Eastleigh Primary School was hard at work ensuring the school met the necessary standards prescribed by the government in order to welcome back Grade Sevens.
The initial date for Grade Sevens and matrics to return to school was June 1; however, this was pushed to June 8 to allow schools to better ready themselves.
Eastleigh Primary principal Belinda Cooke-Tonnesen said staff prepared the school for the learners’ return as per regulations put in place.
“Sanitisers, surface sanitisers, masks, thermometers, social distancing markers and signage and orientation are all in place,” said Cooke-Tonnesen.
“There should be no challenges with the first phase.”
She said classrooms were rearranged and the number of learners per class halved to reduce the number of learners in a class and allow for social distancing.
She said the maximum learners in a class is 17.
“The school had procured sanitisers and disinfectant before lockdown, including spray bottles and availability of soap. We also received donations of masks and face shields for all staff,” said Cooke-Tonnesen.
“The Gauteng Department of Education delivery topped up our supplies and added to the necessities such as thermometers.”
She highlighted the school was cleaned thoroughly before being sanitised by Bidvest and pest control was also put in place.
She said to try and reduce risks to the health of staff and learners, protocols and procedures will be strictly adhered to.
“An annexure to the school’s code of conduct for Covid-19 is in place. The school also made an informative video explaining and describing to learners what they need to do.”
Cooke-Tonnesen said while learners were at home, they were able to keep up to date on their syllabus.
This was done through the use of the school’s D6 school communicator, WhatsApp groups, Google Classroom, eBooks and resources on the iTsi platform.
“During lockdown, the use of online teaching and other means of communication, such as videos on various platforms, were used in addition to the already established D6 school communicator and iTsi eBook platform.”
The school’s income was affected by the financial pressure put on many as a result of the lockdown; however, the school continued to assist learners and families where it could.
Cooke-Tonnesen said financial arrangements were made with parents who required financial assistance, which included a reduction in aftercare fees and a payment holiday.
“With sponsorship from Karaglen SuperSpar, hampers will be made available for the families in our feeding scheme.”
She said the school’s social worker also arranged food parcels for families in need.
Cooke-Tonnesen said without dedicated team effort, readying the school would not have been accomplished as efficiently and timeously as it was.
“The staff are amazing and their zest and passion have been exemplary. Staff are confident, motivated and hyped to teach learners.”
