Week Ahead: Week 7, Term 1
Monday 14 – Sunday 20, March
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau,
Thank you to everyone for your continued understanding and for working with us as we try to maintain ‘business as usual’. Your support for your son has helped ensure that the school remains productive, calm and positive.
For those who have been a COVID positive case, or who are isolating as a household contact, I wish you all the best and I hope the ordeal is not too arduous and that the symptoms are tolerable and mild.
As COVID spreads further into our community it has become increasingly difficult for us to provide cover for all staff who are away. Similarly, we have a number of students who are absent due to COVID who need work provided while they isolate.
The predicted progress of COVID in the Hawke’s Bay is expected to increase in number over the next two/three weeks. As such, we have made the decision this morning at our Senior Management meeting to implement a 4-period timetable, beginning Tuesday, 15 March.
We will shift to Hybrid Learning: Stage 1 (see below) for a week and reassess this model and timetable on Friday, 18 March. Depending on our status, we will either continue in Stage 1, move to Stage 2, or return to our normal school timetable. Each option will be determined by the available staff to cover classes and / or the number of students back at school, so staff are not required to duplicate work.
Hybrid Learning Stage 1: shift to a four-period day with time available Period 5 for staff to manage work for students having to work from home. This is in response to the growing number of students that are away from school either with Covid or isolating due to being a household contact.
Hybrid Learning Stage 2: retain a four-period day and rotate a year level home each day. This will be our response if we get to the point where we cannot supervise classes due to high staff numbers with Covid or isolating due to being a household contact.
The purpose of a shortened timetable is to allow teachers to plan and facilitate a hybrid learning programme that provides useful resources, activities and work online for students who cannot attend school. It also allows us to continue face-to-face teaching with all our students, through the week. In doing so, we maintain that critical sense of normal life for the boys, which is so important through these times.
Again, we appreciate your support as we manage our way through a unique time. We do want to make sure that the essential parts of what we do, which is the teaching and learning, can continue as positively and as effectively as possible. The boys are happy and settled, and, as we manage this next, temporary stage, maintaining the same sense of positive purpose remains our priority.
Please be assured that we make all decisions with the best interests of our students at heart. Students are always at the centre of what we do. We are motivated to ensure we maintain a sense of normality so your contribution in supporting the measures in place is essential to our collective success.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you again for your support and care.
Ngā Mihi nui,
Jarred Williams
Headmaster
Stage 1 Hybrid Learning: Timetable
As per the Headmaster’s Kōrero the following timetable is in effect from Tuesday, 15 March.
What does this mean?
- Four periods / lessons per day
- No timetabled Period 5 lesson
- School finishes at 1:30pm Monday – Thursday. Friday finish is 1:00pm.
- School buses will depart at 1:30pm, Monday – Thursday. On a Friday, buses depart at 1:15pm.
- Supervision – we can provide supervision for Y9 students of essential workers, or other Y9s who are unable to go home, through to the end of the regular school day. If your son requires supervision, please email the Deputy Headmaster, Mr B Smith bsmith@nbhs.school.nz
COVID-19 Phase 3 – Procedure
Procedure
- From 11:59pm Friday, 11 March confirmed positive cases and household contacts of positive cases will be required to isolate for 7 days
- The isolation period is 7 days from the positive test
- If your son is isolating at home because he is a household contact, he will need a test on Day 3 and Day 7. He may return to school after this period if his test results are negative and he is symptom free.
- At Phase 3 students who develop COVID-19 symptoms must remain at home and get a test. If the test (PCR or RAT) is negative and symptoms are no longer present, then they can return to school without any further isolation.
- If a boarder tests positive, no other students residing in Scinde House will be considered a ‘household contact’.
- As we have previously communicated, students who are unwell will need to stay at home. If they become unwell while at school, they must be collected immediately. This will help to reduce the spread of the virus.
