30 Chelsea Drive, Durban North 139 Kenneth Kaunda Road, Durban North

Tel: 031 581 7660 Tel: 031 581 7686 / 031 581 7661
Fax: 031 564 9454 Fax: 031 564 3870

www.chelseaprep.co.za • chelsea@chelseaprep.co.za • P O Box 20018, Durban North, 4016

Ref: Administration/COVID-19
24 July 2020

Dear Parents

SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE

Following extensive consultations by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angelina Motshekga, the
President addressed the nation last night with an update on the closure of schools during the peak period
of COVID-19 infections.

The President, in his announcement, confirmed the decision by Cabinet that all public schools will be
closed for the next four weeks starting from Monday, 27 July 2020 until the 23 August 2020. It was also
announced that Grade 7 pupils will only have a two-week break and will return to school on Tuesday, 11
August 2020. Although Chelsea Preparatory School applied for a deviation, and permission to bring back
all grades granted, this latest announcement supersedes the deviation, and for this reason, we will need
to conform to the decision taken by Cabinet.

After lengthy management meetings, it has been decided to give all staff and pupils a break for the first
two weeks of the closure period. The staff have been working solidly, without a break since March, and
have been fantastic in the way in which they have adapted and accepted the challenges that have
presented themselves since the initial lockdown. They have embraced the new ‘normal’ and have gone
way beyond what has been expected, arriving at school from 06h15 each morning to assist with the
preparation of the screening stations etc. before pupils arrive at school. Teachers have revised the initial
work covered during the first lockdown period and have now been teaching new concepts and content
from the curriculum. Feedback from our teachers indicate that the overwhelming majority of our pupils
are currently working at the required level for this time of the year, with many ahead of where they should
have been due to the intense teaching taking place in the smaller groups, and the consolidation of work
that has been happening at home. Well done to all our pupils who have also embraced being back at
school, and for their incredible work ethic and discipline shown towards their academics whilst at school
or when at home. As we would like our pupils to have a break and just be children, any work that they
may have received, need only be completed after their two-week break.

Although school will be closed for all other grades, all staff will return to school on Tuesday, 11 August
2020 with the Grade 7 ‘Stars’ group and teachers. The first two days on their return will be spent
completing training, which will enable them to start interacting online with their pupils from Thursday, 13
August 2020. I wish to thank Mrs Leigh-Anne Williams, Mr Craig Balt and Mr Malcolm Reeders for their
efforts in training staff and equipping them with the necessary skills in order for this to happen. A letter
outlining how the teachers will interact with their pupils online, and a daily schedule, will be forwarded
once finalised. For those pupils who do not have access to online resources, hard copies of the workbooks
will be available for parents to collect from school. When staff return on 11 August 2020, they will send
out details of when these will be available for collection.

I would like to thank the entire Chelsea community for their overwhelming support of the school during
this period. Our teachers, administration, finance and support staff are fully committed to their roles,
despite the current situation, and will continue to put the needs of the school and your child first. Please
allow your child some downtime over the next two weeks as when staff return on 11 August 2020, the
intensive academic programme will resume and remain so over the next four months.

Yours sincerely

G MAARTENS (Mr)
PRINCIPAL