Toko School Newsletter
Thursday 4th November
Kura Tuatahi Toko
Quality learning for all in a caring community.
Kounga ako mo katoa i roto i te taiao e atawhai ana.
Dear parents and friends of our school Kia Ora/Bora Da/Konichi Wa/Hello
Tena Koutou Katoa
We had a great Ag Day last Tuesday. Thank you to our teachers, Friends of Toko School, School Leaders, Year 8 students with animals, Interior Designs (Dibbles), Douglas Contracting (Fletcher & Brendan ex Toko School Students), George and Jocelyn Gallop and Charlie Smith for all your contributions on the day to make it so successful!!! Our kids had a fantastic fun filled day - just what we all needed.
We will be making final decisions early next week about our Final End of Year Assembly and our End of Year Leavers Dinner. There will be modifications to how both these events are run. We will share this with you next week.
Ngā mihi
Kim Waite
BOARD UPDATE
Vaccination Update
We are in the process of digesting the new COVID-19 Public Health Response Order which came into effect at 11.59pm on Monday 25 October. Clearly there are implications for school life, and it is going to take some time to appreciate what all of these are. A school like ours is highly dependent on the support of parents and the community, and this is something that we appreciate a great deal.
The advice that we have received from the Ministry of Education is that everyone who works or volunteers for a school who may have contact with children or students, or will be present at a time when children and students are also present must have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 15 November and be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.
This also applies to
* principals
* teachers
* relief teachers and casual staff
* administration staff
* caretakers and cleaners
* contractors and other trades people (if on site when children are around)
* service managers
* caregivers and other staff
The vaccination requirements apply wherever in person schooling occurs, such as on the school site, but also at school camps, swimming pools, museums, or where other education outside the classroom (EOTC) programmes take place.
This means that we are only allowed to allow people to help at school events with children if they have had at least their first dose by 16 November, and are fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.
If you wish to be involved as a helper in any events after 16 November, please email through or pop by school with evidence of your vaccination/s before that date. When school starts next year, we will need evidence of full vaccination by 1 January 2022 for any school helpers (or evidence of exemption). We will store your information privately in our school database.
In instances where parents and caregivers are not providing work for our school, these parents are still permitted to attend on site after Monday 15 November whether they are vaccinated or not.
Vaccine Register for Students - Information from the Ministry of Education
Following publication of the amended Order, we can confirm that the requirement to maintain the register is through a Direction issued by the Secretary for Education under the Education and Training Act 2020 Schedule 25, Clause 3.
The Direction requires all registered schools who enrol students over the age of 12 years to maintain an up-to-date register with the COVID-19 vaccination status of these (eligible) students, beginning Monday 1 November.
At our next Board meeting we will be updating our privacy statements to ensure we are meeting all requirements with regards to the collection of vaccination information.
I realise that there will be plenty of questions, and it is likely that we will not have answers right away. All schools are in the same boat and working through various situations and scenarios.
Thanks very much for your understanding and support.
Funding Applications
We are pleased to announce that we were granted funds from the TOI Foundation to go towards installing playground swings. This is combined with our Jubilee Funds that have been put towards this project. We are hoping that these will be installed before the end of the year.
Period Products
Our school has signed up to this wonderful initiative. If your daughter has their period please make contact with your child's classroom teacher or Mrs Hinton in the office and we can arrange for you to access these each month.
A MINUTE TO WIN IT - LEARNING BEHAVIOURS AT TOKO SCHOOL
SCHOOL PRODUCTION - MOVIE NIGHT
BYOD Parent Meeting
On Wednesday 10th November we will be holding a short informative meeting around BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). At this meeting we explain how BYOD works at Toko and offer a bit of general guidance around what devices are the most appropriate for our students.
Parents with children who will be Year 3 next year are encouraged to attend as is anyone new or anyone wishing to know more or thinking of purchasing a device for their child.. Letters, with more information, have been sent home today with Year 2 students and any new students to our school this year.
LEARNING BEHAVIOURS AT TOKO SCHOOL
This newsletter is now focusing on what a gold learning behaviour looks like from a child at Toko School. Titanium and then Platinum learning behaviours follow on from Gold. Check out these great gold learning behaviours below.
A FEW REMINDERS
Friday19th November is our last Ministry allocated Teacher Only Day of the year. The school will be closed while teachers spend the day focused on end of year assessments.
Just a wee reminder that when entering the school grounds you need to sign in using the covid tracer app and the school app/sign in book at the office. If you are just dropping off and picking up this is not required.
Buckets need to be worn at school during this term - just a reminder :)
FRIENDS OF TOKO SCHOOL
Lunch Orders
We were unable to continue with lunch orders last term due to lock down. Any missed lunches have been carried over until this term. All dates and orders have been placed in the community calendar, on our school website and on our school app. If your child did not place a lunch order and you would like them to have one please email the office.
5th November Sausage & Bread
12th November Chicken Wrap
26th November Chicken Sub
3rd December Ham and Cheese Toastie
10th December American Hotdog (if you were a chess player you may not have ordered this lunch due to a tournament)
FR0M THE SPORTS DESK
Tabloid Sports
Year 0-4 tabloids - this has been cancelled due to level 2 restrictions
COMMUNITY NOTICES
THANK YOU
Sian, Craig and family would like to thank the Toko community for the help and support in way of messages, help at home and with kids, visits, baking and meals etc. when Sian wasn’t well. We are very grateful to be a part of such a caring community and truly appreciated it.
Toko School
Email: office@toko.school.nz
Website: www.toko.school.nz
Location: 1057 East Road, Toko, New Zealand
Phone: 06 7622849
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TokoSchool/?ref=bookmarks