Following the PM announcement of the extension of Level 3 in Auckland an email will be sent to you tomorrow detailing what learning will look like.
If your child/ren cannot be supervised at home, please contact your child’s Whānau Leader as soon as possible so suitable arrangements can be made.
Otherwise the school will be closed except for the students who require supervision who must report directly to the venue specified, be prepared to work independently, have water and food for the day, a device and charger and be picked up at 3 p.m.
More information will follow.

Kia ora whānau

Later today we await the Prime Minister’s announcement on whether the lockdown will continue, be lifted or even move to Level 4. The school is preparing for each scenario, hoping for the best and planning for the worst. We will notify you in all likelihood on Saturday as the announcement is expected late today. Similarly it would be wise for you to also plan for the different scenarios.

Stay well, be safe.

Kia kaha

Ngā mihi 

College Sport has announced that all fixtures due to be played this weekend have been cancelled.

Dear parents/caregivers

During lockdown level 3 for the remainder of the week we are asking students to:

• Complete their Reading Plus and Maths Buddy expectations for the week
• Complete any assessments 
• Work on their Student Led Conference presentation
• Stay active
• Practice the school haka

At this stage there are no students at the school and no requests. If you are an essential worker and your child requires supervision please contact your child/ren’s Whānau Leader. If they are to attend school please ensure they have face masks, their devices and chargers as well as food and water for the day. Water fountains, microwaves and the toasters are not available for use. 

I will send further updates as and when we are informed of the situation moving forward. Hopefully we will be back at school on Monday.

Sincerely

Dear Parents and Students

You may have heard the news that we are back at Covid level 3 and schools are closed to all except essential workers from tomorrow (12 August). 

Based on advice on the COVID website, Schools in Auckland can safely open but will have limited capacity. Where possible we encourage students to learn from home.

Only children who cannot be supervised at home should be at school and parents are to contact whanau senior leaders:

Mountains – Ian Suckling – isuckling@mhjc.school.nz

Water – Cathy Hewlett – chewlett@mhjc.school.nz

Forest – Melanie Kindley – mkindley@mhjc.school.nz

Coast – Raeesa Dada – rdada@mhjc.school.nz

Students should still be able to access their learning online. 

Further updates will be sent by email. Please check the school website and facebook. 

Sincerely

Ian Morrison

I am sure we are all very excited about the Prime Minister’s announcement of New Zealand moving to Alert Level 1. There will be no major changes at MHJC which continues to be safe for all staff and students including those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. It is important that we retain the good hygiene practices followed during other levels as these not only reduce the risk of spreading COVID but also any other winter illnesses. Staying at home if showing symptoms and washing hands are still valuable precautions.

The move to Level 1 also means we can proceed with assemblies, field trips and community events. Our sports teams are already practicing and our cast from the musical “All shook up” is in full swing. We look forward to seeing our students showing and growing their talents and our parents, caregivers giving their support in all areas of school life.

Thank you again for all the support you have given the school, our teachers and support staff during this time. The way everyone has responded so positively makes me proud to be a member of this wonderful school community and nation.

Nga mihi

Thanks to everyone who has helped to support our students during lockdown. I realise that parents and caregivers have had to play an even bigger role in their children’s education than before and I hope that this may strengthen the delivery of our curriculum and individual learning journeys. These times have also challenged our teachers’ ability to connect and engage students without placing undue pressure and they too are to be thanked for their efforts.

As many leaders in New Zealand and elsewhere have stated it is important we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves as the war on COVID-19 is far from over. Many, I am sure would love to quote Sir Winston Churchill who after the Battle of El Alamein, the first significant victory of the Allies over German forces in world war two, made the famous quote: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

I trust that everyone has used this enforced isolation to reflect on our lives and how we can make small but significant changes to promote our and others wellbeing. It is somewhat distressing to see how some people have ignored public health warnings and guidelines in their desire to return quickly to their old lifestyles.

I was also shocked and distressed to see the queues to fast food outlets which I could not help but compare to the tragic scenes of people desperate for any food in Africa and even the USA. While I enjoy a Big Mac from time to time, I could not believe that this should be such a priority that people could wait up to 5 hours for their favourite meal. 

I am inspired and prefer to focus on the numerous acts of kindness and compassion being shown by so many people across the world and hope that this heightened sense of community will remain as we hopefully emerge from the crisis caused by the deadly virus. We need to learn from history again as many people in Great Britain stated that they never felt as strong a sense of unity as they did before the war and were saddened at how this spirit was lost in the peace that followed.

Next week we hope to get further guidelines on what a possible movement from Lockdown Level 3 to 2 might look like. When this happens I will inform the community as soon as possible. Our priority will be to ensure the school remains a safe site for all and that slowly but surely we will be able to transition back to face to face, exciting teaching and learning opportunities.

In the meantime, again I thank the community for its support and patience. While being with the family must have had some blessings I am sure everyone is looking forward to children returning to school in the near future. Let’s hope that our efforts to contain and eliminate the spread of the virus allow us to do this!

Kia mana ake – growing greatness.