Hāwera Primary School

Whaia te Matauranga-

Hāwera Primary is a caring community of lifelong learners who strive ever and always for higher and better things.

Email: admin@haweraprimary.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/haweraprimary.school.nz/haweraprimaryschool
Location: 261 South Road, Hawera, New Zealand
Phone: 06 2787709
Facebook: facebook.com/haweraprimaryschool

Kia ora koutou

Hope you are all happy and warm. It has been wonderful being back at school together. As previously stated our initial focus has been on re-establishing relationships and promoting well-being so that our students are in the best space for learning. Our dedicated staff have worked really hard together to keep everyone safe and settled back in successfully.

We were pleased to hear the Prime Minister’s announcement about moving to Alert Level 1. This has been an outstanding effort by our whole country, we should all feel very proud of ourselves.

For us, there will be no major changes to what we are doing and our school continues to be safe to attend, including any staff and children who are considered more vulnerable to COVID. We have a robust cleaning routine in place, people who are sick are staying at home and we continue to encourage good hygiene practices.

At Hawera Primary School we pride ourselves on sustaining a caring, family-like context for learning. We highly value and appreciate the close connections we have with our parents/caregiver and whanau. We are dedicated to fostering and promoting this partnership as we work together to support your child to achieve their aspirations.

Thank you for your adaptability and acceptance during the higher alert levels. We appreciate some of them particularly those around restricted access to the school grounds were challenging.

Since our return to school we have noticed:

*Students are calmer and demonstrating increased independence at the beginning and end of the day. Their self-management and organisation skills have also improved.

*Our new and youngest students have settled in confidently and quickly. Separation anxiety is minimal to non-existent, we want to keep building on this resilience and bravery.

*Students arriving later and around the same time has resulted in a more settled transition. Teachers have more uninterrupted preparation time. Therefore they are better placed to enjoy quality interactions with the students upon their arrival from 8.30am onwards which has strengthened these key relationships and made for a more focussed start each day.

*Students are less distracted in the afternoons because they are not seeing or hearing adults outside the classrooms.

*Reduced staff and student absence due to sickness, therefore less disruption to the learning.

*Maintaining a kind and caring attitude towards each other is really important. Some positive and powerful connections have been formed with the sharing of learning through Seesaw and home/school partnerships, let’s keep that going!

The constructive feedback from students, staff and parents/caregivers has been really helpful in identifying what we would like to retain going forward. This was an excellent opportunity for us as education professionals to re-evaluate how we have traditionally always done things in light of what we know works best for our HPS learners.

Please note when developing these updated protocols which will take effect from Monday 15th June we carefully considered the long term benefits for all students in any decisions we have made. If you have any questions about the new protocols please email me at principal@haweraprimary.school.nz and we can have a chat.

It really does take a team effort to keep everyone safe. I want to acknowledge and thank each and ever member of our amazingly dedicated staff. Each and every one have worked hard to keep things going well for children and have done an incredible job of settling children back into school .

Thank you to our Board of Trustees as well, they have been supportive in making sure that all policies and procedures are being followed and are always genuinely interested in how everything is going.

Finally to our tamariki, they are the real superstars-they have done incredibly well following instructions and adapting with confidence to all that was needed. They have been working so very hard since being back at school, settling back into learning smoothly and are showing 'The KAHA Way' and a positive attitude towards others.

In other news we are delighted for our wonderful Learning Assistants as our union NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Ministry of Education have been negotiating a pay equity settlement that seeks to address the gender-based undervaluation of the role. Our teacher aides are highly skilled educators, assisting the learning and ensuring the well-being of children with often complex medical, physical, learning and/or behavioural needs. However, their pay and conditions do not fairly value this work.

The pay equity settlement for teacher aides includes pay increases, changes to the way skills are assessed, a new allowance, changes to how much hours can be varied, and the development of career pathways. This recognition has been hard fought and is long overdue,we are delighted for them.

Recently we appointed Josie Harrington, an experienced teacher from Upper Hutt who will take over as the full time teacher of Room 6 at the beginning of Term 3. We are delighted to have secured her and look forward to her joining the team. Mrs McColl and Mrs Skedgwell will move into release teaching roles.

Congratulations to one of our release teachers Brooke Skedgwell and her husband Gareth who are expecting a baby in November, very exciting times for their family. We wish them all the best for a safe arrival.

As another phase draws to an end, I would like to reiterate how proud we can be of what we have achieved as a school community. Please continue to show kindness and a caring attitude towards others as we look forward to further unpacking and embracing our “new BETTER normal” together.

E hara taku toa i toa takitaki

E hara taku toa i toa takitini

My strength lies not in what I can achieve on my own

My strength lies in what I can achieve through working with others

Ngā manaakitanga

Shevaun O'Brien

PRINCIPAL

At Level 1, it is important that all children and young people return to their early learning services or schools if they haven’t already done so.

While there will no longer be any restrictions to activities and gatherings, we encourage you to maintain the good habits that have worked well at Level 2, such as keeping up good hygiene practice, staying home if sick, and remaining vigilant: bit.ly/2A97htE

While the constraints in Level 1 are even fewer than in Level 2, there are some golden rules that the Prime Minister and Ministry of Health are promoting . These golden rules are important for a healthy life in general.

