Matapu School Newsletter
Term 2, Week 4, 8th May 2020
Principal's Weekly Update
Term 2 Week 4
RAISE Goal: to get outside and enjoy the outdoors
Te reo phrase of the week: whai mai (follow me)
Kia ora,
Like me, I am sure you have followed with interest the announcements made by the Prime Minister.
It is reassuring to hear how well our country has done at minimising the impacts of COVID-19. Alert Levels 4 and 3 have not been easy and I thank you for your ongoing support for the work we are doing.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister advised that in Alert Level 2 schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff, and that additional public health control measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing.
The good news is that when we are able to, we will be ready to welcome all students and staff back to our school site. It is important to note that in the government briefing yesterday, the prime minister stated that schools won’t reopen mid-week. Therefore if the government does make the call to move to level 2 on Monday 11th May, we will not reopen until Monday 18th May.
The key Public Health approach is to minimise the risk that someone gets infected in the first place, and second to ensure that we can identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact with a person, if someone in a school is infected.
As we have done in Alert Level 3, you can be assured that in Alert Level 2 we will know who is at school, who our staff and students have been in close contact with and take appropriate measures to keep everyone safe.
Physical distancing is a good precaution to prevent the spread of disease. We do however know it is challenging in schools, so good hygiene practices and regular cleaning are even more important here. This includes staff and students coughing into their elbows, handwashing and drying and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.
Under Alert Level 2, we advise any students and staff to stay at home if they are sick, and we will send anyone home immediately if they show any symptoms.
Our school has safe and sensible practices to maintain the health and safety of everyone on the school site. As described by Dr Payinda in his NZ Herald article, “Covid's not measles or chickenpox, it doesn't hang in the air for hours waiting to infect passers-by. It travels on invisible drops of spit. You don't have to cross the street to avoid anyone. Just avoid getting in their 'moist breath' zone”. We all just need to remember to have some breathing space at Alert Level 2!
It’s important however that not just at school but at home, safe hygiene habits are practised by everyone, as this is essential to minimise the risk that someone gets infected with Covid-19.
For more information about the public health measures at Alert Level 2, you can visit the covid19.govt.nz website: https://covid19.govt.nz/
If you have any questions about our health and safety plan, or have a child who might be vulnerable to serious illness and would like to discuss a plan for them, please contact me.
We will be in touch again soon to update you on our plans.
Ngå mihi nui
James Willson
Room 1
Room 1 celebrated May the 4th be with you day with lots of fun Star Wars themed activities. Here is a snapshot of Ryder’s day of fun!
I hope all the mums are in for some special Mother’s Day treats from their kids on Sunday!
Room 2
Lockdown by Lucas
Locked inside
On a rainy day
Can't wait to go out and play
Keeping busy on the farm
Doing my school work online
Ohawe beach, we love your beach
We can't wait until Level 2
Nothing will be the same without sports
Room 3
A new activity this week was our word boggle challenge. Students and their families had to find as many words from the daily letters as they could to try and be the daily champ. Every competitor did a great job and we have had a different champion each day. Our parents and caregivers have helped out too, finding some very interesting words.
Here are some Mother's Day writing creations by Blake, Israel, Layla, Katelyn and Andie...
Room 4
Room 5
Room 6
Although we have had less posts this week in Room 6, we have still been having a busy time dancing, singing, exploring and making! We loved the ‘Fireworks’ experiment and I’m sure a lot of families went through more milk than usual this week! We have been enjoying some great stories and got introduced to ‘Miss Pool’ as a character. Our maths learning was about shapes and we learnt about sides and corners, and shapes with names like trapezoid, nonagon and decagon as well as the more basic ones! There have also been circuits using skipping and star jumps, as well as cool home activities like baking and making mozzarella cheese!
As we head into Mothers day, we have been writing special stories and making creations for our wonderful Mums. There really is no time that better demonstrates the special people our Mothers are than during Covid 19, when they have continued their normal work days and put enormous time and energy into supporting their children’s learning too. A big thank you from me, I have really appreciated the efforts you are making- and it has been exciting to watch learning continue to happen. Happy Mothers day !
Whakatauki
We must work together for the well being of all.
Public Health Nurse Service
The Public Health Nursing Service is available to all families for any health related referrals. We will aim to deliver contactless service where possible. If face to face is required we have strict processes to follow to ensure that all involved stay safe.
Referrals can be made via your class teacher or as a self referral. If you unsure whether to refer to our service please contact me via phone/text or email.
Phone - 027 207 8423
Email - victoria.grieve@tdhb.org.nz
Kind Regards
Victoria Grieve – PHN Stratford
Sponsors
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Mark Joblin Concepts & Construction Ltd, Sanfords Rural Carriers, Taranaki By Products, McDonald Real Estate, Eltham Vet Services, ANZCO, Power Farming, Corrigan Electrical, Matapu Bulk Transport, CRV Ambreed, FMG, Mack Transport, Blastways, Nevada, Ballance, JP Refrigeration, & BCCL (Burgess Crowley Civil Limited) Carrfields Livestock, Rosemount Charolais - Dairy Bull Specialists, PGG Wrightson Livestock, Jack Gray Ltd, Hawera Auto Court. Bruce Parry Livestock, Kelsen's Glass & Glazing, Tommo's Tyres Ltd, Chris Perrett Electrical Solutions, Holdem Contracting Ltd, STE (South Taranaki Electrical)
PLEASE SUPPORT THOSE THAT SUPPORT US
Matapu School
Email: admin@matapu.school.nz
Website: matapu.school.nz
Location: 495 Hastings Road, Matapu, New Zealand
Phone: (06) 272 6764