers.
Please remember that the staff who come onsite during Level 3 are also still providing online learning activities for their own classes, and it is important that we only have the students who meet the criteria - School will only be open for Y1-10 students for parents/caregivers who are essential workers and can't supervise them at home.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your mentor/homeroom teacher or message me directly.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Lockdown 2021 - Monday 23rd August
Kia Ora whanau,
A busy day today giving out devices and hardpack materials for home learning. There are still a few deliveries to make tomorrow. If you haven't yet spoken to your child(rens) mentor/homeroom teacher to order, you can still do so by contacting me directly. There are some devices still available and we can get access to classrooms to get hard materials that are needed (especially for senior students).
I hope you are all well and making the most of being at home with whanau, especially with this nice weather.
Remember that 'learning at home' shouldn't be a battle, and if you are feeling that it is heading that way in your household, take a break and do something fun together. Lockdown brings its own pressures, and we don't need to add more stress to this situation. The golden rule is, 'do what you can', and if learning looks like baking, obstacle courses, reading, puzzles, playing cards, then so be it.
Our staff are setting up many different activities for students to engage with and hopefully through these there can be a good balance met.
If you have any questions, worries or concerns please contact your teacher, or message me directly.
We look forward to the 4.00pm announcement to see what the near future holds.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
0277587420
Lockdown 2021 - Sunday 22nd August
Morena whanau,
Yesterday a small group of staff spent the day collecting, cleaning, labeling and packing up devices for distribution. They also put together some hardpack resources to support home learning.
Whanau should have been communicated with by their child's mentor/homeroom teacher and asked if they need either. We currently have a list that we have allocated these too. If you are unsure of whether you are on this list, please connect with your particular mentor/homeroom teacher. If you are struggling to do this, please connect with me. I can help you.
Tomorrow from 9.00am till 3.00pm I will be in the School Office distributing these resources. This will be a contactless pick-up system. You can either text/message/email me the time you are coming and I will put your resources outside the main office door or you can turn-up and knock on the front door. I will gather the resources, bring it out and leave for you (all adhering to the 2m distance rule). Please wear a mask when you arrive.
If you can't pick up these resources, or are anxious about doing so, we will also have a delivery system operating. This will either be using our School Van or the support of CILT workers. The resources would then be left on your doorstep. If you would prefer this option, please contact your mentor/homeroom teacher, or if you can't do this, contact me.
I hope you are all well and staying positive! Let's hope we aren't in this situation for too long, but while we are just remember that we are all in this together!
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
principal@coroarea.school.nz
027 758 7420
Lockdown 2021 - Friday 20th August
Morena students and whanau,
As I am writing this our staff are busily preparing for the possibility of an extended lockdown and what this would look like for distance learning.
At 3.00pm this afternoon we will all get a little more clarity on the situation moving forward. Rest assured, either way we will be prepared to support learning, whatever this looks like.
Our home learning processes are being reviewed and preparation/distribution of home learning packs and devices will be sorted this weekend.
We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst case scenario, in order to be ready to support our students from Monday onwards.
Once again, reach out if you need any support. Stay positive, stay connected, and be kind.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
0277587420
Lockdown 2021 - Thursday 19th August
Morena whanau and students,
I hope that you are all well and staying positive. Make sure you reach out to those around you if you are not.
Over the next couple of days, our staff should be connecting with you to check-in and see how you are going. They will also be asking if you have a device suitable for distance learning and access to the internet. We are preparing for what might need to be put in place in the near future.
We have good systems set up already for a distance learning scenario and further information will come out about this towards the end of the week. If students are chomping at the bit for access to learning tasks and activities, let your homeroom/subject teacher know. Otherwise, sit tight and enjoy doing some real-life learning with your whanau
Remember the golden rule to stay home in your bubble, and wear a mask if you do go out to visit essential services. Get tested if you feel unwell and be kind to one another.
We miss you all! Stay in contact! If there is anyway we can help you please don't hesitate to call.
Whaea Koren
0277587420
Lockdown 2021 - Wednesday 18th August
A message for our students!
Morena students,
I hope that you are keeping safe and well and looking out for yourselves and your whanau. This is a bit of a speed-bump in our journey through 2021. It will pass, and together we can get through it stronger.
