
Hāwera Primary School
Newsletter No. 1 - February 2022
Contact Details
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
From the Principal
Kia ora koutou katoa - Greetings to you all
WELCOME TO THE 2022 SCHOOL YEAR!
We have made a wonderful start while New Zealand’s COVID-19 response continues amid much larger numbers of daily cases.
You may well have seen the headlines in the media about the numbers of cases being seen in schools. Please don’t be alarmed by this. It was only natural that as cases in our community increased, they would eventually appear in our school. We have really good systems in place to respond to this and to keep any spread of the virus – to a minimum.
You may have seen Dr Jin Russell in the media noting research from New South Wales about their recent Omicron outbreak showing that onward transmission within the school setting is very low. For every child who is infected and attends school only 3.7% of their close contacts at school subsequently tested positive. We have seen that in New Zealand too – public health teams on the ground have seen that even though cases pop up in schools, there has been very little onward spread through the school because of the protective measures we have in place.
This is why we remain open at Red. It’s great for a child’s wellbeing and learning to be at school with their friends and school staff, and we have very good systems in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Your job remains the same, too: please continue to keep a really close watch of your whānau for anyone with symptoms. If unwell, please stay at home and get advice about getting a COVID-19 test.
With Phase 3 of the Omicron response, the key change is that it is only confirmed cases and their household contacts who need to self-isolate. Everyone else, including those who may have had close contact with the case but aren’t in the household, must continue to monitor really closely for any symptoms of COVID-19.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are now being used to diagnose COVID-19 as well as PCR tests. This means that you will get an almost immediate test result back if a RAT is used.
If anyone in your family is confirmed as having COVID-19, you will be asked to notify your close contacts yourself. Please get in touch with us as soon as you can if your child has tested positive for COVID-19.
Transmission of COVID-19 is still most likely to happen in your home – so please keep doing all those good things to keep your whānau safe. Wash your hands, get lots of fresh air, cover any coughs and sneezes, clean surfaces regularly, and seek advice if anyone is not feeling well. Please wear a mask when you are out and about. There is information online to help your family prepare to isolate if you need to.
The most important advice we can give to keep your whānau safe is to act as if you have COVID-19. More than a third of people who have COVID-19 will not have any symptoms if they have had three doses of the vaccine. Please think about who you visit and what health measures you can put in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Getting three doses of the vaccine will really help you to do that. Research has shown that compared with being unvaccinated, three doses of the vaccine will mean you are 67% less likely to be infected with Omicron and 97% less likely to get Delta. If you can’t get COVID you can’t pass it on.
Finally, we know how hard the impacts on COVID-19 have been for many families in New Zealand. If you know of a family in your community who is struggling, please encourage them to reach out for support for example to access food, medicine, or access financial support: Help is available – COVID-19 Health Hub.
I have included a copy of our recent communication further on in the newsletter. f you have any concerns about sending your child to school, please do get in touch. We are here to help.
Staffing Update
We happily welcome beginning teachers Miss Shaquille Titter (H6), Miss Jessica O'Leary (Ku5), Ms Claudette McMaster (M3) To our school. We are excited to be able to support them as they have all made great starts in their chosen profession.
Our teaching team is further complemented by the addition of experienced teachers Ms Andrea Harding (Ka15) and Mrs Laurie Kinaston (Reading Recovery). Our new and excellent existing teachers provide a great balance of skills, knowledge and passions
A warm welcome is also extended to Maritza Warmenhove who takes over from Mel in the office from the 1st March, we wish her all the best and ask for your kindness and support as she settles into her role. We wish Mel all the very best for her next adventures, she is a lady of many talents who has been a real asset to our school over the last few years. Her friendly ways and strengths will be missed.
Over the break our lovely cleaner Shyanne Hikaka earned a promotion so we reluctantly said goodbye and good luck. Fortunately for us we have since employed Kalyn Sheehy who has done an excellent job taking over the cleaning duties.
Today we are delighted to welcome back our Deputy Principal Kerri McColl who is returning from maternity leave following the arrival of her second daughter last year. She is excited to be back and is ready to roll.
It's great to have our full staff locked in, they are up and running beautifully- growing together, bouncing lots of neat ideas off each other, stepping up as leaders and working as a team. As always it is a privilege to lead them.
