Linita Sharp, Kayleigh Sharp, Holden Barrett, Alexandra Verhoek, Brynn Williams, Scarlett-belle Williams, Emily Wright, Keanu Brears, Ruby Stokes, Niko Bilcich, Neko Thorby, Poppy Harper, Jack McQuire, Mason Te Hira-Lloydd, Kotuku Poananga-Wilcox, Te Manawanui Poananga-Wilcox, Demi Jenkins, Lochie Jenkins, Jooa Lee, Dilnoor Janda

Nau mai haere mai, teenaa koutou katoa!

Welcome back everyone! It’s been lovely to see all the children, full of smiles and stories of their holiday adventures. Our staff managed a lovely break too and are feeling enthusiastic for the year ahead. 

While we were busy planning for RED level before the students arrived back, we also had staff onsite preparing their learning environments, planning and engaging in Professional Learning. There was a little bit of fun squeezed in too with a full staff scavenger hunt around Hamilton. 

After we got over the excitement of the scavenger hunt, the staff engaged in some Professional Learning and discussion around communication skills for effective teams. Mark Osborne first introduced the common stages of effective teams to us back in 2015 and he uses the terms ‘forming, storming, norming to performing’. The ‘storming’ phase is always the most uncomfortable and we found it worthwhile to focus on strategies that we can utilize during this stage.

The next day, our staff experienced being in “The Learning Pit” first hand with our Professional Learning session with Kate Horton. You may have heard your children talk about ‘The Learning Pit’. It’s when something is new, challenging and may feel overwhelming. Kate took us through a ‘learn by doing’ activity and we got to experience the feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated and stressed. We had the benefit of trying the challenge two more times and we used strategies such as reflecting, thinking critically, collaborating, and improving our communication in order to get through the task and perform at the end. 

We were able to relate this learning to our vision which says “to equip students with the learning capacity to thrive in our complicated world”  Having strategies and skills such as our Puketaha 6 C’s and tools such as our Puketaha Learning Model and Self Determined Learner Profile, is what will help support our learners to be able to work through challenge, work through the ‘storming’ phase and come out the other side hopefully with deeper learning and understandings. Our teachers are always looking for ways to bring our 6 C’s to the forefront of learning and use them to strengthen learning across the Curriculum.

Looking at the term ahead, we have planned to hold most of our typical Term 1 events, although there may be slight adjustments to how they are run. One event we were not able to run was the Family Picnic where we like to introduce all the teachers. We hope you enjoyed our video on Dojo instead and thank you for all the compliments on our acting skills. We will let you know more about the events and how they will run as they come up. 

Thank you all for a great start to the year and as always, please feel free to get in touch with us if you have anything you would like to discuss. We look forward to the year ahead!

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver

Acting Principal

Masks

We have been really proud of how well the tamariki have adjusted to mask wearing and thank you to our school whaanau for being supportive of the guidelines that were put in place under the Covid Protection Framework. We have seen that the Roopuu Maahuri and Roopuu Puaawai students are developing good habits of bringing their masks each day. We are happy for the students to arrive and leave the school grounds without their masks on now and can just put them on once they enter an indoor space. We ask whaanau to please continue to support the students by making sure they have them in their bags and bringing them home for washing. Thank you!

Non Essential Visitors to Avoid Coming Onsite (including parents)

Thank you to our families who have avoided coming on site during our RED settings. We appreciate this as it reduces contact with others and gatherings. As said previously however, if your child is upset in the morning for example, then that is a good reason to come onsite. If you need to pick up your child outside of the normal school day, please come to the office first. We recommend talking with your child about where you will be waiting at the end of the day for afternoon pickup. Some of you may find the Community Hall car park has more space. 

Managing Covid Cases in School and Potential Staff Shortages

We unfortunately realise that Omicron will at some stage start affecting our community. As I stated in our communication sent out last week, we have good contact tracing systems in place and we will keep our community informed the best we can.

Current Process if we have a Positive Covid Case at School…

The Senior Leadership Team will be alerted by the Ministry of Health that we have a positive case who was infectious while at school. We will let our Community know that we have a confirmed case and we are investigating it (we will likely send it out as a text message, followed by an email). In the following hours, we will be working with the MoH to decide on who is a 'Close Contact' and a 'Casual Contact'. As soon as we can we will send emails out to let families know if their child is a Close Contact. Close Contacts need to self isolate at home. If your child is a Casual Contact that means they didn’t have enough contact to have to self isolate but are advised to watch for symptoms. Casual/ Non Contacts can come back to school. 

If your child does test positive for Covid, please also email us as soon as possible as this could speed up the process if we don't need to wait for the Ministry of Health to make contact. You can email nyreeo@puketaha.school.nz

Staff Shortages which could impact the school being open for onsite learning…

There is potential for schools to experience staff shortages due to Covid. To be prepared for possible staff shortages, our Senior Leadership Team and our Board of Trustees have been working together on a ‘Business Continuity Plan’. We have some things we can put in place in order to keep the school open for onsite learning if we experience reduced staff. However, if we reach a point where we do not have enough staff to safely operate the school, learning will move from onsite learning to distance learning where children will need to be cared for at home. This could happen at short notice and we will text you and follow up with an email from the Board of Trustees. We suggest having a bit of a plan in mind for how your children can be cared for if they can’t be at school. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to us but it is worth being prepared. 

