Besterspruit Primary gears up for re-opening

Grades will be returning to the school in a staggered pace and parents will be notified accordingly

June 8, 2020

Vryheid Herald 3 minutes read

Besterspruit Primary School will be opening for the remainder of the 2020 academic year on June 8, as per the pronouncement of the Minister of Basic Education.
Key focus areas on return will be:
– To safeguard the health of the learners and all staff on the premises in line with DBE operating protocols;
– To ensure continued curriculum coverage for the remainder of the academic year;
– Provision of support and care to all learners and educators.
Normal school times will commence on Monday, June 8, for the relevant returning learners (Grade 7) from 7.15am to 2pm, except for Friday when the school closes at 1.30pm.
Grades will be returning to the school in a staggered pace and parents will be notified accordingly.
All learners and staff entering the Besterspruit school premises must wear a mask.
Each learner / staff member will be provided with a pair of masks on arrival for use each day.
Learners must be dropped off (morning) and picked up (afternoon) in front of the school gate. Learners must wait to enter onto the school premises for screening – a team of educators will be there to meet and guide them through this process on the first day.
Safe distancing has been marked out in front of the school gate and a SAFE ZONE is marked out inside the school. All learners will be screened and sanitized before they are allowed into the safe zone inside the premises.
OPERATING PROCEDURES:
1. SAFETY – All learners, staff and visitors will undergo temperature screening and symptom check upon arrival. Should a learner, educator or visitor have an elevated temperature (38) or any two of the other specified symptoms in the screening tool (ie fever, sore throat, shortness of breath, general body pain and diarrhoea), they will be directed immediately to the ISOLATION ROOM identified for this purpose within the school.
The parents will be notified immediately and the next level of support will follow.
There are three important safety measures that staff and learners will have to abide by at all times:
Social distancing measures – The desks / seats have been spaced 1.2 metres apart on clearly-marked floors. It is envisaged that social
distancing will also be applicable between lessons, during breaks and during any other school activity.
Regular hand washing / sanitizing routine – Washing of hands and sanitizing regularly, and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and objects should be prioritised.
Wearing of personal protective clothing – Learners and staff will have to wear masks at all times, including when travelling to and from school, to prevent the spread of the virus.
2. EXTRA-MURAL ACTIVITIES:
All sport activities, extra-curricular, fund-raising, prize-giving and farewell functions are suspended for the remainder of term 2 and 3 in 2020.
4. COMMUNICATION:
Communication among all stakeholders of the school is key at this time. Parents are obliged to and must maintain regular contact with the school pertaining to the health of their children. Educators must be on the lookout for children with symptoms, who must then be advised to stay at home. Parents must pick up their children on time after school.
Learners mustn’t be hanging around unnecessarily, for their safety and that of others.
“Besterspruit Primary is satisfied with the return-to-school plan put in place and the progress made thus far under the circumstances. While we will be continuing to receive the returning grades in our school, we will at the same time continue to refine and implement suitable approaches that are appropriate for each grade and provide effective teaching. The pandemic has re-shaped our understanding and the whole philosophy of the teaching profession as we knew it – the gloves are off and it’s game on. Teaching is what we know – the children in this school will learn, grow and succeed,” concludes school principal Sibusiso Mbuli.