Week 9 - 14 December 2022
- Principals Message
- Open Afternoon 2023
- Board Update December 2022
- School Stationery 2023
- Lost Property
- School Sport Events
- Absence
- BSC - Before School Care
- Wellbeing - SchoolTV Platform
- SchoolDocs - Policies
- Team Hui
- Home & School
- Our Value Creative Auahatanga
- Term Dates
- Northland Kidz Club
- Community Notices
Principals Message
Kia ora Koutou
This is the last newsletter for 2022 and what a year it has been. I would like to thank everyone for all your support throughout the year as we continued to respond to the pandemic, and adapt as best we could. Our students have been remarkable and gone with the flow mostly, during this time. They will look back at school photos of events and notice masks, and be able to describe traffic lights and levels with confidence. We are all ready for a well deserved break and some sun.
We would like to wish Juliet McPhee and Ollie Michie all the very best for their new adventures and thank them both for their contribution to all our students and families.
I loved the energy and enthusiasm from all the students on our walk up Te Ahūmairangi today. We certainly ordered the weather and an ice block treat was well deserved. Parents, you should be proud of your children and their manners, everyone said ‘thank you’.
It was a special evening to celebrate our Year 8 leavers at the Community Centre last friday. We congratulate them on their first graduation from primary school and wish them well for College and beyond.
I would like to acknowledge these families and thank them for their contribution to the school community over many years; Andrews, Basire Berry, Braddock, Carruthers, Cherry, Cook, Crombie, Clarke, Cuthbert, Davis, Fitzgerald, Gauld, Gilbert, Gill, Haefliger, Kohing, Lawrence, McGrath, Mackay, Mason, Ramsbottom, Sands, Shewring, Sattherwaite, Schlagowski, Tergas-Shaw, Tumilowicz, Williams, and Young.
I would like to thank all the staff for their commitment throughout the year and building stronger relationships with students and parents. I know everyone has plans to relax and recharge for 2023. The Board of Trustees have continued to support us and it is rewarding working with a strong team of committed people.
Finally we wish all our whanau a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy time with family and friends and we look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for a great 2023.
Ngā mihi nui
Andrea
Open Afternoon 2023
Before school begins we would like to invite all families to pop in on Monday 30th January from 1:30 - 3:30pm to bring stationery and reconnect with friends. All teachers will be in their learning spaces to meet and greet you. We see this as a good opportunity for everyone to gather and meet up in the playground or in the classroom. We hope this will be a great way to ease everyone back into school before the first day on Tuesday 31st January.
Board Update December 2022
Kia ora Koutou
As we have had our final board meeting for the year I want to take the opportunity to reflect on the year and what I think have been some of the highlights.
I would like to start by acknowledging our outgoing and incoming school board parent representatives. Thank you Trevor, Kate and Andrew for your service to the school community over the last three plus years! To Justin, Rose and Nikki - thank you and I look forward to working with you over the next few years. In a similar vein, Emma, thank you for your service as teacher representative - it has been great to have your perspective at the Board table.
Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention COVID. This year COVID and winter illness continued to disrupt our lives to varying degrees and I’d like to acknowledge Andrea and her team for how they have led through this disruption and to the parent community also. Keeping sick students at home is simultaneously one of the best things for the health of the school community and, for many, a struggle due to work and other commitments. So thank you for your ongoing support in this area.
Continuing on the theme of wellbeing, the school ran another edition of the Wellbeing at School survey created by New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). This is designed to explore how different layers of school life contribute to creating a safe and caring school environment. All students were given the opportunity to contribute either online or orally.
The responses from the community survey are also in the process of being analysed and have been discussed at the board. From our perspective the initiatives such as the application of Seesaw across the school, Learning in Action opportunities, the regular team Hui, improved newsletter, parent workshops and a greater focus on engagement within the school are getting traction and we have noticed an increase in parent engagement more generally. This is being positively felt with more and more parents able to attend school events, discussions with the teaching staff and other initiatives.
As we reflect on the data and comparisons for both surveys we can see changes are having a positive impact and our three Pou: Oranga, Ako and Whanaungatanga will continue to be our focus. Community survey responses also confirm initiatives are improving communication and community spirit and belonging and developing resilience is evident.
