School Newsletter Term 1, Week 3
Friday 17th February 2023
Principal's Message
Kia ora West End Whānau,
This week our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. It is becoming increasingly clear the magnitude of this event for many areas around the motu. It is likely that we will all know someone who has been affected. On behalf of West End School we send all of our aroha and manaakitanga at this time.
Thank you again for your overwhelming support and understanding this week as we took the decision to close our kura on Wednesday. Once again, we have been touched by the words of support and encouragement. Regardless, we have enjoyed another very settled and successful week of learning here at school. I continue to be impressed by the focused and calm feeling in each classroom.
It was wonderful to be able to welcome numerous new children, parents, whānau, and new staff to our West End Whānau on Thursday at our first Pōwhiri of 2023. I was very proud of the way the children demonstrated our school values and welcomed new people to our school family. Thank you to all who managed to join us on the day and also to the staff involved for their planning and organisation.
Next week, Week 4, there are a number of exciting learning activities planned. This includes the return of the wonderful Dr. A (Dr. Sandra Accari) who very generously spend one day a week sharing her science enthusiasm and expertise with our children. We started Sci-Fri with Dr. A in 2022 and it was a great success. We are very grateful to Dr. A for her work with our tamariki. This science learning is designed to complement the science curriculum learning that is happening in our classroom programmes.
We are very excited to relaunch our Breakfast club on Monday (20/2/23). Breakfast Club will begin on Monday at 8.10am in our school hall. We would love to see you there. All are welcome!
I wish you all a safe and happy weekend.
Ngā mihi nui,
Matthew Kennedy
Principal
West End School
Te Kura o Urumutu
Powhiri on Thursday
Breakfast Club will start next week
Monday 8.10am in the hall.
Unfortunately, our main breakfast provider, Eat Up, is no longer able to supply breakfasts to schools due to costs. We have some supplies left from Term 4 and will use these until we run out and then will revert to Weetbix and milk only, which we are still able to source from Kickstart Breakfast.
Once we are only serving Weetbix and milk, if we do not have adequate numbers of children attending, Breakfast Cub will end. We hope to see you all there next week.
Music Lessons starting next week
MusiClass Lessons will be commencing in Week 4 this term. Thank you to those who have enrolled for Term 1. Emma will be contacting you in the next couple of days to let you know about classes, as well as sending an invoice. If you have any questions, please contact Emma via email elmusiclass@gmail.com.
Please return your child's E-Learning Agreement to classroom teachers
Reminder to sign permission for your child's image to be displayed on our newsletter. We would love to share photos of the amazing mahi happening at our kura.
Last week we sent home an E-learning agreement with all students. When we use digital technologies, we need to learn how to keep ourselves safe, and make good choices in ways we behave when we are online. At West End School we call this being a ‘digital citizen’. Good digital citizens help to make our school a safe and positive place for everyone.
Parents please read this e-learning agreement carefully, and to your child as necessary. Please sign and return to your classroom teacher. Access to E-Learning technology will be allowed once this form has been signed and returned to school. We have also provided a Student Home Digital Citizenship Agreement, that you can talk about at home to support your child with staying safe online.
We are also asking caregivers if you give permission for your child’s image being displayed in our School Newsletter. Our newsletter is posted on our school website which is an unsecured public page. If you do not wish for your child's image to be on our school newsletter, please send in the E-learning agreement (indicating you do not agree to their image being displayed), or email dminchin@westend.school.nz.
Logging onto Seesaw as a family member
Contact Information
Does the office have your correct contact details? And do we have an alternate contact number in case of an emergency? If you have moved or changed phone numbers or have a different/alternate email address, please let the office know as soon as possible. It is very important that we are able to contact you if there is an accident or emergency. We are also sending out a lot of information through our school app, which are connected to the email address the office has on file. If you would like to add additional email addresses onto contact information, please give these details to the office.
Swimming Timetable
Please note that in Week 5, swimming days and times may change for some classes
Reminder messages will continue to be sent out the day prior to those teams who will be swimming. New timetable will be sent out in next week's newsletter.
School will close at 12.30pm on Friday 3 March
Notice of Primary Teachers Union Meeting
On Friday 3 March we will be finishing school at 12.30pm as our teachers will be attending a scheduled NZEI Paid Union Meeting.
Please make arrangements to collect your child(ren) at this time from their classroom.
As conditions of their employment contract with the government, primary teachers have an entitlement to attend paid union meetings.
We have arranged for Aplus Afterschool to be available from 12.30pm on this day. If you would like to book in with Aplus please click on the link to go to their website.
If you are unable to find supervision for your child on this day please make contact with the Principal Matt Kennedy.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
Parking and entering school grounds
Please do not do not be tempted to use the staff car park or hall carpark when dropping off and collecting your children from school.
It becomes very busy and dangerous for children. We have had many families also leave from the Room 9/Hall gate, as well as walking through the staff carpark before and after school. Many children are crossing the carpark where we have vans and cars entering and exiting at the end of the day. Please remember to abide by the road markings on Botanical road and park only in designated spaces (not on the yellow lines). This is for the safety of our children and community members.
