Kia ora koutou

As many of you will have seen, the Ministry of Education have moved the school holidays forward by two weeks. This would mean one week of home learning (this week), followed by two weeks of holiday, followed by (at least) one week of home learning. The reason for this is to allow schools the time to get ready for remote learning.

However, at Ridgway we are all ready to go. Children have the instructions for accessing their online learning fresh in their heads. If we get started immediately it will mean children establish routines and settle into isolation quicker than if they don't have anything to do. We imagine that if we stop and start the home learning, children will forget passwords and instructions and it will be harder to pick up again after two weeks holiday.

We are proposing to roll with different holiday dates as this is what we have been preparing for over the past two weeks. This means children learn at home this week and next week. Our holidays will start on 6 April and school will go back on April 20th (either on site or remotely depending on the lock-down).

On a final note, please don't feel any pressure to recreate school in your home and be the 'teacher'. Remember that our tamariki may not remember the work they did during this isolation period, but they will remember how they felt. There is no right way to do this (other than isolating yourself and your family) and what works will look different for everyone.

Nga mihi.

Sarah Taylor
Deputy Principal
Ridgway School
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