Our community engagement has continued to grow throughout the year through fundraising and events including our leavers dinner, the disco and mega raffle which was all made possible through parent support and the leadership of our Home and School committee.
In terms of bricks and mortar we started the year able to access Te Kohanga which has been an amazing asset for dance, team Hui, music, kapa haka, sport activities, lunchtime activities and lego challenges. Following this we had the installation of our new playground which reflects years of community support and commitment - a specific thank you to the team working on making this a reality Kate Jorgenson, Trevor Just, Emma Chapman, AJ Weir, and Rebecca Kelynack. Today also marks the end of the scope of work of the school redevelopment that has taken place over the years with Andrea signing off completion with the Ministry of Education.
I would like to finish by specifically acknowledging our wonderful teachers and staff here at Northland School. We are fortunate to have such an engaged group of people willing to support and teach our children. The staff have done an excellent job throughout another year of disruption and challenge and I have seen first hand the amount these people go above and beyond to make our school an amazing place.
Some of you will be aware that teachers and principals across the country are in a conversation with the Government regarding pay and conditions. Teachers and principals have received a further offer from the Government in response to pay, release time, teacher to student ratios to name a few claims. We are aware that bargaining will continue into the New year and fully support all our staff in working with the NZEI union. There are planned union meetings in the week starting February 20th and I am hopeful (on their behalf!) for a resolution to the claims.
I am also hopeful that summer is here to stay and that you are all able to recharge over the next 6-8 weeks. I’m looking forward to building on the momentum the school and community has developed into 2023.
Ngā mihi
Jono Weir Presiding Member
School Stationery 2023
We have teamed up with OfficeMax to make going back to school easy for all students in Years 4,5,6,7 and 8. Stationery lists are on www.myschool.co.nz.
All students in Years 1,2 and 3 will be required to purchase their stationery from Northland School. Their stationery will be ready to be picked up on the first day of school.
Lost Property
We have some lovely clothes and belongings that are missing their owners. All clothing can be looked at on the deck area outside Ruru today, tomorrow and Friday morning. Any clothing not collected before end of term will be given to a charity shop, thank you.
School Sport Events
The Weetbix Tryathlon is back on this year! It's taking place on Sunday March 19th at Kilbirnie Park. I have created a Weetbix Tryathlon school group for Northland school. If you would like to register your student to be apart of our school, please follow this link. https://www.
Thank you and have a great summer. See you in the new year!
Rachel Peterson Sports Co-ordinator
Absence
Please contact the school OFFICE if your child is going to be absent, not the class teacher. You can email or phone the office directly or go through the website absent form. Ph 04 475 7596 office@northland.school.nz
BSC - Before School Care
We are looking for a Super Star employee Before School Caregiver. Term time 7.30 to 8.30am One hour per morning, 5 days a week. Would be great for a Uni student who has a great rappore with children. Give us a call or email for a job description. 04 475 7596 Email office@northland.school.nz
Wellbeing - SchoolTV Platform
Wellbeing - SchoolTV Platform
Friendships and Belonging https://northland.nz.schooltv.me/newsletter/friendship-belonging
It is not always easy for children and teenagers to always know how to manage friendships. Learning how to make new friends and keep them involves a number of skills every young person needs to understand and develop. For some these skills will come very naturally, allowing them to easily move between different friendship groups, sharing their experiences and opening up to new people. Friendships are full of ups and downs and it is better for kids to learn how to manage and build their own friendships, even though as an adult carer you may be tempted to interfere.
SchoolDocs - Policies
SchoolDocs provides us with a comprehensive core set of policies, which have been well researched and follow the Ministry of Education National Administration Guidelines. The policies and procedures are tailored to our school, and the school supplies specific information such as our charter, and procedures for behaviour management, reporting to parents, etc.
We invite you to visit the site at https://northland.schooldocs.co.nz (note that there's no "www."). Our username is "northland" and password "orangikaupapa"
Team Hui
All teams are looking forward to sharing the highlights of term 4 with you in Te kōhanga. Please note the date and time.
