Hi everyone, wherever you are, trust you are still safe and
finding ways to move forward.
We are pleased to report that progress is going well towards
getting the school safe and ready to open again. We have
power and water and at present we are testing the sewerage
services, which remain a critical factor in ensuring health
and safety.
While building work continues, there are also a number of
areas of the school that need to be fenced and made safe,
especially areas where building work is ongoing.
Drinking water strategies are being considered, and of
course all decisions we make regarding the opening of school
are made assuming the continual supply of power and water.
Staff are working at school over the next couple of days
cleaning and setting up their rooms and other spaces.
They are in reasonable spirits and ready to be able to work with
your children again.
Amelia has been working hard to find out where many of you are
at and we acknowledge that many of you are waiting for a
date so that you can make a plan to return.
Others of you are planning to stay away for the term as the weeks
roll by, with kids happy in other locations and schools.
Considering all these factors and with our main focus on being
able to open a safe healthy school with staff ready to teach your
children, the board has met and decided our school will reopen
Monday 21st March.
There remains a possibility that we may open earlier on Wednesday
16th March. We will confirm either way via website, email and text
on Monday 14th March. This would mean two days back before the
public holiday on Friday 18th March.
We think this is a realistic timeframe based on the challenges facing
us and being aware of how these will be resolved over the next week
or so. Of course we are basing these decisions assuming all our
services are functioning and will need to respond to any interruptions
as and when they happen, including after we open.
We trust this gives some clarity to you all and enables you to make
plans.
Please send us an email, add to the blog, and join the text alert
service to keep the communication lines open should things change...
Day by day, seems to be the new normal - which remains one of
our biggest challenges on the ground here.
To join the text alert service txt mtpl to 570 to subscribe.
This will alert you to updates that will be emailed and posted on the
web and the blog.
Looking forward to seeing you sooner than later at school.
Marty, Scott and the team at school.
Martin Anderson
029 366 4957
marty@outsidethesquare.net.nz
March 8th 3:30pm
Hi all Parents, caregivers, friends, family, supporters, and all those from our community
I write to you as Chair of the Board of Trustees thankful for email that will help ensure this
reaches many of you no longer at your normal physical address. To all of you out there in
Wanaka, Geraldine, Wellington, or bunkering down at home waiting for water our thoughts are
with you all though these long days. We trust that your families and friends are working
together and that you know support and help when you need it.
I am aware that so far most of the communication you have received has come from Scott,
via Amelia's email and wish to assure you that Scott and I have been working closely
throughout this time to ensure you are receiving the most up to date information available.
We have attended meetings together and coordinated the information releases you have
received so far.
As with many of you, some of the Board members have been scattered throughout the country,
although many have returned over recent times.
Decisions to date have come at Civil Defence level, and it is really only now that we are
able to work with MOE project teams to coordinate the process from here.
This is a road none of us have travelled before and as we work towards restoring the school
and getting it open it is incredibly heartening to have received so much feedback and
heartfelt thoughts from many of you, wherever you are, but reminding us all just what an
important part the school is within our community.
In modern higher socio economic class areas, we can often live not knowing neighbours,
yet the way the school quickly became a tent city which was a hub and home for several
days just highlighted the resilience and commitment of lots of our people, neighbours
and not so neighbours now friends, and survivors of the big shake!
Late last year we were beginning to forge a new strategic plan for the school for the next 4
years, as we reviewed the Charter and looked at survey results and feedback to set some
goals, little did we know what was to happen Feb 22...
Now when we meet on Tuesday of course our first priority is working to ensure the school
can open, and provide a safe, healthy place for your children.
While many decisions are out of our hands at present, we are confident that with the work
currently happening, staff and children will be reunited sooner than at first thought.
So the term will evolve and it will mean that there is a lot changing from day to day, which
is difficult for all of us, however our commitment to you and your children and their education,
health and wellbeing will remain the top priority.
It is likely that some of you may be back next term, or later when your homes are repaired and
this will have impact on classes and organisation, as well as social networks for parents and
children. New friendships will be forged, teachers may end up teaching children coming from
other schools, the internet may not work for the first week, and a shared space may become
another classroom.
