Chelsea School Newsletter
Week 6, Term 1 2023
Important Term Dates
- Thu 16 Mar: Y4-Y6 Swimming Sports at Birkenhead Pools
- Fri 17 Mar: Junior Swimming Sports Y1-Y2
- Tue 21 Mar: Rock Your Socks World Down Syndrome Day
- Thu 23 Mar: Interschool Cricket
- Thu 23 Mar: Used Uniform Sale
- Fri 24 Mar: Y3 Swiming Sports @ Chelsea School Pool 1pm
- Fri 24 Mar: PTA Magic Disco
- Tue 28 Mar: Interschool Swimming Y4 - Y6
- Thu 06 Apr: Term 1 Ends
- Mon 24 Apr: Teacher Only Day
- Tue 25 Apr: Anzac Day
- Wed 26 Apr: Term 2 Begins - School Open for Instruction
Kia ora whānau
What a happy, settled vibe we are experiencing at school right now. Summer has finally arrived (I probably shouldn’t jinx it), but wow, does a bit of sunshine make a difference! Long may it last.
It was lovely to see so many of our kids having a ball at the PJ and Pizza Party last Friday after a long break for these kinds of events. Thanks to Krystal and the army of PTA helpers who make these events such a success. The PTA is a great example of the saying ‘many hands make light work’, and we really appreciate all of our parents who help out!
On that note, the PTA is looking for a Secretary with Collette Williams stepping down. Thanks, Collette, for your amazing service over the years you have held this role. Please check out the Hero notice from earlier this week for more information about the role of Secretary.
We have an exciting week with our Y4-6 Swimming Sports at the Birkenhead Pools on Thursday. Please check out the detailed message on Hero so that you know how this day will run. This is a chance for our talented swimmers to showcase their skills, and it is also a chance for those who are less confident to show our ‘Up for a Challenge’ DNA. It’s so important that everyone takes part and gives it their best shot. One of the greatest life lessons we can give our children is to face things that feel hard; avoiding these challenges means that our learners rarely feel what it’s like to triumph over things that feel hard or uncomfortable. The support that our learners give each other at these types of events is phenomenal. I’m really looking forward to seeing our kids in action. Our Year 1 & 2 swimmers will show us their skills on Friday at the school pool. Year 3 Swimming Sports is happening on Friday 24th, at the school pool.
We are holding our first whole school assembly this Friday at 9.00 am, run by our Student Council. We are looking forward to getting together to celebrate our DNA/Values Award winners. Everyone is welcome to come along.
Next Tuesday, we encourage everyone to dig out a pair of colourful socks to support the Auckland Down Syndrome Association.
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY - World Down Syndrome Day Tuesday 21 March
Celebratory days are a great way to start conversations and share information. On 21 March we will celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. This day was chosen to represent the tripling of the 21st chromosome that causes most types of Down syndrome. (www.worlddownsyndromeday.org)
This article is written by Paula Beguely, mum of Charlotte, who is now in Pakiaka, Year 2. Charlotte has Down syndrome.
Charlotte is like any other six year old. She loves her friends at school, fights with her sister, and likes to do things her way. She is eager to please her teachers – but not her parents! She enjoys reading, singing, drama and playing with her dolls, and going to the beach. She is friendly, trusting, and very cheeky. She needs to feel valued, loved, and to have good friends. She needs to have a sense of purpose and achievement in her life. She needs to participate and learn skills at school that she will need as an adult. Just like your children.
Charlotte has Trisomy 21 Down syndrome – which impacts her in many ways. This is a great chance to provide you with extra information to help foster a community of acceptance and inclusion. Down syndrome causes physical and learning differences. I encourage you to read the Kids Guide to Down Syndrome, and watch this video. What is Down Syndrome?. The video is 5 minutes – and is a great one to share with your kids.
Charlotte has low muscle tone, and she looks a little squishy. This affects ALL her muscles – moving, and staying still, eating, talking are all harder for people with Down syndrome. Everything takes much more effort. By the end of the school day, Charlotte is shattered. She is smaller all over which makes some things more challenging. Small ears mean that she often has “underwater” hearing. Glasses help her eyesight a lot but don’t make it perfect. Clear speech is challenging – and we often ask her to speak slower.
Charlotte has very poor auditory short-term memory (spoken instructions go in one ear and out the other!)- but FANTASTIC visual memory. So, she needs some visual cues, like sign language or pictures, bullet points, or a gesture to help her remember instructions and aid comprehension. MANY other children learn well from visual instructions too, so some supports in the classroom for Charlotte will benefit all children. She can learn any new activity – given the right coaching and learning tools. She likes step-by-step instructions and a sense of achievement and progress. She prefers a quiet environment for learning, and small groups, with plenty of opportunities to reset.
In Year 1 Charlotte became fully immersed in school life – learning with her peers, joining Kapa Haka, singing her heart out at the Christmas concert, and even auditioning for Chelseas got talent. She has a great sense of belonging at school, and it is a big part of her identity. We look forward to seeing what Year 2 will bring.
Please see Charlotte as capable – she can learn to do anything. Please don’t think of her as a “Downsy”, the “downs” girl, or “Downs”. She is a girl, who has Down syndrome. But most of all she is CHARLOTTE.
We welcome questions – so don’t be shy or embarrassed. A little knowledge can lead to greater acceptance and inclusion. You can email beguelys@gmail.com. I also work for the Auckland Down Syndrome Association. Take a minute to look at our latest newsletter and get to know us a little better. Charlotte is featured a lot! ADSA March Newsletter
These stunning visual mihi caught my eye as I walked through Māhuri Hub 1 this week. If you take some time to look closely at the images within each, you get a sense of the different places and worlds that our learners ‘stand’ in.
Ngā Mihi
Amanda Douglas
Tumuaki/Principal
Chelsea Primary School
2023 Kiwi English, Mathematics and Science Competitions - Year 5 & 6
The University of Canterbury is offering your child the opportunity to participate in the KIWI English, Mathematics and Science competitions. These competitions take place annually and are designed by New Zealand teachers for New Zealand students based on the New Zealand Curriculum. The competitions are open to all Year 5-10 students in English, Mathematics and Science. Students can enter one or more subjects. Each competition will provide parents/caregivers with an individual student report of their child’s overall performance. At school, we supervise the online tests which will take place in the last 3 weeks of Term 2.
All participating students will receive a certificate and a prize will be awarded to the top student nationally in each competition.
Your child has received a form to fill out and return if this is something you and your child are interested in participating in. Entries are administered by the school and must be received no later than Wednesday 10th of May.
For further information, please consult the CAM website www.canterbury.ac.nz/cam
Used uniform sale, Thursday 23rd March
From 8am until 9.15am Claire will be at school to sell used uniforms and receive uniform donations. This will be in the room to the north (left) in the main reception building (just ask at the office if you aren't sure. You can pay by cash (no change) or eftpos at the office.
Come along and stock up for the changing seasons. See you there!