Our Tumuaki Principal
Welcome - 2022: Welcome back, everyone. I hope you had a refreshing and fun holiday.
The teachers and support staff have been busy preparing the school during the holidays for the new school year. There was some internal shifting with Mrs Duffy and Mrs Clarke going into Room 2 and Miss Mineur going into Room 4.
Thomas Brydone Learning Centre: We have set up the Thomas Brydone Learning Centre as our music suite, After School Care base and a place for small group work. We will enjoy having this space for the school to use.
Miss Sarah Botting: During the holiday break the School Board worked through the appointment process for a teacher in Team Kereru. Miss Sarah Botting has been appointed to this position. We are pleased to have her join us and know that she will be a valued team member.
Class Structure - 2022: We move to six teachers this year. Here is our structure. As you can see, due to being six teachers, most classes are composite.
- Miss Laura McVicar - Team Kea (Room 1): New Entrants and Year One
- Mrs Abby Duffy and Mrs Hayley Clarke - Team Kiwi (Room 2): Year One and Two
- Mrs Jenny Coyle - Team Pukeko (Room 3): Year Two and Three
- Miss Caci Mineur - Team Tui (Room 4): Year Three and Four
- Miss Sarah Botting - Team Kereru (Room 5): Year Four and Five
- Miss Sanne den Boon - Team Kahu (Room 6): Year Six
Property Work Around the School: As you come in you may notice a few things:
- Maori design: We have had this incorporated throughout our school putting it on doors and windows.
- New concrete: We continue with our long term plan of upgrading the concrete all around the school. We finished work around Room 2 and have started on the path. We intend to widen the path and have started this outside Room 2.
- Drainage: We have had issues with the drainage of our basketball court and so the two soak holes have been connected to help when rain is heavy.
- Administration Area: We have had work undertaken in the administration block to shift our data cabinet ready for the office remodel of the storage room into the Principal's office.
- Entrance Mats: We have updated our door entrance mats all around the school.
Principal's Challenges - 2022: I enjoy our Principal's Challenges and getting to see what the children are able to do. They are completely voluntary and come with great prizes.
Here's an overview of 2022's challenges:
- Term One: Portraits of People
- Term Two: Authors and Illustrators
- Term Three: Lego Masters
- Term Four: Green Fingers
COVID at School: Under the traffic light system, schools are open at every level - green, orange and red. We are now at red.
This year I anticipate that we will have a case, if not multiple cases, of COVID in our school. This means that a response to a case is highly localised and no longer regional or national.
When this occurs we will take advice from the Ministry of Education the local health authorities. There will be requirements around isolation and testing for contacts.
We thank you in advance for...
- Keeping any sick children at home.
- Scanning in when you come on school grounds.
- Wearing a mask.
- Signing-in/out if you enter our buildings.
- Providing us with the right information around your contact details.
- Following our Facebook page and having our school app downloaded onto your phone.
- Being understanding of the situation that we face, when we have to manage a case in our school.
We do look forward to some time in the future when everything returns back to normal.
Booster: The government's education worker vaccine mandate for staff and parents working/volunteering with children has been further extended to include a third jab (the booster). This must occur within 183 days of the second jab.
If parents wish to be involved in any type of school-based official activity (other than undertaking their role as parents) they will need to provide evidence of a booster shot if the time frame for it requires it. This will be kept on a confidential register.
Netball Hoop: Thank you to Beck Engineering for fixing a netball hoop that was damaged during the school holidays. We enjoy the community using our facilities but would always encourage respect for the property so that the next person gets to enjoy the facilities as well.
Thank You - Team Edendale
- Jenny Coyle: Jenny is a teacher in Team Pukeko and our Deputy Principal. She is very dedicated and committed to her teaching and her leadership role. She contributes across the school. Recently she worked with the Board on the appointment of Sarah. We all value Jenny's thoughts and contributions. She also works on the Edendale Community Pool Society to enable community members to access the pool.
Our Events Coming Up
TERM ONE 2022
All activities and events are subject to the government's Covid-19 'Traffic Light' settings and local requirements when there is an outbreak within our community.
Week Two (of 11)
- Monday 7th February - School Closed, Waitangi Day Observed
Week Three (of 11)
- Tuesday 15th February - Pre School Meeting, 2.00pm
Week Four (of 11)
- Monday 21st - Friday 25th February - Goal Setting
- Tuesday 22nd February - School Board Meeting One, 7.00pm, staffroom
Week Five (of 11)
- Monday 28th February - Home and School Meeting 7.30pm, School Staffroom
Week Six (of 11)
- Thursday 10th March - LMV Athletics (If not at Red)
- Saturday 12th March - Car Boot Sale (If not at Red)
Week Seven (of 11)
- Wednesday 16th March - Kamahi ReserveTrip
Week Eight (of 11)
- Tuesday 22nd - Year 6 Big Day Out
- Friday 25th March - Whanau Day (If not at Red)
- Saturday 26th March - Southland Athletics
Week Nine (of 11)
- Tuesday 29th March - School Board Meeting Two, 7.00pm, staffroom
- Wednesday 30th March - Student Council, GRIP Leadership Conference
Week Eleven (of 11)
- Friday 15th April - Good Friday. School Closed Easter.