- If your son is unwell at school, he must follow the correct process. He must be assessed at the school office. The office staff will notify you that he is unwell. They will ask that you collect him immediately from school.
- Please do not collect your son unless he has been assessed and signed-out at the school office.
- If your son is at home with COVID-19 symptoms, a household contact, or tests positive for COVID-19, please contact the school as soon as possible. Please email attendance@nbhs.school.nz or phone 06 8335900.
- If your son is unwell at school, he must follow the correct process. He must be assessed at the school office. The office staff will notify you that he is unwell. They will ask that you collect him immediately from school.
Offsite Learning
Students that are unable to be onsite, as a household contact or COVID-positive, should continue their learning via MS TEAMS.
For your reference, the MS TEAMS Student Manual is available here.
If your son has technical issues accessing MS TEAMS please contact the Student Helpdesk: studenthelpdesk@nbhs.school.nz
Scinde House Enrolment, 2023 & Beyond
The popular and informative Scinde House information evenings begin in Week 7. Registration is still open. This can be done here – Information Evening Registration
Upcoming Events – stay informed
Please keep a close eye on this school newsletter, the ‘Week Ahead’, each Friday where any changes will be communicated. Also, you can check the school calendar
Urgent updates will be pushed-out via the School App.
What’s Due? NCEA Internal Assessments
NCEA Internal Assessments due in Week 7
| NCEA Level 1 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| DIT | AS91880 Website | STA |
| NCEA Level 2 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| Nil | ||
| NCEA Level 3 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| Chemistry | AS3.7 Describe Oxidation-Reduction processes | OCO, BRS |
| Calculus | AS3.3 Trigonometry | HEU, SMA |
| Mathematics | AS3.15 Simultaneous Equations | GOU |
NCEA Internal Assessments due in Week 8
| NCEA Level 1 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| Mathematics – AMA | AS1.7 Right-Angled Triangles | DOU, KET |
| History | AS1.1 Carry out an investigation of an historical event | WHI & MAR |
| NCEA Level 2 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| DIT | AS91891 Make a Website | STA, COO |
| History | AS2.4 Interpret different perspectives of people | ENG |
| NCEA Level 3 | ||
| Subject | Achievement Standard | Classes involved |
| Nil | ||
KAMAR Parent Portal
Parents / caregivers can access results and school reports through the KAMAR Parent Portal. If you have difficulty accessing the portal, please contact Mrs J Gourdie jgourdie@nbhs.school.nz
You can access the KAMAR parent portal here: https://kamar.nbhs.school.nz/
Junior Winter Sport Registration
Junior winter sport registration continues in Week 7. This is an online process.
The online registration can be accessed by scanning this QR code or clicking here: https://forms.office.com/r/maF7dDuJCj
If you are unable to complete the registration online, your son must see the Sports Coordinator for a paper copy. Registration should be completed in Week 7.
Winter Sports include:
- Canoe Polo
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Football
- Hockey
- Rugby
- Orienteering
- Clay Target
- Cross Country
- Snow Sports
Cricket
Our elite teams continue their pathways for the respective national tournaments. This is on the back of the Colts A finishing second in 2021 at the New Zealand Cricket Junior Secondary School Boys’ tournament.
Gillette Cup: 1stXI v Lindisfarne College – Tuesday, 15 March
New Zealand Cricket Junior Secondary School Boys’: Colts A v Lindisfarne College – Wednesday, 16 March
Sports Draws
You can find the sports draws here: https://www.nbhs.school.nz/students/sport-draws/
Junior T20 and Colts Cricket continues Week 7. Please refer to the sports draw link, above. Some Junior T20 teams will be travelling to away fixtures. Your son should check the daily notices for any changes to the start time of the match.
Volleyball continues Wednesday, 16 March. Refer to the sports draw, link above.
Touch rugby will now run internally at school on Tuesdays. Games will be at lunchtime and after school. Start times – with the shortened school day – be communicated in the Daily Notices.
