Newsletter
29 September 2022
Leadership Team message from Jonathan R
Tēnā koutou katoa,
What an amazing term it has been with the Prime Minister opening our renovated swimming pools and new Garden to Table kitchen a few weeks ago.
Our science week last wiki was a huge success and it was great to see so many parents/caregivers onsite last Rāmere.
This week has seen tamariki record their pepeha for the Reo-athon that you have so generously supported financially with 214 students signed up and today's total standing at $10,458. You can find the website here https://edendalereoathon.raiseit.nz/hub or donate through Kindo our online store.
Your child's pepeha will be on Seesaw soon, if not already. Thank you.
Nest tamariki sharing their pepeha.
These donating ventures help support your child's learning and will be even more important as we move into the new Ministry of Education Equity Funding mechanism for schools that will see Edendale's funding decrease by around $40,000 annually making it even harder for our school to provide the extras that we all value so highly e.g., music specialist teaching, Garden to Table, STEAM, art specialist teaching. Thank you for your generosity and I know that Board are keen to hear from anyone that may have ideas about how to bring in more operations funding. We can't ask you for donations but if you wish to donate to the school this can be done through KINDO.
Thanks go to the Edendale PTA for raising funds for our tamariki through the calendar art, colour run, and bake sales. All hugely important and vital to making our kura the place it is for thinking, learning and creating.
The staff here at Edendale wish you all an amazing October school break starting tomorrow at 3:00pm and we will see you all again on Monday 17th October when the gates open at 8:30am. Please note that Monday the 24th October is Labour Monday and school is closed and reopens on Tuesday the 25th October.
Take care and be safe.
Ngā mihi
Nā
Jonathan
Tumuaki | Principal
Staffing update
Nik Edwards will be leaving us at the end of this year to take up a position as Education Manager at Covert Theatre, teaching theatre and improv acting to young people.
Sonia Ingle will also be leaving us today, to pursue other opportunities outside of school. We want to thank her for her mahi and dedication to the job.
We wish them both the best with their new endeavours.
More staffing updates about 2023 will come out next term.
COVID-19
With the Government announcement a week or two back and the removal of the COVID Traffic Light system we have seen our lives slowly return to some PRE-COVID normality. For some this change overnight has been more challenging and we very much appreciate your support in allowing us to continue with some of our protocols until the end of this term.
Next term we will see the return to parents and caregivers being able to enter into classrooms for the first time in many months, but we would ask that if you are sick in any way that you refrain from coming to school as COVID and other 'bugs' are still in the community and we have numerous vulnerable people/children onsite at any given time.
You will see some people still wearing masks and we would ask that if you meet with a staff member and you are asked to wear a mask, that you do so without complaint. The medical professionals are still encouraging people to wear masks in inside, less ventilated settings.
Please continue to report isolating children to the school office and follow all advice on the following website https://covid19.govt.nz/
Administration Team
We have reached the end of the appointments process for the new Administration Team and this coming term will see a number of new staff join our team. Thank you to Katie Higgins our Board Trustee who supported the interview and appointments process.
Our new Administration Team is as follows:
- Catherine Clark - Executive Officer
- Neelam Shetty - Receptionist
- Susan Eaton - Attendance Officer
- Karen Brunton - Resource and Administration Services Co-ordinator
- Chriss Bus - Personal Assistant to the Principal and Senior Leadership Team
Dogs on school grounds
Thank you for following the school rules put in place this term. Below is a friendly reminder of the Boards decision and outcome.
- The Sandringham Road gates will be a dog-friendly entrance/exit
- Dogs will not be permitted through the Shorwell Street gates, either for entry or exit
- All dogs on site must be on a leash and under the control of an adult at all times
- Dogs are not permitted in classrooms
- Any messes made by dogs must be cleaned up by owners and removed from the school grounds
Our reasoning for allocating the front gate as a dog-friendly option is it provides a wider means of access, which allows dogs and students more personal space. It also means any students who can only practicably come and go via Sandringham Road still have the option of dog-free passage through the office.
In addition to the above, we request the following:
- Please avoid walking dogs through congested areas (particularly the covered walkway next to the staff room) - please wait until any crowding has subsided
- Please choose a quiet spot for you and your dog to drop off and collect your tamariki
- If you are dropping off or collecting children outside either of the school gates, please keep your dog restrained and at a reasonable distance from the path to allow safe passage for children
- Dogs are not permitted indoors (including the administration block or classrooms)
Lost Property
Please take a look at the lost property which will be displayed outside the music room on Friday morning and after school.
Any unclaimed lost property will be donated to charity.
Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA)
Mandarin Language Assistant:
Edendale Primary has been successful in our application for a Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA) for 2023. The MLA programme is to support the development of Chinese in schools. It is intended to improve the quality of language provision and encourage student progression in Mandarin.
Edendale is looking for a family who has a spare room who could homestay our MLA for next year, there is some remuneration for this.
If you are interested in hosting a homestay for 2023 please email Jonathan Jackson jonathanj@edendale.school.nz
Early next term we will be able to provide those people interested with more information about what this would look like e.g. dates, remuneration and requirements.
Term 4 Edendale Policies and Procedures
Policies and Procedures are reviewed three-yearly or sooner if necessary.
Go to www.schooldocs.co.nz
Click Search for your school.
Start typing the school’s name and then select it from the dropdown list.
Enter the community username and password.
