Macleans Primary School Newsletter
14 April 2022
Iti te matakahi, pangāia ki te tōtara pakaru ai
The wedge may be small but it will split the greatest tōtara
In ThIs Newsletter
Covid-19 Updates, PTA Spring Bulbs, Hats T2-T3, Writing: Y6, Y4 & Y2, Schooldocs review, Library, ANZAC Day, Hauora/Well-Being, Auckland For Kids Congrats. Enviro Team, Y5/Y6 Kiwi Competitions, Winning House, Teacher Only Days, Entertainment Books, Kindo, Hunger Hut, Baseball/Krispy Kreme Donuts, Softball Game, After-school Lego in T2, Bricks for Kids & Skids Holiday Programmes, Dates For Your Diary
Macleans Primary School Community
Hi Everyone
Happy Easter and thanks everyone for a great term. Our home-school partnership has definitely been on show as we have navigated the ins and outs of covid and home & distant learning that most of us faced at some point or another. What does Term 2 bring? I am sure we all hope it brings more of a sense of normality for us! However, whatever happens, the learning and values at MPS never stops and will keep on humming along!
Thanks everyone for supporting the Easter Raffle. We had a teacher winner, and a student winner from each year group. The money raised is going towards curriculum resources and refurbished sport shed project. Congratulations to the winners!
We have now moved to orange light from red light, so there are some changes for schools and MPS from Monday 2 May. These are listed in the body of the newsletter - CHANGES IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY 2 MAY. Again, thanks everyone for adapting so easily to the changes.
So much to celebrate this term in all areas of the curriculum at MPS, from Maths to Art to Sport. Extra-curricula activities, achievements and accolades have been frequent this term and these will continue into term 2 as well. Please enjoy the writing student writing included in this newsletter.
Wishing you a safe and Happy Easter and a terrific school holiday. Go well, safe travels, enjoy a 'staycation' or enjoy time away. And kids, remember whatever you do, keep your feet on the ground, have an attitude of gratitude and be cool, calm & kind!
Nga Mihi.
Matthew Cooke
m.cooke@macleansprimary.school.nz
Next Newsletter and Notices:
•Wednesday 11 May
•MPS Notices and update sent out in holidays and/or first week of Term 2 if needed
Covid-19 Updates: Moving to Orange Light from Today - 14 April
CHANGES IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY 2 MAY
You’ll be aware that Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has announced the move to Orange at 11:59pm tonight. The decision to move to Orange has been made on public health advice and reflects that we are moving past the peak of cases and our health system is able to cope. We are seeing that cases are declining due to high levels of vaccination and natural immunity after infection.
So, what this means for Macleans Primary School - CHANGES IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY 2 MAY, DAY 1 of TERM 2:
Face Masks at Orange
At Orange, face masks are no longer required at school. However, we strongly encourage that face masks continue to be worn by ākonga and staff in Years 4 and above when indoors. Face masks are one of the key health measures that we can use to slow the spread of COVID-19 in indoor settings. If COVID-19 is circulating widely in your community, you may decide that masks are required indoors again for a time. Any student or staff member at MPS who wishes to wear a face mask at Orange can do so. Further, we also ask that your child (if they are Year 4+) continues to bring a mask to school every day. There may be times that we’ll ask them to wear a mask, too. If there are a high number of cases at school or in the community, we may ask that masks are worn in classrooms for a time.
Changes to Physical Distancing
All morning tea and lunches will be back to the same time for the school. 2 x 45 minutes daily which we are introducing school-wide. Please note that we are finding the children are more focussed with the two lots of 45 minutes, a change from 1 x 20 minutes and 1 x 1 hour. This means the core subjects of maths, reading and writing get more attention and focus in the morning when the children are more focussed. This is true for all children, from Y1 to Y6. You may want to encourage children to eat a bit more at morning tea as lunchtime eating is 30 minutes later than children have been used to. Having said that, we have been doing this for a while now because of physical distancing and it seems to be working - the children have adjusted well!
