Week 5- 16 August 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora Koutou

Welcome to Paloma and Ollie and their families, joining our kura this week.   We also welcome Hanna to our team of teachers aides.

On Friday we held our pōwhiri, with the following students stepping into leading roles, Matthew, Vinnie, Evie and Evie BC. It was fantastic to be able to see how our students are building confidence and feeling ready to take on a challenge.

Today our Year 7/ 8 Kapa haka performance group was part of the opening ceremony of the Chinese Language Learning Center in New Zealand. Northland Kapa haka was requested to attend and showcase our talent. 

I would like to thank the Home and School for all the hard work involved in running a successful disco for our students. This was well attended by most students who raved about how amazing Te Kōhanga looked and the great DJ skills. Thank you Cameron.

On Monday our staff participated in a Digital safety workshop run by Netsafe. We had a number of parents who attended the Parent session and found the presentation very useful for tips on setting expectations and regular conversations related to online safety. Please refer to the Digital safety section for more details. 

We are looking forward to another Learning in Action whereby all parents, grandparents are welcome to come in and see our programme from 11:30 - 12:50. I will meet with parents in Te Kōhanga at 11:30 for 20 minutes. We will focus on learning dispositions and how we are developing our  Rōpu Whanaungatanga  programme to build relationships and develop leadership for our Year 7 and Year 8 students. Then parents will be able to see Rōpu Whanaungatanga in action throughout the school. 

PB4L   As part of our focus on positive behaviour for learning (PB4L) we invite all parents to a information and workshop session on Tuesday August 29th from 7pm to 8.30pm.  The PB4L team from the Ministry of Education will be supporting this workshop alongside our teaching team.  Please rsvp to office@northland.school.nz if you will be attending.   https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/PB4L-School-Wide

Lastly a quick reminder of Te Ahi Ora working with our students on August 21 and August 22nd to boost self confidence and participate in a physically challenging creative activity.    On Monday 21st August Team Kākā, Tīeke 2 ( Katie ) and Kōtare will participate and on Tuesday Ruru nui, Ruru iti and Tīeke 1 (Fiona). The evening at Northland Park is optional, but we would love to see everyone if possible. 

If you would like to come and chat or have questions or concerns please get in touch with any of the senior leadership team, Andrea, Jane and Judith.

Ngā mihi nui

Andrea

Board Message

Kia ora koutou

We had our first Board meeting of the term at the start of August - the same day our kapa haka group delivered a fantastic performance alongside other Wellington schools as part of the FIFA World Cup activities.  What a great way to kick off (pun intended) the term!

Unfortunately Jono Weir has had to stand aside from the Board in his role as presiding member for this term.  We'll certainly miss him.  In the meantime some of our other Board members have picked up his mahi.  I've taken on the role of acting presiding member, and Nikki Hurst has kindly agreed to take on Jono's finance portfolio.  

The Board also agreed to co-opt a new member to lead the important task of guiding future work on our playspace.  We're very excited to have Rhiannon Forgie joining us. Once she gets up to speed on the project she'll be keen to hear the community's thoughts.

Andrea reported back to us on student achievement data for the first half of the year.  Our target groups have shown incredible improvement, and across the school the benefits of interventions like the Structured literacy approach are showing fruit.  We know that this has taken a lot of mahi, with teachers and learners adjusting to a very different model, so it's exciting to see some positive impact already.  Andrea's agreed to provide a summary of  her report to you all and it's attached to this newsletter. If you would like the full report please email Andrea.

We discussed student attendance, which is critical for learner success.  Absence for illness is of course going to happen, and in our reporting that is considered 'justified'.  But the Ministry does require us to report absence for holidays as "unjustified".  If you really feel you must take your tamariki out of school for any reason, please do let the office know as soon as you can.  Otherwise, in order to fulfil child safety obligations, the office will need to follow up and check what is happening.

We'll be meeting again towards the end of the term and will keep you updated through the newsletter.  In the meantime, I've spotted some daffodils in the garden, so there is hope - spring is on its way!

Nga mihi

Moria

Digital Safety

Tips from Netsafe to support your child with digital safety

Set up a filter on your home wifi

• Use "Switch on Safety" (see Netsafe website)
• Set a filter on your home router

Have regular, neutral conversations with your child about their online activities

• What are you playing?
• What are you sharing?
• Who's in your network?

Explore sites, apps and games before your child does

• Check things out on "Common Sense Media"
• Ask your child to show you their app, game...

