Ardmore School Newsletter

* Hello * Kia ora * Malo e lelei * Namaste * Talofa lava * Kia orana * Guten Tag* Nǐ hǎo * Sat sree akaal * Hola * Chào bạn * Bula * Hallo

*As-salamu ‘Alakum

I have to admit to procrastinating in the development of my ICT skills around the new newsletter format. I am definitely in the 'learning pit'. I am a bit frustrated with myself but, as we ask our learners to do when learning something new, I am persevering.

Currently we have four 'bubbles' operating in different parts of the school and all our teaching staff and most of our support staff are on site as well. This is to ensure that we can continue to provide online learning as well as onsite supervision for the tamariki / children at school. Schools were notified by the Ministry of Education on Friday afternoon that the numbers in each bubble can be expanded past 10, if there is a need. My thanks to the parents of the tamariki onsite who follow the school guidelines for drop-off and pick-up. It helps to keep everyone safe.

Ngā mihi

Brigid Peterson

Principal / Tumuaki Ardmore School

Last Thursday (4th November) was the celebration of Diwali.

Diwali is often called the Festival of Lights, which is also the Hindu New Year. On this day, families come together and celebrate the win of light over darkness, good over evil, and it is a time for reflection and the start of a new year and new opportunities. Diwali is generally a time for visiting friends and family, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off fireworks. People also decorate their homes with colourful lights and Rangoli patterns. People wear new clothes and ladies and girls also put henna (Mehendi) patterns on their hands.

Auckland usually celebrates Diwali with the annual Diwali Festival but unfortunately, similar to a lot of other events, this too was cancelled.

Thank you to everyone of the 193 respondents to the survey I sent out asking whether your tamariki would return to school if school returned this year. The information and your comments were used to inform the Auckland Primary Principals' Association information presented to Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education.

39.4% would return to school

25.9% would not return to school

34.7% may return depending on a range of factors

Our classroom organisation for next year will remain almost exactly the same as this year. Teachers will shortly begin organising class lists. Please let the school office know if your child isn't returning to Ardmore School next year as this impacts our class organisation.

If your child has particular needs that should be taken into consideration in their classroom placement please email me: bpeterson@ardmore.school.nz or Mrs Debbie Spick, the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

Have you enrolled your Year 8 child in high school? If not, it is very important that you do this as soon as possible as high schools use term 4 to complete their transition processes which ensure that children's learning, social and emotional needs are met when they start their new school.

Please look out for a Yearbook order form coming to your inbox soon!

Even with Covid lockdowns it has been a busy year. The yearbook contains classroom pictures, images and articles of events during the year PLUS photos of students with their Ag Day animals and gardens. Also highlights of lockdown work, space for autographs and much more.

We have teamed up with Family Zone to provide access for our school community to a wide variety of resources to help keep our tamariki safe online both in and out of school. Why not click on the link below to take the quiz and explore the resources available.

Take the Cybersafety Family Quiz

Email: office@ardmore.school.nz
Website: https://www.ardmore.school.nz/
Location: 599 Papakura-Clevedon Road, Ardmore, New Zealand
Phone: 09 299 6228

PSG Newsletter for Nov 2021

Chairperson - Christy Harvey

Secretary - Charles Briggs

Treasurer- Megan McCann

Email: ardmorepsg@gmail.com

WHAT WE DO? PARENTS SUPPORT GROUP

We are a group of parents who are actively involved in raising funds for the benefit of Ardmore School students. Our aim is to support the school and give the students and community some extra fun events to enjoy.

We welcome new members, if you are interested or want to find out more, please email us. Anyone is welcome to join our meetings held twice a term. If you can’t make the meetings but would love to help, we would love to add your details to our helpers list. Love to hear from you.

Oxford Pie Delivery

We have had a delay in delivery due to Covid restrictions.

Contactless delivery will be happening next Wednesday 10th November. If you have made an order you will receive an email asking where you would like delivery and what time you can take it. Pies are fresh so they need to have someone to receive the delivery. Any queries please email ardmorepsg@gmail.com

Second Hand Uniform Shop

I am sure that when we finally get to put uniforms back on our kids they would have grown quite a bit!!! Please consider our shop for donations. Contactless drop offs can be done to the school office.

Jack n Jill Photos

We were booked in for November, this has been cancelled due to Covid restrictions and transferred to Term 1 - 29th March 22.

Calendar Art

Unfortunately due to lockdown the children's art was never completed. So there will be no calendars, diaries for sale this year.

Christmas Baubles

www.lovefromseventeen.nz

We sold some lovely personalised Christmas Baubles last year. We will be running this again this year but with a few changes. This time you can order anything on and through their website and it will be delivered directly to your home address. The school makes 25% of all sales. More info attached. Please share this info on your facebook page so friends and family can purchase also. All they need to do is use the code ARDMORE.

Scholastic Books

Christmas brochure is out, orders need to be in by Friday 12 November. If you spend over $35 your delivery will be free. Great opportunity to do some Christmas shopping!

Yummy Stickers

Please keep collecting your Yummy Stickers from the fruit you are buying. We recently sent in 3766 stickers for the year 2021. This provides us with free sporting equipment for the school to the approx value of over $400. Please post in the PSG post box in the new year.

Sandpit

Some great news about our sandpit, it has started!!!! This will be ready in 2022 for the children to enjoy. It is positioned next to the school pool and the new basket swing and is about 70 m2.