Covid-19 protocols St Margaret's College
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St Margaret’s College Covid-19 protocols February 2022 Updated 14 February 2022
Contents
Introduction
SMC at Red
Vaccination Status
Onset of Symptoms
Boarding
What Will Happen if a Case is Confirmed at SMC?
Identification
Contact Management
Education while Self-isolating
Further Information
SMC at Orange
SMC at Green
Key Contacts
Introduction
The following protocols are based on Ministry updates or changes to these protocols via:
of Education (MoE) regulations and guidance, communications@stmargarets.school.nz.
which apply to both independent and state
Canterbury is currently operating at Red under
schools. St Margaret’s College’s (SMC) focus
the Covid Protection Framework.
remains on keeping our students, staff and wider
community safe and we continue to monitor Students and staff are asked to stay at home
closely changes to MoE rules and guidelines. We if they feel unwell. Student absences can be
will contact families in response to significant recorded via our website, or the College app.SMC at Red For students with complex medical needs, advice should be sought from a health professional about whether it is appropriate to come to school. In such cases, SMC will work with parents and caregivers and the student to develop a plan to support attendance on site. Face masks › Face coverings are now required to be face masks that loop around the ears or the head, rather than scarves or bandanas. Medical-grade masks are recommended for students and are required to be worn by staff. › Face masks are mandatory for all staff and visitors in an indoor setting on campus. › Face masks are required of all students from Year 4 upwards when indoors or in close contact with others. The only exception to this is for children and staff in the Pre-School, and students and staff for classes Year 0-3. › Face masks are required to be worn by students Year 4 and above on school transport. › Face masks are also required to be worn by all students, staff and visitors to Maggie’s Shop and Café. › If your daughter has an exemption from wearing a face mask, please contact her head of school (please see Key Contacts) We ask that students, staff and visitors supply their own face masks. Physical distancing › Beyond classroom groupings, physical distancing of 1-metre when indoors will be observed wherever practicable. › Preferably, only one family member should approach the College gates to drop off or collect their daughter. Track and trace › All visitors to campus are required to scan the QR code or complete a physical record at Reception. › Where practical, seating maps are in place in class to assist with contact tracing.
Access to campus Physical distance is not possible in some sporting
and performing arts activities. In these situations,
› Non-essential visitors are not permitted on extra emphasis is placed on handwashing and
site, including parents and students from other drying (or cleansing with hand sanitiser) before
schools, during school hours. and after activities.
› Families are required to drop their daughter at
the College gate and should not come inside Events and gatherings
unless absolutely necessary (for example to Student activities
settle their child if they are distressed). If
› Large activities with students will be unable to
parents do come inside, they must wash their
go ahead, unless held outdoors.
hands, or use the hand sanitiser at the
entranceway, and keep a 2-metre distance from › Seating in the cafeteria will be reduced to
all other students and staff. The duration of mimimise congestion, and students will be
their stay should be limited to that which is encouraged to eat outdoors.
necessary. › Chapel and assembly will be hosted online via
› Essential visitors are permitted on site by livestream during Red. Select groups of
appointment only. students may be invited to attend in person.
› Staff such as itinerant music teachers and relief Community activities
teachers can only work across different schools Events that do not involve students are permitted
if they are fully immunised and wearing face to go ahead under the Red traffic light.
masks. These conditions are met at SMC.
› Controlled-access events, involving ticketing or
pre-registration will operate as My Vaccine Pass
Hygiene and ventilation events, for all attendees, for up to 100 people
Government recommendations for good hygiene in a defined space, based on 1-metre social
practices are: distancing. Guests are required to be seated
when food and drink is served, but it is possible
› to regularly wash and thoroughly dry hands or to move around when not being served or
use hand sanitiser eating. Mask wearing is encouraged. Examples
› to sneeze and cough into your elbow of such an event would include a regional
community event.
› to keep a distance from people you do not know
› Gatherings will operate as a My Vaccine Pass
› to stay home and get a test if you have cold, flu event, for up to 100 people in a defined space,
or Covid-19 symptoms. based on 1-metre social distancing. Examples of
In addition, SMC will: a gathering would include a Parents and Friends
Association meeting.
› Clean or disinfect shared surfaces often. We will
be continuing to clean high-use and high-traffic Education outside the classroom
areas multiple times during the school day with Education outside the classroom (EOTC)
hospital grade disinfectant. activities can go ahead, depending on the
› Maintain well ventilated classrooms to support protocols of the EOTC provider. SMC will ensure
positive engagement and minimise the that the following steps are taken:
transmission of illnesses. Air quality was well › a record is kept of attendees and those on site
considered in the design of our campus for contact tracing
facilities, with CO2 monitors, automatic fans
› good hygiene systems and systems for
and vents in many of the buildings. In all areas,
managing illness are in place
where appropriate, we will open windows, doors
and vents to promote cross flow of air and avoid › children are overseen by staff and adult
stagnant air. volunteers, and prevented from close
interaction with other groups at the venue.
