Newsletter week 3, Term 4 2022

Term 4 Week 3 - 4th November 2022

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Tena Koutou, Talofa, Namaste, Hello and Greetings

IThis term is just flying by and we are having a busy one!

We were very lucky to have a Space Ambassador visit the school with Joseph Mooney (MP) on Wednesday. It was awesome to have them in our school and share about the space programmes available in New Zealand. We are one of the very few schools they visited, tu meke East Gore. We are also a few weeks away from starting our week of swimming, so I would hunt out your child's swimming togs and make sure they are ready for our week at the pool. There will be more information to come around times etc closer to the time.

This week I was privileged to attend a Maori Achievement Collaborative (MAC) conference. This three day conference was inspiring to hear from passionate educators around Aotearoa. During this conference I gained ideas and wonderings about the way we do things in our school - what we can enhance, what we can change and what we are already doing well.

Welcome to the team

It it with great excitement that I can let you know that Riley Kaio (Room Kauri) will be continuing her teaching in Room Kauri in 2023 and beyond. Riley joined us in Term 3 from Whenuapai School in Auckland and she has fit into the team like she's been here for so much longer. We are lucky to have Riley stay on at East Gore and I know the tamariki (students) who join Room Kauri will have a lot of fun with their learning programmes.

Teacher Only Day

The Board have approved a teacher only day to be held on Friday 18 November. The staff will be spending this day looking at assessment data. This is the last teacher only day that we are having for the year. As the school will be closed for instruction, can you please ensure alternative childcare arrangements.

Grocery Grab Fundraiser

Wow, these raffles are flying out the door!! Some families are selling them like hot cakes - great effort!!

This raffle has a great prize of running around the supermarket and grabbing a trolley (or 2) of groceries AND not paying for it. Imagine what you could get if you are a winner... I know what I would be getting...

Tickets are only on sale for another 2 weeks, so make sure you and your friends and family are in to win!

Wendy Kitto

Principal

Wendy Kitto - Principal

Kia pai tō rā whakatā (have a great weekend).

SCHOOL NOTICES

CONTACT DETAILS

Please keep the office updated with any changes to address/cellphone number and emergency contact details. We need to be able to contact someone in case of an emergency at all times.

STUDENTS LEAVING

If you are picking up a student during school hours please come to the office to sign them out.

If they return they must sign back in ie: going & returning from an appointment.

Remember, students must sign in at the office if they are arriving to school late .

We need to know where students are at all times incase of an emergency so we appreciate your support with this.

HEAT UPS

We are unable to heat up lunches for students at lunch times. Staff use this time getting ready for the afternoon programmes and having their own break. We appreciate your support by not sending pies/noodles etc to school. School lunches are provided to every student in the school.

HEADLICE

Headlice cases have popped up across the school this week. If you could all check your child/rens hair and treat if necessary. We appreciate you help with the control of this.

ILLNESS

If your any student is unwell we will ring home to ask them to be picked up.

Ministry of Health guidelines say that students must stay away from school 48 hours after the last vomit or diarrhoea episode.

Thank you to our great volunteers Emma & Co, Grace Church team and Phillip for your help with allowing this service to be offered to all students. If you would like to help you would be most welcome - more the merrier.

Breakfast Club will open in the hall at 8.35am and finish at 8.50am - weetbix followed by toast will be on offer.

Ministry of Health Guidelines

A reminder from the MOE and MOH

If a child has been unwell with a respiratory illness other than COVID-19, they can return to school 24 hours after they have significantly improved and are behaving/ eating normally.
Following vomiting or diarrhoea, a child should be symptom free for 48 hours before returning to school.
If they still have a runny nose or dry cough without any other symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, then they are unlikely to be infectious and can be considered well enough to come to school.
In general, a doctor's certificate or clearance should not have to be provided for a child to return to school after being unwell.

The Ministry of Health has recently updated its definition of a household contact.

You are a household contact if you:

normally share a residence with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (either on a permanent or part-time, or shared custody basis)
spent at least one night or day (more than eight hours) in that residence while the person with COVID-19 was infectious
don’t normally share a residence with the positive case but have spent a night together in the same room.