South School juniors exercise outside.
As the new school year began this week Dannevirke schools were ready to start the year in as normal a manner as possible given the red traffic light Covid regulations.
A brief survey of schools reports positive feelings about the new year.
Dannevirke South is the focus for this week's story but all schools have messages for the public. Firstly Dannevirke South School:
With the focus on inspiring passion, growth and success for each child no matter what the pandemic throws at it, Dannevirke's South School has started the new year determined to meet ministry requirements in its own way by making the best use of its facilities.
On Monday principal Caroline Transom said the Ministry of Education has been very helpful in providing guidelines to ensure everyone is safe in the face of the Covid threat.
She said the Ministry of Education has translated the Ministry of Health requirements for schools into a set of guidelines sent out in regular bulletins and has organised Zoom meetings with principals to resolve any issues they may have. They talk about "the new normal" for the next few months as NZ deals with Omicron.
For her school, Caroline and her staff have seen the school facilities as a partial solution to keeping both children and staff safe by learning taking place outside. She said the school is blessed with wonderful outdoor spaces with sports fields, a stream and bushland on site that are ideal for hands-on learning. It also benefits the student and staff as they do not have to wear masks outdoors.
During the holidays the old sheds and disused swimming pool have been removed and replaced with grass, creating an extra teaching/learning space.
Of course, learning must also take place in the classroom and she feels the classroom structure at South with doors and windows linking to the fresh air outside is making the issue of ventilation easier. The junior classrooms are receiving a makeover as well this term.
She said C02 measuring devices have been supplied to measure the classroom atmosphere and awaits the arrival of air filtration equipment from the ministry if measurements warrant them.
Meanwhile, 2000 surgical masks have been ordered from the ministry for staff.
Requirements are for staff to change masks four times per day to ensure they keep safe and such an order with 36 staff will not go far but the ministry has promised to ship more as soon as they are needed.
In a further measure, the school is organised in working bubbles of 3-4 classrooms to limit contact between students and staff to ensure everyone's safety.
On Monday Caroline was unsure what the next day would bring in the way of students. Teaching is available online as well as in the classroom and she was not sure how many children might take that option.
She admitted she couldn't wait to meet the children and was excited about getting the new routines started. "The school doesn't come alive without them," she said.
When asked how their first day went, Caroline said, "The school absolutely hummed! Students and teachers came back excited and ready to learn."
The students and staff reconnected with friends and teachers and much fun was had both in and out of the classroom.
"We are looking forward to a term full of lots of learning and focusing on 'What does it mean to belong at Dannevirke South School' regardless of if students are at home or at school and today shows how important school is to our learners and the community."
Across town, Huia Range School received its children on Thursday. On Wednesday principal Robyn Forsyth said the school is fully staffed and teachers were looking forward to meeting their children again and building relationships with them.
The Huia Range Year 8s are hitting the ground running with their camp at El Rancho in Waikanae this coming week while the rest of the school will focus on the theme of "Knowing Who I Am" to create resilience and a feeling of hope in the children.
Out at Norsewood principal Angela McQuarrie said the school is fully staffed and an influx of new students on Wednesday was encouraging. The school is going straight into swimming to start the year on a positive note in the newly upgraded pool.
A lovely surprise was the creation of newly made masks for all of the Year 4-8 students donated by NZ Natural Clothing.
Staff at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Tamaki Nui A Rua have been working all week preparing to receive students on February 8.
Ruahine School office administrator Ali Watts said on Wednesday, "We have had a great start to 2022 here at Ruahine School. We were very excited to welcome everyone back, as well as welcoming our new students, their families and our new staff member.
"The kids have adapted so well to the changes we needed to make to ensure their safety. It has been wonderful to see our Rocker Values playing such a big part in their acceptance of the new rules and being so incredibly supportive of each other. We, as a staff, are really proud of our kids."
Principal of St Josephs, Meagan Seatter, said 95 per cent of students arrived on Wednesday and were met by a full staff. Systems to get the children settled in the new routines are already running smoothly with the theme "Respect and Dignity For All".
The opportunity to be outside in the good weather has been fully taken advantage of and the school is looking forward to the Kia Kaha programme in a couple of weeks when routines are settled.