Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers
We hope that you have all managed to have a good break during the holidays and we welcome our Oakhill families back for the start of Term 3. As excited as we are to see you all back on campus, we are still dealing with the “new normal” that Covid-19 has created.
Oakhill@School or Oakhill@Home
All grades will commence with Term 3 on Tuesday 14 July with some doing this online whilst others onsite. To meet the Covid-19 protocols, the following grades of the College will be coming onto campus per day alternating each day. Please see the TIMETABLE. Unfortunately, we are unable to meet every family’s requirements in allocating grades per day. The subject timetable will be posted on the pupil’s respective grade Google classrooms on Monday. It is very similar to the online timetable of Term 2. It is also important to note that not all our teachers will be able to teach onsite due to their unique health circumstances and potential risk to Covid-19. The onsite teaching will be dual-medium (a hybrid of online and onsite) with facilitation provided by teachers who are on campus to ensure that all College pupils gain access to our programme. It is also important to note that there is a new ‘normal’ and a school day will look very different to what pupils are used to. Please click here to view our College Return to School INFORMATIONAL VIDEO.
Daily Structure
- Arrival
All College pupils are to be dropped off at the bottom of the main circle between 07:15 – 07:35. Parents are asked to stay in their cars. All pupils are required to wear their masks on their way to campus as well on campus. Please only bring your books for subjects you are having that day as well as a packed lunch. A reminder to bring your charged Chromebook or laptop each day as well as a set of clean earphones. Also, ensure that you have packed your personal hand sanitizer and an extra clean mask. Lockers will NOT be available to be used during this term. On arrival, the Grade 8s and 9s must use the College main entrance and Grade 10s, 11s & 12s use the side entrance closest to the Administration Block to go to the respective screening tables. If it is raining all Grades will enter through the College’s main entrance.
- Screening
Please join the queue leading to the screening tables. You need to stand on the lines painted on the walkways to maintain physical distancing. Please have your QRT code ready on your phone so that the screener can scan the code. Your QRT code is found on your ADAM profile and you are asked to take a screenshot of it and save it to your phone please. At the screening table, please use the foot pedal dispenser to sanitize your hands. Your temperature will be taken and recorded. You will also be asked the same 5 health screening questions each day to which you must answer truthfully. Once you have been screened and cleared, you need to walk to your allocated classroom immediately. For safety purposes, pupils are not allowed to stay in the open quad or passageways. - Classroom
On arrival at your class, you will be met by a teacher who will show you to your desk where you will sit at a safe distance from each other and wait for the lesson to start. The lessons will start at 07:40. Grade 8s and 9s will be allocated one class for the whole day with teachers rotating. Grade 10s to 12s will change venues. Upon entering a new classroom, your teacher will provide you with sanitizing spray for you to sanitize your hands. Please always sit at your allocated table. - Break times
There will be regular breaks throughout the day. Breaks will be staggered and some will be taken in your respective classrooms and some will be taken outside. You will be allocated an area where you may sit at a safe distance from each other. No physical contact or activity is allowed. You may only remove your mask when you are eating. This is also an opportunity to go to the bathroom and return to your allocated area. Please note that only two pupils are allowed to be in the bathroom at a time. After a break, please line up outside your class with appropriate physical distancing in place. - End of the School Day
At the end of the school day at 14h15, you will be dismissed one by one and walk down to the circle to be collected by your parents. You still need to keep your mask on and keep your physical distance from each other while waiting. On certain days, some grades will finish earlier at 12.35 and they are encouraged to be collected immediately. However, there will be homework classes available for those who are only able to be collected later.
Bus transport
Our regular bus transport will be available from next week Tuesday as well. The usual booking procedures and times apply. Parents are requested to wait until their children have undergone the Covid-19 screening process before departing. Any pupil presenting symptoms will be asked to be taken home. Preferably parents do this screening beforehand at home.
Uniform
Clean clothes are required every day thus civvies or school uniforms are acceptable but please remember that your appearance should always be neat, clean and presentable. Please dress warmly as the classrooms are required to have ventilation to alleviate the spread of the virus and the doors and windows will be open for circulation. Comfortable activewear is encouraged when on campus as there will be physical education opportunities for the
pupils to participate in. Please remember the following rules still apply.
- Jewellery – One pair of plain stud or sleeper earrings in each earlobe. One necklace, bracelet, ring. No jewellery while participating in sport.
- Hair – Hair touching the collar of a shirt must be tied up. Hair out of the face. No undercuts with patterns. Hair colour should be natural.
- Nails – No nail polish. Nails should be neat and tidy.
- Facial hair – Cleanly shaved at all times.
- Tattoos – Have to be covered at all times.
Covid-19 Protocols
On their first day of return College pupils will undergo a Covid-19 orientation or induction briefing on arrival at school in which the protocols will be explained and safety procedures stressed. During this briefing pupils will be
given information regarding:
- Measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus
- Practising good hygiene and following regular hand washing regimes
- Wearing of cloth face masks throughout the school day and the use of hand sanitisers
- The screening process each morning and during the day
- Physical distancing requirements
- School venues and classroom procedures and protocols
- Physical distancing during breaks and the use of the bathrooms
For further information, please read our COVID-19 PROTOCOLS.
Social Responsibility
As stated in my end of term letter, we need to continuously reflect on how our behaviour can contribute to the spread of the virus and its impact on the school and the broader community. Four schools in Johannesburg have had to close recently due to the spread of the virus in their respective matric groups which necessitated teachers to self-isolate and onsite teaching had to be halted for everyone mostly due to not having enough teaching staff onsite to continue.
Please bear with us as we confront this “new normal” together. We have no doubt that we will continue to evolve, adapt and find exciting new ways to experience The JOY of LEARNING together, once again!
