A newsletter will be online today. Photos will be updated on this website. We are still assessing our new school roll number. If you have moved your child away permanently please make sure that you have informed us.
The tank of water in our school grounds has been certified clean so drink bottles can be filled up there.
Here’s a lovely thank you letter written by Jonah (year 8 ) which sums things up nicely.
Aside from adding a new gallery I do not anticipate making any further entries to this earthquake page. It’s been a journey for all of us … and the journey has a long aftermath.
Post quake workshop – click here
Monday 21 March
- Parents, if you’d like a chat over the teacups come and join us in the room beside our library – this is our temporary staffroom – between 8.30 and 9.15 in the mornings this week.
- Check the following link for details of the second round of community meetings being organised by the Christchurch Earhquake Response Team of the Christchurch City Council
- http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/
- Children are to please bring a named drink bottle with boiled drinking water. We will have a tanker of drinking water in the school to supplement your water from home.
- Taps will be removed from the school drink fountains until a clean supply is guaranteed
- We have running water for toilets and handwashing. We have hand sanitisers in every classroom.
- Both school entrances are open but those entering via the Shirley Road gate will need to walk around the main block to access the school. The main office doors are locked as that wing of the building (from those doors to the staffroom) is yellow-stickered.
- Several areas of the school are fenced off for safety reasons. This includes most of the school playground.
C& H drainage have done a fantastic job locating damage in our pipeline. They have managed to make crucial and initial repairs to allow us to re-open school.
Mr Timms, our caring caretaker, has also done a great job in moving us toward working conditions. Well done, Mr Timms!
PS – our emails are “playing up” at school and we have only limited access to read them or respond to them. If your message is urgent, please contact the school directly. now ok – as of 10am Tuesday morning
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- Cracks in the reception ceiling
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- More classroom mayhem
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- Fallen ICT gear
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- Room One after the earthquake
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- Cracks in reception area
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- Liquefaction piles up during the cleanup
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- Cracked pool
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- crack above reception door
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- Clearing liquefaction from the back fields
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- Sinking ground at TTRR
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- The Art room after the earthquake
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On Friday the drainlayers completed the clearance of our sewage lines to the roads. We need the pipes checked by camera. If further repairs are required we will have to re-evaluate our way ahead.
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Buildings/Grounds: We have found evidence of subsidence beneath ground surfaces of which we were not previously aware and will have another geo-tech inspection to ensure that all endangered areas are identified and cordoned off adequately.
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TTRR block (Maori bilingual classes) and surrounding cordon (TTRR transeferred to Room Ten)
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Main foyer entry to office will be from the quadrangle only (car entry off Shirley Road)
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Deputy Principal offices, Teacher resource room, counselling rooms (Mr Thomas relocating [to somewhere!])
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Staff rooms (relocated to Room Seven)
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nb. Car access to the car park on North Parade remains open, but access to the office or class rooms from there will necessitate walking around the buildings. You can access the office by using the corridor entry adjacent to the canteen.
During this weekend we have been unable to change our telephone message at school but will do so on Monday.
Geoff Siave
Principal
- The state of National Emergency continues and school is still officially out of bounds with limited access by adults.
- Buildings – We have yellow stickers on the staffroom, the entry foyer, and on the bilingual classes (TTRR). Access to all these areas will be restricted – even when school returns. We need to ensure we have safely cordoned off these areas. There will be some obvious inconvenience because these areas are all well used during the normal school day.
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Water – There has to be clean drinking water for all – we are exploring the option of having children bring their own bottled water and having a back-up supply at school. Another option is to have a tanker of some sort based at school. The preferred alternative is that our tap supply reaches healthy drinking standards – this would require acceptable results from three separate tests ( I think these tests are run over three days).
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Sewage – We are considering portaloos (the rules have changed and they are now an option) or septic tanks – but both will be unnecessary if our checking of toilet flushing capacity and side effects on Monday reveals that all is well in the flushing department.