Welcome to the 2022 school year from the Puketaha PTA!

For newcomers, the PTA is an informal bunch of parents who meet twice a term (week 3 and week 7) on a Tuesday night at the school’s staffroom to catch-up and try and plan for upcoming events (Triathlons/Cross Country/School Camps etc) or specific fundraising initiatives. The more people who take an interest the better.  This year will be more of the same as our focus initially is still the Learning Through Play Area for the Junior School, but we have also put money back to the school towards other items as and when required at the School’s request.  Last year we had to postpone a couple of our bigger fundraisers i.e., Spring Fair and the Scrap Metal Drive but we hope to get these events across the line this year Covid restrictions permitting. We still managed to make over $20,000 in all the other things we had going on, so a big thank you to the Puketaha School Community who donated time, baking, goods, sponsored or entered events and sold product on our School’s behalf.

Our first meeting is also the AGM so please come along at the slightly earlier time of 7.00pm February 22^nd, we would love to see you there. Snacks provided!

Kind regards,  Merynn Connors (Chairperson)

pta@puketaha.school.nz or 027 629,6820

Absences - The School Office monitors all absences, if your child or children are going to be away from school, or late parents/ caregivers are asked to notify the office.  This can be done via text (only) 020 404 28607, leaving a message on the school phone 07 824 3870 or via the App, providing a reason.   If your child is ill for more than 3 days you may be required to provide a medical certificate.  If your child accumulates 5 unexplained or unjustified absences over the year, we will make contact with you to discuss how attendance can be improved. Thank you.

Pick up and drop off times -Children are to be dropped off at school no earlier than 8.20 am. We would also appreciate parents and caregivers picking up your children promptly at the end of the day.

Crossing the Road/ Car park- If you drop off and pick your child up from the Sainsbury Road entrance, please walk your child along the path and cross them at the crossing area only. If you pick up your child from the Puketaha Community Hall Car Park, please hop out of your car to meet your child by the gate. The duty teachers will not send children out into the car park alone, as it is dangerous with cars backing out. 

Parking- Please do not park in the Staff Car Park or the bus bay on Sainsbury Road. The gate by the turf on Puketaha Raod is not a drop-off or pick-up spot, please use either the Community Hall or the Sainsbury Road Entry. Please avoid parking your car where you might be blocking the view of cars pulling out or blocking the view of the crossing area.

School App update - Now is a good time to check your notification settings on the school app so you can be kept up to date on what is happening for your child(ren) at school.

Water Only - Puketaha School is a water-only school - which means that there is no flavoured milk drinks or juice.  Children should have their own drink bottles.

Sun Safety - Hats -All children are to wear a hat for outdoor activities during Term 1.    

Contact details - Please email any updated addresses and phone numbers to the school office.  It is important that we can make contact in an emergency. This can also be done via the school app.

Could parents/ caregivers please inform the school office if there is any updated information regarding your child's health. This includes information about allergies and treatment. 

Social Media- We ask that our school community please avoid posting photos of school events which include other people's children, on public social media. If you do, please make sure you have permission from the parents first.

Out-of-School Care - Our before and after-school care provider is Journey Kids. Visit the website for hours, prices, contact information and to book. Journey Kids

School Docs- All our school policies are available to view at School Policies. Log in with User name 'Puketaha' and password puketaha. Please make yourself familiar with our Community Conduct Expectations. In our newsletters, we will let you know when we are reviewing a school policy and you are welcome to provide feedback to us via the website. 

Teacher Whaanau Catch-Ups

In Week 3 we will be offering Teacher/ Whaanau catch-ups. This is an opportunity for you as parents/ caregivers to come and chat with your child’s teacher. The idea of these catch-ups is to meet early in the year and you can talk to the teachers about your child and share more of their ‘story’ with us, as well as discuss anything that is on top for you. 

They will take place over 2 evenings.

Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th Feb 3.15 pm- 5.30 pm

Booking information will be sent out on Monday. 

The Public Health Nurse will be at the school for immunisation education and giving out
consent forms on Monday 12/2/2024. 
If you do not wish your child to attend the education session, please let your school know.

Date of Immunisations
Year 7 Boostrix - 11/3/2024
Year 8 HPV Dose 1 - 11/3/2024 Dose 2 – 16/9/2024
If parents have any queries or changes please contact the Public Health Nurse –
Anne McNicol
Anne.mcnicol@waikatodhb.health.nz
021 761 594

BEGINNERS CHINESE

中文课

After  school  classes in tutor’s home

Weekly 45 minute lessons

Emphasis on speaking,  listening, pronunciation

Basic reading and writing also included

Individual:  $35

Pair:              $25 per student

Group of three: $20 per student

Group of four:    $15 per student

Enquiries:  Roselle Dobbs    0220123774

                     rosellemay@hotmail.com

SUITABLE FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS

(But kids learn quicker....  sssh!)