We have completed half of this year – and where did that time go, we all ask ourselves! We have been fortunate that Covid-19 has had limited impact on our school programmes, albeit we are conscious that we are still at an ORANGE setting. We need to continue to be vigilant around monitoring health and symptoms for the health and wellbeing of each other and our families.

In saying that, if your child just has a runny nose (the normal seasonal symptoms) and they are in good health otherwise, there is no reason for them to stay at home.

As you may be aware, health media reports indicate that there is an upward spike in Covid cases due to the new variants. We have a supply of RATS and adult masks, and we will soon have a delivery of child sized masks. If you require any of these supplies, please let us know.

Events and Happenings

There are quite a few events already scheduled into next term. Please check our school website

www.albury.school.nz calendar.

Mid-year reports and Parent Interviews

Your child(ren) have received their reports this week.

We are holding parent interviews on the 16th and 17th of August.

We are trialing a new online system for booking your meeting times. The new system will allow you to book and change your booking times, if required, very close to the last minute.

To make your bookings please click on this link

https://school.interviewbooking.nz/albury-school

and choose your child's teacher and your preferred available timeslot.

Staffing Update

Mrs Greenwood will be extending her current leave until January 2024 and we are delighted that Miss Beynon will be continuing with us in Tui Class next year.

Parent Focus Group Meeting – Family Partnership: Thursday 28th July

We would love to meet up with a couple of parents to seek your views on how the school can best share with you information and the learning progress of your children. The staff discussed this at length and we would like to hold a FOCUS group where we gather some ideas to further explore.

The date of the FOCUS meeting is Thursday 28th July (first Thursday back) – at 3.15pm – 4.00pm. If you are able to attend, please flick through a message so we can adequately cater for your afternoon tea. We really value getting your ideas so that we can evolve our systems to meet your needs.

Parent Information Seminars – Junior Literacy: Wednesday 3rd August: 3.15pm and 6.00pm

We are holding a parent literacy seminar to share with you how the literacy programme is operating in the junior class. This is an opportunity to learn, share and provide feedback. We will run two sessions so you can select which time will best suit you. This is a fabulous opportunity to extend the important partnership between home and school.

School Speeches – Tuesday 16th August (Week 4)

We will be holding our annual speech competition on Tuesday 16th August in the afternoon. More details will follow (and please note that some parent interviews will be held after school that day – see the booking site mentioned earlier in the newsletter). Years 4-6 will have speeches to share and the junior students enjoy sharing poetry.

The Mackenzie District Speech Competition hosted by Albury School is being held on the 23rd of August, with the Lion’s Speech Competition for our qualifiers on the evening of the 1st of September. We will have our speech representatives (Year 5,6) selected from our school speech competition to compete at the Mackenzie District Speech Competition.

SCHOOL PHOTOS – 6th September (Week 7)

This is just FYI that these are booked in – and more details will follow.

The Albury staff would like to extend to all of our families, best wishes for a great holiday. We know you have all been very busy this term with Winter Sports and we can see that our Albury Kids are ready for a few sleep-ins to rest and recover.

Staff have a planning day on the first Monday of the holidays so we will hold off on our sleep-in until Tuesday!

Looking forward to seeing you all back next term.

Regards

Donna and the Albury Team!

2022

July

• Monday 25th: Start of Term 3
• Monday 25th: Teacher only day- SCHOOL CLOSED
• Thursday 28th: Parent Focus Group Meeting – Family Partnership 3.15pm-4.00pm

• Thursday 28th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm
• Friday 29th: Ski optional Roundhill

August

• Wednesday 3rd: Parent Information Seminars – Junior Literacy 3.15pm and 6.00pm
• Friday 5th: Ski optional Roundhill
• Wednesday 10th: School Ski Day Roundhill
• Friday 12th: Ski optional Roundhill
• Tuesday 16th: Speech and Poetry Day
• Tuesday 16th: Parent Interviews
• Wednesday 17th: Parent Interviews
• Thursday 25th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm
• Friday 19th: Ski optional Roundhill
• Tuesday 23rd: Mackenzie District Speech Competition
• Friday 26th: Ski optional Roundhill

September

• Friday 2nd: Ski optional Roundhill
• Tuesday 6th: School Photos
• Friday 9th: Ski optional Roundhill
• Friday 16th: Ski optional Roundhill
• Thursday 29th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm
• Friday 30th: End of Term 3

October

• Monday 17th: Start of Term 4
• Monday 24th: Labour Day- SCHOOL CLOSED
• Thursday 27th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm

November

• Thursday 3rd: Top Team (Years 3-6)
• Thursday 24th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm

December

• Wednesday 7th - Friday 9th: Senior Camp Aoraki Mount Cook
• Tuesday 13th: End of Term 4
• Thursday 15th: Board meeting, school library 6.30pm

Well, it’s the end of the term and there have been many highlights. Pink Shirt Day, disco, cross country, visiting authors, Median Energy visiting and rugby skills to name a few. We have managed continuing illnesses resulting in absences, freezing temperatures and many, many dull days. Despite it all we have had fun and all children are working hard and try their best. No wonder we all feel tired!!!

We all enjoyed learning about Matariki, finding out about the star and what they represent. We read lots of stories about Matariki and learnt songs and talked about the many ways that people celebrate Matariki.

Have a relaxing holiday and we look forward to seeing everyone next term ready for a term of learning and fun together.

