When should your child stay home from school?
The Government has released new guidelines aimed at helping parents and schools decide whether a child is too sick to attend school or not. The guidelines suggest that you should keep your child at home from school if they are too sick to learn and need time to rest and recover. This could include testing positive for Covid-19, or displaying a “symptom of concern” such as a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, have difficulty breathing, or if they have been diagnosed with an infectious disease.
When should your child go to school?
The guidelines suggest children are fine to go to school if they have mild respiratory symptoms such as a mild cough, headache or runny nose, (excluding Covid-19), hay fever or allergy symptoms, or non-infectious skin problems. They state children should go to school if “they appear well — they are happy, eating and drinking normally, and can easily focus on learning”.
You can find these guidelines at: https://info.health.nz/pregnancy-children/childhood-conditions/knowing-if-your-child-is-well-enough-to-go-to-school-guidance-for-parents/
Healthline 0800 611 116
Healthline provides a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over-the-phone health service you can call for free health advice, information and treatment from professional healthcare providers
Healthline is staffed by an experienced, trained team who have worked in many different places and roles— including nurses, paramedics, health advisors and doctors
You can choose to speak with a Māori clinician if you are calling between 8am and 8pm. Interpreter services are available and NZ Relay support (for people who are deaf, hearing impaired or speech impaired)
Call Healthline if you:
- feel unwell but you’re not sure whether you need to see a doctor
- need some urgent advice about a family member or friend who’s sick
- do not have a GP or cannot get to one are on holiday in NZ and want to know where the nearest doctor or Pharmacy is
You can call Healthline any day or time for free on 0800 611 116
Five Ways to Wellbeing
Research shows there are five simple things you can do as part of your daily life to build resilience, boost your wellbeing and lower your risk of developing poor mental health:
1. Connect – talk and listen, be there, feel connected
2. Be active – do what you can, enjoy what you do, move your mood
3. Take notice – remember the simple things that give you joy
4. Keep learning – embrace new experiences, see opportunities
5. Give – your time, your words, your presence
Scabies
Scabies is an itchy rash that is caused by tiny insects that burrow along in the skin, laying eggs as they go. Anyone can get scabies and it is spread by close bodily contact (e.g. holding hands, or hugging), and by sharing clothes and bedding. Scabies will not go away without treatment and everyone in the house should be treated at the same time, even if they are not itchy. If you think you may have scabies:
- You need a special cream/lotion which is available on prescription from your GP, or you can buy it from a pharmacy
- Have a warm bath or shower, and then cover your whole body with the cream/lotion from your chin down to the soles of your feet. This must be left on overnight
- The next morning have a shower or bath and put on clean clothes.
- All clothes that have been worn against the skin must be washed in hot water. Also, sheets, pillowcases, towels and facecloths should be washed in hot water Children should not attend school until 24 hours after the first treatment
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease that is spread by coughing and sneezing. Whooping cough can be very serious for babies and children – resulting in severe illness and hospitalisation.
Whooping cough cases are currently on the rise - with a significant increase in whooping cough cases across the motu since the beginning of May 2024. Immunisation remains the best way to prevent whooping cough:
- The whooping cough immunisation is free for woman in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and is recommended from week 16 onwards. (Pertussis vaccinations should also be encouraged for the extended whanau of pregnant people, new babies and infants)
- As per the NZ Immunisation Schedule children should receive their vaccinations at 6 weeks, 3 months, 5 months, 4 years and 11 years of age
- Whooping cough vaccines are free for pregnant people, all children under 18 years old and adults from 45 and 65 years old
Feeling Stressed?
- Are you feeling stressed or just need someone to talk to?
- Are you feeling down or a bit overwhelmed?
- Do you know someone who is feeling out-of-sorts or down?
Free text or call anytime to speak with a trained counsellor, or peer support worker. This service is available 24 hours a day and is completely free.
They offer brief 1:1 counselling support where they focus on one or two key things you need support for. They mainly provide support in English but there may be cases where they can connect you with someone from your language of origin
Free call or text 1737 anytime
Vision Hearing Technicians from Community and Southern Rural Health will be visiting our school. The objective of the test is to identify previously undetected vision and hearing problems.
Which children are routinely checked?
- Children who have not completed vision and hearing screens as part of the B4School check
- Children absent from previous visit or children requiring rescreens or follow ups
- New Immigrants
- Year 7 student’s vision only
If there is a genuine hearing concern, parents/caregivers or teachers may request a hearing check but parental consent must be given.
The Vision Hearing Technician will only be able to undertake a maximum of 5 hearing requests per visit.
If there is a concern regarding vision, parents/caregivers are encouraged to seek advice from an optometrist.
A subsidy is available for families/whanau that have a Community Services card or High Use Health card.
What tests are carried out?
Ears Audiometry (hearing test)
Tympanometry – middle ear function test (only carried out when hearing test is not within a normal range)
Eyes Long distance vision test – not a complete visual examination
NB All of these checks are non-invasive, safe and should cause no discomfort.
The Vision Hearing Technician will:
- Notify parents/caregivers of all test results
- Enter results on Ministry of Education database (Enrol)
The Vision Hearing Technician will obtain personal details from the school ie; names, date of birth.
If the technician needs to contact parents/caregivers following the visit, addresses and phone numbers will also be required.
Our Service may share this information with other health professionals involved in the children’s care.
If any parents/caregivers do not want their child to be checked, or their child is currently under specialist care for their vision or hearing, they should let the school know.
Helping hands is a community of support from all whanau. You are welcome to join the closed Facebook group and keep up to date with events. Hautapu Helping Hands
Your Lunch Box
We are able to offer Your Lunch Box (https://www.yourlunchbox.co.nz/) at Hautapu School. This is a great, convenient way to have delicious & healthy lunches made fresh and delivered to your children at school at the click of a mouse. Orders will be delivered to school in the morning and children can collect their school lunch box from the office.
Contact Us
Email: admin@hautapu.school.nz
Website: https://www.hautapu.school.nz/
Location: 5 Hana Lane, Cambridge 3493, New Zealand
Phone: +647827 7466