- Tūi Thursday 15 December 10am
The whole School Community Hui/Assembly will be held on the last day of school Friday 16 December starting at 9.30am in the Northland Community Centre.
Home & School
Kia ora koutou,
As we come to the end of 2022, we’d like to thank you for your support of the Home and School where we have been able to return to a bit of normality. We are very lucky to have our tamariki supported by our wonderful teachers, support staff and senior leadership team. We thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement. A big thanks to our Board of Trustees for all the work they do to benefit our tamariki. The Home and School committee this year has been a small group of dedicated parents who I would personally like to thank - Jo C, Jo E, Bridget, AJ and Andrew and Suz. H&S have been supported by the Staff Rep Katie, Principal Andrea and BOT rep Kate, thank you for your guidance and support. Thank you to the incredible and ever so obliging office staff Ann and Julia for being so helpful with many of the administrative aspects and guiding us along the way.
We have had a great year with our major focus on the Calendar Raffle and what a success that was raising $33,000. Huge thanks to the many, many hours the committee put in and also to Julie for managing the social media side of the raffle along with many other aspects, Antonia for helping with the tickets and organising the printing. We are grateful for the support of M&S Digital for printing all the tickets and fliers, and also Keane Chan for designing promotional materials and to Paul Schicker for the printing of all the community posters. We also would like to extend thanks to all the many parents that rallied around and sought donations of prizes and to those families that donated prizes too. A huge thank you to all the amazing businesses that sponsored our raffle! We couldn't have pulled it off without you all getting involved. What an amazing united and connected community we are!
Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe holiday, looking forward to a fabulous 2023!
HOW MUCH HAVE WE FUNDRAISED THIS YEAR?
We have raised funds from the following initiatives: Hot Cross Buns, Givealittle page, Pies, Apparel, Mini Bake Sale, Mega Raffle, School Disco and the CMCK Car Boot Sale across the 2022 year. A huge thank you to our school community for your support in raising over $45,000 this year!
Merry Christmas
The Home & School Committee wish you a happy, fun and safe Christmas holidays, and look forward to seeing you again next year.
Becs Kelynack, Bridget Dorn, Andrew Walker, AJ Weir, Joeline Evans and Jo Chan-Tapega
Our Value Creative Auahatanga
Quality of the week - Joyfulness
Joyfulness is being filled with happiness. It is a peaceful sense of well-being. Joy is inside us all. It comes from an appreciation for the gifts each day brings. Joy comes when we are doing what we know is right, and when we laugh and see the humour in things. Joy is the inner sense that can carry us through the hard times even when we are feeling very sad.
Term Dates
2022 Term 4 Monday 17 October - Friday 16 December 12pm Finish
2023 Term 1 Tuesday 31 January - Thursday 6 April TOD Friday 17 March Term 2 Monday 24 April - Friday 30 June TOD Mon 24 Apr +Friday 2 June Term 3 Monday 17 July - Friday 22 September Term 4 Monday 9 Ocotber - Friday 15 December
Northland Kidz Club
Meet on the last day of term Friday 16 Dec, 12pm on the Tigerturf BYO Lunch - afternoon tea will be provided as part of our Annual NKC Christmas Party
Lisa 022 680 3075 Jan 022 140 2612
Community Notices
Can also be found on the school website under Latest News and Community News and Home and School Pages.
JANUARY 2023 HOLIDAY PROGRAMME – NORTHLAND KIDZ CLUB
We’ll be having a Puppet Workshop, treasure & scavenger hunts, a Wheels Day, a Music Day, and creating more unique art. We'll be going to lots of play areas, exploring Tinakori/Te Ahu Mairangi Hill, splashing in the Albemarle Stream and doing the Kids Garden Trail at the Botanic Gardens.
Our favourite Time Cinema will be putting together another selection of early films; cartoons which we’ll see after stopping at Lyall Bay Beach for morning tea.
$45 per child per day (third child onwards :$20) 8.30 a.m to 6 p.m each day.
For details, check out our website ( www.nkc.org.nz ) or contact Jan on cell (022-140-2612) email nkc.jan@gmail.com