Newsletter 19th May 2022

"If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'll live a lot differently"

Bill Watterson

Kia ora whānau

Don't you just love this quote? The fact that its by my favourite comic strip artist (Calvin and Hobbes) probably sways my opinion to a degree however it provides me with plenty of thinking too. We've just had our Year 6 ākonga on camp at Tutira over the last two weeks and for a lot of our tamariki this might well be foreign territory for them. While on camp they get the opportunity to connect with nature in a whole lot of ways. While they're busy with their activities there will be many other things that they will notice too. Surrounded by sounds that might normally be masked by traffic, birdlife other than sparrows, stuff that we wouldn't normally walk in (you work that out!) and sensations that can only be created by mud and slime!

Funny how it is that if you asked your tamariki to throw themselves down on cold wet grass (and thistles) they wouldn't. Put them in a camp situation where they are playing spotlight in the dark and they will do exactly that ... it probably helps that they cannot see those thistles or sheep droppings at night!

Funny how they'd tiptoe around mud most days but at camp they'll roll around in it, wallow in it, put it in their hair and throw it around. At camp it might rain and they'll have to go walking in it for periods of time yet at home they'd expect (beg ... plead ... cajole) for a ride to school. Funny how they'd turn their noses up at times at the food we serve yet at camp they'll hoe into anything that looks remotely edible and go back for more! Don't take it personally ...

Serious too! Out amongst the elements and amongst activities that challenge them yet being surrounded by nature also has that calming influence too. Nature brings us back to earth, grounds us and slows our world down. Stars in the sky, the wind rustling the leaves, bird song and moments of real silence. A momentary lull in the hustle and bustle of life ... and what could be better than that?

Ngā manaakitanga

Marty Hantz

One of the roles of the Board is to work with school Leadership to formulate and review school policy.

These are reviewed at our monthly meetings. This month one of the policies under review is the Food and Nutrition Policy.

Following the principles of Te Whare Tapa Wha, this policy guides the school's approach to food and drink at school taking a holistic view as to how nutrition affects the akonga and their learning. Did you know that Taradale Primary School is a water only school? He kura wai maori anake to matou kura.

Over the last week we have noticed that more and more of our whānau are parking on or over yellow lines as they wait for their tamariki. This has led to complaints being received by those whose properties are affected by this, and rightly so. People who are parking on those lines are not only blocking driveways but also blocking the line of sight. This created a near-miss accident on Tuesday.

As a consequence we will be asking local NCC traffice wardens and police to keep an eye on this. If you do receive a ticket for parking on yellow lines then please remember that you were warned!

A wee reminder that if you are taking your child out of school then the protocols or procedures are as follows...

• Come into the office and inform the staff.
• Use the Vis-tab to sign your child out.
• Office staff will then collect your child.

It is very important that all tamariki leaving school before the end of the day are signed out because if there was an emergency then we would be looking for children that aren't on site, endangering those that are looking for them

While the expectations nationally have changed re the wearing of masks in that it is now not compulsory for Years 4 to 6 learners to wear masks, we would still recommend that this occurs where possible. We have worked really hard to keep our tamariki as safe as we can, and free from Covid and we feel quite strongly that our stance on mask wearing made a difference. This also made a difference for our staff in that we had very few with Covid and those unlucky few were well spaced out. This ensured that we weren't short of staff, could cover those gaps internally and meant that your child's learning was not disrupted.

While we cannot insist on masks we have noticed that many of our tamariki who were ardent mask wearers now do not. Please encourage your child to wear a mask, particularly if they have not had Covid.

Congratulations to the following creative geniuses who constructed some great hats over the last holiday break...excellent thinking all round! Their constructions will soon be on display in the school office. Keep an eye out! Kapai mahi! Well done to....

• Years 1 and 2...Ruby Smith, Sophie Berry, AJ Kernoghan
• Years 3 and 4...Elliott Francois, Skyla Dennan, Imogen Coulthard
• Years 5 and 6...Janna Rieter, Zara Dennan, Rebecca Song
• Special Awards...Roman Little, Imogene Kernoghan, Lilly Hayman-Childs, Olivia Coulthard, George Schumacher, Carlos Schumacher,

Your rewards are on their way!

Kia ora whānau,

As the last years have sent us many different challenges, I thought it would be apt to send some information to let you know about how we support your child’s wellbeing at our kura.

Within the classes, we use the word Hauora - Hauora is a Māori view of health unique to New Zealand, and covers the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs that everyone has. Our emphasis is to encourage our tamariki to show kindness and empathy, express their feelings and bounce back when they face challenges.

At home, the website https://sparklers.org.nz/parenting/ is a fantastic resource which can support you with the wellbeing of your child.

We are also fortunate to have a counselor available for our tamariki. Please note, there may be a waiting period before she is available.

If you would like any support with your child’s wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to contact me raeleneh@taraprim.school.nz

Ngā mihi

Kaiako Rae

We would like to acknowledge and thank McCain foods for their very generous donation of pizza and frozen chips for our Year 6 camp. This donation helps with meals for the children and allows us to keep the cost of food down.

Haere mai ki te whāriki

Come to the mat.

Haere mai ki te whāriki.

• Navigating the Journey Evening - Tuesday 31st May
• Queens Birthday - Monday 6th June
• Matariki Public Holiday - Friday 24th June
• End of Term 2 - Friday 8th July 3pm