Kia ora to you all,

Wow what a lot has happened in our school in terms of distance learning!!

A huge thank you to the teachers, support staff and of course you all as parents!!  We have transformed our homes to ensure we have new routines, new work spaces and our homes are also classrooms and creative spaces.  I am sure all of you have at times wondered what and how this will work as we, the teachers were!! I have personally been amazed at how we have all been able to come together and how wonderful that feeling of connection has been.

The staff are using GOOGLE MEET to all get together in regular staff meetings.  I shared on facebook all of us!! Here it is again today!!

Distance Learning –  some tips and pointers – Please remember this is very new for teachers and support staff – we are all learning the technical aspects and somethings will not work!!  Be kind and patient!!

Our teams are all on different times and platforms – see attached timetable

Takahe team – use GOOGLE MEET daily 9.00am – 10.00am and they also return around 3.00pm for sharing.

Tui team – use GOOGLE Meet daily from 10.00am –  11.00am.

Kiwi team –  use ZOOM and meet twice a week  from 10.00am – 11.00am.

Pukeko team – use ZOOM daily from 9.00am – 10.00am.

(Teachers are available to email during the school working hours as a follow up on the days where there is no meeting) 

Tips and Tricks

1. Routine – set your own routine at home if there is no online meeting that day.
2. GOOGLE MEET – children must use their own Wainui School google account to access the meetings, not a personal email account.
3. ZOOM –  there will be a waiting room to be in before the teacher arrives for the conference so just be patient and wait!!
4. Intermittent internet – yes we do acknowledge that some of us in our homes have less than perfect internet connection.  It can be frustrating so please contact the teacher if this affects your family. They will be able to accommodate you.
5. If you wish to also see something and use the TV learning channel and the time clashes think about recording it, or going to TVNZ on demand and watching it at another time.

Moving forward to Level 3 – I am sharing with you a message from the Secretary of the Ministry of Education  yesterday: 

“You will have heard the Prime Minister outline the high level descriptions of COVID-19 alert levels, with a focus on alert level 3.

We are still at alert level 4.  There is a lot of detail to work through to operationalise the re-opening of schools and early learning services when that decision is taken.  The Government’s announcement has been made taking full account of Public Health advice.”

I will be informed on over the weekend or by Monday of the detail of the new level and what that would mean for schools and our school. Please do not worry about this at this stage until we have more clarity on who, what and dates. There is a lot of anxiety being shared on social media platforms and in the media in general, this is new for everyone. I will keep the information coming and probably be asking next week a few questions.  Meanwhile have a restful weekend (away from GOOGLE meet and ZOOM)

Here are a few great photos of some of our staff working from home. Mrs Howard is reading “When the monkeys wore Sombreo’s” and Mrs Blackburn is attending Rimu class PJ party!!

Please feel free to send me some from your home!!

Nga mihi nui

Gillian Bray