Morning Tea Eating and Daily Notices are from 10.45am to 11.00am and playtime 11.00am-11.30am
Lunch Eating 1.00pm to 1.15pm and playtime from 1.15pm to1.45pm.
Assemblies
Back to normal. We welcome parents back to assemblies, but please wear a mask. Details on assemblies are usually sent out through class and team communication, typically via our online learning and home-school partnership platform known as seesaw.
Parents and Visitors
Please sign in as per usual and remember to please wear a mask when indoors.
Pick up and Drop Off Times
No more staggered drop off and pick-ups. School starts at 8.55am and parents are asked to drop-off children between 8.30am and 8.45am. School ends at 3pm for everyone, so all children from Y1 to Y6 will leave class at 3pm.
We will continue to keep all the other health measures in place at school that we know slow the spread of COVID-19. These include ensuring our indoor spaces are well-ventilated, maintaining good hand hygiene and coughing & sneezing etiquette, appropriate physical distancing whenever we can and, most importantly, staying home if we are sick. We are looking forward to a few less restrictions at MPS and returning to school life that is a bit closer to normal.
If there are additional changes and other updates to the ones listed above, I will send out notice(s). over the holidays. In the meantime, a reminder that the health measures recommended at each traffic light can be found here:
Health measures at Red, Orange and Green
Te MahauDownload a summary of the COVID-19 Protection Framework
PTA Spring Bulb Fundraiser Update: Delays and Collection
Due to supply and freight issues (which we're becoming rather familiar with these days!) the spring bulbs have been delayed a little longer. If you'd like to collect your order from the school during the holidays, you can do so on Tuesday 26th from 1–3pm. Or students will be given their orders in Week 1 of Term 2. The bulbs are fine for planting until the end of May. If you have any questions or would like to collect on the 26th, please email pta@macleansprimary.school.nz and we'll make sure your order is ready for you!
Hats are Optional in Term 2 and Term 3
Year 6 Writing From Zoe Room 12: 'Chloe Running'
Zoe the zebra lifted her head. Was she imagining it? Or had she heard galloping in the far distance? She looked around anxiously. The sun was beating down on her, and she felt as if she were going to burn. Never mind, it's probably my imagination, she thought. She bent down to chomp on some grass, then reached up and crunched the leaves above her. Soon later, she found herself face to face to her enemy, Chole the giraffe. "I don't have time for your teasing, Chole," Zoe said. Chloe ignored her and said, "Oh how did you get so dirty all of a sudden?" Zoe didn't answer. Chole rolled her eyes and just ran away.
Was Chole the one who was running? It didn't seem like it, becuase the sound was getting closer and closer not further away. Suddenly, there was the sound again. Am I going crazy? She thought. But she was sure she heard running coming closer... And then there were lions, surrounding her in a second. "No!" She cried. "Too late now, crazy zebra," one of the lions said. Zoe looked around and saw that there were five lions. What do I do, what do I do? She asked herself hopelessly. I have to get out, she thought fiercely. I can't fight them, so maybe I can trick them, she thought. She stared around at all five lions for a while until they were only one metre from her then... "Grr!" She suddenly growled as loudly as she could. This startled the lions and Zoe was able to jump free, away from the lions. "After her!" Bellowed one of the lions. Zoe dashed away, faster than she had ever, ever ran.
As she ran, she thought she heard one of the lions running close behind her, maybe even close enough to grab her tail. She looked behind herself curiously, only to find that the fastest lion was just behind her, probably only ten centimetres away. I have to do something, she thought. Then, out of nowhere came a giraffe... not any giraffe, but Chloe. "This is not the time, Chloe!" She yelled. "I'm here to help, calm down." Chloe replied. Why would she help me? Zoe thought curiously. Suddenly, Chloe had pulled down a branch and the whole tree came falling down on the lions. "Jump-out!" One of them called. But it was too late. The lions were all injured under the heavy tree, moaning. "Thanks, but why would you help me?" Zoe asked. "Because you never actually did anything bad to me," Chloe explained. "Only I teased you. I'm sorry." Zoe smiled. "It's all right." The two animals soon became friends, and they were always there to help each other.
