The Prime Minister has announced that schools will be able to open for ALL students from Monday 18 May.  We are therefore looking forward to welcoming Rongotai College students back onto our campus next Monday.  We are asking all students to be at school by 8.50am on Monday and to report directly to their Form Rooms, where we will have a live-streamed school assembly.

At Alert Level 2, the Ministry of Health has outlined that schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff.  We will be implementing processes which will enable us to ensure that we know who is at school and who our staff and students have been in close contact with. We will also be taking enhanced hygiene and cleaning measures to keep everyone safe.  

Physical distancing is a good precaution to prevent the spread of disease. However, the Government has acknowledged that this can be difficult to maintain in schools.  Therefore regular cleaning and good personal hygiene practices are more important than ever. This includes staff and students coughing into their elbows, regular hand-washing with soap, and the regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.  

Some new Health & Safety practices which we will be following for the duration of Alert Level 2, include:

• Clear guidelines for students & staff about appropriate hygiene practices being constantly provided & reinforced
• Hand sanitiser available and used in all classrooms and other spaces (while this will be provided by the school, students are welcome to bring their own supply of hand sanitizer if they wish)  
• Disinfectant being made available in all areas of the school for cleaning desks, equipment and other surfaces throughout the day (for instance, it would be useful for him to bring a cloth to wipe his desk before and after use)
• New routines with students for entering classrooms (e.g. students will be permitted to enter straight into class with classroom doors being left open throughout the day to reduce corridor congestion)
• A one-way traffic flow for students as they move around the school (e.g. one way system in the Main Block)
• Encouraging students to bring their own drink bottles to school and filling them at home.

It is crucial that all students and staff stay at home if they are sick. We will send anyone home immediately if they have any symptoms.  

Accurate class rolls will be more important than ever under Alert Level 2.  Should there be a COVID-19 case in our school community, we would be required to pass this information onto the Ministry of Health for their contact tracing process. For this reason, students will not be allowed to leave school grounds during the day

If your son will not be attending school on any day, it is crucial that you let us know as soon as possible and by 8.30am at the latest, by using the attendance@rongotai.school.nz email address, the school app, or by calling the absences phone line: (04) 939 3050.

We are anticipating there may be issues getting students to and from school as a result of the reduction in capacity on public and school buses, trains, and the subsequent congestion of traffic through Wellington City.

• Click here for the latest information from Metlink about the reduced capacity on their buses and trains and distancing requirements.  We will update you as we receive further information.

Lastly, we are mindful that some students and staff will feel excited about returning, while others will feel anxious for a variety of reasons. We will be sensitive to the impact that the events of the past weeks have had on each of us.  We will be using much of the first week to consolidate learning from the Learning@Home process, and you son should bring his deice to school and not reply on using a school device.

We will be using much of the first week to consolidate learning from the Learning@Home process, and you son should bring his deice to school and not reply on using a school device.