This is our new normal. We trust that together with your support and understanding we all
find our way through these times more accommodating and understanding of the challenges,
knowing that we are all doing our best.
Please do not hesitate to contact us or Scott preferably on email should you have any concerns
or questions, but be assured you are receiving the most up to date status information in the
emails you are getting.
Do sign up to the txt alert system too if you like, text mtpl to 570 to subscribe. Paul Deavoll has
kindly set this up for us, with no charges, and it will provide another way for you to receive
information.
At this time we are trusting that you are informed either through the website, email and or txt.
No newsletters for a few weeks!
Along with Scott and the dedicated staff team we will endeavour to update you every 2 days.
The school website will also carry current info.
Once again all the best wishes for the next days from us, you will hear from us during the week,
hopefully with some more definitive information.
And we look forward as much as you to being able to put the "OPEN" sign out at the gate!
Tread gently and look after each other
Martin Anderson
Scott Thelning
on behalf of the Mt Pleasant School Board of Trustees
Martin Anderson
March 4th 10:40pm
| Hi all
Here is the latest information:
1. Builders are making good progress. Target for buildings to be ready is
still the end of next week.
2. We are hopeful of getting clearance for the staff to enter the buildings
soon.
3. Some areas of Mt Pleasant have water - we hope we are not far
away!
4. Sewerage is the main issue - options are being looked at.
5. Civil Defence are still the ones who decide whether we can open.
6. Our staff are generally doing well.
7. We are attempting to prevent our school being included in the lists of
'significantly damaged schools' that continue to appear in the media.
While we do have some, nearly all of our classrooms are expected to be
ready by the end of next week, and our grounds are okay apart from
some cracks in asphalt. Please take what we are telling you as the
accurate situation, not the media.
I hope each day is getting better than the one before.
Scott
|
March 1st 11:15pm
Hi all,
I hope you are all holding up as well as possible and are giving each other many
hugs. Thank you to those of you who have responded to the email regarding your
status etc (please do so if you haven't) and to those who have contributed to the
blog (mtpleasantschooleq.blogspot.com). It is a great way to feel a sense of
community.
Tent City is now self managing and down to approximately 3/4 families. If you kindly
left possessions behind for people to use, please feel free to pick them up. Some
things however may be locked in the hall - my contact details are on a board at the
hall if you need me to unlock it. I may need notice though as I may be in Avonhead.
Marty (BOT Chair) and I attended a meeting with the Ministry of Education today.
I will attempt to just give you the relevant information that you probably want to
know - not all of the detail that is in behind the scenes.
1. At present Civil Defence directives override any decisions regarding schools
opening and while this remains we are unable to make any definitive decisions
regarding dates etc.
2. We have been assigned a Ministry of Education project manager who will work
with us to determine the options moving forward. We will be meeting with them
later this week.
3. We have power.
4. We have builders and contractors on site.
5. It is anticipated that Rms 1-3, 4-7, admin, library-Rm 13 and Rm 8 will be back to
a level for safe occupation in 1.5 weeks. Rm 9 may be ready, may take a little longer.
6. Room 9 has structural damage as some of the wooden piles have snapped in half.
The hall is the same in that it has moved off the piles and some of these are pointing in
all directions. The plan is to lift these up, fix the piles and place them down again.
7. Before Civil Defence can allow us to open we must have water and sewerage issues
sorted. I have heard from a family on Mt Pleasant Rd that they got water tonight.
There are some plans for sewerage issues, some rely on water running on the hill, but
there are ideas if this is not the case. Nothing definitive has been decided in this area
and therefore no timeframes.
So, some very good news and progress, but still no set dates of when we can
expect to open again. Most buildings ready in 1-2 weeks, but we need the other
services sorted. We are working hard to get our school open and I thank everyone
for their support and help. We are getting closer and I'm sure this is better news than
what some of you may have heard or thought.
I will update you as soon as I have new useful information. On behalf of the staff,
we all miss you and can't wait to see you all again soon.
Take care,
Scott