Chelsea School Newsletter
Week 10, Term 1
Important Term Dates
- Thu 14 Apr: Teacher Only Day (School Closed for Instruction)
- Thu 14 Apr: End of Term 1
- Sat 30 Apr: Term 2 Used Uniform Sale 9:30am - 11:00am
- Mon 02 May: Term 2 Begins
- Wed 11 May: BoT Meeting 7pm
- Mon 06 Jun: Queen's Birthday - (School Closed for Instruction)
- Fri 24 Jun: Matariki Day - (School Closed for Instruction)
- Wed 29 Jun: BoT Meeting 7:00pm
- Fri 02 Sep: Teacher Only Day (School Closed for Instruction)
Week 10 has arrived! It has been awesome to see our attendance patterns improving, and we are now at 90% attendance. We are looking forward to seeing all of our learners back onsite at the beginning of Term 2.
It is so important for our learners to be engaged in face to face learning and also to be connected socially to their friends and classmates. As a school, we definitely seem to be reflecting the downtrend in cases within the Auckland region, which is a relief!
I would like to thank our community for your vigilance and your understanding of the restrictions that we have put in place. We can’t wait for a time (hopefully not too far in the future) when whānau can come onto the school site and into our classrooms. We all miss the casual interactions and chats, and we know that you miss the opportunity to come into classrooms and have a look around with your children. We look forward to strengthening our connections with you in the coming term (fingers crossed!)
We had a great time a couple of weeks ago, rocking our socks for Down syndrome. Spotlighting different types of diversity enables our learners and whānau to think more intentionally about being inclusive. It was great to hear about the discussions happening in our classrooms and the curiosity and questions that were generated. This week’s article spotlights Autism, and is written by Jo McKenzie.
With the holiday break coming at us quickly, I hope that you all get a chance to spend some quality time together with your families. This term has been hectic and less than ideal for many of our families, so is a great chance to reconnect and have some fun together. There are some amazing activities on offer in Auckland throughout Easter and the holidays if you are staying in the city. Check the link out below.
A reminder that school is closed for instruction on Thursday 14th of April for a scheduled Teacher Only Day. Staff will be having a full day of learning (via zoom) with Jan Hill of the Education Group. The focus for the day is assessment for learning, and strengthening our practices so that our learners are empowered to talk about what they’re learning and why. Assessment for learning is closely connected to Learner Agency, where learners are connected and fully involved in the learning process.
Farewell to Nicola Eka
Next week we will be farewelling Nicola Eka, who has won the position of Deputy Principal at Three Kings School. Nicola has been at Chelsea for just over 6 years and has had a huge impact on our school. Nicola was the driving force behind implementing Learning Through Play in Kākano Team and has been involved in so many initiatives throughout the school from the PTA to cultural celebrations such as Samoan Language Week. We are going to miss you, Nicola, but I feel excited that you are taking the next step in your leadership journey. All the very best from your Chelsea whānau!
A message from Nicola:
Dear Chelsea Whānau,
As most of you are aware Wednesday 14th March will be my last day at Chelsea Primary.
I wanted to take a minute to thank each of you for your support and for sharing your children with me over the past 6 plus years. I have had the absolute privilege of working alongside some amazing whānau and some outstanding teachers and will always treasure my time at Chelsea. I am excited by the challenge that lies ahead of me as Deputy Principal at Three Kings School. I leave Chelsea with amazing memories. During the last week of term, you will find me both before and after school at the main gate between the office and pool (Gate C) pop by for a distanced goodbye.
As you will be aware in Term 2 Rebecca Hedges our current Year 2 team leader will be stepping in and taking on the role as team leader for Kākano as well. Rebecca can be contacted via email rebecca@chelsea.school.nz
Arohanui
Nicola Eka
Removal of the Vaccine Mandate for Education Workers
As you will know, as of yesterday, Tuesday 5th April, covid vaccinations are no longer compulsory for the education workforce.
I have engaged in workshops led by New Zealand Schools Trustees Association (NZSTA), Worksafe and MoE about the implications for schools and the need for risk assessment, particularly with regard to those learners who are immunocompromised.
The key messaging of these sessions is that
“It is very unlikely that many schools would determine through this risk assessment process that all workers (paid and unpaid) will need to be vaccinated”
As you can imagine, there is a lot of work ahead to consult with whānau, staff and other stakeholders. We will keep you updated as we move through this risk assessment process.
We already have in place high levels of control to ensure our level of transmission for any communicable disease is low and at a reasonable practical /acceptable level:
Strong Hygiene practices
Mask wearing
ventilation
access to sanitiser, masks etc
Ngā Mihi
Amanda Douglas
Principal
Chelsea Primary School
Celebrating Diversity - by Janine Cross
We are all unique in many ways, from the ways we think, the ways we learn, the ways we express ourselves, and the ways we understand and feel.
This week’s celebrated neurodiversity is Autism
April is ‘Autism Acceptance Month’ and I found this really great quote from Christopher Banks, president and CEO of The Autism Society of America
"Awareness is knowing that somebody has autism," Banks said. "Acceptance is when you include (a person with autism) in your activities. Help (them) to develop in that community and get that sense of connection to other people."
Our aim is to build a welcoming and inclusive school community to support all learners, especially those with Autism.
This week’s article is written by Jo Sutton, Autism NZ National Educator, Chelsea School Board Member and mum of Lachlan in Year 6.
Imagine a world where we all thought the same, interacted and communicated in a similar way. What a boring and colourless world it would be! It is wonderful to live in a world where we are all unique. Diversity presents in a multitude of ways and in my role at Autism NZ, I have the privilege of working with autistic and neuro-diverse children, their parents and teachers.
Autism is a neuro-developmental condition that affects how a person sees the world and interacts with others. It is thought that approx. 1 in 54 people are on the autism spectrum.
Autistic children may communicate differently or behave in unexpected ways. Like all children, autistic tamariki thrive in an environment of routine, structure and predictability so may find changes or the unexpected very overwhelming. Autistic children may also have sensory sensitivities which can mean that things like loud noises, bright lights, scratchy clothing or similar may cause distress or anxiety. You might see an autistic child flapping their hands, jumping up and down, repeating words over and over or a multitude of other “unusual” behaviours. This is not bad behaviour, this might just be one of the ways the child makes sense of their world, how they communicate or how they stay calm.
The #1 thing we can do is to take the time to understand autistic kids, learn about their strengths (and there will be plenty!), their special interests and where they might need extra support or understanding. Kids have a huge capacity for empathy & friendship so let’s take a few moments this Autism Acceptance Month to teach them a little about neuro-diversity (or in “kid speak”, how we are all wired differently).
If you would like to learn more about autism I can recommend I Am Autistic, by Chanelle Moriah young autistic Kiwi woman) and Amazing Things Happen on YouTube which explains autism in a way that is easy for the whole family to understand.
Happy Autism Acceptance Month!
Term 2 - 2nd Hand Uniform Sale
Get ready for term 2 at the used uniform sale, 9.30- 11am, Saturday 30th April at 1/169 Mokoia Rd. You can also bring your items to donate. All proceeds from used uniform sales go to the Chelsea PTA. No parking is available. Cash/Internet transfer available. Limited sizes and quantities - first in, first served! Inquiries to Claire 021683117.