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PRINCIPAL UPDATE
Kia ora e ngā whānau
Welcome back to Term 3 and what a blustery start it’s been!
It’s been lovely seeing everyone’s excited faces back at school. This term’s value focus is Whanaungatanga. Our Inquiry focus will centre on the learning areas of Technology/ Hangarau and PE/Health or Hauora.
I enjoyed meeting many families I had yet to meet face to face at our end of term learning celebration and Matariki evening. Thank you to those that came up and introduced themselves; what a lovely community we have.
MASK UPDATE – Term 3
As a part of our risk assessment starting this term, we have decided to make mask wearing compulsory for the next 3 weeks. All adults and students from Y4-6 and any visitors will need to wear a mask when inside. Outside, we don’t require masks anymore but ask that if you are in close proximity to other families (within 1m) you wear one, out of respect to them.
Our students and teachers didn’t really stop wearing masks last term, however, the reason for making them compulsory again is due to the increase in Covid and illness we’ve experienced recently.
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At the end of last term, our attendance was similar to what it was at the peak of our highest Covid point. More importantly, we’re trying to keep our teachers healthy so we don’t need to move to distance learning. We’ve had an increase in staff illness and relievers are becoming harder to find. Sometimes, even when they are booked, they phone in sick themselves. We don’t like having to split classes but are having to do this as a last resort. Because we are small, three teachers sick is nearly a third of our staff and too many students to split across the school. If this was sustained we would need to consider distance learning.
In 3 weeks, we will review our compulsory mask policy and advice you of the outcome. If you have a student in Y4-6 please send them to school with a mask. We have a limited supply at the office if needed.
Our school community has always supported the school in our covid safety measures and we’re confident this will be no different.
Ngā mihi nui
Natasha Teinakore (Whaea Natasha)
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Board of Trustee Nominations
If you’re interested in being on our school board of trustees or nominating someone you think might be good – collect a form from the office. The Board of Trustees is about school governance. It usually involves attending 2 meetings a term, in the evenings, to discuss and make strategic decisions around policy and governance. If you’d like to talk to someone more about what it might involve, feel free to email a time to discuss with Nardia Haskell our current presiding member: botpm@birkdaleprimary.school.nz OR I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a quick chat at school, if you see her.
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For more information around nominations and voting, see Leanne (office). Nomination forms need to be received by 12.00pm 3rd August 2022.
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Board of Trustee Voting
If we receive more than 5 parent nominations for the board there will be a vote. You will receive information about the candidates and be asked to vote for the candidate you feel will represent you the best. Voting papers are sent out via post. Your child bought home the most recent contact details we have for you. These are due back by Monday 1st August 2022. If you haven’t returned them, please check, update and return to the school with changes, or if no changes are required, please still return to let us know. It’s really important you’re able to vote for a board that you feel represents you.
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Leadership Changes
We would like to welcome Whaea Pati as the new Te Puāwaitanga Team Leader and thank her for agreeing to accept the role until the end of the year. Whaea Mere will be concentrating on preparing her class for her departure for maternity leave in 4 weeks time. We thank you Whaea Mere for you work as Team Leader over Term 1 and 2.
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Job Vacancies
We have 2 opportunities for kaiāwhina/ teacher aide positions. One in Te Puāwaitanga and one in Auraki (mainstream).
Applications close next Wednesday for mainstream. Please contact the office for more information.
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Kaiako in Te Puāwaitanga
As of yet, we have been unable to secure a teacher for Whaea Mere’s maternity leave and it looks unlikely that we will be able to do so. If school whānau know of anyone suitable who can speak fluent te reo Māori, that is able to work either full-time or part-time – qualified or unqualified, please contact Whaea Natasha for a conversation. We are exploring many different options and open to innovate ideas. Whatever decisions we make will be with ‘what is best for ākonga’ in mind.
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STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR 2023
Our local curriculum work is going strong We’ve collected your voice, your aspirations for your children and what values are important to your whānau.
Next, we’ll be collecting voice from our students and finding out what skills and dispositions they feel they need by the time they leave Birkdale.
This year is the final year of our current school strategic plan and time to think ahead to the next 3 years. What do you think are important areas and goals for Birkdale to focus on over the next few years? Keep an eye out for ways you can add your views. Please get involved – if we don’t offer ways that suit you, let us know what you need and we’ll do our best to accomodate.
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HOUSE COMPETITION
Congratulations Tūi for winning the Term 2 house competition. They did this through consistently showing manaakitanga throughout the term. These points get banked and added to through a variety of house competitions over the year. At the end of the year, at prizegiving, the house cup will be awarded to the overall winning house.
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DATES 4 your CALENDER
Dates we know so far, and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, check the calendar on our school app.
3 Aug – Maths Parent Workshops, continuing for the next 4 wednesdays.
9 Aug – Te Puāwaitanga Whānau Hui
12 Aug – Teacher only day (School closed)
15-18 Aug – Learner Hui: Make a booking to discuss your child’s learning with them and their teacher. Booking information to come through Seesaw.
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30 Aug – Rehu tai cluster competition (old speech comp.).
16 Sep – Teacher only day (School closed)
21 Sep – Y6 EOTC Tiri tiri matangi trip
23 Sep – Cluster choir practice Birkdale Int.
27 Sep – Y4-6 ‘Whale Rider’ show trip
30 Sep – End of Term 3
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*A note about Teacher only days: At the last teacher negotiations 4 years ago, schools were given 8 days to be used to reduce workload. When covid hit, many schools didn’t take them as students had already missed too many days. Birkdale was one of these schools and had 4 days left. The days have to be used by the end of this year; I have tried to space the days over the year. We are using our days to visit other schools, work on strategic planning, local curriculum and evaluate school planning.
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Want to know what’s going on and when?KEEP IN THE SCHOOL LOOP AND DOWNLOAD THE APP!
Go to your app store – search and download ‘kiwischools connect’ and find ‘Birkdale Primary’
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