Carterton

Tom Taylor

tom.taylor@age.co.nz

With unvaccinated staff unable to work on school property from Tuesday, parents at a Carterton school are worried that classrooms will be left without teachers.

Last week, Ponatahi Christian School sent a newsletter to parents outlining the school’s circumstances ahead of the vaccine mandate coming into eff ect.

“Parents have been asking myself and board members about the certainty for the rest of the year, and also 2022,” principal Peter Bertram said.

The newsletter stated that until the end of the year, some classes might be taught by diff erent teachers.

“They will have a normal school day, but the teacher they are facing may not necessarily be their regular teacher.

“In this case, parents can expect the regular teacher will be employed remotely to plan lessons and regularly come to school outside school hours to mark books and prepare resources as appropriate.”

A parent, who spoke with the Times-Age on condition of anonymity, said the newsletter was frustrating.

“It’s a page of nothing that says they’ve got no plan,” the parent said.

“Someone will be standing in front of your kids, but it may not be their teacher. They will not say who, or which classrooms.”

However, Bertram said that parents should not be worried.

“All things are under control. God will provide,” he said.

He said that parents should bring their concerns directly to him, “but they shouldn’t have any outstanding concerns for the rest of this year anyway.”

Staff must have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine by 11.59pm on Monday to continue working onsite at schools. They also needed to receive their second dose by January 1.

Staff could work remotely where possible but would not be allowed any physical contact with students.

Bertram said the school did not yet know what to expect in 2022.

However, the school newsletter stated that some teachers might work remotely until the end of the year.

“We are committed to the best possible education for all students, of the same standard as face-toface teaching, while being a good employer to all of our current staff .

“The situation is changing almost daily, and it is not yet possible to say what our plans are for 2022.”

As of Sunday, the school had no vacancies listed on the Education Gazette.

However, the Ponatahi parent said the mandate would not go away in two months, and the school needed to prepare for its impact on staff who chose not to get vaccinated.

“What’s the actual plan? And how many teachers are we talking about?”

Ponatahi was a relatively small school with 12.5 fulltime equivalent teachers catering to primary and secondary students. As of July 1, there were 135 students enrolled, according to Ministry of Education fi gures.

The school was affi liated with the Carterton Reformed Church.

The parent said it would be diffi cult for the school to replace any teachers, let alone specialised Christian teachers.

Other Wairarapa school principals had expressed concern that if staff chose not to get vaccinated, their schools would struggle to operate.

In rare circumstances, some schools with unvaccinated teachers would be thrown a lifeline until the end of the year.

Recent additions to the Covid-19 Public Health Response [Vaccinations] Order 2021 allowed schools to apply for an exemption to prevent signifi cant disruption to learning in the remaining weeks of Term 4.

However, such an exemption might only last until senior students had fi nished for the year, and it would not extend beyond January 1, 2022.

Bertram said Ponatahi Christian School would not need an exemption.

“We are looking forward to a reasonably smooth end to the 2021 school year with minimal disruption to student learning and all staff fully employed.”

Ponatahi Christian School in Carterton caters to students from Year 1-13. PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR

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SUMMER’S ON THE WAY!

… AND SO ARE WATER RESTRICTIONS

Summer means sun but it also means watering restrictions are very likely to be part of gardeners’ lives over the next few months. Masterton District Council’s water restrictions are tied to the flow in the Waingawa River, the source of Masterton’s drinking water. Maintaining the health of the Waingawa River is a priority for the council. Gardeners can prepare for dry spells by: y laying mulch, to reduce water loss through evaporation y keeping weeds to a minimum to reduce competition for water y planning ways to collect rainwater for use in the garden. We’ll let you know when we have to introduce restrictions – keep an eye on our website (www.mstn.govt.nz) and our billboards around town - and an ear on your radios. We know that restrictions can sometimes change quickly – because we want to give gardeners the benefit of higher river flows when we can – but the website and council social media will always be up-to-date. To make things as clear as possible, Masterton residents can check current water restrictions on three roadside signs around town (on Chapel Street near the fire station, on Dixon Street near Kuripuni, and at the entrance to the transfer station). You can also receive notifications of changes to water restrictions by downloading the Antenno app (free on Google Play and the Apple App Store). Website and social media sites will be “one-stop shops” for the latest information on water.

If we all go with the flow, the river, and our gardens will all stay healthy.

Get updates the moment they change. Download Antenno for free from your app store.

ROADING UPDATE

Repair work on Masterton roads where recent resealing work came unstuck will begin this month, now weather conditions, including temperatures, are better for the work. Almost 27km of roads in urban and rural areas were resealed earlier this year and while most of the resealed sections are in good condition, a number have clearly deteriorated, with roading chip lost from the surface. It was a challenging reseal season, with many areas around the country experiencing problems, particularly with the make-up of bitumen, now sourced from overseas.

Repairs to affected areas are expected to be completed before Christmas, at no cost to ratepayers. The Council is working with our contractor to avoid a repeat of the issues.