Username: edendale
Password: 419sandringham
Science Week
Last week was Science Week at Edendale! Our tamariki capped off our term three studies on the living world with some truly fantastic science experiences.
We had chicken eggs from Living Egg that hatched into fluffy baby chicks for us to observe and hold.
Project Jonah came to talk to us about the importance of marine animal conversation.
Matt Huang from MAGS brought some of his students along to lead a group of senior tamariki in dissecting lungs and hearts.
Our junior tamariki attended a talk about bees, the structure of their colonies, how they make honey, and how to keep hives.
We were also very fortunate to have some of our wonderful parents come and talk to our students about their careers in the sciences!
We are so thankful to Maya, Sarosh, Alistair, and Gray for giving us their time and inspiring our ākonga.
It was also wonderful to see so many whānau come out for the open morning to end our week.
Honey for Sale - $14
We have 500g jars of Honey available for purchase at the office.
Made with the assistance of our onsite beehives and helpers.
For the art room
If you have any of the following items, please drop off to the office for Kus.
- Clean ice cream containers
- Large yogurt containers
- Ecostore spray bottles
- Egg cartons
- Clean cans
Thank you
Latest updates from Friends of Edendale, your PTA.
We’ve got lots happening, so read on...
1. Bake Sale – Friday 30th September
2. Cards & Calendars closes Monday 3rd October
3. We need you – next PTA meeting is Thursday 20th October
1. The next Bake Sale will be held tomorrow, on the last day of term, Friday 30th September.
We’ve just got time to squeeze in one more Bake Sale in Term 3. Gather those coins and be ready for treats tomorrow! As usual we will have tables in the front and back courtyards, and a quiet table for years 1-3 students. Lots of yummy treats, perfect to kick off the holidays.
2. Last weekend for Cards and Calendars: Orders close for cards and calendars on Monday 3rd October.
Your child’s own personal Artwork on Calendars, Cards, Diaries, Mouse Mats & Sketch Pads
‘Early Bird Orders’ proved popular, and the team are still creating our first set of products, look out for them in Term 4.
In the meantime, it’s not too late to order items, orders close on Monday 3rd October.
There is some really great art this year, and it would be a pity to miss out on a useful item that is also a great gift with a very personal touch. Check it out using your own unique code, sent home earlier in the term at www.kidsartworks.com.
If you can’t find your code please drop the PTA a message at pta@edendale.school.nz with your child’s name and room number.
You can even upload your own photo or scanned image to create even more items.
- Cards
- Calendars
- Diaries
- Mousemats
- SketchPads
Examples are on display in the school office, but don’t forget, these items are printed with your own child’s artwork – they are unique to you, so don’t miss out.
(A few children may have been absent or joined later – we can still provide a code so that you can upload your own picture, let us know if you want to participate.)
If you have any questions, please contact the PTA on pta@edendale.school.nz
3. Friends of Edendale (your PTA) needs your help.
In case you missed our message last week, we’d love to hear from any parents potentially interested in helping make school events and fundraisers a success by volunteering your time, skills and ideas.
Edendale Primary has an active PTA (Parent Teacher Association) called Friends of Edendale who organise the social events and fundraisers that provide enriching experiences for our school and community. New members are always very welcome and it's easy to join - just get in touch with Roni if you want to find out more; 021454882 ronineeley@gmail.com or drop a message to pta@edendale.school.nz
The current PTA is going through a transition (long standing members are leaving as their children are finishing primary school) and we urgently need new parents to join.
Maybe you are a natural organiser, or good with finances, or perhaps you just want to get involved and represent your community? We do not expect everyone to contribute in the same way, there are opportunities to do as much, or as little as you feel comfortable with.
You may not be aware, but the PTA is responsible for organising some great events like the school's disco, bake sales, quiz night, colour run and so much more. The money raised from such events helps improve the resources available to all students (like structured literacy resources this year), supports Garden to Table every year and invests in various projects around the school (like ‘greening up’ the new block court yard last year).
If you want to talk about any of our roles, or the PTA in general, please get in touch with Roni for a chat, 021454882 or ronineeley@gmail.com.
Our next meeting is in the first week of term 4, and we plan to meet in person at the school (or virtual for those who can’t attend in person) on Thursday 20th October @ 7:00pm. Reach out for an invite and we look forward to seeing you there!
Finally, the year is flying by… we wish you all a safe school holidays, and look forward to seeing you in Term 4.
Nga mihi,
Friends of Edendale (PTA)
2022 Edendale term dates (note these may change slightly)
- Term 3: 25 July - 30 September
- 26 September - One off public holiday to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II
- Term 4: 17 October - 15 December
- 24 October - Labour Day
Next Board meeting: Tuesday, 1 November at 7:00am via ZOOM. Email principal@edendale.school.nz to request an invite
Next Friends of Edendale meeting: Thursday 20 October at 7:00pm. Email pta@edendale.school.nz for more information
________________________________________
Term dates for 2023
Term 1: Tuesday 31st January 2023 - Thursday 6th April [Monday 6th February - Waitangi Day]
Term 2: Wednesday 26th April - Friday 30th June [Tuesday 25 April - Anzac Day; Monday 5th June - King's Birthday]
Term 3: Monday 17th July - Friday 22nd September
Term 4: Monday 9th October - Friday 15th December [Monday 23rd October - Labour Day]
Website: http://www.edendale.school.nz/
Location: 419 Sandringham Rd Auckland 1025
Phone: +64 9 846 6340