A message from the Rector

By Richard Hall | Posted: Monday March 14, 2022

I have made the decision to roster home senior students starting tomorrow.

This is due to the combination of a high number of staff and students who are away currently, either with the virus, or isolating as household contacts.

The roster is:
16 March - Year 11 rostered home.
17 March - Year 12 rostered home.
18 March - Year 13 rostered home.

We will be open for Years 9 and 10, as per normal all week. Monday the 21st is Otago Anniversary day and the school will be closed. While rostered home students will be able to access learning from their google classrooms; they should have plenty to do. Hostel families will have received a separate email from the Director of Boarding.

The changes from close contacts to household contacts, as well as the 10 to 7 days isolation has certainly helped, but we have reached the point where we need to take this step. One of the key challenges has been accessing relief staff to cover classes, the pool across Dunedin is stretched. The decision to keep Years 9 and 10 is to help parents who work and have children where it may be harder to have them looked after. We have done our best, to run the school as normal, for as long as possible, but I believe this short step will help us break a cycle.

Finally, I am confident that this will be short term, I have made no decision regarding next week, at this stage I am looking to be open, as normal all week. It is a situation which is challenging and changing. We will keep in touch. Thank you for the many messages of support, we are very grateful to you and to our community.

Richard Hall
Rector