Traffic Light Update

Good morning RVS Community,

You will have heard on the news yesterday that Marlborough will move to Orange on the traffic light system from December the 3rd, Friday.  Please see below for information provided to us from the Ministry of Education regarding this move.  ​

I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome Mr Peter Olliver and Mrs Jenny Olliver who will be joining us next year in a permanent capacity.  They both bring a wealth of experience and skill and we are privileged to have them on board.
I also welcome Mr. Gareth Bolstad to the team.  He will be teaching in the Middle School through to the end of the year.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, there will be no Prize Giving this year.  I will be meeting with classes on Tuesday the 14th of December to give out trophies and certificates to enable students to take these home.  This is the same day the new School Year Book, created by the Zest Journalism Team will arrive home, one per family (more for those whom ordered more).  There is a section in this magazine with all of our prize winners in it.

The Y10 Graduation Dinner has been brought forward to this week due to the implications relating to the Traffic Light restrictions.  Please see Mrs. Pigou's email for more.

May you and your families be blessed with the constant awareness of His goodness toward you in this time.  Christmas is a precious time as we remember the stunning lengths taken to connect us back to our loving Heavenly Father through Jesus.

God bless,

Dave Pauling
Principal

From the Secretary of Education:

​The Prime Minister has confirmed all of New Zealand will move onto the COVID-19 Protection Framework (CPF) at 11.59pm on Thursday 2 December.
The very good news for all schools is that there will be very little to no change needed for the remainder of 2021, regardless of which part of the country you’re in. (Level 2 rules will still apply at RVS)
Schools will retain their existing COVID-19 settings until the end of the 2021 calendar year, but guidance will recommend that schools outside of Auckland align their practices with the COVID-19 Protection Framework settings, which will come into effect for all schools from 1 January 2022.

New COVID-19 Protection (Traffic Light) Framework

Elimination and the alert levels have worked well, with New Zealand having the lowest numbers of cases and hospitalisations in the OECD. While controlled, Delta is in our communities and the strategy now focuses on minimising its impact.
 
With 85% of eligible New Zealanders now fully vaccinated, and by mid-December it is expected to be approximately 90%, this allows a careful reopening while continuing to protect New Zealanders.
 
This means that we don’t have to change the way we are operating classes this year and everyone can continue to attend school onsite.
 
For next year, we can confirm that everyone will be back onsite for learning from the start of the school year, regardless of what setting under the new Traffic Light Framework we will be in (Red/Orange/Green). This is good news and means we can plan for a great 2022.
 
Health measures in place at school
 
This year and next, health, safety and wellbeing will continue to be a priority for us and the same public health measures you are very familiar with will remain in place:

• good hygiene and cleaning
• contact tracing systems in place
• vaccination requirements for workers (paid and unpaid)
• if you are sick, you must stay home and get tested
• good ventilation.

 
And if we are at Red at any stage next year:

• face coverings will be required at school when indoors for students and staff in years 4 – 13
• we will ask that only essential visitors come onsite.

 
With all these measures in place, public health has confirmed the risk of infection remains low when at school, with households continuing to be where COVID-19 is spreading the most. As noted by Dr Caroline McElnay, Director of Public Health:
 
Our experience in New Zealand and overseas with COVID-19 shows that it does not affect children and teens in the same way it does adults. Children and teens don't become as unwell if they do get infected, and they don't tend to pass the virus on so much as adults when in a classroom setting.
 
Compared to other places, schools and early learning services are not environments where we have seen significant spread of COVID-19. Household members and work colleagues who are in close contact with people with COVID-19, are the most common sources of transmission.
 
However, if we do have someone confirmed with COVID-19 in our school, we have a plan in place to manage this and will contact you as soon as possible.
 
If you’d like to learn more about the framework visit COVID-19 Protection Framework.
 
Secretary for Education
Iona Holsted
​