FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Kia ora Koutou,

This is week 7 of Term 3 as we enter into week 4 of lockdown and we are all now clear this will continue into next week. It is heartening to know there are signs the number of cases are declining. I sincerely hope you are all doing okay in your bubbles! It was a strange Father’s Day for us all, a traditional time of being able to get together with our wider families and celebrate. To all the dads out there doing a wonderful job with home learning, thank you for this.  The positive side is you get to spend more precious time than perhaps you would have with your children.

Update on Distance/ Home Learning at Wainui School – The staff all meet 3 times a week on ZOOM to update how, and what we are doing and how we are all going. It is also a time to share concerns, Ministry of Education updates and resources. These communications are vital to keeping us all connected and how we can do the best for all tamariki / children at our school. I have bullet pointed below what each team does:

  • Takahe Team – Meet classes daily at 9:00am on GOOGLE MEET.  Wednesday is Garden to Table / Tech day.  All activities are designed to not be on devices and Friday we have introduced leadership back into the routine. All work is on Google Slides so can be done at any time.  The teacher marks this once the students complete the tasks. Reading groups are also being taken.
  • Tui Team – Meet daily at 10:00am on  GOOGLE MEET.  Wednesday is Garden to Table and Friday is FUN FRIDAY.  All work is on Google Slides so can be done any time.  Teachers mark this once the students complete the tasks.  Teacher Aides are supporting some children in small groups as well.
  • Kiwi Team – Meet daily at 9:00am or 9:30am on ZOOM. Simple Powerpoint slides have been created for students to refer to. SEESAW and the online collaborative programme is now being used to post work.  Reading groups are taken from Monday to Thursday.  Friday is a FUN Day with a more relaxed programme of fun activities.
  • Pukeko Team – Meet daily at 9:00am on ZOOM. Simple Powerpoint slides have been created for students to refer to. SEESAW and the online collaborative programme is now being used to post work.  Reading groups are taken from Monday to Thursday. Friday is a FUN Day with a more relaxed programme of fun activities.

Teacher Aides are supporting some children in small group online sessions across the school. All teachers are available for parents/ caregivers to connect with by email and will chat on the phone as well. Please do not hesitate to contact the teacher if you are concerned or need support to ask a question about your child’s learning.  There is some wonderfully creative learning continuing to happen from creating birdhouses, toy homes, gardens, cooking and digital art.

COMMUNICATION

Results of the Board Communication Survey – I have shared the three graphs with you all and there was a range of comments in the preferred line of communication, BUT overwhelmingly email is by far the most preferred method of communication.  Most comments were positive. We are endeavoring as always to keep the dates on the school calendars and the newsletters lined up and take on board this criticism. It is challenging currently as many planned events for the year are now cancelled or postponed.  As a result, Miss Ludwig and I are currently setting up and trialing an APP to introduce in the near future.

One request from us at school is to please make sure we have your up-to-date contact details including phone, mobile, and email addresses. An email from eTAP will be sent out soon to update these details on. Thank you.

SPORTS UPDATE

All remaining games of Hockey will be cancelled for Years 3-8.

All remaining games of North Harbour Netball for Years 7 & 8 have been cancelled.

Kidzplay Netball Pinehurst competition hope to continue the remaining games in Term 4 with a start date of 30th October for Years 1-6.

The Winter Sports Prizegiving on Friday 1st October at this stage is TBC but will likely be held in Term 4.

OTHER

Support for Families – There are a number of organisations set up on the Coast to help:

1. Love Soup Hibiscus Coast – Love Soup is a local organisation that helps those in need.  Please find their contact details for those that can donate and those in need:  Email: [email protected]  |  Website: LINK  |   Facebook LINK

2. Northgate Food Bank – See attached form-  https://www.northgate.org.nz/food-bank-form

Alternatively, if you wish to donate food items please contact these wonderful organisations to help.

COMING UP

Preparation will begin for moving down the levels. Please help us by informing us of your intentions as a family.  There will be no change to the school holidays this year. This communication is directly from the Government. Term Three ends on Friday October 1st.

Take care all.

Ka kite ano,
Gillian Bray

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

  • Thursday 9th September – Immunisation – Year 8 – THIS WILL BE RESCHEDULED – DATE TBC
  • Wednesday 15th September – FOWS Meeting – 7.00pm – Zoom
  • Friday 17th September – Tui Team Assembly – CANCELLED
  • Wednesday 29th September – Year 3 & 4 Production – TBC
  • Tuesday 28th September – BOT Meeting – 6.30pm –  Zoom
  • Thursday 30th September – Young Farmer TBC – Depending on Current Alert Levels
  • Friday 1st October – Winter Sports Prizegiving. TBC – Depending on Current Alert Levels (likely to be held in Term 4)
  • Friday 1st October – End of Term 3
  • Monday 18th October – First day of Term 4
  • Friday 22nd October – Ag Day
Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint +PDF