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Covid-19 Update Business as Usual in a Covid-19 Protection Framework (CPF) Environment Operating at Red Update 10 February 2022 Previous information: - Business As Usual in a Covid-19 CPF - Kindergarten Pack 20 January 2022
- SUPPLEMENT to He Whānau Manaaki Kindergarten Information Pack 24 January 2022
. Update 27 January 2022 (in Kōrero) . Update 3 February 2022 (in Kōrero) Operating our kindergartens at “Red” Please keep referring to the kindergarten pack we sent out about operating through the different traffic lights, on 20 January, and the supplementary information on 24 and 27 January and 3 February. There is a lot of information in the pack, including FAQs which will answer many of your questions. Mask Wearing Moving forward, the rule of thumb should be as follows: - Mask-wearing to and from kindergarten (eg, when someone gets out of their car to walk to the kindergarten) and while at kindergarten is required for all people 12 years and over, this includes both inside and outside the kindergarten.
- When staff are engaging with adults (eg. at pick up and drop off times, or if a parent/whānau member wishes to meet with a staff member), masks should be warn by the parent/whānau member, and the staff member.
- Mask wearing for adults (including those aged 12 years and over) when attending a celebration, community event, or excursion is required. This includes staff if the celebration, community event, or excursion involves other adults who are not staff members.
- Administrators, when working at their desk, or alone in the office, do not need to wear masks, but if they are walking around in the kindergarten environment, they should wear a mask – particularly if they are engaging with parents and whānau. This can be tricky, because administrators may be working with children or just talking with a teaching colleague, you will need to use your discretion in these instances.
- Staff working with children are not required to wear masks or face coverings, but may do so if they wish.
So the rule of thumb is that if staff are engaging with adults (and those who are 12 years and over) who are not part of the kindergarten team, they should wear a mask. Masks must fully cover both the nose and mouth of the wearer. We know that some people may not be able to wear a face covering and have an exemption. Mask wearing exemptions should not be questioned, either on their legitimacy or the reason for issue. Please support parents and whānau with mask exemptions to maintain other public health measures when inside the kindergarten. If you have significant concerns for the health or wellbeing of specific children or staff in your kindergarten (e.g., they may have a fragile medical condition) please contact your Senior Teacher to discuss this so we can determine the most appropriate way to support you. Supporting each other to Prepare for Home Isolation We have been developing processes to ensure staff and families who need it are supported should they be required to self isolate at home. For lots of people, they will have support systems within their whānau and friends networks. For some however, they may need support from their colleagues and from HWM. On Monday afternoon, we will be emailing you a Planning Pack that we’d like you to go through as a team during next week. Your Senior Teacher will then be contacting the kindergarten Head Teacher to get feedback on what you came up with as a team. Vaccinations You have all received information relating to the need for everyone to get boosters to comply with the government’s health order. Please go and get your booster as soon as you are eligible, and keep sending your My Covid record to our dedicated vaccination email address. We have created a “How To Guide” on how to get a screen shot of everything you need to send in if you are using My Covid Record. If you have any questions about this, or anything else related to sending through your evidence, you can contact Nicole Harper who is managing all of this information. Confirmed Cases of Covid in Kindergartens Thankfully we have not yet had any cases in our kindergartens. We have been working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure that our planning is sound and the actions we take are the right ones at the right time. We have good systems now in place and we can be confident that when it is needed, we can quickly support you through the immediate next steps. Teachers and all staff must make sure their head teacher and senior teacher know if you are a close contact, have had a positive test, or are awaiting a test result. This is critical to ensuring a timely response and to plan next steps. What leave can I access if I’m away because of COVID? There are still a lot of questions about this. This is an ever-changing environment, and we know that there will be many things to consider, depending on the full context. We have carefully considered what is fair and reasonable, and after talking with the Associations in Auckland (who have been through this) we have determined the following general rules or guidelines: - If your kindergarten is closed following instruction from the Ministry of Education, you will continue to be paid as usual. We will expect you to work from home and that a Distance Learning Programme is implemented.
- If you are instructed to isolate by Public Health because you are a Close Contact, or if you have a positive COVID-19 test result, you will be on Special Paid Leave. We ask that you send us a copy of that instruction so that we can claim the relevant subsidies.
- If you are sick, and have a COVID-19 test, you will be on Sick Leave. If you have no Sick Leave available, and you have been instructed to isolate until your results are returned, we will provide Special Paid Leave until you receive a negative test result. We ask that you send us a copy of instruction. If you remain off work after your negative result because you are sick, you will be on Sick Leave or Sick Leave Without Pay. If your test is positive for COVID-19 you will be on Special Paid Leave (and the kindergarten will likely close). We ask you to send us a copy of your test result immediately.