Reach out to each other. Stay calm and positive. Stay connected.
If you are struggling with this or with anything, please reach out to those closest to you, including us, your CAS Whanau. We are here to support you! You may just need a reassuring chat.
You know how to contact your teachers and other staff.
We've got this!
Whaea Koren
0277587420
Lockdown 2021 - Wednesday 18th August
Our focus for the remainder of this week!
The number one priority for our staff is to look after the health and wellbeing of themselves and that of their own whanau.
The second priority for our staff will be to make contact over the course of this week with families of children in their mentor/homeroom classes. This check-in will be about seeing how you are all coping and if there is anything we can help with, not about setting learning goals (unless that is what you ask for).
Once we get through the week we will have a clearer picture of the state of the land and our staff will likely re-focus our efforts moving forward.
For right now, its about keeping safe, keeping calm, keeping positive, and STAYING CONNECTED.
We are all in this together whanau and we are here to support if we can.
Whaea Koren
0277587420
principal@coroarea.school.nz
Term 2, 2021:
Welcome back to another Epic term of learning at CAS. We are currently sitting on 267 students after taking nine new enrolments this week already. With growth comes change, and over the course of Term One, we realised some things were either not working or needed to be re-visited. We have spent some time rethinking some of our curriculum initiatives and pastoral processes to accommodate this growth, and ensure that we keep our standards high. Over the course of the following weeks you will hear about our plans to learn about and celebrate Matariki as a school. We hope that whanau will be involved in this with us. Below are some reminders about our expectations and focus areas this term, and we hope that you can all support us by reinforcing these messages at home.
Kia Ora whānau
One more sleep! As everyone gets ready for the return to school, I know that some whānau are a little nervous about sending their kids back. This is very understandable. I have been contacted over the last week with questions about what we are doing about health & safety, and how things may look at school next week. I would like to reassure our community of a few things regarding re-opening, but also encourage you to continue to ask questions & let us know your concerns, so that we can make sure this is a smooth & safe transition back to school for our tamariki.
Here are the key points I would like to reiterate about our re-opening:
- Buses are running as usual, but students will be asked to use hand sanitiser when entering & exiting.- Students can (& will probably want to) give their friends a hug when they see them. We understand this physical connection is an important aspect of friendship. We will ask students to try not to do this after the first couple of days so that we get into the habit of staying outside of the ‘breath zone’ of others. This will be how we discuss ‘social distancing’ although there is no actual distance we must adhere too. Likewise, we will remind students that not everyone will welcome a hug & to respect this decision.- It is individual choice if students or teachers wish to wear masks. The advice from the Public Health Service is that masks are not necessary and are only worthwhile if changed up to three times in an hour, not touched or pulled down when talking occurs, and don't get moist from breathing – all of which will be hard to manage in a school setting. We will not be supplying masks for anyone.- Hand hygiene will be compulsory – washing hands or hand sanitiser will be used when entering/exiting all classes, before/after eating, before/after using the toilet, before/after sharing resources.- Doing physical activity will still be a part of the curriculum and team sports can be played – following correct hand hygiene procedures. - Keep your child home if they are sick. Ring the public health line or your local doctor for advice if they have cold/flu-like symptoms. A return to school will be based on that advice. It will be recorded as a ‘Medical’ absence.- If you choose to keep your child(ren) at home during Alert Level 2 due to worries about COVID-19, it will be recorded as an ‘Explained’ absence but not a ‘Justified’ absence, and we will work with you to talk through any fears or anxieties you have. - Online learning will not be on offer from Monday onwards, except for any child(ren) who are asked by public health officials to self-isolate due to possible exposure to COVID-19.- Our school counsellor, Pauline Dickinson, will be at school tomorrow (Monday) and if you or your child wish to speak to her about any fears or worries that you have, please don’t hesitate to ask at the school office. - The wellbeing of our staff and students is our number one priority so we will be keeping up-to-date on all public health requirements & informing our whānau if things change.
Hopefully, our students are looking forward to coming back to school, but I know it will feel a little odd returning, after such a long time off. We are going to be treating this next week like it is the first week back of the school year – building positive & safe relationships, setting our expectations, and settling back into routines & learning.