Under Red, and in addition to the above hygiene
measures, exercising, singing and the playing of Please see Vaccination Status for further
woodwind instruments will take place outdoors. information.Vaccination Status
Staff and volunteers: Only fully vaccinated staff, Red. In the limited circumstances in which they
support people and volunteers can have contact are permitted onto campus under the Red traffic
with children and students, and are required to light, parents and caregivers are not required
update SMC with their vaccination status, with to present their vaccine passport on arrival on
information recorded on an on-site register. All campus, where they are supporting their child’s
SMC staff are fully vaccinated. learning, for example parent teacher interviews,
tutor interviews.
Students: There is no segregation during
a regular school day of vaccinated and Parent and community events, performances and
unvaccinated students. The Ministry of sports fixtures at SMC will be run as My Vaccine
Education does not allow students to be denied Passport events, under the Red traffic light, and
access to education based on their vaccination attendees will be required to present their vaccine
status, including by private schools. This includes passport on arrival on campus (please see Events
access to boarding houses, all school transport and Gatherings for further details).
services and After School and Holiday programmes.
Other visitors: All other visitors on campus
However, students over the age of 12 years and 3 by prior arrangement, and who will come into
months will require proof of vaccination for many contact with students, must present their vaccine
externally-run co-curricular activities, including passport at Reception on arrival.
School Sport NZ, School Sport Canterbury, Big
Maggie’s Shop and Café
Sing, Showquest, and Eco-Action planting events.
Entry to Maggie’s Shop will be controlled to
Students over the age of 12 years and 3 months minimise congestion. Vaccine passports will not
are also likely to be required to have a My Vaccine be required to access uniform and school supplies.
Pass for a number of camps and EOTC venues.
Customers wishing to enjoy a table at the Cafe
Alternative arrangements will be made on
will be required to wear a mask and show their
campus for students not able to participate in
vaccine passport. Takeaway and outdoor service
these excursions.
will be available without a vaccine passport.
Parents and caregivers: No non-essential
visitors are permitted on the College campus at
Onset of Symptoms
It is critical that any student or staff member student will use the phone provided in the isolated
remains at home if they are feeling unwell and area to consult with the nurse, who will view
exhibiting any symptoms associated with them through a glass window.
Covid-19.
The nurse will contact parents or caregivers to
Staff will be monitoring for symptoms amongst collect their daughter as soon as possible, while
students on their arrival to school. the student waits in isolation. Parents are asked
to wait outside when collecting their daughter,
Middle and Senior School students with cold-like
using the Papanui Road gate.
symptoms consistent with Covid-19 will be sent
directly to the Nurse’s Station, located at the Students seeking a consultation with the nurse
Papanui Road gate, using an entrance specified and who do not have symptoms consistent with
for Covid-19 symptoms. Staff will notify the nurse Covid-19 will enter the nurse’s station via
to expect the student. On arrival at the nurse’s a separate entrance and will be seen by the nurse
station for students with flu-like symptoms, the as usual.Any of our younger students exhibiting cold and
flu-like symptoms will be catered for safely in the
Common symptoms
Pre-School or Junior School until a parent or of Covid-19
caregiver can collect them. According to the Ministry of Health, common
Students with symptoms consistent with symptoms of Covid-19 are like those found with
Covid-19, or their parents or caregivers acting on illnesses such as a cold or influenza and may
their behalf, are required to contact Healthline on include one or more of the following:
0800 611 116 or their GP for further advice. › new or worsening cough
Should a student or staff member test positive for › sneezing and runny nose
Covid-19, contact tracing registers will be in place › fever
to identify contacts (please see What will happen › temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste.
if a case is confirmed at SMC?).
Boarding
Face masks are not required to be worn by Boarders are able to travel between the boarding
boarders when inside the Boading Houses. houses and their family home unrestricted.
Physical distancing is not a requirement; however If a boarder is taken ill while on campus, parents
a 1-metre distance is recommended wherever or caregivers will be contacted and the student
practicable when inside, particularly between adults. will be placed into one of the isolation rooms set
Essential visitors onsite should keep a 2-metre aside in the boarding houses, and parent/staff
distance from others, wherever practicable. will seek medical advice through Healthline or
Families will need to drop their child off at the a GP. The student will be tested for Covid-19 if
entrance to the Boarding house, and preferably recommended to do so. Cases in boarding houses
just one family member will be present. They will be managed directly by public health.
should remain outside if possible. If they do come Contact tracing registers, including our visitor
inside, they will need to wash their hands (hand register, will be in place to identify which
sanitiser at the entranceway) and keep a distance boarders and staff were on site at the time
of 2-metres from all other boarders and staff. The a confirmed case was in the boarding house
duration of their stay should be limited to only (please see What will happen if a case is
that which is necessary. confirmed at SMC?).What Will Happen if a Case
is Confirmed at SMC?