Set and agree on boundaries with your child

• Screen time - how much depends on each family's values
• Where and when devices can be used

NB: avoid removing devices as a consequence (your child is less likely to come to you if they have a problem online if they're worried you will take their technology away)

Manage and model online privacy and safety

• Use passwords and PINs
• Don't share personal information (make use of privacy settings, use nicknames)
• Think before you post
• Keep it friendly

Have a plan if harm occurs

• Stay calm
• Evaluate the situation
• Understand the effect on your child (ask how they're feeling)
• Avoid taking away the technology
• Work through a plan together: don't engage, block the other party, report the issue to Netsafe (and the social media platform if applicable), get support from family and friends

For more details and information on any and all of the above, please go to the Netsafe website: https://netsafe.org.nz/advice/parenting/.  It has lots of great advice and is a powerful and helpful NZ organisation if anything goes wrong online.

Te Ahi Ora

We are delighted to have Te Ahi Ora work with our students on August 21 and August 22  to boost self confidence and participate in a physically challenging creative activity.  Te Ahi Ora provides an exciting community activity: Fire and Flow. This art form is unique and something different that we would like our community to experience. It is described by Te Ahi Ora as half performing art, half extreme sport and an avenue to support wellbeing. 

During the day each class will be taught non-fire lessons to then enable them to take part in a late afternoon performance between 4:30 and 6:30pm. On Monday 21st August Team Kākā, Tīeke 2 ( Katie ) and Kōtare will participate and on Tuesday Ruru nui, Ruru iti and Tīeke 1 (Fiona). The evening is optional, but we would love to see everyone if possible at Northland Park.

In  the evening there will be a display of skill from the children and parents, siblings will also be invited to take part. 

Ngā mihi nui

Andrea

Kia ora, Parents of Northland School

We are delighted to announce that Te Ahi Ora has expanded to Wellington. We provide fire performance lessons to schools, along with complimentary fire performances and lessons in the evenings for your community.

Fire Performance is an emerging community activity that is gaining popularity nationwide. This exhilarating practice stimulates the mind, energizes the body, and promises an immense amount of enjoyment.

Given the challenging times experienced by schools, students, and families in recent years, our objective is to reignite the enthusiasm for learning and foster a sense of community in an entertaining and captivating environment.

Te Ahi Ora has 5 goals:

• Encourage students to participate in physically challenging and satisfying activities
• Boost self-confidence, encourage experimentation and foster creativity
• Provide opportunities for personal growth and development
• Build a sense of community through shared celebration and performance
• Counter the negative effects of excessive screen time and digital addiction

We will be working with Northland School on August 21st & 22nd, teaching non-fire lessons to students during the school day. On each evening, we will be performing and teaching with fire on the school field, Northland Park,  from 4:30 - 6:30 pm - working with students taught on the respective day. This is a crucial component of the program during which students put into practice the skills they have acquired throughout the day, using real fire. 

Although Fire Performance might initially appear dangerous, it is important to note that when proper safety procedures and protocols are followed, it is just as safe as any modern sport and, in some cases, even safer. We take pride in our rigorous health and safety systems, which have contributed to our outstanding safety record.

We require parents to ensure a few things to contribute to the safety of the evening:

1. Please do not wear loose clothing, or clothing made from synthetic fabrics. No onesies, tutus, dresses, wigs, skirts, etc. Cotton and denim are fantastic. If you or your child are dressed in dangerous clothing, you will not be allowed to perform with fire. Clothing may accumulate small amounts of black soot, so don't wear brand new or dear clothing.
2. If your child has long/fluffy hair, please bring a hair tie or beanie/hat.
3. We recommend bringing foldout camping chairs and water bottles, and in winter, blankets & jackets. 
4. You are welcome to take photos and videos, if you post them on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok, please follow and tag us @te.ahi.ora

After we work with your community, we will send out a Participant Survey through the school, to be filled out by parents and students. Participants that complete the survey will go into the draw to win $150.

At the end of the survey there will be an option to upload pictures or videos. The best piece of media uploaded will win $150. We are often far too busy to get good videos or photos, so very much appreciate your assistance.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to get in touch directly.

Thanks for taking the time to read this letter, we look forward to meeting you soon.

Mauri ora,

Hero - Have you Signed Up

Have you signed up to Hero.    Please find below PDF instructions on how to sign up.  

If you have changed contact details, emergency contact information, phone/email or address please let the office staff know.  We need to make sure you are all receiving the correct information from the office and staff.  This includes  SeeSaw   Hero   Email   Newsletter.   

This is vital information in an Emergency.   

Zones - 'Tap it Out'

This term we are focusing on adding to our strategies kete. 