See you all tomorrow and remember to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Nga mihi nui,
Whaea Koren
principal@coroarea.school.nz
0277587420
Kia Ora whānau,
On Monday we welcome back our students who we have really missed seeing in person over the past 8 weeks. This has been a time in history in which we will never forget. Throughout it all we have had to work hard to establish and maintain very different types of relationships, and I take my hat off to all of our whānau and teachers who have ensured that ‘connectivity’ has been the priority. Our number one priority moving forward is the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. At Alert Level 2 there will be some differences to how school operates, and we will be closely monitoring the hygiene practices of our students. The following are some of the things your child(ren) should expect upon returning, and you may like to go through this with them prior to Monday.
1) Parents/Caregivers are asked to drop & pick up children from the gates (with the exception of Room 1 and 2 parents). If you need to enter the school site, please sign-in and out at the office if your child is in Year 9 to 13 or sign the register at the class door if your child is in Year 1-8. 2) If you are worried about the wellbeing of your child(ren) either socially, mentally, physically, or emotionally please contact their teacher and let them know, so we can support them in the best way possible. We have counselling support available if needed.3) Hugging, shaking hands & high-fives are something we LOVE to do, but staff may avoid doing this. Please let your child(ren) know that this is not because we do not want to do it, but because we are trying to emphasis the right practices.4) School fountains will be turned off so students will need to bring a water bottle and we will provide places to fill these up (name them if you can).5) Food can not be shared, so every student needs to bring their own lunch.6) Hand sanitiser will be on the school buses and must be used when entering and exiting the bus.7) No students can sit directly behind the bus driver.8) Hand sanitiser &/or soap & paper towels will be in EVERY classroom in the school and must be used before and after entering & exiting rooms, sharing resources, eating, going to the toilet. 9) There will be regular cleaning of surfaces that are regularly touched. 10) If students are sick or are showing cold/flu-like symptoms they will be sent home.11) Students will be asked not to get so close to other people that they can feel their breath, or they can touch them. There is NO actual social distancing requirement in school settings.12) Normal school uniform should be worn. However, students can wear a mufti jumper or jacket if they do not have a suitable school one. This will remain the rule for Term 2. 13) Students can wear appropriate mufti shoes if they have not got suitable winter black shoes – until they are able to purchase new ones.Finally, the following two points are important to ensure a more settled & productive start to returning to school can occur.14) All chromebooks/laptops that were given out to students over lockdown MUST be returned in the original box and with the correct charger. 15) Students will need to bring any other resources, such as journals, books, stationary, that they took home with them at the start of lockdown.
We are all looking forward to seeing everyone together again. If you have any concerns, issues or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me: principal@coroarea.school.nz or 0277587420.
Nga mihi nui,Whaea Koren
14th May 2020
Morena whānau,
We understand that over the past eight weeks times may have been tough financially and that access to usual products in the shops has been hard. So with that in mind, we are making this announcement regarding uniform for the remainder of Term 2.
'Students are still to wear uniform to school, however, in order to keep warm & comfortable, they can wear mufti jumpers &/or jackets, if they have not got suitable uniform jumpers/jackets. This will be allowed for the remainder of Term 2 to allow families to update uniform requirements before Term 3 starts on Monday 20th July'.
See you next week.
Nga mihi
Whaea Koren
Kia Ora whānau,
Below I have attempted to communicate some of the key points you need to be aware of around school re-opening at Alert Level 2. There will be more to come over the next few days, as we are given more guidance from the Ministry of Education. This will be communicated to you prior to Monday next week. But for now, this is what we know and what you need to know.
