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TERM 1 WEEK 8 20 March 2020
POLYFEST GROUP FROM THE PRINCIPAL SCHOOL PERFORMANCES Our 15 cultural groups gave it their all in performances to the Year 9 assemblies on Monday and Tuesday this week, highlighting once again the commitment and tenacity of a huge number of people - students, staff, tutors and families - who have worked so hard over recent weeks in preparation for Polyfest. It was with great sadness that we received the news that ASB Polyfest, which was to be held this week, was cancelled. Subsequently, the Fiafia nights at Avondale College on Tuesday and Wednesday were also unable to take place. While this was a huge disappointment to all involved, the quality of our students once again shone through as they made the most of the assembly performances to the Year 9s. The performances were then recorded on Thursday and Friday and these performances will be shared online with our families and community in the weeks to come. (See page 3 for more photos!)
75TH JUBILEE CANCELLED Avondale College regrets to advise that given the implications of the current coronavirus pandemic, we have made the decision to cancel the 75th Jubilee celebrations planned for the weekend of 8-10 May this year.
Dear Parents and Caregivers Thank you very much for your prompt response in returning the updated contact information sheet for your family that was sent home this week. If you have not yet provided that information, please ask your child to get the relevant documents from their Home Room teacher. Alternatively, please email any changes to contact details directly to datateam@ avcol.school.nz I wish to share with you some updated information that we have received over the past few days from the Ministry of Education. I also wish to communicate some of the decisions we have made in terms of school operations in light of that advice. • We will not be holding regular school assemblies • We will continue to communicate with families through email, our website and letters which are available at reception. • There will not be any school trips for the remainder of this term, including camps to Taurewa. • In line with decisions by NZ School Sport, College Sport and many sporting bodies, we are stopping sports team trials and trainings. • We are restricting guests and guest speakers coming into school. • We are doing planning to make sure that we can support students' learning at home should it be necessary. • We continue to support the restrictions that the government has put in place around travel and selfisolation. We know COVID-19 feels worrying, and of course people are concerned for the wellbeing of children. Please be assured that with no case confirmed in our school, your children are safe here. Good hygiene is a priority at our school, and we are reinforcing this regularly with all students and staff. We continue to work closely with our cleaning contractors and property team to support this. We are getting the most up to date advice and guidance so that we can confidently make informed decisions about the safety and wellbeing of our school community. We will continue to review our decisions and actions daily. I wish you all a safe and happy weekend with your families. Mrs L Watkinson Principal
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SCHOOL ACTIVITIES PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.AVCOL.SCHOOL.NZ THIS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE ON OUR SCHOOL INTRANET WELCOME.AVCOL.SCHOOL.NZ