Dear Parents and Whānau

What a crazy start to the year. To begin with we were closed due to flooding and then we had to close due to a cyclone. Not the start to the year that any of us wanted, but school is back and long may that continue.

Firstly, to anyone in our community that has suffered damage to property or who have family and friends that have been hit harder than others, our thoughts go out to you. I believe, in general, the eastern part of Auckland got through the last few weeks better than other areas, but it hasn't been easy for any of us for a range of different reasons. We are a community, and I hope that if you have needed it you have sought help from those around you.

Our school has gotten through the crazy weather well. There have been a few leaks here and there and a lot of debris from our many trees around the grounds but all and all we have been very fortunate.

The staff are straight back into it this morning. We know we have lost teaching time and we will get our learning back up and running quickly and ensure that any lost time can be made up.

You may have noticed our new junior playground. This was completed over the Christmas break, and it is a very popular place during our morning interval and lunch breaks. It's great to see the students exploring the new elements and really making sure it has been built tough! Note to self, if you ever want to know if something has been built correctly, get a whole lot of 5 and 6 year olds to test it out, you will know pretty quickly. I'm pleased to say that the junior playground is passing that test.

A reminder that our Pod Information Evening will be held tonight, Wednesday 15th of February. All parents and caregivers will meet in the hall first at 6:30pm. At 7pm we will then split into the different pod areas for those individual meetings. Pod 1 and 2 will meet in Pod 1. Pod 3 will meet in the staffroom and Pod 4 will remain in the hall. We will livestream the initial meeting in the hall on the Shelly Park Community Facebook page.

We are tentatively looking at having a Shelly Park family picnic/bb on Friday, 10th of March. The PTA and school will meet about this next week to put some plans in place. Please pencil this date into your diaries.

Lastly, thank you for your support and patience during this disrupted start to the year. I know that having your kids at home, while some of you needed to be working, must have been extremely hard for you.

Ngā mihi

Ed Roper