•We will open to all students on Monday 18th May. •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. •Students must stay at home if they are sick. If a sick child comes to school, we will send them home (and the threshold for this .•On Thursday and Friday this week, ONLY students who have been attending in Alert Level 3 can attend as usual.•School transport will resume but contact tracing will be a priority so there will be strict guidelines for both the school and the bus provider to adhere.•The bus company will also need to put some new procedures in place e.g. leaving seats in close to the driver free, hand sanitiser available on journey, cleaning bus after each trip.•Parents and caregivers who come on site need to sign-in at the office. Therefore, we ask that students are dropped off and picked up at the gates (all will be open). Try to only enter the school site if it is essential.•If you need to enter the school premises for any reason, please sign-in at the school office (including if you are just dropping off/picking up from the classroom).•Students need to return any school device they were given to use during lockdown. Please bring these back with the charger and in the box they were sent in.•Safe and sensible practices for hygiene and contact tracing will be the norm at school. These will include: regular hand-washing & drying &/or using hand sanitiser, regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, coughing into your elbow.•Hand-washing will be the most important practice - including before and after using shared equipment. •There is no minimum distance requirement for schools at Alert Level 2. We will follow the advice that students & staff should not be able to breath on or touch each other. •Playground, sports equipment use and sports, including contact sports, can resume.•Physical education classes and break time activities can include access to sports equipment.•The wellbeing of every student will be our priority upon re-opening. We will aim to give staff and students fair time to ‘catch up’, check-in with each other & get used to socialising again. Staff will plan how this looks over the next few days, but it will include a more flexible, modified approach to learning over the first couple of days. •Parents/caregivers should communicate with us if they are concerned about re-opening or about the wellbeing of their child(ren) both physically, emotionally or socially, so we know how best to support them.
Nga mihi nui,Koren Hopoi
Kia Ora whānau,
I am still waiting on the finer details of what opening at AL2 will look like for schools, but the Prime Minister has just confirmed that all schools will open at Alert Level 2. She has also stated that when that decision is made, schools will not open until the following week after the announcement is made.
So, if on Monday we do go to Alert Level 2, our school will open on Monday 18th May.Like I said yesterday, we will do so with all Health, Safety & Wellbing measures put in place. We will all wait now for the announcement to be made on Monday, and fingers crossed we do go into AL2.
Further communication will come out this week with what our classrooms will look like & how they will operate.
Nga mihi nuiWhaea Koren
Kia Ora whanau,
I know all of you will be starting to question when school will be re-opening & what that will look like. Just to keep you all in the loop, I will be receiving an important email from the Ministry of Education tomorrow, that will have information in it about how we manage health, safety & wellbeing should we get the all clear to open at Alert Level 2.
That means if the government does announce we can go into Alert Level 2 at the press release on Monday 11th May, we will most likely be told we can open on Thursday 14th May. However, what that looks like will depend on the health, safety & wellbeing guidelines & restrictions that are imposed. There may be a staggered approach to begin with, eg. certain year levels can attend. We will wait and see.
Rest assured, we are super excited and ready to re-open, as long as we can ensure that the health & safety of all of our students and staff can be maintained.
As soon as I know about what re-opening will look like and our staff have had a chance to put plans in place to ensure we can meet all of the health & safety guidelines - you will be the next to be told!
Fingers crossed that we can all safely return in the near future. Until then, keep safe, keep well, and be kind!
Nga mihi nui
Whaea Koren
1st May 2020
Message from Whaea Koren .webm28th April 2020
From tomorrow onwards our kura will be functioning under Alert Level 3 guidelines. That means we will have 12 staff on site, and up too 14 students present. There are many procedures and safety checks in place to ensure we maintain social distancing and good hygiene practices during this time. To support this, we are locking all gates excepts the one outside the main office on Wollams Ave. This is to prevent anyone from bursting our pre-arranged bubbles. No-one is allowed to enter the school site unless it is essential. All visitors that have essential business must register at the office, sign in and read our health & safety guidelines. Parents who are dropping off or picking up our AL3 students are not to enter unless absolutely necessary. There has been an important message emailed/text to the whānau of the 14 returning students. Please check your email/phone and ensure you read this message with your child(ren) who are returning. School will look very different for them. If you know someone whose child(ren) is returning, please pass this message on to them.
Kia Ora whanau,
As we enter Alert Level 3 at midnight tonight, I thought it timely to update you on what is happening at school and also give a big shout out to our amazing staff.Over the last two weeks we have been preparing for this stage and have connected with all of our students and their whanau. As of Wednesday, we will have 16 students at school who need to return so that parents/caregivers can work.
I know it was a hard decision for some families to make and I appreciate that students may have been keen to return. If we can support the governments call to 'stay at home if you can' we can hopefully all return to school safely and sooner rather than later.
