Kia ora e te whaanau,

I hope you have all had a good week. There have been a few more children with jerseys on this week, and I need to hunt out some of my winter clothes with the drop in temperature over the last couple of days. It always makes me smile as some children seem immune to the cold with their summer clothing on while I’m shivering and my lips are turning blue. 

Pink Shirt Day is coming up next week. This is an annual event that Puketaha School participates in, as do many schools worldwide. It is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of standing up to bullying.

Recently at our school hui, we discussed how unkind actions and words can affect another person. Many of you might know the analogy with the scrunched-up paper, where insults crease the paper, and even after an apology, the paper is still creased. It refers to the fact that the harm caused by unkindness can be long-lasting, even after an apology. 

We also talked about Bystanders and Upstanders. A Bystander can unintentionally appear to support a bully if they say or do nothing. An Upstander, however, can be a big support to other people and show the person being unkind that their behaviour is not accepted by the collective. We talked with the tamariki about strategies to be an Upstander, by pulling together some other friends to say ‘no’ to unkind behaviour, showing support to the person by taking them away from the situation and befriending them, as well as letting an adult know what has happened. Many of our older children have the added dynamic of social media, which can very easily turn into a platform for bullying. My advice to parents is to be very cautious when allowing their children on social media, as, unfortunately, it is too common for children to be exposed to content and unkindness which can go unnoticed. This is one of the reasons many of these platforms are restricted to 13 years old. If they do have social media, talk to your child about strategies to keep themselves safe such as making sure accounts are private; as a parent, have ways to monitor your child while they are on social media and encourage them to talk to you if something makes them feel uncomfortable. 

Being an Upstander links very closely to our school's 6Cs and Values. Being 'Courageous’ to speak up, have resilience and also seek support from others. Our Value of ‘Integrity’ encourages us to stand up for what is right. We invite everyone to participate in Pink Shirt Day on Friday, 19th May, by wearing pink. It’s also an opportunity to have discussions with your child about being kind, as well as being an upstander. 

Kia pai too raa,

Nyree