Baie dankie aan een en elkeen wat begrip toon met die huidige omstandighede by Witteberg.
Dit is voorwaar ‘n situasie wat niemand toegewens word nie. Tans staan sake as volg:
Een van ons graad 11 personeellede het ons Dinsdagaand verwittig van ‘n positiewe COVID-19 toets. Ons het onmiddellik die departemente van onderwys en gesondheid hiervan ingelig waarna verskeie verder maatreëls ingetree het. Onder andere moes 12 ander personeellede ook hulself isoleer as gevolg van nabye kontak met die personeellid. Alle leerders wat onderrig by die personeellid ontvang het, is ingelig om die daaropvolgende dag op ‘n later tyd aan te meld. Die departement van gesondheid het versoek om self hul sifting te behartig. Hiertydens is sommige leerders ook geïdentifiseer wat moontlik in isolasie moet bly of vir toetse moet gaan. Alle ander leerders het die sifting geslaag en is buite gevaar. Alle risiko-areas is ook dadelik afgesper en gesaniteer. Die areas sal ook deur ‘n buite-instansie gesaniteer word.
Hoewel die skool en koshuis Woensdag ononderbroke voortgegaan het, het die afwesigheid van sommige leerders met rede, asook die tekort aan teenwoordige personeel agv die wat in isolasie moet bly, die volgende uitdagings:
Nie alle personeel wat vir graad 11 skoolhou is tans teenwoordig nie wat druk plaas op dienste soos sifting, terreindiens, koshuisdiens en busroetes. Ook wil ons nie ‘n geleentheid skep waar graad 11 leerders wel by die skool is, maar slegs in 2 van hul 7 vakke onderrig ontvang agv personeel wat in isolasie moet wees en nie mag klasgee nie.
Dit het die bestuurspan van die skool genoodsaak om die volgende te besluit:
Vanaf Maandag, 13 Julie moet alle graad 11’s eerder tuisbly tot verdere kennisgewing om sodoende kans te gee vir die verstryking van die isolasietydperke waarin sommige personeel verkeer. Dit sal die personeel tans teenwoordig wel die geleentheid bied om steeds aktief te kan voortgaan met graad 12 onderrig tot omstandighede herstel. Hierdie besluit veronderstel dus ook dat die terugkeer van alle ander grade ook eers uitgestel word. Hierdie besluit is nie ligtelik geneem nie, maar in belang van alle betrokke partye.
Die skool is nie toegemaak deur die departement van gesondheid nie en daarom mag ons ook voortgaan met slegs ons graad 12’s teenwoordig. Natuurlik bestaan die moontlikheid ook dat die aantal positiewe gevalle verder kan styg, waarna meer drastiese stappe ingestel sal word. Indien dit gebeur sal daar weer voor Maandag 13 Julie met u gekommunikeer word.
Ons is ook dankbaar dat die oorskakeling na Google Classroom as onderrigmedium ook reeds plaasgevind het. Die meerderheid van ons leerders het in die verband reeds hul e-posadresse geaktiveer om toegang te verkry. Ons beoog om enduit met hierdie vorm van onderrig voort te gaan en leerders sal dus daagliks inligting en huiswerk via die medium ontvang. Wees dus bewus dat kommunikasie met u kind via Whatsapp- groepe geleidelik sal verminder om voortaan slegs via Google te geskied. Leerders wat sukkel om hierop te registreer moet nie huiwer om dit onder ons aandag te bring nie.
Ons gee u die versekering dat alle moontlike regulasies soos voorgeskryf steeds by die skool gevolg word en dat graad 12’s dus binne ‘n veilige ruimte onderrig ontvang. Dankie vir u begrip met die bogenoemde. Dit is nooit maklik om leerders wat reeds baie akademiese klastyd gemis het terug te stuur na hul huise nie, maar hierdie drastiese stap is tans die beste pad vorentoe. Ons glo ook dat u dit so sal verwoord wanneer u as ouers ook navrae ontvang.
Met Agting
Hannes Oosthuizen
Waarnemende Skoolhoof
__________________________________
9 July 2020
Dear Witteberg parents,
RE: Important amendment to academic program
Firstly, we would like to thank each and every person who understands the current condition that Witteberg is facing. It truly is a situation that is not wished upon anyone. The current state of affairs is as follows:
On Tuesday evening we were informed of one of our grade 11 teachers who tested positive for COVID-19. We immediately informed the departments of education and health after which various measures were taken. We also had to instruct 12 other staff members to immediately isolate themselves due to close contact with this specific teacher. All learners who were educated by this teacher were informed to report at a later stage at school the following day. The department of health requested that they wanted to do the screening of these learners themselves. After this process was conducted, a few learners were also identified and instructed to either isolate themselves at home or to undergo further tests. The rest of the learners who passed the screening were considered not to be at risk. All surfaces and areas considered of a high risk were also immediately cordoned and sanitised. These areas will also be deep-cleaned by a private institution.
On Wednesday the school continued without interruptions. The following challenges were experienced:
Not all grade 11 educators were present due to the need for isolation which put pressure on the rest of the staff to continue with screening, terrain duty, hostel duty and bus routes. We also do not want to create a situation where grade 11 learners come to school and only have two active classes out of seven due to staff members who have to be in isolation. These issues necessitated the management team of the school to make the following decision:
As of Monday 13 July, all grade 11 learners are to stay at home until further notice. This will allow for the expiration of the time periods of the staff members in isolation. It will also allow the staff currently present to actively continue teaching the grade 12s. This decision entails that all other grades’ return to school are also postponed. This decision is not taken lightly and is in the best interest of all parties involved.
The school has not been closed by the department of health and we are allowed to continue teaching to only our grade 12s. The possibility still exists that the number of positive cases might increase further after which more drastic steps will be taken. If
this happens, further communication in this regard will be sent out before Monday, 13 July.
We are grateful to also announce that the transition to Google Classroom has taken place fluently. The majority of our learners has already activated their new email accounts where access to this medium has been gained. It is our objective to continue this form of communication and teaching in the future. Learners will have daily access to information and homework that will be posted on this medium. Be aware that academic communication via WhatsApp groups will slowly be phased out as to only use Google as a medium going forward. Learners who struggle with registration must please bring it under the attention of their register teacher.
We assure you that all possible regulations are currently adhered to and that the grade 12s are educated in a safe environment. Thanks for understanding the above explained situation. It is never easy to send learners home who already missed lots of academic class time, but the situation requires drastic action, which we believe is the right way going forward. We also believe that any inquiries received by you, as parents, will also be answered as in this letter.
Regards
Hannes Oosthuizen
Acting Principal