Learners from Christ Church College were welcomed back to school on 1 June while abiding by strict hygiene protocols.
Spokesperson for the school Dawn Schmitz said, “There was great excitement on campus as our Grade 12 pupils finally got back into the classroom environment, even though those classrooms are now very different from when they left in March.”
The day started with a full screening of their learners and issuing personal protection equipment followed by a Covid-19 compliance training
Schmitz added, “Pupils are required to wear their masks at all times while at school, as well as adhering to social distancing regulations. Hands are sanitised on entering and exiting each classroom, and the classroom surfaces are disinfected between each lesson.
“Deep cleaning takes place every afternoon to ensure that the classrooms are ready for the arrival of pupils the following day.”
The school has prepared extensively prior to opening, including the addition of on-site counsellors who are available to assist learners who are feeling anxious or under emotional pressure about their return to school.
The preparatory school and college staff spent 29 May in Covid-19 compliance training and a session on parallel teaching led by Deputy head of academic Jaco van Der Merwe. Schmitz said, “Parallel teaching has been put into place for any Grade 12 pupils who were unable to return to school yesterday. This entails staff recording their lessons at school and posting them online to ensure that our pupils with comorbidity issues, or whose parents are still a bit nervous to return their children to school and will be remaining at home, will continue to receive their lessons.”
She added, “The staff of Christ Church Preparatory School and College have gone above and beyond the general requirements of Covid-19 compliance, and we strive to ensure the well-being of each and every member of the school. The entire school has been deep cleaned, classrooms have been reorganised to ensure social distancing and markers have been placed on corridors and fields showing where the 1.5m distance point is relative to another pupil.”
The first week will see the matric learners undergoing diagnostic testing to ascertain the effectiveness of their online teaching and assist the school in bridging the gap on any areas of the curriculum that may not be up to standard.
Details: www.christchurchprep.co.za
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