20 March 2020

A message from the National Principal

Kia ora koutou e ngā tauira,

I hope this finds you well and knowing Christ’s Peace amidst a challenging time. We want to share with you some important notices (below) and also messages from our Rūnanga and Pasifika Council.

From Te Rūnanga:

The deadly influenza epidemic of 1918 swept through New Zealand over a two month period and was the worst disease outbreak in living memory. It caused the loss of many New Zealanders’ lives, including Māori who were eight times more vulnerable than Pākehā ... It will take a lot of voluntary effort and individual behaviour to get us through this season…. It is an opportunity to karakia (pray) and share God’s love in action.

Read the full message

From the Pasifika Council:

During this challenging time, we encourage you all to take this pandemic very seriously and to exercise great wisdom… The Pacific communities are vulnerable and at risk of being exposed to the conditions of the corona virus due to regular community gatherings and events, family engagements and including other health and socio-economic risks from overcrowded homes and susceptibility to colds and flus… This is a time to exercise spiritual and practical love and wisdom.

Read the full message

All information and articles on Laidlaw’s response to COVID-19 can be found here.

On behalf of all of us at Laidlaw, may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Ngā mihi nui,

Roshan Allpress
National Principal/CEO

IMPORTANT NOTICES

In light of recent developments and Government announcements regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), please read the following important notices carefully.

1. Have you travelled overseas in March?

All people who have travelled outside of New Zealand within the last 14 days are now advised to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the date of arrival. This now includes those who have travelled from the Pacific Islands.

If you arrived more than 14 days ago you do not need to self-isolate. If you are required to self-isolate, please let us know by emailing [email protected] and your lecturers.

The College will work with you to provide learning resources or online access to classes as is deemed appropriate by your Head of School for your course of study. Most of this material will be provided via Moodle which you will need to ensure you can access from home during your period of isolation.

How do I self-isolate? Information on self-isolation can be viewed here:

https://covid19.govt.nz/how-were-uniting/self-isolation/

2. Classes next week

Classes during Intensives Week (23-27 March) are currently going ahead. However, we will advise students in those classes immediately should there be any changes.

3. Feeling sick or unwell?

If you are feeling unwell – especially if you have a fever or are coughing or sneezing – please do not come to class. Let us know by emailing [email protected] and advise your lecturers. Any requests for assignment extensions will need to be done in the usual way.

4. Personal hygiene and social distance

Please ensure you wash and dry your hands regularly and thoroughly, and use hand sanitiser provided on campus. If we each take responsibility for maintaining our own personal health and hygiene we can have a big impact on minimising the spread of this virus.

Maintain physical distance, as an act of love of neighbour. This includes limiting physical contact (handshaking, hugs, and hongi, etc).

5. Contingency plans in event of campus closure

The College is working on finalising contingency plans should we need to suspend on-campus classes for a time and move delivery online. These plans aim to minimise, as much as is practically possible, any disruption to the campus timetable and to facilitate provision of teaching to students via the existing technology platforms already in use within the College (Moodle, Starleaf, MS Teams and Zoom). We are also planning for how we might support students who are involved in internships, placements, and practicums.

For now, please let us know if you will have difficulty accessing a computer and stable internet during a possible shutdown by emailing [email protected]

6. Please remain calm and continue to pray

Please keep up to date with Laidlaw College’s response to the pandemic by reading all Moodle and email communications sent.

May we as a College, and as the wider Church, be known as a community not bound by fear, but motivated by love of neighbour, and committed in prayer.

For more information on COVID-19, https://covid19.govt.nz