The Connection Week 5 Term 3
Huapai District School 26th August 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Poem to ponder: No Man Is An Island
No man is an island,
entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were.
as well as if a manor of thy friend’s
or of thine own were.
Any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.
- John Donne, written in 1623
John Donne's poem is so significant as isolationism seems such a part of our vocabulary and lives at the moment. I really appreciate that in this period of lockdown, the need to connect and engage does not diminish. Connection finds a way. I wave more, smile more, share more, listen more. I love that the human spirit can not be put out or put off. It finds a way.
Thank you for what you’re doing in supporting your children. We are so positive, enthused and enriched by the level of engagement and motivation we see in your children through this lockdown. It’s inspiring as it is challenging. This newsletter seeks to share a little of what we are seeing across classes at the moment.
Take care out there!
John Petrie
Upcoming Events
- Friday 27th August (tomorrow) - Device Collection Window 9am - 10:30am
- Friday 27th August (tomorrow) - Zoom Assembly
Making A Difference For One...
The troubles in Afghanistan over the last couple weeks have struck close to home. Having a husband in the military, I know about the efforts that go into peace keeping, the extra miles our troops go to to help the citizens of a country. Many military personnel around the world may well have a feeling of “what difference did I make after all” or “were my efforts wasted?”. It reminded me of the story of the starfish thrower and the idea of making a difference for one.
As parents and educators we work to make a difference. Often that work seems daunting and those extra miles leave us wondering if it was worth it. Was it really worth me trying to show my child the right way to do things? The answer is YES - just as our troops make a difference for those individuals whose lives they touch, our collective efforts make a difference.
I encourage you to keep insisting that your child makes their bed even though no one sees it, that you show your child the healthy food to eat even when their mates have junk in their lunchboxes, to turn off the social media for your child in the evening even though they hate you for it, to encourage them accept a challenge out of their comfort zone even when they want to hide - your efforts are not wasted; you ARE making a difference.
Maree Lloyd
Teacher Only Day - Cancelled
Friday 27th August 2021
Due to the school being in COVID Level 4 lockdown, the planned Teacher Only Day will no longer be going ahead.
No Playground Access
During level 4, playgrounds are off limits. This includes our school playgrounds. We have installed signs on all entrances to the school. School is closed for everyone. Please stay at home and keep safe with your whanau.
Device Collection - 2nd Drive Thru Service
We will be opening a second drive thru service at school this Friday (tomorrow), from 9.00am - 10:30am. This is a chance to collect a loan school device or to pick up any books / pencil cases you may need. Please use the Station Road entry and place your order at the drive through window. You will then be given instructions. Please wear your masks and stay in the car unless instructed otherwise.
Zoom Assembly
We would like to host a zoom assembly on Friday 27th August (tomorrow) at 2pm. Please join us to celebrate the great things that have been happening this week and to announce our first weekly Lockdown challenge. The zoom code is linked below.
All Blacks Captain Run
Lucky Huapai Kids’ at the All Blacks Captain’s run before lockdown, meeting famous faces - including a Huapai Dad!
Zooming Everywhere
We are pleased to see such high levels of engagement levels from our students. The daily morning check in is a great chance to clarify the expectations of the day. Here are a selection of class photos.
Lots Of Learning
We have been so impressed with the creativity and excellence being shown both in digital classrooms and outside. Thank you for the hard work you are putting in.
Virtual Cross Country
Wow - what a fabulous turn out for our Virtual Cross Country. A huge thank you to Kirstyn Campbell and Peter Bristow who organised this event. It was fabulous to see so many of our students out and about clocking up the kms. Here are a few of the photos - tune into our assembly on Friday for even more!
The Messed Up Musical
The show must go on! Students know their songs and dances and can continue to practice at home for now. We will do everything we can to make sure we get our kids on stage when it is safe to do so. For now, keep singing and keep dancing!
HERO Notifications
We use HERO to send classroom updates and to share regular learning posts. HERO sends push notifications or emails. You can now choose how you receive HERO notifications as well as manage devices that receive them.
To set your own notification preferences:
Click on your profile image
Select EDIT PROFILE
Scroll down to My Devices and select your preferences.
Or please see the full instructions linked below.
Contact Us
Email: office@hds.school.nz
Website: https://www.huapaidistrict.school.nz/
Location: Huapai District School 40 Station Rd, Kumeū, New Zealand
Phone: +64 09 412 5042
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huapaidistrictschool