Kia ora Waitetuna whanau,
First Aid course - St Johns came in on Monday to give the students an overview of first aid and how to respond in an emergency or when someone is hurt or injured. It was great to see the students listening and really ensuring they had the information they need to be ready for such an event. St Johns come out to schools and provide this service for free but do appreciate a donation. We have provided St Johns with a small donation to show our appreciation of this service. This is just one way your school donation goes directly towards providing additional opportunities for our students. Thanks to the families who have made payment for this.
Digital technologies and Local curriculum Over the past 18 months all New Zealand schools have been working on weaving in the additions to the technology curriculum in schools. These are included as digital technology progress outcomes - they look at computational thinking and designing and developing solutions which have digital elements to them. We are working hard at Waitetuna School to include examples of this, which are naturally becoming part of our local curriculum and also using student voice on how they can select ways to create, communicate and problem solve their ideas and learning. It is important for us to have coherent pathways across the levels/ages/classes. We will continue to consider and review how this looks at our school.
Upcoming sporting events It certainly has been a waiting game, and planning around the unpredictability of Covid alert levels hasn't been easy. Our school Cross country will go ahead under the following restrictions - All parents must sign in at school, using the newly displayed QR Covid tracer and then you must social distance. As soon as your children have raced you must leave the cross country site. The 11/12/13 year olds will run first - starting at 11.10am When the oldest students have finished their race the 9/10 year olds will follow, the 7 and 8 year olds will then race and the 5 and 6 year olds will be the last group to race.(The older students will be in support of them) We will have a sausage sizzle after completing the races, kindly donated by our school PTA.
The interschool netball competition has been cancelled. We are in discussion with Te Uku school to hopefully organise some Senior room players to pop down and have a game against some of their seniors.
Music lessons A tutor has been secured to start on either the Wednesday 9th or the Thursday 10th September (Week 8). You can choose from guitar, bass or hopefully drums (if drums are found). Ideally you will have your own guitar but we do have a few available (first in first served). The sessions cost $8 per child for each of their sessions. If there are students wanting to do lessons and have after school commitments on the day that the music lessons will happen then we will have a 2.30pm slot to allow for this. Lessons are paid for directly to the tutor and the first three lessons are pre-paid for Week 8, 9, 10. If your child wants to continue for 7 weeks in term 4 then you can pre-pay for this early next term. This is ideally suited for year 4 students and up.
Scholastic book orders have been sent home today. Please have orders in by 3rd September 2020.
Waitetuna Way awards this week go to - Addison Van Weerden & Willis Neels
Sausage sizzle - today - Thanks for supporting this - The Year 8’s are raising some money towards their Hillary Outdoors camp in term 4. We will have another one soon.
COVID Following the announcement from the Prime Minister we will remain at Alert Level 2. The QR code sign in does not require cellphone or internet access to work so we have generated a QR code tracer and have it on display on the office entrance door, on the sliding door of the junior room and on the door into the multi-purpose room.
Just a reminder that while everyone is onsite at Alert Level 2, we must adhere to key health measures including:
Good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette
Making sure all children have a drink bottle as our drinking fountains are closed
Staying away if sick
Keeping the appropriate physical distance from others
Cleaning and disinfecting our high touch surfaces daily
Using the QR code posters at our entrances and making sure all of our community, that can do, download the NZ COVID Tracer App and use it if they come onsite.
Please otherwise sign a visitor register for anyone who cannot use the app and for any other visitors who come onsite for a period of time.
We know all these things will help to keep our community as safe as possible. Because of these measures, your child does not need to wear a face covering while at school. We will of course support them should they choose to do so. For those of you who might be finding things more difficult than usual, a reminder that there is a large range of support available for businesses and the community. We encourage you to go to the covid19.govt.nz for more information, or get in touch and we will help you to find the information and support you need. If a person is a close contact of a confirmed case, Health Officials will direct you and your family to self-isolate. Please let us know at school if this is the situation and the outcome of your test.
There will be no assemblies until further notice. Ag Day 2020 - A notice for this has gone home this week. Please look out for this - Waitetuna School Ag day - Friday 16th October Group Day (at Te Uku School) - Friday 23rd October Waikato Show - Thursday 29th October
Kia Kaha, Amanda Nasilasila
Together we are growing the seeds of success
Na tō manaaki, na tōku manaaki, ka puāwai mai nga kākano