Based on Information available as of of interaction these people may have had with
24 January 2022 and awaiting further the Covid-19 case, contacts are categorised based
guidance from MoE. on their level and duration of exposure (Close,
Casual Plus and Casual (please see Identification
Even though we are a highly vaccinated region,
below).
and public health measures mean that the risk of
transmission is reduced, Covid-19 can still spread It is not expected that St Margaret’s College will
in our communities. have full visibility of all interactions within the
College environment, instead we will be expected
The Government intends for schools to remain
to focus on indoor settings where any contact
open when a case has been identified as was in close proximity to the case for an extended
infectious while in attendance. The focus will period of time. In these higher risk settings and
be on case and contact management, refined to places (e.g. classrooms, staffrooms, offices), we
reflect the infection risk. The management of can more easily identify who was there and when.
contacts will take into account their vaccination
status, but this will not be publicly communicated.
Communicating
a positive case
When someone is a Covid-19 positive case, their
infectious period is assumed to be from 48 hours
before the onset of symptoms until medical Should a positive case arise at SMC, we will be in
clearance (at least 10 days quarantine for fully touch with all families, as well as any members
vaccinated). If a case is asymptomatic, they will of our community recently on campus, to inform
generally be assumed infectious from 48 hours them. Close contacts will also be contacted
before the initial test. directly, and advice will be provided to them by
People who have come into contact with a case the National Investigation and Tracing Centre
are considered ‘contacts’. Depending on the type (NITC) (please see Contact Management below).
Identification
Close Contact Casual Contact
› Direct contact with respiratory secretions › Large indoor settings (e.g. gymnasium, Chapel/
(e.g. contact sports, sneezing) Auditorium)
› Indoor close-range contact in a small space › No close-range contact in a well ventilated
for more than 15 minutes with no face mask indoor space for up to 2 hours (e.g. classroom,
worn by the positive case (e.g. within 1.5m of offices)
case in a classroom, sharing a table, playing
› Brief indoor contact (e.g. passing in the
closely together)
corridor, sharing an elevator)
› Indoor, non face-to-face contact in a moderate
› Contact in outdoor spaces for any duration of
sized space for more than 1 hour with no face
time (e.g. playground, non-contact sports)
mask worn by the positive case and without
good airflow › Interactions as above for under 2 hours and
with a face mask worn by the positive case.
› Interactions as above for more than 2 hours and
with a face mask worn by the positive case.Contact Management
Close Contact › Get an additional test immediately if symptoms
develop at any time during the 10 days. Stay
All Close Contacts will be provided advice by at home until negative test result AND until 24
the National Investigation and Tracing Centre hours after symptoms resolve
(the NITC), including receiving a release
› Ensure that unvaccinated household members,
communication once their final required
including children/tamariki, stay at home until
negative test result has been returned.
the Close Contact receives a negative day 5 test
If a student or a staff member receives
Household contacts are managed by public
a Bluetooth notification from the NZ COVID
health, and must follow the advice provided by
Tracer App indicating that they are a contact
public health authorities.
of a case, they automatically are categorised
as a Close Contact.
Close contacts must: Casual Contacts
› Self-isolate at home for 10 days post exposure, Casual contacts must:
test immediately and on days 5 and 8 post
exposure › Watch for symptoms for 10 days and if any
develop, get tested immediately and stay at
› Continue to isolate at home until negative day
home/keep child at home until 24 hours after
8 test result received AND 10 days has passed
symptoms resolve
since exposure
› Be advised by public health when they can › If you do not have any COVID-19 symptoms,
return to school / kura, and return to normal life you can continue to attend school.
Education while self-isolating
SMC remains committed to putting the teaching learning via Google Classroom. Senior and Middle
and learning and the wellbeing of our girls at the School students will remain in contact with their
centre of our decision making. Students who are Tutor and Tutor Group, and Junior School
required to self-isolate or stay at home, but who students with their homeroom teacher. All
are not unwell, will continue with their studies students will be able to join events such as
remotely, and will be supported in their distanced assemblies and chapels remotely.
