Newsletter Week 7 Term 3
Tainui Full Primary School 10th September 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Bula, Greetings
Wow what a whirlwind of craziness we have been under these past couple of weeks. From 11:59pm on the 17th August all of Aotearoa went in to lockdown. A place we have been before and so to some extent we knew what to expect but none the less an event that causes uncertainty, what this means in the long run for us all. Now, we are in alert level 3 which does allow us a little bit more of normality to occur. Businesses, schools and early childhood centres are allowed to operate to support parents/whānau who return to work.
From a school perspective it certainly jolted us all to get things sorted. What I can say is; that the way in which Tainui responded to this announcement has certainly made me very proud. 350 tamariki we had in our minds to serve. We wanted every child to have the tools they needed to access their learning. We could only have a small team of staff go onsite to prepare and distribute the learning. It took 11 hours from start to finish; but we did it. The Tainui school van was in full swing along with two other vehicles out and about delivering. It was a mammoth feat but absolutely worth it.
This time around we wanted distance learning for parents/whānau to be a lot more relaxed and that the hauora - wellbeing of the whānau is the priority. We wanted to emphasise that learning is not confined to what the teacher does with the tamariki. Learning can happen anywhere and in many ways. We were not expecting whānau to recreate the learning environment we have at school. Life skills type activities is learning. Baking a cake requires maths, reading, & language skills. We encouraged whānau to play board games, build create, exercise....and the list goes on, all of this is still learning. It's been amazing the variety of activites that have been going on in the homes. In this newsletter you will see some of this learning, we have loved whānau sharing their photos and videos with us.
Another side of being in this pandemic also means that some people need that extra support and so this site www.heretohelpu.nz is a great place to start. It's a site that enables people to access a wide range of free support by simply submitting one help request online. It's quick and it's convenient. No judgement, no barriers and no unnecessary complexity.
We have many staff who have their own children at home who they are looking after while also working and this can be a mammoth undertaking and juggling act. I want to acknowledge them and thank them for the continuous dedication and attentiveness to the tamariki in their class. For the staff who do not have classroom roles but other responsibilities that help our school operate, I appalud them on the unwavering commitment to their role while looking after their children as well.
Last but not least, I especially want to thank you our parents/whānau. We have only felt very supported by you as we again navigate through this crazy time. Your words of kindness, positivity, support and messages of encouragement truly helps make our roles and responsibilities much better. We don't always get things right and we are the first to own up to that so please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Here is a link to the multi ways of connecting with us. Get in Touch
Ngā mihi Tainui Whānau. Stay Safe. Be Kind.
Lockdown Learning
Te Arahi Te Whaiti
Hinewai Quensell
Tahana Bates
Payton Abbott
Kavahli Marsh
Ria Hikuroa
Ema & Fire Boy Floris
Ange & Liliana
Bat Woman & Liam
Jade from Room 7 practising hand eye co-ordination
Level 3 Bubbles
Level 3 allowed our tamariki of essential workers to be back onsite under Covid-19 restrictions. This looked a little different for our children social distancing while inside the class room & outside, hand washing and sanitising of areas frequently but they took it all in their stride and were happy to see familiar faces.
Check out some photos from our bubbles.
Week 1 Bubble 1
Week 1 Bubble 1
Week 1 Bubble 1
Week 1 Bubble 2
Week 1 Bubble 2
Week 1 Bubble 2
Daily fitness & physical challenge
Upcoming Events
- Te Wiki o te Reo Maori - 13th -17th September 2021
- Melanoma Awareness - 20th September 01st October 2021
- Last Day Of Term 3- 01 October 2021
Contact Us
Email: djohn@tainuifullprimary.school.nz
Website: https://www.tainuifullprimary.school.nz/
Location: Tainui St, Tokoroa 3420, New Zealand
Phone: 07 886 9860