November 27 2024, Week 7
Principal's Message
Term 4 Week 7
Kia ora koutou
I am sure some of you will be aware of the Whooping Cough epidemic that has been declared in New Zealand. While we had a few cases across the school, currently we have a few cases of hand, foot and mouth and chicken pox. We have heard from some early childhood centres that there are cases of these illnesses circulating. Please keep children at home if they are unwell.
We would like to thank everyone who provided baking for the bake sale last Friday. This was a successful fundraiser with $570 being raised for the Year 8 Leavers’ dinner. All students were able to participate and enjoy a number of items and the Year 8 students were highly organised.
The Goodtime Music Academy have confirmed 28 students have signed up for this opportunity next year. We are delighted with the response and can confirm tutors from the Goodtime Music Academy will be performing a concert for us on Monday 9th December from 2-2:30 in Te Kōhanga. Parents are also welcome to attend and enjoy the concert. There will be an opportunity for parents to talk with the tutors after the concert. Lessons next year will be on a Thursday and children will be collected from the class and then returned to carry on with the classroom programme.
We have confirmed our school structure for 2025 at the last Board of Trustees meeting. Schools are staffed and funded based on the number of students that are enrolled and we need to manage the school within the finances allocated. Over the last few years, particularly during and after Covid, we have experienced a roll drop. This is the pattern for all schools in our local western area, with higher house prices and changes in employment having some impact. For next year we have a number of out of zone enrolments confirmed in the Year 0-3 cohorts.
The structure doesn’t look too different from this year with our numbers in the year 5-8 classes between 28-32 based on our current information. We are pleased to have Neil Sargisson teaching a class full time next year.
To reduce the ratios in the year 5-8 area of the school, we will have an extra teacher (Grant and Nathalie) to provide explicit teaching in Literacy and Maths three- four times a week. Programmes will be planned collaboratively and will allow for flexibility of groupings that will be informed by assessment data.
Karen Sturgeon will continue to provide literacy intervention predominantly in the Year 1-4 cohorts and we will continue to have Teacher Aides to support learners across the school.
We are at the final stages of organising classes so we are ready for the transition visits that will occur on Thursday 12th and Monday 16th December. These sessions provide a variety of activities for students to know who they will be with, the space they will be in and the teachers they will be working with in the team. All students who are turning 5 at the beginning of the year will also be part of a session so they can know the space they will be starting school in and in most cases will see some familiar faces from preschool or kindy, along with students who are joining us in other areas of the school for 2025.
We find value in students knowing who they are with before the end of the year and understanding that change is normal and there are new opportunities. You will receive a paper copy of the class list with a brief introduction from the teachers in the team on Monday 16th December.
Tomorrow I am looking forward to the Ruru Cross Country and Sports Day that will be held at Northland Park from 11.30-12:30. Ruru have been busy training and a number of our older students are leading them on the route tomorrow and helping with the organisation.
If you would like to come and chat or have any concerns please get in touch with any of the senior leadership team, Andrea, Judith and Grant.
Ngā mihi nui
Andrea
Pack the Bus
Today some of our year 3 and year 6 students helped to Pack the Bus for the City Mission. We are amazed with the generosity of our community and know these gifts will make a difference. A huge thank you to everyone for getting behind this new initiative.
End of Year Hui for Teams and the School
Tieke/ Kōtare/ Kākā 16th December at 2:15pm in Te Kōhanga
Ruru Tuesday 17th December at 9am in Te Kōhanga
We will have our final school assembly on Wednesday 18th December from 9:30-10:30 at the Northland Community Centre. We will celebrate all the mahi from 2024, farewell our leavers and enjoy a final performance from the Kapa Haka and the Music performance group. School finishes midday on Wednesday 18th December.
Reunification Information
Next Monday we will carry out our reunification drill from 2:15 - 3pm.
This will provide us with an opportunity to run this procedure and then seek community feedback.
This is only a drill and we are carrying this out so we all understand how this process will work. We would like as many collectors as possible arriving at the collection points so this exercise can be as authentic as possible.
A school reunification has started when all parents and caregivers will receive a text message, HERO post and webpage update that the school has to “reunify.”
We have decided to proceed with this drill no matter what the weather is doing. Today we will share with you how we will proceed if the weather is raining.
Wet weather process- This will only apply if the weather means that we can not use the courts as our evacuation zone.
