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A warm welcome to our new students, Blair Bethell, Esme Bethell, Emily Pratt, Aria Pratt, Reign Roebuck, Oliver Good, Micah Harding-Te Huia, Oliver Stone, Brodie Sheppard
Ngaa mihi nui i teenei te wiki tuatahi o te waahanga hoou. Greetings to you all in the first week of the new term. I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the return to school routines after the holiday break. As we dive back into the year, I wanted to share some insights from a recent staff well-being workshop that took place during the holiday call-back days. Our staff worked with Rachel Matheson from Spark House, who specialises in workshops to support resilience, productivity and general wellbeing for people in their everyday spaces, and in particular, teachers.
During this workshop, our staff had the opportunity to delve into personal well-being strategies aimed at navigating the various external and internal pressures that they may face in their everyday lives. We explored various elements including mindset, managing thoughts, overcoming negative biases, and silencing our internal critics. Rachel talked about when a ‘stress factor’ comes along, it’s our thoughts that can determine the impact that stressor has on us and our thoughts are something we do have control over.
An interesting fact about thoughts,
- 40% of the things we worry about never happen
- 30% are in the past and can’t be changed or helped
- 12% involve the affairs of others that not our business
- 10% relate to sickness – real or imagined
- SO...only 8% of the things we worry about are likely to happen!
One particular concept we explored was "above the line" and "below the line" thinking. This model talks about the importance of maintaining a growth mindset and taking ownership of our actions. For adults and children alike, when stressors come along, our brains kick into a primal survival mechanism and a natural reaction can be ‘fight, flight or freeze’. Our minds are also more likely to default to having a ‘negative bias’ on a situation, known as a ‘below the line’ response. Teaching ourselves, and our children to give ourselves a minute to breathe and then choose how we will react, can help mitigate unconstructive behaviours.
This video explains it well and is worth watching. Click the link to view...
Locating Yourself - A Key to Conscious Leadership
We talked about this model at assembly on Monday as it is a helpful tool to teach children that they have a choice when it comes to how they will respond. ‘Above the line’ responses are open to learning, are constructive and foster a growth mindset. We will continue to support children with their ‘taha hinengaro’, mental and emotional well-being, which includes healthy ways of thinking and responding.
In other news, I am excited to share that Ms Jenna Mateni (teacher in Roopuu Puaawai 7 and 8) will be welcoming a baby into the world in September. We are really pleased for Jenna and her partner and can’t wait to meet their little baby later in the year. Ms Mateni will be taking maternity leave halfway through Term 3 this year. Mrs Weinberg, who has been part of our Puketaha staff for 20 years and is currently working part-time, has kindly offered/ been persuaded to increase her hours in order to cover Ms Mateni until the end of the year. Mrs Weinberg is a fantastic teacher and is well known to the students. We are feeling positive that this will be a seamless transition for the students and we are both happy for Jenna and grateful for Mrs Weinberg stepping in.
With another action-packed term ahead of us, such as Year 5-8 Productions, winter sports, Cross Country and well as Student-led Conferences and mid-year reporting, we look forward to working with you all and having a fantastic term of fun and learning.
Ngaa mihi,
Nyree Olliver
Hello and welcome to Term Two everyone. There are few things on the PTA radar this term. By popular demand Oxford Pies are back! Today your child will come home with an order form, so keep a look out for that. Orders have to be in by May 22nd for delivery Wednesday May 29th, pick up from the PAC.
Also, The Quiz Night is back! Have a chat to your friends and see if you can get a team together. This is a fun night and things tend to get a bit loose by the end of the night. We will be selling tickets on KINDO. Save the date of Saturday 8th June, the venue is The Keg. As usual we will be seeking auction items, raffle and team prizes. Further details to come.
This is the term for our school and Eastern Waikato Country Schools (EWCS) cross country events. We will be running a food stall and barbeque at both events and will be asking for baking donations! Mark down May 20th and June 5th for those events.
Thanks to those people who have been handing in their Yummy Sticker Sheets for our share of some free sports gear. The sticker collection charts can be found at www.yummyfruit.co.nz the stickered fruit is mostly sold at Pak n Save or New World. Please ask your friends and family to save their stickers or bag labels, to get the sheets filled in faster! We really appreciate it.
Lastly a reminder of our first PTA meeting in week three, Tuesday 14th May 7.30pm School Staffroom. All welcome.
Kind regards,
Merynn Connors
PTA Chairperson
E: pta@puketaha.school.nz M: 027 629 6820
Puketaha supports this event and we invite all students to wear something PINK on Friday 17th May!
Puketaha School welcomes our community to use our school grounds during out-of-school hours. If you are using school grounds after school between 3 pm and 5 pm, a reminder that this is a vital non-contact time for teachers, please respect this as the teacher's workplace. Children not in after-school care must be supervised.
Recently there have been more incidents of damage, vandalism, theft and littering at the school which have resulted in cameras being installed. Parents and caregivers need to be aware that these cameras are operating at all times throughout the school grounds.
If you are wanting to use the school grounds for sports training, please contact Jason Boobyer, our Sports Co-Ordinator to make arrangements. jasonb@puketaha.school.nz
The Puketaha School Board regularly reviews policies and welcomes input from the community during the review process.
To access the school policies, and to review and provide feedback
Visit the website http://puketaha.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
Enter the username (puketaha) and password (puketaha)
This website provides access to all of our school policies including:
Curriculum & Student Achievement; Community Conduct Expectations; Concerns & Complaints Process & Home Learning.
On Friday, May 31st, the school will be closed for a Teachers Only Day while the teachers attend a Te Pae Here Professional Learning Event. Te Pae Here is a group of Hamilton North East Primary & Secondary Schools that belong to the same Community of Learning.
Girls' Fantails Football
Best Start Puketaha Pink Ribbon Breakfast