There will be a skeleton staff on site who have been grouped into two bubbles of 10. Each bubble will have 8 students and a couple of staff who will support them to continue with their online learning. We thank the staff who are able and willing to return. To whanau of students returning, there will be a further communication with guidelines and procedures for returning to school sent out tomorrow.
Buses will not be running as they are not required. If over the next two weeks, your circumstances change & you require your child(ren) to return to school, you must first contact me directly, as we have strict guidelines & procedures to follow. No student is able to just 'turn up' to school during this time.
Over the last month I have seen our staff step-up to the challenge of connecting remotely with students and whanau and supporting an online learning programme. I would like to take the chance to thank them for their care, effort & flexibility over this time. I know it has made my job a lot easier and I am grateful for the amazing staff we have.
Tomorrow is a Teacher Only Day, and there will be a few staff in school, and the majority of staff linking in via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting is mostly about the health and safety plan we have in place to re-open and how to continue to support students remotely.
I can assure parents of NCEA students that there is a lot of discussion happening with our senior staff about further support, course outlines, future assessments & the flexibility required.
Finally, thank you for your continuing support of our kura, for the patience you have shown throughout this time, and for supporting our students, staff, whanau & community to get through this stronger and more united than ever.
Nga mihi nuiKoren Hopoi0277587420
Kia ora koutou,
The last few weeks have been some of the toughest, yet some of the most rewarding weeks of my teaching career. The way our small community has come together and supported each other through these tough times has been inspirational. Thank you especially to the staff, students & parents/caregivers that are part of our education bubble, for your patience, support and encouragement of each other throughout this time.
Yesterday the Government decided that we will move into Alert Level 3 on Tuesday 28th April. We now have a very small window to prepare our school site for Year 1 to 10 students to be able to attend, possibly on Wednesday 29th April. This will depend on how quickly our preparations can occur and how easily we can work out the logistics of reopening – such as, staffing, social distancing, hygiene.
There is a clear message from the Government regarding whether your child(ren) should return to school, and we support and re-iterate this message.
‘If you can, you should keep your child at home’
You should only physically send your child to school if you need to. If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness you must keep them at home. If your child is sick please also ensure you keep them at home.
In order to ensure the safety of those children and our staff who do come to school, we will be operating with strict enforcement of health and safety measures. We will be working hard this week to put these measures in place. This includes, finding out whether the school buses can run and whether the same strict measures can be ensured during transportation to and from school.
I want to assure you that we will continue to support your child’s learning at home. A realistic possibility is that if your child(ren) does attend school in person, they will be following the same online learning programme that has been set up by their teacher already. Not only will be operating with a reduced number of staff, staff will not be able to run both an online and a face-to-face programme at the same time.
Today, you will be contacted by your child(ren’s) homeroom or mentor teacher to find out whether you can keep your child(ren) learning from home, or need your child(ren) to attend in person.
In closing, we will continue to support your child’s learning by distance while we progress our planning for what Alert Level 3 will mean for you and for our school. I will be in touch with further information tomorrow. As you have been doing, please keep connecting with your teachers with any questions you might have, or please contact me directly. Nga mihi nuiKoren Hopoi0277587420principal@coroarea.school.nz
17th April 2020
Message from Whaea Koren.webm16th April 2020
For whānau struggling with getting WIFI – go to this link
https://steppingup.nz/get-jump/ and sign up for Skinny JUMP.
A modem will be sent to you. The suppliers have been running at their capacity and are struggling to fill the demand but there is an eligibility check and 'living in a rural community' is one of the criteria which would cover Coromandel people.
There is a form to fill out and modems are shipped from Wellington.
If you can’t access this link or are unable to fill in the form please contact Matt at CILT and he can do this on your behalf.
network@cilt.org.nz
8th April 2020
As promised, here is a link to our 'Home learning guide for students & whānau.'
This is designed to clearly state our intentions over the next couple of weeks, with student and teacher expectations. Hopefully you will see from this guide that we are extremely aware of the different contexts each of our whānau face, and therefore pretty realistic, but also very hopeful, of a successful and effective home learning journey for us all. Please have a read and if you have any questions or worries contact Whaea Koren - email & number on document.
NOTE: The intent is to have devices & or hard-copy packages out to parents as soon as we can do this (big project!).
