Kia ora koutou, kumusta, talofa lava

It was my privilege to supervise one of the senior netball teams last Thursday at Hagley Park. I was particularly impressed by the way the team began doing their own skills warmup without being prompted. Their coach (Esme's mum Geni) was also very impressed by the way they have taken on board many of the strategies that they have been taught in the last few weeks.

When reflecting on this later I felt a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment. Our teachers are continually empowering our students to take more control of their learning. I see this on a daily basis and over the past few years I have seen a huge shift in their self-control and self-management skills. The way we teach, and the environment we have at St Mary's, is creating learners who are more able to direct their own learning and manage their own learning behaviour. This has led to students being more focused and also better behaved.

Last Thursday our netball team illustrated all the skills and learning behaviours we have been teaching. This is a testament to all of their teachers and something we prize at St Mary's School.

Mā te Atua koe e manaaki, e tiaki

May God bless you and protect you

Jonath-Room 2

Neha -Room 5

Key competencies

Competencies are abilities and capabilities that people use to live, learn, work and contribute as active members of their communities.

The New Zealand Curriculum identifies 5 key competencies that it has a focus on children developing throughout their time at school:

• Thinking - is about using thinking processes to make sense of information, experiences and ideas.
• Using language, symbols, and texts - working with, being able to understand, and making sense of the codes (languages and symbols) in which knowledge is expressed.
• Managing self - having self-motivation, a "can-do" attitude, and seeing oneself as a capable learner.
• Relating to others - is about interacting effectively with a range of different people in a range of different situations, including things like being able to listen well, recognise different points of view, and share ideas.
• Participating and contributing - being involved in communities, such as family, whānau, school, and be able to contribute and make connections with other people.

Tuesday 15 June is the Feast Day of St Vitus.

Little is definitively known about St Vitus, apart from the fact of his martyrdom in Lucania. Devotion to the Saint is known from the beginning of the Middle Ages. St Vitus was known for healing miracles; he is invoked especially against epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

If your child displays some of the symptoms please keep them at home and test for Covid-19. If your child tests positive please send me an email to let me know. office@stmaryschch.school.nz

What does it mean if I am a Household Contact?

If you are considered a Household Contact you must follow these steps (whether you are vaccinated against COVID-19 or not):

• Self-isolate from the day that the first person in your household receives their positive test result, until they complete their 7 days of self-isolation and are released.
• When the first case in your house gets to days 3 and 7 of their isolation, you need to get tested using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
• If symptoms develop at any stage, you need to get tested using a RAT.
• Avoid or minimise contact with the person with COVID-19 as much as possible during your isolation period.
• You can end your self-isolation on the same day as the first ‘case’ in the household, provided you have no new or worsening symptoms and your tests were negative.
• Your isolation does not restart if additional members of your household are identified as cases during the first case’s isolation period.
• After the initial isolation period ends there is a 10-day window during which no Household Contacts of the original case can be re-classified as Household Contacts. You only need to begin isolation again during these 10 days if you test positive yourself.
• 10 days after the original isolation period ends the usual rules apply. If a new household member (not the original case) tests positive, they and all other Household Contacts (who have not yet become cases themselves) must isolate for 7 days.

A recovered case is exempt from becoming a Household Contact for 90 days after their recovery.The factsheet below provides helpful information on COVID-19 and precautions you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. The fact sheet should be read together with the advice on self-isolation or staying at home (viewable at Advice for people with COVID-19) and any specific advice that may be given to you by your doctor, Healthline (0800 358 5453) or public health official.

Symptoms of Covid-19

- A new or worsening cough
- Sneezing and runny nose
- A fever

- Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste

- Sore throat

- Shortness of breath
Less common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.

For more information, go to https://covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing/about-covid-19/covid-19-symptoms/