Newsletter
12th May 2022
Stay alert: COVID-19 will still be with us this winter
COVID-19 will still be in the community this winter so stay alert - even if you’ve had it before.
Remember these five important tips from Auckland Regional Public Health Service:
1. Be vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection against getting very sick from COVID-19. Everyone aged 5 or over can get free COVID-19 vaccinations. It doesn’t matter what your visa or citizenship status is.
2. Keep up healthy habits: Healthy habits can protect you from lots of winter illnesses - not just COVID-19. They include washing and drying your hands well and often, wearing a mask (especially inside), and coughing/sneezing into a tissue or your elbow – not your hands.
3. Be alert for symptoms: If you or anyone in your household has any cold or flu-like symptoms, stay at home and free-call Healthline: 0800 358 5453. They will tell you what to do, including how to get a test. Healthline is available 24/7, with interpreters available.
In an emergency (for example if someone is having difficulty breathing), immediately dial 111 for an ambulance. COVID-related medical care is free.
4. Stay home if you live with someone with COVID-19: Everyone living in a household with someone who has COVID-19 needs to isolate for seven days – not just the person with COVID. Please do not send your child in if they live with someone who has COVID-19, even if they are well.
5. Check: is your whānau up-to-date? Now’s a good time to check that your whānau is protected against other diseases like measles, mumps, rubella and pertussis (whooping cough). With New Zealand’s borders re-opening, there’s a greater risk of serious diseases like measles arriving here. Talk to your doctor, or check your own health records (such as your Plunket or Well Child/Tamariki Ora book) to see if everyone’s up-to-date with their immunisations.
For more COVID-19 information and advice
Call:
· Healthline: 0800 358 5453 (a free, 24/7 service with interpreters available)
Or visit:
· Unite against COVID covid19.govt.nz
· Auckland Regional Public Health Service www.arphs.health.nz
· Ministry of Health www.health.govt.nz/covid-19
· Northern Region Health Coordination Centre nrhcc.health.nz
Leadership Team message from Jonathan R
Kia ora koutou,
We hope that you all had an amazing Easter and Anzac break along with the Mother's Day weekend just completed. I was fortunate to spend some time with my Mother and Father [82] going through old photos and memories. Amazing what you find in old photo albums.
There are lots of amazing things going on this term from the restarting of some sports, the swimming pool opening this week [see photos below] and the very near completion of the new GTT space. We hope to have the new kitchen handed over to us in the next two weeks. You may recognise the artwork on the splashback [pictured below]. Both facilities will have official openings at a date to be confirmed later in the term.
Later in the newsletter, you will read about some PTA events coming up including the Edendale Colour Run and the restart of the bake sales on the 1st of July. Thank you to all those who are involved in making these activities happen and I know that the PTA [Friends of Edendale] would love to have more active parents/caregivers. You can email pta@edendale.school.nz to find out more.
We have loved being back at school and seeing your wonderful tamariki. Everyone is highly engaged and enthusiastic. We are looking forward to another full term of school with what is currently brilliant outdoor weather.
Stay well, stay safe, and be kind.
Ngā mihi
Nā
Jonathan
Principal | Tumuaki
COVID update:
- we thought we'd let you know that we are now starting to see COVID-19 re-infections in our school population. Please continue to take all the precautions you can and also keep the school updated. We will continue to update you on Monday, Wednesday and Friday about cases at school.
- masks are strongly encouraged as a defence against COVID -19 and we have noted that many children are asking us for them at the gate. It would be helpful if children could come with one in their bag.
- all adults visiting the school grounds must wear a mask while onsite.
Week 2 - 3
Monday 9th May to Friday 20th May
- We will see parents and caregivers being able to drop children off at the classroom door (not inside the classroom) and we ask that socialising with other adults occur offsite. Please physically distance yourself from others.
- Please note, that there is no expectation for children to be dropped off at class. We have noted that having fewer parents on site in the morning has helped our tamariki settle quickly for the day so we absolutely encourage you to continue dropping off at the gate if that is working for your whānau. The senior leaders and other staff will still be there to help children who need a hand to class.
- We would request that dogs are not brought on site in these two weeks. We have a significant number of tamariki who we know are frightened by dogs. Many students have started Edendale since parents were last allowed on site and may not have encountered dogs without the support of a parent/whānau member with them.
Week 4 - 10
Monday 23rd May to Friday 8th July
- We will see the introduction of pick ups in the afternoon at 3:00pm but no play on the school playground (i.e. collect and leave promptly) as we will be closing the gates as soon as everyone has left the site, just as we have done over term 1.
School donations:
Due to the Government giving the school $150.00 per student in lieu of parent donations we are unable to ask for school donations in 2022. The Government payment does by no means cover our costs and we will be down by tens of thousands of dollars this year. We are also unable to ask for money to cover school trips etc so we will be even worse off than in previous years.
Some parents/families have decided to pay a donation themselves to help with these costs [without us requesting] and the Board are grateful for this. The BoT and PTA will be thinking of ways to raise funds in other ways to cover the shortfall when the Government already don't fund Garden to Table, our Art and Music specialists as they are not seen as core business by them. A huge thank you to those of you who have given a donation to the school this year and understand that it is not a requirement as Edendale is part of the Government donations scheme.
You can find more about the scheme here https://www.education.govt.nz/school/funding-and-financials/fees-charges-and-donations/ Any donation that you do make is tax-deductible.
Water Only School:
Edendale Primary School is a water-only school and this means other drinks except non-flavoured milk are not to be consumed at school during the school day [e.g., fruit juice, soft drinks, Up & Go etc.]. If children bring drinks other than water/milk to school we will ask them to put them away and take them home. We have water fountains onsite for children and encourage them to bring a refillable drink bottle.