Kia Ora e te whānau,
We just held our first staff meeting post lockdown and it was successful! It was great to connect and see all of our teachers again. We discussed student and teacher expectations for learning at home and these will be sent out to whānau in the next day or two. Likewise, I will be completing my home phone calls to the remainder of students on the list - so expect a phone call from me!Hope you are all well, all staying connected, and not missing us too much! We definitely are missing our kids.
Nga mihi nuiKoren Hopoi
7th April 2020
10000000_119340393048879_9146499119396942130_n.mp4Kia Ora whānau, I hope that you are all keeping safe and healthy and finding some positives from this situation, such as, having quality time with family, enjoying 'slowing down', having a go at learning a new skill, or just being grateful for the beautiful weather we currently have.
Now is the holiday period for every teacher and student. No work or tasks are expected to be due in to teachers during this two week period. As with a usual holiday break, it is for rest, refreshment and to spend time with loved ones and do things you enjoy (although limited I know). This means that students are not expected to be online or doing regular home learning sessions.
This means that both the students AND the teachers get to have a well earned break, and I am sure you all understand the importance of this. Teachers may continue to set up home learning tasks online, and students may still get bombarded with emails telling them this. But it is important to remember that these are in preparation for Term 2. If students wish to continue to complete work, or if whānau want to continue doing learning each day to get into a routine, that is completely your choice!
As a staff, we are preparing for the reality that this lockdown may go on longer than the minimum 4 week period. So on Wednesday 15th April, when Term 2 officialy begins, we will be back up in running with clear expectations set for both teachers and students, in terms of what home learning should look like. These expectations will be coming out towards the end of the holiday period.
During the next two weeks I will be personally contacting every family to find out what barriers they may face to engaging with learning at home. We will then do everything we can to remove or minimise these barriers for you.
Thank you to those parents/caregivers who have been contacting me and connecting with other staff, to ask for advice or support, or to just have a chat. Communication will continue to be the main factor moving forward. I will always put all Prinicipal messages on Facebook, the school website & email to parents/caregivers.
So thank you once again for your continued support of our kura and for having patience while we get our heads around how this pandemic has (& will) change the face of education. I look forward to the day that I can connect again with everyone face-to-face, but until then look after yourselves and those around you.Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi0277587420
25th March 2020
Equipment for our kids to keep being physically active:
We have a stash of older sports equipment that is more than suitable to use to keep active at home. Some balls, bats etc. If you are keen to pick some up, then drop into school today . or text me to organise a time.
0277587420 - Koren Hopoi
25th March 2020
Message to Room 4 students & whānau:
The learning at home packs are ready to be picked up at the school office. I will be around today until about 5pm. However, can be around to leave somewhere at any stage over the next few days. You can text me if you are unsure how to get the packs & we may be able to organise something. 0277587420 - Koren Hopoi
Message from the Principal .webmTuesday 24th March 2020
24th March 2020
Morena whānau,
The upcoming school holidays have been brought forward to start on Monday 30th March (next week) and end on Tuesday 14th April (Easter Tuesday). So Term 2 (even though we won't be back at school) and online/home learning will resume again on Wednesday 15th April.
What does that mean for our teachers?
For the remainder of this week and through the two weeks of school holidays, our teachers will be establishing ways to deliver teaching online and remotely. They will not be delivering this learning until AFTER the holidays, but they will be contactable via phone/email to talk and support you in anyway needed.
What does this mean for our students and whānau?
Use this time to prepare for home learning to occur and to establish communication with teachers, especially if you will need physical resources rather than online resources. Prepare space in your home which could be used for learning.
And, use the time as a 'holiday' (even one in self-isolation), so don't put the pressure on to be learning or doing homework just yet (unless you want too).
As a school, we are absolutely commited to supporting our students and whānau through this time. This is not just through the home learning, but with all the other things that schools & staff support: emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical well-being.
We are still here to help in anyway we can. Please keep the communication going and don't be scared to ask for support - if we can't do something, we have access to networks who can!
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
To any of our whānau or students who are a little anxious about what is occuring, need to connect with someone or ask for some advice, our school counsellor Pauline Dickinson is going to be available all hours, and can do telephone or online face-to-face conversations.