Further information
We continue to follow closely changes to the communications@stmargarets.school.nz. We will
Ministry of Health’s rules, guidelines and use these questions to inform further updates for
advice, and will alert families to changes to our SMC community.
these protocols via email and our fortnightly
On the pages that follow, we have included for
College newsletter.
reference an overview of how we will operate
Please be in touch with any questions by emailing under the Orange and Green traffic lights.SMC at Orange
Face masks
› Face masks are encouraged, but not required,
in an indoor setting at school for students and
staff.
› Face masks are required to be worn by
students aged 12 and over on public transport
and school transport.
› Face masks are also required to be worn by
all students, staff and visitors to Maggie’s Shop
and Café.
› All parents, caregivers, whānau, and other
visitors to campus are encouraged to wear face
masks on site.
Events
Physical distancing Curriculum-related events
› Vaccination passports are not required
› Physical distancing for staff and students is
encouraged, but not a requirement. › Events involving only SMC students on
campus will take place in well-ventilated areas,
› Parents and caregivers dropping off or picking
or outdoors. SMC will continue to livestream
up students before and after school are
assemblies, with the Senior, Middle and Junior
encouraged to keep 2-metres distant from
schools taking it in turns to attend in person.
others, and to wear a face mask. Controlled
access to the Pre-School and Junior School will › Events involving only SMC students, but taking
continue while at Orange. place off-site, will be governed by requirements
set by the venue provider.
Track and trace › For events involving students from other
› All visitors to campus are required to scan the schools, physical distancing of 1-metre will be
QR code or complete a physical record observed wherever practical.
at Reception. › Visitors are permitted to attend curriculum-
› We also ask that visitors keep a record of where related events, provided they are attending to
on campus they have been during their visit, in receive or provide education services, and are
order to assist with contact tracing for any cases encouraged to wear a face mask.
in our community. › Careful consideration will be given to whether
activities are required to support the
Access to campus curriculum before going ahead.
› Staff are able to work across more than one Non-curriculum related events
group/class of students and across different › Non-curriculum related events should be
schools. limited and can only go ahead if a vaccinationcertificate is required for participants 12 years › Gatherings do not require tickets or
and 3 months and older. registration, and can go ahead for up to 50
› Inter-school activities including sports events people without a vaccine passport being
are treated as non-curriculum events, and are required, provided a 1-metre distancing in
governed by the rules for events and gatherings. a single defined indoor or outdoor space can be
provided. Face masks are encouraged for
› Events will operate as vaccine passport events
indoor settings.
for all attendees, with the exception of children
under the age of 12 and three months. There is › Gatherings of more than 50 people will operate
no limit on the number of people who can as a My Vaccine Pass event. Face masks for
attend. Face masks are encouraged. indoor gatherings are required.
SMC at Green
Face masks
› Face masks are recommended for students,
staff and visitors, but are not required.
Physical distancing
› Physical distancing for staff and students is
encouraged, but not a requirement.
Track and trace
› All visitors to campus are required to scan the
QR code or complete a physical record
at Reception.
› Open movement across the College.
Hygiene
› Hygiene measures continue as under the
Orange traffic light.
Events
› Curriculum-related events may go ahead.
› All other events, run as My Vaccine Pass events
may go ahead, with no limit on numbers.Key Contacts
If you need to contact a staff member, the email
structure is:
firstname.lastname@stmargarets.school.nz
Support contacts School contacts
Executive Principal – Mrs Patchett
School Nurse
diana.patchett@stmargarets.school.nz
nurse@stmargarets.school.nz
Associate Principal – Ms Nairn
School Counsellors
jennie.nairn@stmargarets.school.nz
counsellor@stmargarets.school.nz
Pre-School Director – Mrs Bradley
General
sarah.bradley@stmargarets.school.nz
admin@stmargarets.school.nz
Head of Junior School – Mrs Compton-Moen
Deans bridget.compton-moen@stmargarets.school.nz
Y7 & 8 – Miss Lloyd Head of Middle School – Ms Gray
nicole.lloyd@stmargarets.school.nz kathryn.gray@stmargarets.school.nz
Y9 – Dr Hickford Head of Senior School – Ms Evans
sarah.hickford@stmargarets.school.nz sian.evans@stmargarets.school.nz
Y10 – Ms Harrison Deputy Head of Middle School – Ms Williams
sarena.harrison@stmargarets.school.nz lisa.williams@stmargarets.school.nz
Y11 – Mrs MacDonald Deputy Head of Senior School (Pastoral Care
helen.macdonald@stmargarets.school.nz & Experience) – Mr Evans
Y12 – Mrs Price james.evans@stmargarets.school.nz
caroline.price@stmargarets.school.nz
Y13 – Mrs Vesty
paula.vesty@stmargarets.school.nzYou can also read