Our first strategy is called ‘Tap it Out.’ Students are encouraged to think about the emotion or Zone they are feeling and, as they gently tap, imagine the energy being released from their body. We have practiced tapping different areas around our faces with two fingers, using our hands to gently pat our shoulders, arms and legs. 

‘Tap it Out’ helps increase blood flow through our body and relaxes our muscles. Focusing on tapping and counting on tapping can also help us relax. When we use this strategy we are able to focus on our body instead of the thoughts in our heads.

H&S - Eco Store Fundraiser

Home & School have negotiated preferential rates for Northland School families and friends, which will also help us raise funds for literacy resources to support the students learning of structured literacy. We will be offering the top 52 selling products with a discount of 10% or more.  This kicks off today and orders will be taken during the month August. 
Orders can be placed by filling in either the paper hardcopy and drop to the office or the excel sheet and emailing it to homeandschool@northland.school.nz 
Payment details are on the form. 
We feel really fortunate to be able to offer these products to you at a discounted rate. Please share with your family and friends.

Whānau Hui - Thursday 24 August 5.30pm

We would like to warmly welcome you all to the Whānau Group Hui on Thursday evening 24 August between 5.30pm and 7.00pm. We will be providing kai at 6.00pm.
Please RSVP so that we know who will be able to attend and in order to ensure that we have enough pizza for everyone (email: office@northland.school.nz).
Ngā mihi, Nathalie(Lead Teacher for Te Reo & Tikanga Māori)

Student Rep - Dress Up Twin Day

Friday September 1st, we are putting on a just-for-fun, dress up, twin day! On twin day everyone can get together with a friend or group of friends and match an outfit, colour or even accessory. There will be an opportunity where our students will get a chance to show their stuff and show off their fabulous outfits or accessories to the rest of the school. 

Library News

The library  has a new collection of Geronimo Stilton books that are ready to be issued.  New titles that the  school has not had before!

School Cultural Day

Me tiro whakamuri, kia anga whakamua - If we want to shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s future, start with our past.

Our community embraces opportunities for working together, values diversity and contributes to make a difference for everyone.  

This year our school Cultural day will be held on Wednesday 20 September. We hope to involve as many families as we can and share as many of the cultures that we have in our school. 

You may like to teach a craft, dance, a tradition that is significant to your culture or family, share stories, make something, teach a particular skill that is important to you. These are suggestions. 

If this is something that you are able to support us with, please complete the Google Form HERE and we will be in touch. If you have any other ideas or would like to speak to someone, please contact the office. 

Thank you for your time and offer to support our tamariki. 

Communication

We will continue to develop our communication about events, more specific details of the programmes in teams and the celebration of our children in their learning. We are making a few changes to the way you receive information.

School Newsletter -School newsletters are emailed on a Wednesday by 4pm every fortnight. This will be sent as a link that you will need to open. The newsletter will also be uploaded to the website. 

School Memo via Hero -A brief memo of events or important details that occur in between newsletters will be sent via Hero to you on the alternative Wednesday by 4pm every fortnight.

School Website - Please refer to this many details such as latest news, staff, calendar, school policies. The banner is updated daily. https://www.northland.school.nz/  

Seesaw - All families have been invited to join Seesaw by your child’s teacher. Seesaw is used across the school for sharing learning by the teacher and by children as they learn to post. At times you may also receive a quick message from the teacher eg, please remember togs tomorrow.

Absence, Appointments, Change of afterschool plan - If your child is sick or has an appointment please send an email to the school office,  or the absence line.

Absence

If your child is sick or has an appointment please contact the school OFFICE and 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

Bridget Hall  runs the Before School Care.  The cost from 7:30-8:30 is $10 or  from 8-8:30, the cost is $5. We are fortunate to be able to continue to provide this for you to make your mornings run well. 

Wellbeing - Neurodiversity

Wellbeing - Positive Parenting SchoolTV platform- Neurodiversity.

Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual’s brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.

Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.  Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.

Learning more about neurodiversity, equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child. 

Our Value Confident - Whakamanawa

Our quality is Honesty  -   Being honest is being open, trustworthy and truthful. When people are honest, they can be relied on not to lie, cheat, or steal. Honesty is telling the truth. It is admitting mistakes even when you know someone might be angry or disappointed. Being honest means that you don’t pretend to something you are not. With honesty, you can trust things to be as they appear.

Term Dates

 Term 3     Monday 17 July - Friday 22 September                                                                                                               Term4     Monday 9 October - Friday 15 December       TOD  24 November    Curriculum Refresh

Community Notices

Check out our  New Notice Board in the school office, come in out check it out !