Her contact details are:
0212716927
Also, please do not hesitate to private message the school through Facebook messenger, or our school website contact form. We are all in this together, and if there are any issues or questions you may have, or if you need support with anything else, such as requiring extra food, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Message from Coromandel Area School Principal
Kia Ora whānau,As you will be aware New Zealand has now entered Alert Level 3. That means that schools will be closed from tomorrow onwards. The only exception is for students of essential healthcare workers (doctors, nurses) and police. As of midnight on Wednesday these students will no longer be able to attend school either. Our staff have already started planning for this eventuality and are preparing resources for learning at home, whether this be bookwork or online. Over the next couple of days our teachers will continue to transition into creating physical resources or online learning platforms for our students. Please remember that although there will be avenues for home learning set-up, it is important that students don’t get anxious about missing school, getting behind, or not achieving their grades. This is an unprecedented event and in the end their health is the most important thing to consider. We will get through and they will still achieve their goals!We will be communicating with both students and parents/caregivers about the options open to students for accessing these resources. We will communicate this through our school website, Facebook page, phone and email. We understand that this is a very unnerving and uncertain time for our community. The health and wellbeing of our staff, students and whānau is our number one priority. Heed the governments advice and self-isolate. Stay connected via social media platforms. Look after each other. Be kind. Let’s get this right now and slow down any further spread of this virus. Let’s look forward to Term 2. Kia Kaha!Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa, Koren HopoiPrincipalprincipal@coroarea.school.nz
Sunday 22nd March
Kia Ora whanau,
School is open for business tomorrow as usual and buses will be running as usual. Some families are already choosing to keep their tamariki home and that is fine. Can we ask that you still advise the school of absences through the usual ways: phone call to office or through our website absence form. We will do everything we can to make school as normal as possible over the coming days, however, we may have staff that choose to stay home due to age or health concerns. If this occurs there may be some classes that need to be joined together. We stress that whanau coming to school must sign in at the office, but are asked to avoid any non-essential visits. Thank you for your appreciation and support during this uncertain time.
Nga mihi nui
Koren Hopoi
Nationwide alert system for COVID-19
21 March 2020
The Prime Minister has introduced a nationwide alert system for Covid-19.
We are at alert level 2. At alert level 2 schools and early childhood centres remain open, but will be closed if there is a case of Covid-19 that affects them. This will be for a defined period based on health advice to undertake contact tracing and other activities. This means our current practice does not change. We will continue to apply our decision making tool to assess what actions are needed.
Schools and early childhood centres remain safe for your children and for teachers. The best defence continues to be good hygiene practice and physical distancing.
The most up to date advice is available from the Ministry of Health.
18th March - From Ministry of Education
You will be aware the Ministry of Health’s Director-General has confirmed a case of COVID-19 in a Dunedin school following a student testing positive for coronavirus. On advice from the Southern District Health Board the school will now remain closed until Tuesday (Monday being Otago Anniversary Day). Close contacts have been identified and are being tested for the virus. The letter to the community from SDHB provides further information The Ministries of Education and Health are working closely with Public Health services in Dunedin and the school leadership to help minimise disruption, progress contact tracing and reduce the possibility of spread. Reminder – schools remain open At this stage, we are not expecting widespread school closures. We are planning for temporary closures, like what is happening at Logan Park School but as the World Health Organisation has confirmed, the risk to children remains low and parents should continue to send their kids to schools and early learning centres. Consequently any decisions about school closures will be made on a case by case basis. In the meantime, unless students are unwell themselves, then parents should keep sending them to schools and early learning centres as these environments continue to be safe and the best place for them to continue their learning. Talking to children and young people about COVID-19 Given the rise in the number of reported cases, there may be children or young people in your life who experience distress. As a trusted adult, you can help reassure and educate them about COVID-19 – it can be good to talk to them now, so they can understand the illness and be reassured. A useful resource for parents, caregivers, whānau and teachers talking about the virus with children and young people can be found here This can also be downloaded as an information sheet. Up-to-date information and advice A reminder that information and advice for students, whānau and the education sector is available here While the website is being regularly updated with education-related content, the Ministry of Health is the Government agency leading the response to COVID-19 The Secretary for Education joined the Director-General of Health for the Ministry of Health’s COVID 19 update today. You can view that, and all Ministry of Health updates here.