Orātia District School Newsletter
Week 2 - 9 February 2023
Message from Ms Linda
Tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai ki te whānau o te Orātia. Zdravo. Talofa lava. Ni hao. Kia orana. Namaste. Greetings Orātia whānau.
It has been so great to stand at the school gate in the mornings this week and welcome back our students and families to our kura. We were all very ready to get stuck into the school year - teachers included, and are very sorry about the disruptions the delayed start may have caused some of you. The sun is shining (though more rain is on the way apparently), the pool is open, new classes are forming their class treaties, and there is a happy hum of connection across the school. Our school wide theme of inquiry this term is exploring the concept of Connection and how it relates to the various aspects of our lives, and how it is outworked in school through our school vision - Develop confident, connected learners who make a positive difference.
We look forward to exploring Connection with you all next week as we have rescheduled our Meet the Whānau/Meet the Teacher sessions to next Wednesday, 1.30pm - 5.30pm. These will be 10 minute slots that you and your child can book in order to chat with the teacher and get to know each other a bit better. We will keep school open till 2.55pm as normal, and supervise the children while the teachers meet with you. Home time and buses will run as usual. Room 11 will be having their meet the whānau times on Thursday afternoon instead of the Wednesday so that Mrs Jackson can be available. Booking information is in the newsletter. As we usually do, any parent who cannot make the new times on Wednesday is free to make an alternate arrangement with their child's teacher at a mutually agreeable time.
If you are having any difficulties at the start of the year with paying for stationery or other financial matters, please let Kath Golsdmith (katherineg@oratia.school.nz) know so we can support you in practical ways. Vision West Trust in Glendale Rd are offering support through their pataka kai for food and stationery, and they have many other supports in place that could be available for you if you need them. Information about the Trust can be found later in the newsletter. Let them know you are from Orātia District School as they specifically reached out to us in order to help any from our community that might need it. Please do let us know about your circumstances if you feel comfortable to do so, in order that we can care for your child appropriately and support you all as much as we can. My thoughts are with all of you who have been affected in any way from the recent weather.
Take care and stay safe. Kia kaha, kia atawhai.
Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda
Friday lunch schedule
Friday 17 February - Pita Pit (order by Friday morning)
Friday 24 February - Subway (order by Thursday night)
Friday lunches can be ordered on Kindo and will be delivered to your child's classroom at the beginning of lunchtime. Please contact the office to make arrangements to collect lunch orders if your child is absent on the day
Meet the whānau afternoon - Wednesday 15 February
You are invited to make a booking of 10 minutes to accompany your child to meet their teacher one to one. We hope this will be a great time to connect with each other, share any news of importance with one another, and for parents to share the great things about their child they would like the teacher to know.
Children will be supervised in the hall in the afternoon while the interviews are taking place and school buses will be running at the usual time of 3pm. If you would like to collect your child prior to 2.55pm please collect them from the classroom at 1.30pm otherwise head to the hall.
To make a booking please go to
https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/8dhr5
If your child is in Room 11 this event will be held 2-5pm on Thursday 16 February.
To make a booking please go to
https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/zkng9
Any queries please don't hesitate to contact me.
Ngā mihi nui
Janine Moore
Oratia District School Administration
Term 1 pōwhiri welcome to new students, teachers and whānau
We all felt happy to see the sun shining on Tuesday for our first Pōwhiri to welcome newcomers to our school. New students and staff gathered with whānau outside the gate where Kaumatua Papa Ngaronoa Pita welcomed and explained to everyone how important our pōwhiri ceremony is to welcome new whānau to our Kura. Our kapa haka rōpu called them into the hall with a karanga and the pōwhiri began.
What has been happening at school this week?
Room 4 enjoyed their play based learning time creating and learning with water and plastic pipes. Play-based learning provides opportunities for children to actively and imaginatively engage with people, objects and the environment.
Room 17/18 connecting again with a team building challenge on the field.
Caretaker Mr Reddington is working hard on our new sickbay refurb. We can't wait until it's finished!
This week it has been the first time in the history of Orātia school that we have flown the He Whakaputanga flag, representative of our international declaration of independence signed in 1835.
Room 16 had fun looking at things a little differently with this mirror trust exercise.
Vita loves bunnies, so Claire, Nova and Zara wrote her a play about bunnies. What kind, caring students we have at Lone Kauri School.
Lone Kauri School made posters to display outside on the road for the road workers fixing Lone Kauri Rd. We will surprise them with some baking from the students too.
Koa and River loved cutting scales for their Rainbow fish. Some of the Rainbow fish scales had our school values on them.
SchoolTV Special Report on the Auckland Floods
SPECIAL REPORT: Flood Support & Recovery
Being exposed to a natural disaster, either directly through lived experience or indirectly through the media, stirs up various feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety and frustration. Thousands of individuals, families and communities in and around Auckland have been touched by the recent floods with many still coming to terms with what has happened. Whilst others are rallying together to provide much needed moral and financial support.
As the clean-up continues, families are faced with the real presence of the disaster. Dealing with their emotions and providing support to their children and teenagers. How well young people cope, or manage any trauma, will depend on specific risk factors in existence before, during and after the event. It is vital to talk and listen to them to help them process their feelings.
Parents and caregivers need to remain vigilant in monitoring their children during this time and check in with them regularly. They may be distressed by images they have seen either physically or through social media and news reports. Young people may exhibit or experience a wide range of emotional reactions and it is therefore important to reassure them that what they are feeling is considered normal.
This Special Report offers a number of strategies to help support families during this time of recovery. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-flood-support-recovery-nz
The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS)
Dear parents and caregivers,
The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS) is a Te Whatu Ora-operated service, which provides free dental care to children across the greater Auckland areas. In order to prevent any eligible children missing out on receiving free dental care, ARDS is cross-checking their own records with school rolls.
For our children’s better oral health and wellbeing, our school roll will be shared with the service as required. To find out more information about ARDS, please visit ards.co.nz or call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583).
Wide-Brimmed hats
Thank you Treescapes!
A big thankyou to Treescapes Landscaping for donating and delivering a BIG load of mulch to our school. It is really appreciated.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Titirangi Theatre Acting Training Classes for children in 2023.
Classes for children aged 10 -13 years old begin on 13 February. (At school they will be in years 7, 8 or 9). Classes are at The Theatre, Lopdell House, Titirangi, at 5 – 6.30pm.
The weekly classes are for 3 terms, with a production at the end of term 3.
To enrol or for information contact tutor John Goudge on email goudgedrama@gmail.com
(Classes are also available for adults.)
PARENT CORNER
Filing cabinets for sale
Contact Us
Email: principal@oratia.school.nz
Website: https://www.oratia.school.nz
Location: Shaw Road & West Coast Road, Oratia, Auckland 0604, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 818-6216
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OratiaSchool/