- If you are caring for a dependant who has been instructed to Isolate by Public Health you will likely be on Sick Leave or Sick Leave Without Pay. We do appreciate there may be special circumstances in relation to this and will decide on a case-by-case basis.
- If you decide to isolate (and stay off work) but have not been instructed to do so by Public Health, you will access your own leave, e.g. Sick Leave or Annual Leave if this is available.
If you still have questions or need any help to understand what this means specifically in your context please contact Anna Barker in the People Team. Further Information Just to remind you, we’ll be including updates in the Kōrero each week. If there is an announcement that requires us to send out correspondence to you urgently, we will do, and your Senior Teacher will alert your team. Keep a look out for the email to kindergartens on Monday afternoon.
O A'u O Le Samoa Course Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens is again running its Aganu’u Fa’asamoa programme about the values and practice of Samoan culture and language and how these are relevant for those born and raised outside of New Zealand. The revised programme run, in partnership with Excel Pacific, is being delivered by Epiphany Pacific Trust throughout New Zealand. It’s partly online and partly face to face, running from 28 February until 6 March, with the face-to-face programme over the weekend. Here’s a link to more information.
Update from Senior Teachers Induction and Mentoring Hui Saturday 12 March 2020 9.00am – 1.00pm Venue: small clusters in each region We are looking forward to seeing all our kaiako with Tōmua certificates and their Mentors at our first Induction and Mentoring Hui for 2022. It is expected that all Tōmua attend as it is required part of the HWM Induction and Mentoring (I&M) programme. Teachers who hold a Pūmau Practising Certificate (STC) are very welcome to attend too. Its wonderful to see that we have quite a few new kaiako joining our programme this year, and we are looking forward to meeting you all. We are continuing with our small cluster approach for our hui this year, and we are still finalising our venues in each region for these. Depending on what happens with the spread of Covid, we may have to make some changes to our plans, so please keep an eye out in the Kōrero for any updates around this. In the meantime please enrol on Tūhonohono at the Porirua venue so that your enrolment is confirmed. We need numbers so that we make sure that we have enough resources and space for everyone, and we will confirm final venues in early March. Our programme includes: - Te Manawa workshops on Intentional Teaching and also on Individual Portfolios
- Introduction to the Induction and Mentoring Programme for new kaiako (the Induction and Mentoring Kits are available on the Teachers Toolbox and have just been updated, if you are wanting some information about what our whole I&M Programme involves.)
- An opportunity to ask questions – what’s on top for you?
Please contact Lynette Wray or your Senior Teacher if you have any questions or concerns related to our HWM I & M programme. Induction and Mentoring Evaluation and Survey (for current and past Tōmua/PCT and mentors) We alerted all our current Tōmua (PCT’s) and Mentors at the Induction and Mentoring (I&M) seminar in October that we are evaluating our Induction and Mentoring programme, with particular focus on the value and format of the three seminars we hold each year, and also looking at how our I&M programme can be more culturally responsive. We are just finalising a survey for Tōmua (PCT’s) and Mentors and will send this out via your individual email early next week. We are keen to hear from current kaiako who are taking part in our programme and will also be sending the survey to kaiako who have recently completed the programme. If we don’t send you a link to the survey, and you are keen to take part, please contact Lynette Wray.
TeachNZ Scholarships Early childhood students may be able to get a TeachNZ scholarship which will pay course fees and $10,000 allowance over their course. There are also separate Kupe scholarships for Māori and Pacific students. Applications are open until Monday 28 February. Find out more on the TeachNZ website
NEW! Waste Minimisation Course Using information from the Sustainable Schools Waste Minimisation course run by The Sustainability Trust, Sophie Flanagan will share info about why waste minimisation is important and how to set up a waste minimisation program. It will be a relaxed course for people interested in implementing a waste minimisation program in their kindergartens. There is a slide show to guide the way but Sophie is happy for it to be led by what people want to know. She says "I’m definitely not an expert – more of a person with a passion who has done a one day course." An hour and a half has been booked on Wednesday 9 March (but amount of time will be driven by the group) at Plimmerton Kindergarten. If you are interested in attending, this is in Tūhonohono or you can contact Kaz to help you enrol.
Welcome to two new Whānau Pēpē! Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens would like to acknowledge two beautiful pēpē who have been born into the world this year! Teetu Nukunuku (Newlands Kindergarten) and her whānau welcomed Katuali Hanuabada Raima Kanavatoa on the 25th of January at Wellington Hospital (pictured left) Kathy (Transport Team) and Bob Rota-Aleni welcomed a healthy little boy, Oshea-Viliamu at Wellington hospital (pictured right)  
Previous Kōrero Editions If you are wanting to access previous editions of the Kōrero you can find them at www.wmkindergartens.org.nz/archive or you can click here. It is a good idea to save this link as an icon on your desktop.
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