Y2 Writing From Lea in R6: 'My Invention' - see below
Y4 Writing From Coco in R23: 'My Eyes'
Imagine being blind and you couldn’t see anything. Have you ever been blind? The best part of me is my eyes because my eyes can help me see where I am going and what I’m doing. My eyes are precious and unique. If I didn't have them I wouldn’t be me and I most certainly would not be able to see.
My eyes are dark brown and they can see everything crystal clear. They might turn red if I watch too much TV. My eyes can help me learn and read all of the interesting things about the world.
My pupils are sparkling as if they are the invisible black hole in space, with a beautiful chocolate brown surrounding it. My eyes help me see everything around me, especially all of the bright colours and the dazzling blue sky.
My eyes can be small and big but either way they suit me and fit me well. My eyes have helped me see all the wonders of the world around me.
Surprisingly my eyes are the best part of me!!
School Policy Review For Parents on School Docs
Macleans Primary School uses SchoolDocs to maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date set of policies and procedures. These policies and procedures follow Internal link icon guidelines and legislation and best practice, and have been tailored for our school. The principal, board, and members of our school community all have access to SchoolDocs. This section highlights information of particular interest to parents and whanāu. (SchoolDocs uses the term "parents" to refer to parents and caregivers. Sometimes, whānau is also used.). As mentioned, SchoolDocs provides a comprehensive core set of policies and procedures that fit and align with the needs of Macleans Primary School. SchoolDocs updates, modifies and creates policies in response to changes in legislation or Ministry guidelines, significant events, reviews/requests from schools and regular reviews. Our SchoolDocs policies and procedures can be found via the Our School tab in the menu on our Macleans Primary School Website. For Term 1 the following policies are up for review:
- Visitors
- Contact in an emergency
- School closure
- Earthquakes
- Covid 19 Information and Procedures
If you would like to participate in reviewing the policies, please follow the instructions below.
Username: macleansprimary
Password: macleans
To access the policies on our SchoolDocs site go HERE and then:
- Click on the current review tab and follow the review instructions below.
- Select the appropriate policy you would like to review, click the link and read the policy.
- Click the Policy Review icon in the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Select the Type of Reviewer you are “Parent/Caregiver”, enter your name and click Login.
- Enter your ratings and comments, and submit your review.
- If you have any questions or queries please contact me.
Library Displays: Easter & Ramadan
ANZAC Day 2022: Monday 25 April (In the School Holidays)
Are you looking for some ANZAC History learning you can do at home over the holidays? Check out NZ History for some great activities: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/anzac-day-activities
Hauora/Well-Being: Sparklers at Home
Looking for some activities to do at home in the holidays? Check out Sparklers - Fun wellbeing activities to support whānau to look after their wellbeing and feel good. Go to Sparklers HERE
Auckland For Kids
Congratulations Mrs Van Wijk's MPS Enviro Team
Paper4trees is an initiative that Maclean’s Primary is involved with. How much paper we recycle is recorded and depending on how much we recycle the paper4trees organization provides our school with native plants to plant around our school. Last year paper4trees organized a competition. They wanted stories of how schools were becoming more sustainable. We submitted a response sharing all the things we had been doing with our Enviro team. We received an email this week letting us know that we had won the competition! They are giving us $100 towards continuing our journey to become a more sustainable school. Thank you so much paper4trees and the awesome Evergreen Enviro Team. See the story-report below.
REPEAT MESSAGE: Kiwi Exams for Year 5 & Year 6 Students Only - Science, Maths and English
The Kiwi Exams are for Year 5 and Year 6 students only. They will be held in the last 3 weeks of Term 2 and first week of Term 3. After individual payment has been made for each student to Macleans Primary, we will manage the final payment and organisation of the exams. Payment can be made through the MPS online shop Kindo (see below). For more information go HERE. The final day for payment will be Friday 6 May. Please note that there is a separate hard copy of a letter about the Kiwi Exams being sent out tomorrow to Y5 and Y6 students only.