Heather van der Heyden

Thank you Tui for a fantastic term! You have worked so hard and should be very proud of yourselves.

Over the last few weeks we have had lots of different activities happening. It was an absolute pleasure to attend ice skating and watch the students have the best time. As the day went on, their confidence grew and so did the speed! Thank you to all the families and parents that joined in, helped children and supported from the edge. We can not do these events without you.

On Wednesday, students participated in an afternoon of games led by some of the year 6 students. The game leaders did a fantastic job explaining their games and handing out house points. I saw and heard lots of smiles, laughter and supportive conversations. Tui class, you were great role models and I really enjoyed watching you interact and play cooperatively with both classes.

We are currently working on our visual mihi art work. Can I please get you to email me through a family photo or bring one to school next term. These will be included on our artwork. Thank you.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday. Stay warm!

Nga mihi nui,

Hannah Beynon

On Wednesday, staff brought along some yummy treats for morning tea.

The students had created beautiful cards and also had made a video with Miss B's help with lovely messages for Mrs. Donnelly.

The video was played at the celebration assembly and the cards were presented to her by the students.

We are lucky to have you, Mrs. Donnelly!

Nomination round

Our school will be undertaking a parent election for 4 School Board vacancies.

This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022. You will receive nomination papers by email or mail (for those without email address).

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office.

The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates.

Please note: Change of Closing date!

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

The triennial School Board Elections will be held in September this year.

NZSTA (New Zealand School Trustees Association) is running a webinar designed to provide members of the public with an opportunity to find out more about what it means to be a school board member and to answer any questions you have about the election process and board member role. During the session, you will have the opportunity to direct questions to a panel of experienced school board members and NZSTA advisors.

When: Thursday, 21st July 7.00pm-8.15pm

You can register online here.

This session is open to anyone with an interest in school governance.

Wednesday 10th August (Week 3 of next term)

Early next term we will be sending out the details of the School Ski Trip Day. This is a completely different day to the Friday Ski Lessons that are organised through Annabelle Bray (and thanks Annabelle for arranging the Friday Ski Option).

The cost of the day for students is covered by the school (lesson, pass etc), however we require parents to take their own children.

So just a heads up to put this into your calendar!

We have also been informed that the Mackenzie District Ski Competition for Year 5-6 students is being held at Roundhill on the 1st of September. This event is only for highly competent skiers, so we will seek interest a little later on.

A reminder that the Tui Camp is being held at Aoraki Mount Cook this year. More details will follow. The dates are December 7,8,9. The cost of the camp will be subsidised, however the per pupil cost for attendance is $160.00. This can be paid at any time or in instalments to our school account:

ALBURY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

12-3159-0137213-00

Reference: CAMP

Starting Monday 11 July – Sport Canterbury bring you our Active Play Holiday campaign - a five-day activity calendar designed to get you active and having fun these school holidays

From making mud pies, to dancing in your living room, this challenge is designed to empower tamariki to take charge of how they play.

Simply post a picture of you and your whānau taking part under each day’s challenge (posted on our Sport South Canterbury Facebook page daily) and you could win a spot prize!

Daily prize packs to be won!

We have received a discount offer for our Albury School families who would like to register for the Mackenzie Half Marathon on 23rd July 2022.

The organising team would love to see as many children and their families entering from all around the Mackenzie Region.

You will be eligible for 10% off registration costs for the 2.5km Hole in One Fun Run, the 5.5km Flat Jack or the under 19 run or walk 10km River Dip by entering the code 'ALBURY' when registering.

The Community Dental Service will be providing limited appointments during the school break at;

Woolston Community Dental Clinic, 11, Hopkins Street, Christchurch

Hornby Community Dental Clinic, 2 Hei Hei Road, Christchurch

You can access these appointments by calling our Contact Centre on 0800 846 983, noting that priority is given to children with immediate dental needs.

For any dental advice please call the Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 or email commdental@cdhb.health.nz

Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes (meninges) covering your brain and spinal cord. The swelling from meningitis typically triggers symptoms such as headache, fever and a stiff neck. Get medical help immediately if you suspect someone might have meningitis.

The initial symptoms are difficult to distinguish from other infectious illnesses, particularly flu-like illnesses. Symptoms usually progress quickly to a severe illness, often within 24 hours. A person with meningococcal disease may develop:

• Meningitis (inflammation of the membranes around the brain)
• Septicaemia (blood infection)
• Pneumonia (lung infection)

Information about the harmful impacts of the disease can be found here

Meningococcal disease

Immunisation Advisory Centre

Helpful links

NZ Health website

Health Navigator New Zealand website

To attend camps or overnight trips you must have a current Police Vet Check.

For some parents their PVCs are expiring this year (Kathrin will email you to let you know).

If you wish to renew your current PVC, and for new requests, please let Kathrin know and we will get the applications underway. They take quite a long time to process, so we need to plan months ahead to get these processed.

To contact school during school hours please ring the office: phone number 03 685 5844.

If we are unable to take your call, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

To let us know that your child is away for the day, please ring the office or send an email to office@albury.school.nz and we will pass on the information to the classroom teacher.

Please be aware that if your child is away or if there are changes to their pick up routine we are required to collect this information from a caregiver -just give us a quick call or flick us an email.

Thank you!

Healthcare and Behaviour Management

Albury School Policies are located online at School Docs.

www.schooldocs.co.nz

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