COVID and Schools: There are already incidents within New Zealand schools where known COVID cases are popping up causing schools to shut either fully, in classes or an entire year level.

We anticipate that this will happen here as well, most likely during the latter part of Term One.

We anticipate that we will learn about a case most probably from you. We will then ring the Ministry of Education and take advice from them. Currently, this means identifying close contacts and informing their families about health guidelines relating to isolation and testing.

From an educational point of view, we would encourage all families to be ready with...

• Good internet
• Digital devices e.g. iPad, Chromebook, laptop.
• A workspace for children.

We expect that a case/s will require a classroom, classrooms or even the whole school to isolate at home. In that case, we would switch to E-School for those rooms. This does depend on whether the teacher is not the case.

I would encourage families to develop contingency plans in the event that they are required to isolate at very short notice.

COVID School Event Updates - Red Level: The Red Level of the Traffic Light System is causing a rethinking of a whole range of events.

Cancelled

• School Whanau Day
• School Car Boot Sale

Postponed

• Lower Mataura Valley Athletics in now Term Four Wednesday 26th October
• Southland Athletics is now Term Four Saturday 19th of November

Social Media - Not for Primary Children: We do not expect any children in our school to have social media accounts of any type (Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat etc). The age limit for many of these platforms is 13 and so none of our children are that age. They do not have the maturity to deal with it.

Research is clearly indicating that accessing and using social media can 'hypercharge' levels of anxiety and depression, especially amongst young and teenage girls. Sophisticated algorithms can effectively addict children to certain types of ideas and 'rabbit holes' around identity and perception of life.

We prefer, encourage and advise our children to play outside with real people, in real places with real activities. That grows healthy children.

Further, we would advise that any devices be removed from the bedroom when going to sleep so as not to interrupt sleep. Sleep is so important for children as it helps to process learning, repair the body and is the place where growth occurs.

Word Lab - Word Learning: We have reviewed and updated our Learning Partnership work associated with word learning. We are using a programme called Word Lab. You should have received a notice about this on Tuesday.

The biggest difference you will notice at home is that there are fewer words and there will be a variety of activities to do with the use of those words.

Our aim is for high quality transferrable (words get used in reading and writing) learning. More teaching will be occurring in class associated with the words and the learning, with activities at home, as reinforcement of classwork.

Thank You - Team Edendale

• Laura McVicar: Laura is our Assistant Principal and teacher of our new entrant class. Running an organisation, like a school, is about having the right people, in the right places, with the right thinking. Laura is an excellent example of this. We are thrilled to have her with us and she moves from strength to strength, giving everything she touches the 'Laura touch of excellence'.

Principal's Term One Challenge - Leonardo da Vinci Portrait Artists

My challenge for Term One is to become an artist like Leonardo da Vinci and paint a portrait.

Entry Details

• The portrait is of a person alive today. It can be a self-portrait or of someone else. Maybe even a teacher!
• There will be a filled-in background that places the person in a context.
• The portrait can be by any handcrafted media (e.g. painted, colouring-in pencils, felt tips, pencil sketch, pastel). Not digital.
• Your name, year level and team need to be on the back of the artwork.
• There is an adults section available for any parents or community members who want to submit their work.
• The paper is an A4 orientated portrait (not landscape). We can supply A4 paper if needed for any artist.
• They are due Friday 8th April.
• By submitting a piece of artwork you are agreeing to have the portrait scanned and shared on our social media and website.

Prizes

• Year 1 & 2
• Year 3 & 4
• Year 5 & 6
• Adults

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 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 Seven (of 11)

• Wednesday 16th March - Kamahi ReserveTrip

Week Eight (of 11)

• Tuesday 22nd - Year 6 Big Day Out

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.

Meet the Teacher Goal Setting Interviews - Booking Your Time

Bookings are now open for the Meet the Teacher Goal Setting Interviews set down for Monday 21st February to Friday 25th of February after school.

The code is: c2gnj

The link is pasted below.

Reading Books - Check At Home

The school invests a lot of money into the reading books that we provide for children to take home and practice with. Please have a check at home and return anything, no matter how long you've had it, so that it can benefit another learner.

Invoices for missing reading books may be sent home.

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. 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.

The aim of our values is to nurture positive, purposeful and meaningful relationships of aroha. Respect helps us to do this.

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.

When we use our values on a day by day basis, in the relationships that we have, one with another, in our school, we contribute to making our school a great place for all to come along.

This week the Principal/Tumuaki would like to acknowledge Georgia Abbott for being a strong contributor, living out our school values every day.

Sully Bayliss is our first MVP in Team Kea for 2022. Sully is a lovely young man who demonstrates our school value of Manaakitanga, Respect.

Sully walks into our classroom with a happy smile and gets himself ready for the day. He knows our daily routines and follows them well. Sully is always organised with the right equipment ready to learn.

Sully is a friendly, kind and caring team member who gets along with everyone. He lets others join in with activities and takes turns.

Sully has stepped up to be one of the leaders in our classroom this year and is very welcoming to new Team Kea children. He is a fantastic role model who I can trust to be doing the right thing.

Sully’s confidence has grown since starting school. He has a positive attitude and is willing to try new things even if they appear hard. Sully tries his best and completes his work to a very high standard.

We are very lucky to have a super friend and learner in Team Kea like you. Keep up the awesome work!

Summer Tay is our first MVP in Team Tui for 2022. Summer is a polite young lady who demonstrates our school value of Manaakitanga, Respect.

Summer is a smiley team member who uses her manners towards teachers, parents and her peers. Summer is respectful during learning time by actively listening and following instructions when given. Summer is already striving for excellence by completing her work to the best of her ability and having a can-do attitude when it comes to learning. Summer will ask questions if she is unsure about something.

Summer is a fantastic role model who I can trust to be doing the right thing, even when no-one is looking. She has been a great help with the Year 3’s in the classroom by giving them a helping hand when needed.

Summer has had a great start as a Year Four in Team Tui and her smiling and happy attitude makes her a delight to have in the classroom.

We are very lucky to have a super learner and friend in Team Tui.

Keep aiming high Summer!

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.

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.

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

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