In this instance we will modify our process by:
- The school will evacuate to Te Kohanga. This would become our evacuation zone.
- The Harbour View collection station will be located at Gate 1, opposite the lobby lounge. The Military Road collection station will be located up from Gate 3, by the Tiger Turf up to Kākā 7.
- We have chosen these areas as they would also provide cover for the collectors.
- Our student runners will then go and collect the identified students from Te Kohanga, returning to the station.
Glossary
Collector: a nominated adult who lives close to you that can collect your children during a reunification. These names should have been given to Ann in the office. They can be your next door neighbors.
Reunification: the process where students are collected by an adult, family member or collector.
Collection Points: the two stations where collectors and students are reunified. (Information on this will be in next week’s post)
School Evacuation Zone- this is at the Tennis court on Harbour View Road. Under a reunification process this zone remains restricted to school staff only. (Information on this will be in next week’s post)
Last Pizza Friday!
Last Pizza Friday next week! A few things to remember:
All pizzas MUST be ordered by 1pm Wednesday 4th, no exceptions. This is to help with making orders easier due to the sheer amount of pizzas arriving.
Thank you for all the payments, however we have had some payments come in with no Pizza orders! This means some miss out. Please if you are paying online for a Pizza, can you make sure that one is ordered at the office.
We also have had pizzas ordered with no payment, please make sure you remember to pay for pizzas.
Colour Fun Run 2025
Next year we will be having a Colour Fun Run here at Northland School! This is a day to have a little fun and fundraise for the school. It will be held in Term 1, date yet to be confirmed. More info to come!
HERO
We would like to provide you with a brief outline of all the functions that we are now using on HERO. Please make sure that you are signed up and have notifications on so you can access all the information.
As we progress in our upgrades with HERO we are adding new features to streamline communications.
- Attendance
- Enrolment
- Sharing of Learning
- Community notices
- Group, Class, Team notices
- Trips and request for parent help
- School event reminders and parent information evenings
- Finance
In the financial section you will notice we have added Before School Care (BSC), Pizza payments and all our Western Zone Bus payments. You can check your school account at any time through the App and we will send statements at the beginning and end of each term.
Please come and talk to us if you need help navigating the HERO App.
Goodtime Music Academy
Get ready to ignite your child's musical passion! Exciting News! Goodtime Music Academy is coming to Northland School in 2025, offering award-winning in-school music lessons. Say goodbye to post-school commutes! Dive into the world of music in a vibrant group setting with the following instrument lesson: Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Ukulele, or our 'Intro to Music' course. But the excitement doesn't stop there! Your child will have the chance to shine in our thrilling concerts!
Act fast, as spots are limited. Enrol now at www.goodtimemusicacademy.co.nz/learn-at-school or call us at 04 568 2237. Your child's moment in the limelight awaits!
Michael Brown
General Manager
04 568 2237
www.goodtimemusicacademy.co.nz
50 Victoria Street, Lower Hutt
Sport Shirts - Cleaned and Returned
Can we PLEASE have all sports shirts returned to the school office. Can you please check bags, draws and under the bed - we are missing many many shirts, thank you.
School Lunch Options LAST DATE TUESDAY 10th DECEMBER
Subway - Every Monday - order online through www.lunchonline.co.nz
Sushi - Every Tuesday - order online through www.ezlunch.co.nz
Pizza - Once a month - available the 1st Friday of each month, $6 per pizza order forms available on the school website or in the school office.
Apps available for Subway and Sushi through the school website.
Term Dates
2024 Dates
Term 4 Monday 14 October - Wednesday 18 Dec
2025 Dates
We have confirmed the dates for 2025. We will have an open afternoon for families on January 29th to help the transition back into school, see the class space and meet the teachers in the learning space. This is prior to the first day of school on 30th January. We are yet to confirm Teacher Only Days and once these have been decided we will let you know.
Term 1 - 30 January - 11 April
Public Holiday- Thurs 6th Feb- Waitangi
Please note Easter and ANZAC day are within the Term holiday in 2025
Good Friday - 18th April
Easter Monday - 21st and Easter Tuesday 22.
ANZAC Friday 25th April
Term 2 - Mon 28 April - 27 June
Kings Birthday - Monday 2nd June
Matariki - Friday 20th June
Term 3 - 14 July - 19 September
Term 4 - 6 October - 17 December Labour Day- Monday 27th October