1. If you’re sick (e.g. flu-like symptoms), stay home. Don’t go to work or school. Don’t socialise.

2. If you have cold or flu symptoms call your doctor or Healthline and make sure you get tested.

3. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.

4. Sneeze and cough into your elbow, and regularly disinfect shared surfaces.

5. If you are told by health authorities to self-isolate,you must do so immediately.

6. If you’re concerned about your wellbeing, or have underlying health conditions, work with your GP to understand how best to stay healthy.

7. Keep track of where you’ve been and who you’ve seen to help contact tracing if needed.Use the NZ COVID Tracer app as a handy way of doing this.

8. Businesses should help people keep track of their movements by displaying the Ministry of Health QR Code for contact tracing.

9. Stay vigilant. There is still a global pandemic going on. People and businesses should be prepared to act fast to step up Alert Levels if we have to.

10. People will have had different experiences over the last couple of months. Whatever you’re feeling—it’s okay. Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself.

At all levels, upon advice from the local medical officer of health, any educational facilities connected to a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 must close on an individual or group basis for 72 hours to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Each year we are required to reconfirm if we would like to retain the $150.00 per student Donations Scheme. The Board of Trustees invite you to please click on the following link to have your say.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WPRZ2KN

As you might be are aware, Gabrielle Wall has been contracted to facilitate the engagement process regarding Future Provision for Education in South Taranaki and in Term 1 a number of workshops were held with students, staff, parents and members of the wider community.

This process has been delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but the next stage of the engagement process is now underway and involves an online survey which includes the feedback and ideas gathered through the face-to-face workshops.

The survey will be open until Sunday 21st June and information and the survey link can be accessed here: https://www.dandgconsulting.co.nz/hawera-and-wider-south-ta…

The whole survey will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete, but it is possible to complete a shorter version in about five minutes.

This survey is not only for parents of current students but other stakeholders in our community. if you know of people who might like to partake in the survey please send them the link.

Will be held on Tuesday the 30th June.
Watch this space for updates about payment and how to order etc.

An envelope with all the information will be sent home as soon as they arrive.

For children’s health, the best information source is the Ministry of Health website. Early detection of any illness is important so it might be useful to advise families and whānau that they can call Healthline 0800 611 116 any time they suspect symptoms of any condition but are not sure what to do.

Due to recent disruptions to the school year, there will be just one issue of Book Club this term. Instead of Issue 3 or Issue 4 it is called Term 2 Book Club and it is a Bumper issue, so have fun perusing its pages and discovering all the goodies hidden inside.

The school office is open each day from 8.30am to 3.30pm. If your child is going to be absent for any reason can you please phone the office, email Mel (admin@haweraprimary.school.nz) or send a message via facebook or seesaw prior to 8.30am. There is a message option on our phone system. These options are all available 24/7.

Welcome to the HPS whanau T'Neal and Emily. We are so happy to have you here!

Great team work and sharing of ideas by Archie and Aston.

What a team, using technology and paper to get the job done. Ka pai Cohen and Hakopa!

Check out Room 4's amazing artwork with a great message for us all to remember!

Besin and Paityn working hard to get our school garden growing and thriving, awesome kids!

A HUGE thank you to our wonderful learning assistant Bronwyn Ratahi who has done an amazing job getting our school library back up and running. As you can see she has been working really hard stocktaking, repairing, tidying, freshening up and sorting out our systems so that we can make the most of this fantastic resource. We are looking forward to getting back in there and enjoying this special space!

Over the next few week all classes will recommence their library visits, please check in with your child's teacher if you have any questions.

The more you read the more your know, the more you know the more you grow- so let's get reading!

Tino pai Arani, keep up the awesome mahi!

Way to go Jordan, your writing has improved so much! It is a delight to read!

Ka rawe Meka, you digital story about Kaha's Lockdown Adventures was awesome! So creative!

Tu meke Braxton and Aimee, thank you for consistently showing the KAHA Way!

Way to go Zavier, what an amazing writer you are! Keep up the awesome mahi!

Ka pai Khalifah, you have made a wonderful start and always show the KAHA Way!

Outstanding effort Leo, your independent writing makes us smile! Tino pai

Terrific writing Tangiwai, you have created an excellent recount of Kaha's Lockdown Adventures. Ka rawe!

The Department of Internal Affairs with Netsafe and the Office of Film and Literature Classification is about to launch a ‘Keep it real online’ campaign.

The campaign will support parents and caregivers to reduce the risks of online harm such as cyber-bullying, inappropriate content and grooming.

Parents and caregivers can find information including tips on how to have conversations with their kids at www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz. TV, radio and print ads will commence from Monday 8 June and will run through to the end of July. Printed and online adverts will be produced in English, Te Reo Māori, Samoan, Mandarin and Hindi.

Tools and advice about how to keep your children safe online.

