Waikari School Newsletter

Email: principal@waikari.school.nz
Website: https://waikari.school.nz
Location: 23 Princes Street, Waikari, New Zealand
Phone: (03)314 4250

Kia ora e te whānau,

Another term has started off with a bang at Waikari School. Despite not being able to welcome our new teacher due to illness, we have all been working together to fully participate in quality teaching and learning at Waikari School. We are grateful to Mrs. Lydon for coming back after retirement (she thought she could get rid of us).

During the first week of the term, I attended the Brené Brown Dare to Lead course in Christchurch. I was very grateful for this opportunity as I took away many important lessons that will help me continue to grow as a leader and Tumuaki. I really enjoyed attending this course with my friend Kelsie, who taught with me in Methven. She also followed her partner to the farm and is now the principal of Kereru, a small rural school in Hawke's Bay.

I asked the students what things they were excited about this term, and here are their responses:

- Learning about the local environment and undertaking our science inquiry

- Participating in Kapa Haka and learning from an experienced coach

- Having a new teacher

- Cross Country

- Learning about bones and fossils

- Continuing our music lessons with Sally

- Starting choir on Fridays

I am excited for all of these things as well, and I want to thank the entire Waikari community for their continued support.

Noho ora mai,

Phoebe Todd

• A huge thank you to our local Waikari Op Shop, who has donated $1,000 towards our senior school camp at Staveley Forest Camp in Term 3. This camp is going to be action-packed with lots of activities, including a day of skiing. Families are facing many financial pressures these days, so we are extremely grateful to the Op Shop for their support. It is only through the generous contributions we receive from our community that we are able to provide these amazing experiences for our students. Thank you!
• Another thank you must be given to the FAST, who donate $5,200 annually to Teacher Aid funding, as well as $80 per person towards the camp. The tamariki at Waikari School greatly benefit from your contribution.
• Lastly, thank you to everyone who helped out at the school working bee and tree trimming morning. We are really lucky to have a supportive school community that all pitches in to make our school a better place. I have received lots of comments on how tidy our school is looking.

At the end of this term you will recieve your childs report via Hero. This will be via the Hero app.

You will receive:

• reading, writing & maths comment
• graphs which show your child's academic progress
• student reflection comment
• PRIDE assessment

Please attend the school assembly in week 10 as Phoebe will be presenting a powerpoint on Hero reports then.

As detailed in the recent Attendance Action Plan announcement from David Seymour (Associate Education Minister), all schools will be required to report attendance data weekly from this week. This data provides meaningful snapshots to support the Ministry in identifying and understanding the key drivers of non- attendance.

Thank you for prioritising attendance and keeping in close communication with us around absences from school.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be practicing our emergency drills at school.

The following information about our school Lockdown & Shelter in Place emergency procedures and it is directly from School Docs (our policy and procedures site) which you can access if you would like to know what happens in case of an emergency.

Lockdown/Shelter in Place Overview

• If a situation requires the school to start lockdown or shelter in place procedures, or if we are instructed by authorities such as the New Zealand Police, we follow our emergency management plan.
• The principal or their delegate is responsible for alerting everyone on site (including visitors and contractors) of a lockdown/shelter in place. Everyone on site must follow staff instructions. As appropriate to the situation, Waikari School updates parents/caregivers when it can using available communication options, ideally Hero.
• Parents/Caregivers must follow any instructions issued by authorities and the school, including not coming to the school to see or collect their children if advised. This is particularly important if the school is in lockdown under police instruction.

Lockdown

• Lockdown is usually used in response to an incident directed at the school (e.g. a dangerous person on school grounds).
• During a lockdown, we stay inside until we receive the "all clear". We follow the direction of authorities and emergency services to minimise the threat to people at the school.
• If we do not receive detailed instructions from authorities and/or emergency services, we follow our standard lockdown procedures until further information is available.
• If we decide the situation does not require a full lockdown, or are advised by authorities that a full lockdown is not required, we may follow a Shelter in Place response.

Shelter in Place

• Shelter in Place is usually used in response to an incident near the school, but not directed at the school specifically (e.g. a severe weather event, or an incident in the community that is not in or near the school grounds, i.e. gas leak).
• During a shelter in place, staff move everyone who is on site inside. We close doors and windows and, if necessary, shut down heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (e.g. if there are airborne hazards in the environment).
• We restrict entry and exit to school buildings and continue normal school activities as much as possible. We do not allow anyone in or out of the grounds and buildings until we receive the "all clear".