- Staff welfare – The Board of Trustees must ensure that we have staff who are able to deliver the New Zealand Curriculum and effectively manage their classroom. As some of our teachers and support staff have (like many of our families) experienced significant trauma we need to ensure their readiness for a return to school. As at today at least three teachers do not have power, water or phone connections at their own homes. Some of our support staff are also in this category.
Access to school email is limited. Email can be sent to me at geoffs@sis.school.nz, or gsiave@xtra.co.nz . Messages can be left on the school telephone message system (385 2229).
I hope your weekend has some degree of comfort and perhaps even some normality. I hope you can rest and enjoy your family.
- School e-mail is not accessible – you can contact me at gsiave@xtra.co.nz or phone/text 027 269 8002
- Some educational websites are listed under “For Our Families”
- Large mounds of liquefaction are on our school grounds. These should be treated as toxic.
- If you enrol your child at any other school – even temporarily, please let us know.
- Information about enrolling at other schools during this state of emergency are on the MOE website www.sis.school.nz
- Red Cross has announced packages of $1000 for families in homes without power, water, or phone. For details telephone Red Cross (special phone number being announced 4 March) or check their website.
Power and water are now back on at school, but the power was intermittent today. There is no sewage connection as far as we know. The fantastic, friendly and fabulous Federated Farmers crew spent most of the day at school with trucks and diggers clearing the liquefaction from our playground. When I left school there were over thirty truckloads of the material piled into a corner of the field. All of this needs to be moved from school.
Several bicycles and many school bags were picked up by their owners today. Mr Timms and I will be at school on Thursday and Friday morning so that children can pick up their school-bags. At other times you might still be able to find a staff member to open a classroom.
Monday 28 February
The recovery in the Shirley area is well underway but I see that much work is still needed in many of our homes and streets.
At school the administration area is likely to be closed off. Te Tahu Rua Reo will be relocated – probably to Room Ten. School will resume when services are restored, and when we have prepared rooms and staff for teaching. At this stage we cannot announce a date for this.
Pick up of bags and bikes. Wednesday 2 March 9am to midday.
Regards, Geoff Siave
Sunday 27 February
Our administration area, the TTRR unit, the field, and the swimming pool have the most obvious damage. There are also cracks in several parts of the school. We await the engineer’s report and will know more about next steps following a meeting with the Ministry of Education on Tuesday afternoon. I believe the schools represented at this meeting are all considered to have suffered significant damage in last Tuesday’s earthquake.
A number of checks and procedures need to take place before school can resume. These include re-connection of power and water, a functioning sewage system, an “all-clear” from the property manager, removal of earthquake debris – including liquefaction silt – and the provision of sufficient staff who are able to deliver the New Zealand Curriculum. At this stage SIS remains closed until “further notice”.
While we await an “all clear” please do not enter our school grounds.
Regards
Geoff Siave, Principal.
Friday 25 February
School will not open until water and sewage problems are addressed. Ministry of Education officials have been informed by building inspectors that there is some damage at school. Principals of schools with significant damage (such as ours) will be attending a meeting on Tuesday 1st March at Ministry offices.
I do not presently have electronic access to school email but am hopeful that I can do so by Saturday afternoon (26 February). Email can be sent to me at geoffs@sis.school.nz, or gsiave@xtra.co.nz .
Our thoughts are with those families and individuals suffering hardship.
Geoff Siave, Principal
Thursday 24 February
In the wake of the terrifying earthquake and subsequent shakes which struck our city on Tuesday 22 February, there will be no school this week. At this stage there is not likely to be school next week (Monday 28 February) as the water and sewage issues are not likely to have been addressed. We will keep you up to date here. Radio, television and newspapers will also have information for families.
Thanks to all of you for the manner in which our school was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon. We managed to have almost all children picked up by parents by 5pm. A few children were taken home by teachers.
Our best wishes go out to all our families and the community. The Shirley area was certainly hard hit and it is highly likely that most of our families will still be without power and water (and will not be able to see this web entry). Liquefaction and flooding are plentiful in and around our school. The school administration area suffered several significant cracks, and two classrooms are now on very dangerous ground. We will update the situation as often as necessary.
In the meantime, please take care of yourselves, families and neighbours.
Kia kaha
Geoff Siave, Principal