COVID Information for Sacred Heart School Students

The Day 0 for your whole household is from when the first person had symptoms or tests positive (whichever comes first).

Everyone can come out of isolation on Day 8

Note 1: 

If another household member tests positive within this time,  that person starts a new 7 days of isolation. The original positive person does not have to re-isolate.

Note 2: 

a. If the household members have finished isolating and then one of them tests positive later, the people who have already been positive, do not need to isolate again. This is true for 29 days from the end of the previous isolation period.

b. If the household members have finished isolating and then one of them tests positive later, the people who were household contacts but not positive cases, do not need to isolate again. This is true for 10 days from the end of the previous isolation period.

Note 3:

If a Positive person still has symptoms at the end of their isolation period, they cannot leave isolation until they have been symptom free for 24 hours.

Please contact the Office Team - 6888188 or office@sacredhearttim.school.nz 

You can also notify us by filling in this form.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 are like those found with illnesses such as a cold or influenza. You may have one or more of the following:

• new or worsening cough
• sneezing and runny nose
• fever
• temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste
• sore throat
• shortness of breath

Less common symptoms of COVID-19 may include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain or confusion/irritability. These almost always occur with one or more of the common symptoms.

Symptoms tend to arise around two to five days after a person has been infected but can take up to 14 days to show. The virus can be passed onto others before they know they have it – from up to two days before symptoms develop.

• Positive Case – the person has tested positive
• Household Contact – anyone who lives with a positive case

This means that your child needs to:

1. Isolate at home for 7 days

2. Can return to school on Day 8 if all symptoms have gone (no test necessary).

3. All other people in your household become Household Contacts.

The Ministry of Health will provide more guidance.

They need to:

1. Isolate at home for 7 days (counted from the earlier of when your household person developed symptoms or tested positive – which is called Day 0).

2. Get tested on Day 3 and Day 7 (test immediately if symptoms develop).

3. If the tests are negative, and they don’t have symptoms, your child can return to school on Day 8.

4. If they test positive, they must isolate for a further 7 days from that point and can return to school on their new Day 8 if they are symptom free (no test necessary).

5. Let the school know if your child tests positive.

Note:

If a household contact has finished their period of isolation they do not need to return to isolation if a new case is identified in their household. However, this only applies for a period of ten days following their leaving isolation.

Should a new household member be confirmed as a case eleven or more days after the household contact has left isolation, then they must start a new period of self-isolation for seven days.

You need to:

1. Isolate at home for 7 days

2. Can leave isolation on Day 8 if all symptoms have gone (no test necessary).

3. All other people in your household become Household Contacts.

The Ministry of Health will provide more guidance.

This will mean that your child will be a Household Contact and also needs to isolate for 7 days.  

Please advise our Office Team 6888188 or office@sacredhearttim.school.nz

We follow a response plan based on guidance from the Ministry of Education. This involves:

• Seeking confirmation of the positive case, and when the infectious period was.
• If this occurs during a school day, we will request that you come and collect your child as soon as you are able to.  (Come to the Office and we will bring your child(ren) out to you safely.

Our senior classes have created digital pages that contain carefully selected resources.

Our junior classes have created ‘hard packs’ of learning activities that will be made available to you.

If your child’s teacher is also responsible for other students onsite, they will be available to help after the onsite students have gone home. 

• Positive Case - Nothing needs to be provided.  Your child can return to school once their 7 day isolation period is completed.
• Household Contact - Nothing needs to be provided. Your child can return to school once their 7 day isolation period is completed.

Most staff, volunteers, and contractors on site are vaccinated.

All staff (regardless of role), and students in Year 4 and above, are wearing masks.

We are actively making sure indoor spaces are ventilated. The MOE has provided CO2 meters which allow us to check on air quality. We have also been supplied with 4 air purifier units which we use if it is difficult to ventilate a space.

Because these are all symptoms of Covid, please do not send your child to school.  While these may be the normal bugs/sniffles that occur, we encourage you to get your child tested.

• Our onsite team are working hard to make school fun, safe and a place of learning.  
• We encourage you to focus on the things that they can do to minimise risk- mask-wearing, washing hands, getting a test (if required).
• We advise that you don't expose them to the current daily news programmes as they can feed anxiety.

This website has some useful tips - https://www.kidshealth.org.nz

If you are concerned, ring your family doctor or the Covid Healthline 0800 358 5453  

Symptoms of COVID-19 

• A new or worsening cough

• Sneezing and runny nose

• A fever

• Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste

• Sore throat

• Shortness of breath

Less common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.