19 August 2020
A confirmed case of COVID-19 within our school community makes the global pandemic seem much more real, and certainly makes me feel very glad that in New Zealand we moved to Alert Level 3 so quickly last week.
Thank you very much for the many messages of support that we have received over the past few days, and for the thoughtful and caring response that has been shown by students and families across our community. I am humbled by the atawhai that is evident.
Whilst the cases of COVID-19 within Auckland are worrying for us all, we know that the virus is the problem, not the people. The way forward is for us to continue to work as a community, both to follow the public health guidelines for Alert Level 3 and also to support each other.
My thanks go to the many families across our school community who have put themselves forward for COVID testing. I know that some have been for tests even when their symptoms have seemed minor. It is through actions such as these that cases can be detected early and decisions made quickly, which is the best response to this virus.
Thank you to parents and caregivers for supporting students in returning to Distance Learning. Teachers continue to use Microsoft Teams and email as the primary form of communication with students. Please do not hesitate to contact teachers or subject Directors if you have any questions about the work, or if your child needs any support or guidance.
When school closed last week, many students were just finishing assessments of their learning for the first half of the term. I encourage students to use the time at home to make sure that they complete and submit this work. If students missed any deadlines from earlier in the year, this time at home could also be an opportunity to catch up and finish the work.
A small number of students have been attending school over the past week. Following government announcements this week, we hope to be able to offer Year 12 and Year 13 students the opportunity to come to school for their learning if they need to. This is most likely to benefit students who are not able to access Microsoft Teams, or other software at home. Students who are interested in taking up this opportunity should contact Deputy Principals Mrs McNaughton
mhn@avcol.school.nz (Year 13) or Mrs van Etten vtn@avcol.school.nz (Year 12)
Students may come into school to collect any learning materials or resources that they may have left there, if they are able to do a ‘contact-less pick up’. Students must have an appointment to come into school and should contact the relevant Dean or subject Director to make arrangements for this.
Finally, I have become aware that some senior students who have part-time jobs, are being asked by their employers to work during school hours. It is important that students are able to prioritise their school work. If any student needs a letter from school stating that they may not work during the school day, please contact the relevant year level Dean or admin@avcol.school.nz.
We look forward to welcoming all teachers and students back to school as soon as we can.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs L Watkinson, Principal