• Talk to your children

• Understand online challenges

• Manage screen time

• Know the rating

• Streaming and video on demand (VOD)

• ISPs and internet safety

Talk to your children

The internet is a great place to connect with family and friends, learn, play games and watch videos and TV programmes. But it can also have downsides for our tamariki, rangatahi and young people. They may be exposed inappropriate content, bullied and ‘groomed’ by sexual predators without even realising it.

• Figure out what they already know
• Let them know you will support them no matter what
• Talk about who they can reach out to if they need help
• Talk about ways to report or remove harmful content.

Netsafe has more information about how to talk to your children:

Netsafe's parent toolkit resource(external link)

How to create an online safety plan(external link)

The Classification Office has resources to help start the conversation:

Information for parents and whānau(external link)

Understand online challenges

Children and tamariki find the internet an easy place to:

• Explore their identity
• Challenge adult norms and boundaries
• Experiment with relationships
• Practice a range of behaviours.

But there is a risk of:

• Online bullying
• Unwanted contact
• Sending and receiving nude content
• Seeing inappropriate content

You can better support children and tamariki when you understand the challenges they face online.

Netsafe has more information:

Understanding young people's online challenges(external link)

Manage screen time

Think about the age and stage of your children and understand how they use the internet.

Are they using it to:

• Learn
• Communicate and create friendships; or
• Create music or videos?

This will help you decide how much time you’d like your children to spend online.

Netsafe has more information: Screentime advice for parents(external link)

Know the rating

Movies, TV programmes and games are rated by the Classification Office. Check the rating to make sure it’s suitable for your child's age.

Shows made for sites like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime are not rated. If you’re not sure if a show is suitable, watch it yourself first.

The Classification Office has more information:

New Zealand's classification labels(external link)

Streaming and video on demand (VOD)

If you see something on a streaming service, on demand, or in a game that may be inappropriate for children:

• Have a look at the parental controls offered on the platform. They are usually in the profile settings. For more information see Taking control: How to make the most of parental controls(external link) – The Classification Office’s guide to parental controls for some of the main providers, for example Netflix, NEON, Lightbox, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and gaming sites like Steam, PlayStation and Nintendo.
• If you have already set parental control and laid a complaint with the provider and the content is still easily accessible to children, email info@classificationoffice.govt.nz.

ISPs and internet safety

An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a company that provides access to the Internet. Customers simply use their modem to connect to the ISP, which then links them to the Internet automatically.

There are many ISPs to choose from, and they should all have information on their websites about privacy settings and parental controls. It’s important to check out exactly what you’re getting before you pick one.

When choosing a provider ask yourself these questions:

• What is their Internet Policy? They should have one.
• Do they provide any Internet Safety Service?
• Do they provide access to filtering software?
• Do they have "safe" website access?

You can contact your ISP for more information about internet safety, parental controls or questions about settings. If your existing ISP doesn’t offer sufficient safety options to meet your family’s needs, you should consider switching to one that does.

ONLINE BULLYING

Advice and support for dealing with online bullying.

ONLINE GROOMING

Online grooming support and how to report online abuse.

REPORT CONTENT

How to report online harm or illegal content.

This site is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs

Crown Copyright © 2020 | Copyright Information

https://www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz/

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Lifeline 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE).

Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.

Samaritans 0800 726 666.

Following the COVID-19 lockdown we have had a number of players decide to pull out of our teams, we have also had no-one come forward to coach.

With Netball Taranaki registration deadlines fast approaching in preparation for a shortened competition starting next term and after much discussion we have made the difficult decision to not have any school netball teams this year.

Any subs that have already been paid will be refunded, please contact Mel in the office to arrange this.

If you have any questions please contact Whaea Janine via email janine.horo@haweraprimary.school.nz

Thank you for your understanding

Thank you for all of your replies to our survey.

The results were collated by Taranaki Hockey along with replies from Stratford schools and the overwhelming opinion was to go with a Term 4 competition in Stratford. Please see the notice below from Taranaki Hockey.

Friday Hockey - Hawera

In the meantime South Taranaki Junior Hockey is running 6 weeks of Friday night hockey in Term 3. Friday night hockey will be focused on fun warm ups and lots of game time.

Start Date: 24th July
Time: 3:30 - 4:30pm
School Year: For all years 1-8
Cost: $15 per person and includes a free mouth guard.

Register here.

Please remember to support our local businesses and shop local if you can

We are happy to announce we will resume Lunch Shack orders from next Friday 29th May.

Order forms and envelopes will now be kept in each class from now on, teachers will arrange for them to be sent to the office in the morning after the roll.

Please note the following important health and safety information:

"As a food manufacturer and supplier we follow strict health and safety which include regular sanitation of all work benches and utensils, along with regular washing of hands.

All lunches will be prepared and placed in tubs with lids for each class, we will deliver to the reception using gloves and masks, then the bins can be delivered to each class. We can then collect tubs from reception."

Thea Haunton- Lunch Shack Bakery

We are now able to order school lunches from Subway on a Wednesday. Envelopes are available from the your child's classroom.

Mini Subs $3.50 - 6 inch $4 - Cookies $1 - Water $2.

Orders need to be place BEFORE 9am Wednesday (no late orders accepted as Subway collects the money)

Please provide correct money -

Hawera Primary will NOT be able to change money for the children.