Communicating with whānau

• In an emergency, disaster, or crisis the school contacts parents/caregivers/whānau when it can, using the emergency contact details provided, and releases information to the school community as appropriate. Depending on the circumstances, our available communication options may include:
• texting/messaging or phoning parents/caregivers
• updating the school website, school app, parent portal, or student management system (HERO)
• updating any voice message system with the new status of the school
• putting up signs
• emailing parents/caregivers
• informing local media outlets.

Just a quick reminder that our School Uniform Policy states that students are required to wear unbranded jerseys. (Macpac has an extension until the end of the year, as communicated earlier.) We have noticed that many students have been wearing branded hoodies to school with large prints and logos on them. Please note that these do not align with our school uniform policy. We understand that there may be instances when the correct uniform is unavailable, and in such cases, we kindly ask that you either write a note or see the teacher to request a day exemption. Thank you for your understanding.

During the Term 1 holidays on the 25th April, Waikari held its annual ANZAC Day parade and service. Waikari School was well represented and thank you to those students who laid a wreath Weka class had made on our behalf. It was great to see many Waikari students and whānau who took part in the service and parade. Waikari students have been busy learning about the story behind ANZAC over the past couple of weeks.

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On Wednesday, we went for a visit to the Moa Swamp in Pyramid Valley. Here's some information the children remembered from the trip. A huge thank you to Mike and Nicky Hodgen for having us visit and sharing their knowledge.

• "Limestone rock formations are made of shells." - Aiden
• "It is the most significant Moa bone site in the world." - Manaaki
• "They only dig a 2m by 2m square of bones once every 25 years to preserve the site." - Macy
• "There were mostly female Moa bones found in the swamp." - Amelia
• "Not many Moa eggs have been found. Moas only lay an egg once every 5 years." - Maddison
• "Bones are there because the Moas would travel slowly along the swamp, and the Haast Eagle would come and attack them." - Tom
• "The bones were found when Mike's grandfather was burying a horse in the swamp." - Will

This learning will ignite our Science in Our Backyard Inquiry, exploring the living world, geology, fossils, and animals that used to live in the Waikari, Weka Pass, and Pyramid Valley area.

You may remember that at the end of Term 1, Waikari School went on a field trip to the Waipara River. Mr. Love, our guide, met us there and led us up the riverbed on an adventure back in time. He showed us so many interesting things, from a geological map in the clay banks where he pointed out different time periods to concretions in the shape of spheres emerging from the cliffs.

Take a look at these 'Did You Know?' reports that the Wekas produced, sharing the prehistoric information they learned.

This is based on the learning both Mrs Florance and I have been doing, having discussions at home using maths language is a great way to continue to build maths competencies. The first family to return this to me win a prize!

Congratulations to Charlotte, Emily, Max, Maddison & Aiden for their success at the recent Athletics Prizegiving.

Most Potential Champion Girls 11 years. - Maddison

Middle Distance Champion Boys 10 years - Max

Club Champion Boys 9 years - Aiden

Club Champion Girls 8 Years - Emily A

Congratulations to the following certificate winners:

• Zara - Always being someone who make a difference to others,
• Bridie - Amazing writing in the Weka Room.

Recently we have been discussing that we show Difference by demonstrating empathy. Miss Todd recently went on a course with members of the Crusaders Leadership. She learnt alot about Empathy, and shared this video with us. We then discussed ways that we could give the Crusaders Empathy while they are going through a tough time.

• We can acknowledge the down, hard or sucky times.
• Listen to them
• When they are ready, share ways to help.

Absences

• If your child is not going to be at school please contact the school before 9:00am. This can now also be done through the HERO app.

School Bank Account

• Automatic payments are also welcome (weekly & fortnightly) and our Student Management system can also handle Payments in Advance.

Office Hours

• School office will be manned by Caryn from 9.00-9:30 and 1:30-3:00

Break Times

• 10:45-11:10 Morning Tea
• 12:45-1:20 Lunch

• Appointment Procedure
• Equal Employment Opportunities
• Teacher Relief Cover
• Safety Checking
• Police Vetting
• Classroom Release Time/Timetable
• Employer Responsibility Policy

Username: waikari

Password: pride

We as a B.O.T really value your feedback.

• Thursday 16th May - Support Staff Day
• Wednesday 22nd May - Greta Valley & Waikari School Cross Country (pp Friday 24th)
• Wednesday 22nd May - Board Meeting 5pm Srtaffroom
• Tuesday 28th May - Hurunui Zones Cross Country
  
• Monday 3rd June - Kings Birthday School Closed
• Thursday 6th June - Assembly 2:30pm Kea Class
• Friday 7th June - Teacher Only Day
• Friday 28th June - Matariki Weekend (school closed)
• Thursday 4th June - Assembly & Hero Report Presentation Kea Class 2:15pm
• Friday 5th July - End of Term 2