Congratulations to Moana House for Winning the Term 1 House Competition
Well done to Moana House! Hope you are enjoying your Cazh day today for wining the Term 2 House Competition. Who will be the winning house for Term 2?
REPEAT MESSAGE: Teacher Only Days 2022 Updates on Date Changes
Unfortunately Covid-19 has impacted on our strategic planning for the year and we have had to change our Teacher Only Days (ToD). Regardless of what Covid-19 has in store for us, we will not be changing these days again. The first of the three ToD is next term on Friday 3 June. This ToD is attached to a long weekend, so a long-long weekend for families. Macleans Primary School's ToD are at school and are designed to allow teachers to review the previous planning cycle and plan for the next, whilst supporting our assessment and curriculum development and application. These days are in accordance with the Primary Teachers Collective Agreement and will be held on:
- Friday 3 June (change from 20 May)
- Friday 26 August (change from 12 August)
- Friday 18 November (change from 25 November)
Macleans Primary School Entertainment Books
Do you use the Entertainment Book App? I used to use the paper copy but that is gone now and the app. is the only option. i recommend it for sure...great savings and offers that my family uses often. For each 'book' sold, we receive $24. If we could do 10O that would be $2400 raised for the school for resources.
REPEAT MESSAGE: Kindo is the MPS Online Shop Kindo and is Ready For You to Register
We are very excited to introduce our online Kindo school shop. Not only can you order your student’s lunch, you can now also pay for school camps, trips, purchase event tickets, register for sports and support fundraisers such as the PTA cupcake day, Easter Raffle and Krispy Kreme Donut Day.
First time users can easily create an account HERE. If you already have an ezlunch or myKindo account, you can click HERE to login. If you have an account from another Kindo or ezlunch school, you can login and update your details on the ‘my details’ page.
Need assistance? Phone helpdesk (8am- 4pm Mon. to Fri.) email or web:
1. Freephone: 0508 4 KINDO (0508 454 636)
2. Email: hello@myKindo.co.nz
3. Online support: support.myKindo.co.nz
Hunger Hut Is Open on Friday 6 May, 1st Friday of Term 2
The Hunger Hut will be open on Friday 6 May, the first Friday of Term 2. Alongside donuts, popcorn, small stationery items, we will be adding stickers for sale as well. To promote an authentic shop experience for the kids, which includes the maths curriculum, we are continuing with cash/coin sales only.
Howick-Pakuranga Baseball Club & Krispy Kreme Donut Day: Today - Thursday 14 April
Thanks to the Howick-Pakuranga Baseball Club for supporting local schools and arranging this fundraiser, sponsored by Krispy Kreme Donuts. The Howick-Pakuranga Baseball Club hopes all children who had a donut today enjoyed!
Staff vs Student Softball Game: Today...14 April
Last year the children thoroughly deserved a win with their speed on the base-paths, timely hitting and consistent fielding. This year the TEACHERS won with the score being 8-5. Well done children for a great game. Maybe a re-match later in the year?
Term 2 After-School Lego Bricks For Kids in the MPS Library: Friday's afterschool.
Dates For Your Diary
Friday 15 April - Good Friday Public Holiday
Monday 2 May - First Day of Term 2 2022
Monday 23 May - Jr. School Community Constable Visits
Friday 3 June - Teacher Only Day
Monday 6 June - Queen's Birthday Public Holiday (school closed)
Acknowledgements
Copyright © 2022 Macleans Primary School, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Macleans Primary School
10 Wycherley Drive
Bucklands Beach
Auckland, 2014New Zealand
Email: admin@macleansprimary.school.nz
Website: www.macleansprimary.school.nz
Location: Macleans Primary School Wycherley Drive, Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: (09)534-591
Facebook: facebook.com/macleansfacebook