Tēnā koutou e ngā mātua, e ngā kaitiakii o ā tātou kohine

Further to my letter last week regarding the school’s plan for operation during Alert Level 2, the Prime Minister has announced today that all regions of New Zealand outside Auckland will move to Alert Level 2 from tomorrow (Tuesday 07/09/21) at 11.59pm.

Our plan for only the Senior Students (Year 11 to Year 13) to return to hostel and school remains in place. Our hostel manager Amelia Kaui will send our hostel whānau details of the return. Junior Students (Years 9 and 10) will remain at home and continue with their online learning programme.

We have decided that learning and teaching at the college for seniors will begin this Monday, 13 September.

I want to commend staff, students and whānau for your wonderful efforts to keep teaching and learning happening during lockdown. Having been at Alert Level 4 or 3 since mid-August, it is important that we now all get a chance to service our personal lives. So this week, as we move to Level 2, I want students and their whānau and staff to have the opportunity to spend some time adjusting to Level 2 and taking care of personal needs as shops and services reopen.

So from Wednesday to Friday this week all students will move from our previous online timetable to a programme of personal study at home. Junior Students only who want to connect with their teachers individually online, may do so on Wednesday and this must be arranged with their individual teachers in advance.

The Prime Minister announced some stricter conditions this time for Alert LeveL 2 and I encourage you to visit the official COVID-19 page – https://covid19.govt.nz/ for more information.

We expect the Junior Students to continue working with the online learning and teaching programme for the two weeks they are not at the college. We will review this after the first week to see where the juniors and seniors are at with their learning.

Every subject teacher will work with the Senior Students to reach their targets in NCEA and we believe this is best achieved if the senior students are physically present at school.

We have mapped out a two-week programme that we are certain will be beneficial to them.

Details of this programme have been sent to you by our Deputy Principal Stephanie Clifton, who is in charge of curriculum. Amelia Kaui, our Hostel Manager and our interim chaplain Erice Fairbrother will take care of the pastoral care of our senior and junior students during
the two weeks.

You will be aware that COVID-19 lockdowns have had an impact on the dates for NCEA exams at the end of the year. More details on the changes and other effects of COVID-19 on schedules can be found on the NZQA website – https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/aboutus/news/threshold-set-for-learning-recognition-credits-and-other-nceaue-changes/.

I understand that this does not suit all our students, but the Ministry of Education has made this decision to give all students the opportunity to achieve their best results.

I want to thank you as parents and caregivers again for your support and the way you have responded to these COVID-19 related changes to your kohine and her education.

We are aware that some whānau are finding these lockdowns difficult and Hukarere Girls’ College wants to assure you that we will do everything we can to care for your kohine and to meet their academic and pastoral needs.

If you have any questions regarding this information please email info@hukarere.school.nz

Much love and appreciation to you all, keep well and stay safe – nā reira kia ū ki te pai.

Nāhaku nei
Shona West
Tūmuaki