Congratulations to Mrs Sarah Stratton, husband Michael and daughter Lilah who will be welcoming a new addition to their family later in the year. We also congratulate Ella Dazley, partner Aaron and daughter Tillie who are also expecting. We wish them all all the best for a safe delivery. The HPS stork will be busy once again!
‘Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu - Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly’
Ngā manaakitanga
Shevaun O'Brien
PRINCIPAL
WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW STAFF
Each class completed their own whakatau process on Day 1 as a way of welcoming in any new members of the HPS whānau and beginning the process of growing together as a group.
Once the COVID-19 setting changes we plan to have some whole school events to get to know each other better which will definitely be something to look forward to!
Ms Harding
Hi,
I’m Andrea Harding. I’m really happy to be teaching at Hāwera Primary School as this is where I started my teaching career way back in 1980!
I have recently returned from Egypt where I was teaching for the last five years.
I’m so happy to be back in my home town and looking forward to giving the best of me to your children.
Miss T
Hi HPS whānau,
My name is Shaquille Titter and I am teaching in Hautoa (H6) this year. I am born and breed in New Plymouth and enjoy living in our beautiful province. I have previously taught as a day to day reliever and a release teacher but am excited to start my classroom teaching journey here. I come from a large family and enjoy spending time with my family and exploring our province on my weekends!
Miss O'Leary
My name is Jess O'Leary and I have recently moved to Taranaki after having finishing my study in Wellington.
I enjoy creating things, reading, and love spending time with my family and friends.
I am really enjoying working with the wonderful learners in Kukari.
MRS KINASTON
My name is Laurie Kinaston and this year I have been given the opportunity to train to be a Reading Recovery Teacher in your school.
I am an experienced primary school teacher, and have been in a variety of teaching positions in Auckland, Rotorua, London, Whanganui and South Taranaki. I also teach the Year 7 and 8 students to cook at Auroa School on Fridays.
I have three boys Will (20 years), Finn (17 years) and Jonte (15 years) My husband Roger and I own a small dairy farm, south of Hawera.
In my spare time I love to walk and hike our beautiful Maunga, I also enjoy cooking, reading, music and watching movies. I am looking forward to getting to know you as I start my new and exciting journey at Hawera Primary School.
Ms McMaster
Tēnā koutou,
I am incredibly grateful and overjoyed to be a part of HPS.
At the core of my teaching philosophy is having high expectations of all tamariki. I believe that all tamariki are capable of achieving their goals, and as a teacher, I have the knowledge and skills to guide learners along that journey. I focus on a growth mind-set approach believe in fair and consistent practice.
My hobbies include flying light aircraft and staying up to date on studies involving human development and learning (Psychology).
I am currently undertaking study towards a Master of Education.
Maritza
Hi everyone my name is Maritza, I am trying to fill Mel's big shoes in the office. If you don't recognize my funny accent, I am from South Africa. Over the previous two weeks I have met some of you beautiful kind children, you can be very proud of them.
Kalyn
Hi everyone, my name is Kalyn and I am the new cleaner. I took over from Shyanne at the beginning of the year. She did a great job showing me the ropes.
In my spare time I like to hang out with my children and support them in their activities. I'm really enjoying being a part of the HPS team.
LATEST COVID-19 PHASE 3 INFORMATION & ADVICE
ADVICE FOLLOWING CONFIRMED CASE AT OUR SCHOOL
27/02/2022
The health and wellbeing of our children, staff and community is a top priority.
We’re sending this letter as there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our school community. We are now at Phase 3.
This means that only people in the same household as that person need to isolate. Everyone else should still come to Hāwera Primary School.
What you need to do
You and your whānau should watch for symptoms
If any develop, get tested immediately
Then, stay at home until you receive the result
If your whānau hasn’t been vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible. You can book on-line at bookmyvaccine.nz or by calling 0800 28 29 26. It’s free.
What we’re doing
Hāwera Primary School continues to operate as usual
We have appropriate public health measures and cleaning procedures in place providing multiple levels of protection for our students
Symptoms of COVID-19
A new or worsening cough
Sneezing and runny nose
A fever
Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste
Sore throat
Shortness of breath
Less common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.
For more information, go to https://covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing/about-covid-19/covid-19-symptoms/(external link)
Please contact me via email principal@haweraprimary.school.nz or phone 027 360 8636 if you have any questions.
Noho ora mai
Shevaun O’Brien
Principal
Hāwera Primary School