Kia ora parents, caregivers, and extended whanau
Wow, it sure is great to be back. It was a bold move to fully reopen, but we were committed to getting all of our tamariki back so that they could end the school year on a high note and also to support our families after what has been an arduous few months. This commitment has meant that management of breaktime interactions has had to be very tight. However, we have been pleasantly surprised by how well the children have adapted to it. They seem to be playing and interacting happily, as well as playing in areas and with classmates who they previously may never have played with.
Thank you to our mums, dads, and grandparents for supporting us by following the drop off and pick up process. This has really made our job a lot easier because we can closely monitor your child's movements as soon as they enter school. Thanks to Scott Macdonald and Emily Spooner for the advice regarding congestion on Clive Howe Road. We have temporarily managed the bottle neck by placing cones outside the Church verge, and it seems the traffic is flowing better. I have had conversations with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport around this as I believe with the Carter Road developments, this will be an ongoing issue and may need a permanent parking redesign. The have assured me that it will be looked into, however, it is unlikely to be addressed quickly.
SCHOOLS APP! The only other thing I need you to do, and this is the reason why we are sending a hardcopy newsletter home today, is get our "School App" installed on your phone. It appears that there are a few families not yet connected to the School App. This is one simple thing you can do that would really help our school, because if you are on this communication app then you will be on the same page as us and everybody else. School App is the one stop shop for communication. The instructions are below. Get it on your phone now!
As the end of year draws very near, we are trying to sort out what we can and cannot do. With strict health and safety measures still likely to be in place for our school we will not be holding our Prizegiving in the usual manner. We will be looking to hold a student only prizegiving on the 14th of December and video recording it for families to watch, much like our previous virtual assemblies. We are also looking to explore opportunities- if possible- to do something in the way of a Year 6 leavers picnic. Reports will be going home as usual on the 14th of December. Next week's newsletter will outline the end of year in more detail. However, please understand that getting through to the end of the year and staying the course with full school days and full attendance is the priority and anything over and above that would be a bonus.
Have a great week
Mr Tawhiti