To enter the office, please use the gate pictured above. We encourage parents to park on the street and use the walkways coming into school.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Enter through the gate next to our Rongo Garden next to the field
Enter through Botanical Road gate next to court area
Enter through College Street gate by the wharenui
West End School App
All school notices are sent out via our school app.
If you haven't downloaded the app, please do so. If you haven't been receiving the email link to download the app, or if you are having problems with the app, please email Dan Minchin dminchin@westend.school.nz. If you haven't set up the app on your device, there will be an easy to download process and quick set up so you can join our new communication platform. If you've downloaded the app already, please just follow the quick username/password set up and for the app users, choose Parent. Once you have set it up, you won't be asked about passwords on that device again. These links do expire, so we will continue to send them out every couple of days to those who haven't logged in.
This free mobile app allows parents to receive pop-up reminders and instant messages. These can run on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices and are designed to help whānau keep up to date on school happenings.
SchoolApps also allows parents to report absences online, receive instant alerts, check the calendar for upcoming events, view newsletters, log into Seesaw and this will also be a way to use Kindo.
You will be able to personalise what information you wanted to subscribe to, such as notices from specific area teams, sports news, or groups such as Student Council or kapa haka.
Remember to go to Alert Subscriptions (through the main menu - the three lines at the top left hand corner of the app) so you get specific alerts to our different groups within the school - this included Whānau teams your child is in (Tipuranga, Puawaitanga and Te Wao Nui o Tāne). You would only receive information directly relevant to those groups, but you will however receive whole school notifications when they are sent out.
Notifications
If you wish to get instant notifications on your phone from our school app, go to settings in your phone and click Notifications. You can select what apps you receive notifications from - choose SchoolApps, or emails, or Seesaw and you will get messages ping on your phone when we send them.
Sports at West End School
Summer Sports should hopefully start next week, if weather permits! Please ensure you are getting notifications on the school app for the sport your child is playing. Draws will go out on the school app, so please keep your eye out for your child's team.
HOCKEY! Westie Yellows are still in need of a coach, if you are able to take this team please let Miss Black know as soon as possible. This can be just for games as Miss Black is able to run training's at school if required. Please let her know as soon as possible otherwise the team will have to be pulled from competition.
Tough Guy and Gal are back in 2023! We are lucky enough to be sending teams to both the Massey and Mt Biggs day. If your child is in Puawaitanga or Te Wao Nui O Tane and would like to register please do so on kindo as limited spaces are available.
Rippa Rugby, West End is lucky enough to have Manawatu Turbo and Cyclone players coming in to help train students who signed up to Rippa Rugby this term. We look forward to seeing the skill set our players gain from expert trainers and we know the students are thoroughly enjoying the experience. Rippa Rugby competitions begin in March and more details will be shared over the coming weeks.
Swimming - Just a wee reminder that any hair that covers the eyes or back of the neck needs to be tied up on swim days. This is to ensure your child gets the most out of their swimming lessons. Swimming lessons can be observed by whanau at any time during the term. The format for swimming sports will be released in a fortnight.
If you have any questions relating to sport, please feel free to contact Georgia Black WESsport@westend.school.nz
TERM DATES 2023
If your child is absent from school.
It is really important under the current circumstances you notify the school if your child is absent.
PLEASE DO NOT TXT OR EMAIL THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
ALL ABSENCES SHOULD BE ADVISED VIA THE OFFICE.
Please remember to advise the office by 8.30am if your child is not attending school.
You can telephone 358-2465 and leave a message or txt 021 118 0156.
ABSENCES CAN ALSO BE SENT EASILY THROUGH OUR SCHOOL APP
In both cases please give a reason for absence.
Thank you.
Bikes and Scooters to school
For the safety of our children all children biking or scootering to school MUST wear a helmet. Please also remind your children about road safety - including the safest way to travel to school if on a bike and scooter. While students are on the footpath outside the school , we ask if they can walk their bike or scooter. This is for the safety of themselves and others sharing the footpath, as students are travelling very fast and going past 2 of our school driveways where vehicles are coming in and out of.
Start and end of day procedures
Here is a reminder of start and end of day procedures.
- If your child is at school before the 8.30 bell, they will need to come through the wharenui gate and wait in the area next to the turf.
- Students need to wait here until the bell goes at 8.30am.
- Please remind your child to walk sensibly to class. We have had a few accidents with students running and tripping over each other in the excitement of getting to class.
- At the end of the day, students will be let go from class. Please let your child know if you are picking them up and therefore will need to wait outside the classroom or meet you in the designated spot you told them to go.
- If siblings are going home together, please make a plan of where your children will meet each other so they aren't walking around school trying to find each other.
Kindo Online Shop
It is very important that families register with Kindo, as this is now the only way to register your child for school sports, and ordering PTA lunches.
Below are the links to register.
If you require help please call the Kindo helpdesk on
0508 454 636
New users need this link
Existing users need this link
Location: West End School, 196 College Street, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 358 2465