BIS Newsletter Week 2 Term 4
Friday 29th of October 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Today I recorded a message for our students for the weekly assembly movie. The message was about integrity. I wanted to reach out to our students to encourage them to strive for excellence in their home learning and not to be tempted to say 'no one else is doing it' or 'I've done everything today' or 'it's optional'.
I am sorry if the messages that we have been sending out have given students the impression that optional activities are there for those who want to do them rather than there for everyone. I know that in some houses there are battles about what 'optional' means.
To be clear, we want our students to be engaged in home learning. We want them to be able to select the google meets that they need to attend in order to be able to complete the set work. We want our students to complete tasks and feel that they have put effort into a task. We want our students to feel a sense of pride in setting weekly goals and achieving these goals. We want our students to feel connected to school and to their peers even if it is only on a screen.
We do not want families to be battling to get students to be online or to complete their work. We do not want you to feel pressure to get them to attend every google meet. It is a difficult task for us to set up a programme that meets the needs of all families. If home learning is a burden or a struggle in your household, please contact your child's whanau teacher for ideas on how to get your child more engaged and motivated to complete the work. We will do our best to help you and work with you to get the best outcomes for all of our tamariki.
A recent highlight for me has been watching the school production, Twisterella. If you did not watch this 'zoovie' then I encourage you to spend some time watching this fantastic school production that was performed in homes across our community and filmed on a zoom call then carefully edited by Mrs Dalton. It is a wonderful example of adapting to the current covid climate.
Another highlight was receiving an email from one of our students who won a $500 prize for her entry in the Stuff writing competition. Well done Matilda. I was also able to present Ava and Astra their brand new sewing machines that they won for their entries in the National Wearable Art competition earlier this year. It is wonderful to see students being awarded for excellence.
To ensure ongoing excellence, we have to constantly planning programmes that meet the needs and interests of our students. These programmes need to be relevant and responsive to the community we serve. Term four is a good time to reflect and begin to set new goals for the future. Our community consultation on the delivery of the Health Curriculum is included in this newsletter. Please read the information below and complete the online survey so that we can plan the programmes that are best for our students.
I hope you are all well and finding new ways to be entertained during this very long lockdown. I know that we all want to be back at school and enjoying some sort of normality and I look forward to the day when all health measures are in place to ensure a safe return to school.
Kia kaha,
JoAnne
Masked up for learning.
Ava with her prize for wearable arts.
Students spread our for learning on-site.
The Health Curriculum
Winning Writing
AUCKLAND AROHA
The sand is soft under my feet. I take a breath of salty sea air, and a young breeze ripples the water's glass-still surface. Looking out onto the horizon, Rangitoto stands proud, but silent. The first light of day peeps out from the towering mountain. This is our Tamaki Makaurau.
Matilda Allen, 11 Years.
Policy Reviews for Term 4
Guidelines for Concerns and Complaints
Despite our best efforts, there may be times when you feel that you need to register a concern or a complaint. To avoid unnecessary upset or misunderstandings please ensure that if you have an issue or concern, that you talk to us early so we can resolve it quickly. A lot of unnecessary problems can be avoided when communication is open and honest.
We observe the following guidelines:
- In the first instance please attempt to resolve the issue by discussing it with the teacher concerned.
- If you feel that the issue remains unresolved, please ask to speak with the team leader or a Deputy Principal.
- However, if you feel that the issue is still unresolved, then the parent or guardian should make a written complaint to the Principal and an appointment will be made to discuss the issue.
- To discuss the complaint, an appointment will be made to suit both parties.
- Complainants who feel they have not had their problems addressed after following the process should formally complain to the Board of Trustees in written form.
- All written complaints will be responded to verbally and in writing.
Please see our school website for the full guidelines, procedures and policies surrounding concerns and complaints.
Strategic Review
So, we want to hear from you. We want to know what you think the priorities should be for the next year. We want all and any ideas that you have from new resources, allocation of staffing, subjects taught, uniform, property, outdoor facilities, resources, technology, school culture and vision. We will then take these ideas, put them into a consultation document that will be shared with the school community. Even if your child won't be at Intermediate next year, we still want to hear from you. You can view this year's plan by clicking the button below.
Please email your feedback to our Board's presiding member, Rachael Barnett. rbarnett@bis.school.nz
We are hoping to get hundreds of emails so you may not get a reply but we will aim to include all ideas in our consultation document.
A Message from Birkenhead College for Year 8 Students
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Our enrolment process will recommence immediately after the recent disruption. We are hoping to finalise our numbers in the specialised courses such as our new STEM Academy in Maths and Science.
Please enrol your child by clicking the following link and we will be in touch with you shortly.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at office@birkenhead.school.nz if you have any questions or issues with enrolment.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Nāku noa
Craig Waller
Principal
School Face Masks - Delivery Delay
These are coming - just waiting on arrival at school then we will distribute. There is still time to order one!
To encourage mask wearing and to try to normalise this at school, we have purchased fabric reusable and washable face masks to sell. These are adjustable and good quality face masks that will have our school logo on them. We will name each mask in fabric paint when purchased. Order forms will be sent out shortly. Masks will cost $10.00.
These are available for order now and can be paid via kindo. Click on the link to order one.
Newsletter proudly sponsored by
Cyber Safety with NETSAFE!
Upcoming Events
Monday 15th November - Tentative start date back given by the Government. Please keep an eye on your emails for further information regarding the actual start date back.
Tuesday 16th November - BOT Meeting 6.30 pm (in school or online TBC)
Tuesday 7th December - BOT Meeting 6.30 pm (in school or online TBC)
Wednesday 15th December - End of Term 4
Communication Home
Please ensure we have an up-to-date email address, download our BIS School App, like our Facebook page and check our website regularly for more detailed information about what is happening at BIS.
Contact Us
Email: office@bis.school.nz
Website: https://www.bis.school.nz/
Location: 200 Birkdale Road, Birkdale, Auckland 0626, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9-483 9168
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birkdaleintermediateschool
Community Advertisements
Please contact office@bis.school.nz to advertise your community event in this space.