The Connection Week 7 Term 3
Huapai District School 9th September 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
“If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
….
Always look on the bright side of life”
This Monty Python tune has become something of a running mantra for me this lockdown.
I don’t generally do very well in lockdown. I need people around me, I feed off their energy and their ideas, I like to talk to think, and I enjoy working to solve problems. Covid takes away many of these things; a computer zoom just isn’t the same and I can’t ‘solve’ Covid.
It’s easy for us to become overwhelmed with the current situation when our daily lives have been so affected. It’s understandable to grump at the children around us out of frustration. They too are processing feelings of isolation, loss, stress and frustration too and often this manifests itself in “less than delightful” behaviour. However, if we take a breath and try to view the situation with fresh eyes, we can see that as much as Covid has taken from us, it has also given us some things.
It has given us time. Without the after school parent taxi service needed for activities, we have seemingly more hours in the day. We choose how we spend this, scrolling mindlessly through social media that will still be there to entertain us in ten years or playing a game with children who may not be. It has given us the opportunity to see what our children are learning about at school, to walk around our neighbourhoods smiling and saying hello to people we’ve never met. It’s given our environment the chance to recover slightly from years of pollution as there are fewer cars on the road. Covid is a common language around the world that unites all the countries’ leaders.
At HDS we are so impressed with all the wonderful work our students are completing but what we love even more are the creative things they are dreaming up, the pictures of families out and about together, the stories they tell of the silly dance that Mum made up or the makeover they gave Dad. It’s the little things that are the big things in the lives of our children. These are the memories they will hold.
So this lockdown, let’s channel Monty Python when we think about getting through this lockdown - "It's nothing very special. Try to be nice to people, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
Thank you for what you are doing.
(yes, it’s on Netflix if you need another good show to add to the binge list)
Regards,
Maree Lloyd
Upcoming Events
- Friday 10th September (tomorrow) - Virtual Assembly
- Tuesday 14th September - Virtual Board Meeting
Virtual Board Meeting
Tuesday 14th September
The next school Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tuesday 14th September at 7:00pm via zoom. Parents / caregivers are welcome to attend. Please see below for the link.
Alert Level 3
We have our planning and processes in place for when we get notice that Auckland is shifting into Alert Level 3. Level 3 is targeted at essential services children only. Our online classes will continue. On-site children will continue their online learning from school with support from our Huapai + staff, support staff and overseen by school leadership. We are not expecting many children. Details of booking, expectations and clarification of any specific requirements will be circulated as soon as we have confirmation of time frames.
Virtual Assembly
We are thrilled to invite you to our school assembly on Friday at 2pm. Please join us using the link below.
Student Of The Week
Ayla (Year 8) says: "I love that there are so many opportunities at Huapai for every different type of student. My favourite thing to do is playing all the different sports and performing arts opportunities. I am enjoying spending more time with my family during lockdown and not having to rush!"
Getting To Know...
Stephanie Wales
Hi, I am Stephanie and I teach ESOL at Huapai. I was born and raised in Scotland and have been involved with teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages for over 20 years. I have been part of the Huapai community for 7 years, as my children both attended and loved HDS. I love making connections with different students of many different ages and backgrounds and I love getting students to connect with each other. I enjoy travelling when it’s possible.
The Messed Up Musical
We have made the decision to move the Junior musical into term 4. This will now be in week 7 - November 30th to December the 2nd.
We will update you with further details as we get closer to the time.
Sport
Kaipara Touch Rugby
If you would like your child to play in a Huapai team for Touch Rugby at Helensville on Friday nights please visit the website https://www.sporty.co.nz/kaiparajnrtouch/Module-Information/Register-Online to register your child. Games begin Friday 29th October and fees are $30 per player. Years 0-8.
Kumeu Touch Rugby
If you would like your child to play in a Huapai team for Touch Rugby in Riverhead on Thursday nights please use the google form to register your child. Games begin 28th October. Fees are $35 payable to school once we finalise teams. Years 0-8.
Summer Hockey
If you would like your child to play summer hockey this year, please use this google form to register your child. Games are played on a Monday or Tuesday night depending on the team grade (info can be found on the form). Fees are $20 - $30 depending on grade, payable to school once we finalise teams. Years 0-8.
Summer Football
West Coast Rangers Summer Football is back for another year of Seven-a-side soccer at both Huapai Domain and Fred Taylor Park.
If your child is interested in playing Summer Football, you can register them directly with the West Coast Rangers here: https://westcoastrangers.co.nz/summer-football
Lockdown Learning
Shadow Challenge
Wow - we have some really creative children. Thank you all for participating in this week’s challenge. We have many more to show you in assembly tomorrow. Tune in on Friday to see our next school wide challenge.
School Holiday Programme With Huapai Plus
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