Our Kura News and Information
Term Dates - 2022
- Term One: Tuesday 1st February to Thursday 14th April
- Term Two: Monday 2nd May to Friday 8th July
- Term Three: Monday 25th July to Friday 30th September
- Term Four: Monday 17th October to Monday 12th December
Public Holidays During the Terms
Waitangi Day: Sunday 6th February observed Monday 7th February
Easter: Friday 15th April
Queen’s Birthday: Monday 6th June
Matariki: Friday 24th June
- Labour Day: Monday 24th October
Mask Wearing - In Class and On Buses
It is a Ministry of Education requirement for children Year Four and up to wear masks in class. For us, that applies to our students in Team Tui (Room 4), Team Kereru (Room 5) and Team Kahu (Room 6).
The Ministry of Education mask requirement already applies on buses for children who are either 8 years old or in Year Four and up.
This coming Monday is a public holiday with Waitangi Day, due to falling in the weekend, being Mondayised.
Book Club - Issue 1
Scholastic Book Club Issue 1 has gone home.
All orders need to be returned to the office by Friday 25th February. You can also order online.
Edendale Dairy - Thursday Lunch Orders
We are commencing Edendale Dairy lunch orders every Thursday. The first Thursday is Thursday 10th February. See the options below.
Orders need to be submitted with the right amount of money in a carefully sealed envelope with your child's name and room on it. These envelopes are then put into your child's team notices box at the start of the day.
Please remind your child if they have a lunch order so that they know to put it in the notices box when they arrive at school.
Character Values Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L): Term One Respect Manaakitanga
Respect means we honour other people equally as we would honour ourselves and is shown through manners, courtesy, politeness, self-control, co-operation, obedience and participation.
At Edendale Primary School respect is demonstrated when we..
- Use our manners and talk politely to each other.
- Follow rules and instructions.
- Listen actively.
- Are aware of the needs of others and offer to help.
Every time our values are shown they make our school a great place to be for children and adults.
Principal's Values Award
This week the Principal/Tumuaki would like to acknowledge Briar McKenzie for being a strong contributor, living out our school values every day.
Our Kaitiaki School Board
Property Projects in Planning: A lot of behind the scenes work happens to advance property projects. There are several that the BOT are working through...
- Pool roof: The planning and specifications for the replacement of the pool roof are progressing and it is hoped this can be finalised, tendered and actioned in the first half of this year.
- Boiler: Reports and reviews of reports have been occurring. We have been recommended a pellet boiler to be installed into our existing boiler room. This looks like being the last year with our coal boiler with a new one installed late this year or early in 2023.
- Classroom Upgrades: Plans have been developed for upgrading Rooms 3 & 4 and Rooms 1 & 2 to include sliding, soundproof glass doors and storage units like Rooms 5 & 6.
Situations Vacant - After School Care Job-Share Coordinator
The position of an After School Care Job-Share Coordinator has come up.
If you are interested please send a CV with all your details to the principal at principal@edendaleps.school.nz by Friday 14th of January. Include references, referees and evidence of identity (copy of your passport and driver's licence).
Employment is conditional on vaccination and a clear police vet. An up to date First Aid certificate would be helpful. Training will be required around child safety procedures.
Next School Board Meeting - 2022
The next, and first for 2022, School Board meeting is to be held on Tuesday 22nd February at 7.00pm in the school staffroom. All material for this needs to be in the week before so that it can be sent out to the School Board members before the meeting.
Board Elections - 2022
Board Elections for 2022 have been delayed until September 2022.
We will be looking for parents who have strength in strategic thinking, teamwork and analysis of trends and patterns to help build the school of tomorrow.
Talk to a BOT member and even come along to a meeting to see how this works in practice.
Our Home and School
Next Meeting - Term One 2022
The Term One 2022 meeting of the Home and School is scheduled for Monday 28th February starting at 7.30pm in the school staffroom.
Cattle Fundraiser - Thank Yous
Thank you to the Dobbie Family at Titiroa Transport for generously carting cattle free of charge as part of our Home and School Cattle Fundraiser.
If you are able to, please support these businesses that support our school.
Our Contact Information
Email: admin@edendaleps.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/edendaleps.school.nz/edendale-primary-school
Location: Edendale Primary School, 24 Salford Street, Edendale 9825, New Zealand
Phone: 03 206 6959
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdendalePrimarySchool
Twitter: @EdendaleSchool