Traffic Management:
We have noted in the mornings a number of adults stopping on the yellow lines and/or in the bus lane outside school and letting children out. This is dangerous as it could end up in a bus hitting the back of the car and a child plus the car's other occupants being critically injured. We have even seen cars stop at the red crossing light during peak hour traffic and children get out of the car in the middle of the road into the cycle and bus lane. Please park up in an appropriate space, as these behaviours are an accident waiting to happen.
Board Policy Review
This term, the board, staff and parents are reviewing:
Healthcare
- Medicines
- Managing minor/moderate injury
- Managing serious injury and illness
- Reporting and recording accidents and incidents
- Infectious diseases
Behaviour management
- Bullying and online bullying
- Surrender and retention of property and searches
Edendale uses SchoolDocs for our policies. You can find instructions to access SchoolDocs on our school website by following this link.
Once you have accessed SchoolDocs, go to Current Review tab on your site for review instructions and links to the current review topics.
For more information about how to submit a review, see the short but informative video How to take part in the SchoolDocs policy review process in the SchoolDocs Video Library (YouTube).
Farmer Time:
At Edendale Primary School we are involved in the Farmer Time programme and more details can be found here https://www.farmertime.co.nz/stories/edendale-primary-school
Photolife
A reminder that photos will be taken on May 18 and 19th. Please read the attached instructions below for more information.
Please return the sibling photo request form to the office before 18 May should you require.
Online voting for Board Election
Please help us prepare for the online Board elections this year
To assist us run a smooth election, every parent/caregiver is separately identified and we require an email address and a cell phone number.
Please email office@edendale.school.nz with any new updates/amendments for your contact details.
For our records we require the following details: Student name, both caregivers name, mobile number and email address for our records.
Thank you for your assistance.
Lucky Book Club
Online ordering for Lucky Book Club Issue 3 is now open. Please go onto the Scholastic website to place your order. The last day for ordering will be Friday 3 June.
Congratulations Edendale Fantails!
In their first term playing futsal together, the Edendale Fantails finished 3rd in their league during the regular season. They went on to win their semi-final and then won the Auckland Central School Futsal final 2-0 against a Balmoral side. The team (and their trophy!) are pictured below l-r Elise room 14, Emi room 16, Isabel room 17, Eva room 14, Nina room 17.
The Edendale Fantails are now playing in the term 2 competition which just got underway and are looking for one more player (year 4/5 girl) to join the team this term. If anyone is interested you can contact John on 027 497 4838.
Year 3 futsal team - looking for players
We are looking for some enthusiastic year 3 students who are interested in playing Futsal! The games are played on Saturdays at Auckland Boys’ Grammar between 12:30-3:00pm.
If your child is interested please contact Liz Cowin (liz.y@heightpm.co.nz).
Edendale construction crew
A project started last term by one student writing to the leadership team to request some more outdoor seating has resulted in the students investigating, and buying the new outdoor benches. They have spent some time this week making up the kit-set furniture that will eventually go down onto the bottom field. We love the way our tamariki are confident in themselves and their ideas and then to ask for things they want.
Did you guess our riddle for term 2?
We have plans for term 2, and while we all wish for orange, we can go ahead at red.
We might even be able to cover yellow and green and blue.
Yes, the Colour Run is back!!!
At Orange level we are really happy to be able to run this event which is a big favourite with the kids. Put the dates in your calendar now:
Colour Run Week: Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th June
We plan to spread the fun over a week, with each team participating in a colour run during school hours. There will also be a bit of friendly fundraising competition between teams. So start training now, and prepare your whānau, friends and neighbours to sponsor your children to run their hearts out and get colourful. Everyone wins as the money you raise goes to fund the structured literacy resources that are supporting the learning of all our children across the school, and will be used for many years to come.
Look out for more colourful details next week.
Also Coming Soon
We have one more event planned this term, and another riddle & hint for you:
Can you think of a way to cut a cake into eight equal pieces with only three cuts?
Next Meeting
The PTA has slimmed a little further as another wonderful parent volunteer has moved out of zone. More hands make light work and twice the fun, but we appreciate you may not know what to expect, so here are some ideas: Some of us like to organise, some of us like to take minutes. Some just like to lend another pair of hands and meet other parents. Some have good ideas. Some want to be more involved in their children’s school. We are currently looking to fill formal roles like the chairperson and the treasurer and informal roles like Bake Sale Marshall 😊, but you are welcome whatever your motivation and availability. We hold our next PTA meeting via Zoom next week on Thursday 19th May at 7:00pm. Email the pta@edendale.school.nz for details.
Stay safe,
Friends of Edendale PTA
Edendale term dates (note these may change slightly)
- Term 2: 2 May - 8 July
- 3 June - Teacher Only Day
- 6 June - Queen's Birthday
- 24 June - Matariki Public Holiday
- Term 3: 25 July - 30 September
- No public holidays
- Term 4: 17 October - 15 December
- 24 October - Labour Day
Next Board meeting: Tuesday 24th May at 7:00am via ZOOM. Email principal@edendale.school.nz to request an invite
Next Friends of Edendale meeting: Thursday 19th May at 7:00pm. Email pta@edendale.school.nz for more information
Keep reading for our team newsletters
Rooms 1-5 | Aroha
Rooms 7-10 | Atawhai
Rooms 11-17 | Mahi Tahi
Rooms 18-21 | Akoranga
Rooms 24-29 | Tuakana
Website: http://www.edendale.school.nz/
Location: 419 Sandringham Rd Auckland 1025
Phone: +64 9 846 6340