It seems that Covid continues to influence our lives albeit this will now be having less of an impact. We have been fortunate with current regulations that we have not needed to close the school if we are notified of a positive contact. We have been continuing to have rooms extremely well ventilated and in general the weather has been helpful. Many thanks to you for supporting our commitment to minimise contact with staff and students so that risk is at a low level.

You may be well aware that South Canterbury and Mackenzie District cases are on the rise, so we are in the midst of our highest level of transmission for most likely the next 2-3 weeks. The Govt has eased restrictions around gatherings, vaccine passes and mandates. The Board agrees with my recommendation that we will continue to ask parents to remain off site and to wear masks if on site for brief occasions so that we can get through to the holidays with as little disruption to our school operations as possible. We really want to avoid having the kids at home if we are short staffed and that is our greatest risk. Across the country schools are having to double up classes, ask some year groups to work from home and in some cases close the school due to staff shortages.

We are looking forward to getting through this next phase and returning to Orange and Green, but at this stage while still in Red, we require bus students in Year 4-6 to continue to wear masks on the bus as a level of personal protection. We share the buses with students from other schools in Fairlie and we know and expect the cases are on the increase in that area.

We all appreciate your vigilance in keeping students at home if they have any symptoms, and it is a hard call, especially when the likelihood is that it is a seasonal runny nose and cough. However, these are also symptoms of Covid -19. To help school communities, the Ministry of Education has delivered 17 individual RATs tests to Albury School. We WILL NOT administer the test to any students, however, they are available if you are concerned about your child’s health and we can provide you with a test kit. This will hopefully reduce anxiety and the need for you to travel to pick up a RATs test. Kathrin can help you out with a test kit if you require one.

As part of our support for health and safety, parent interviews (that were planned for face-to-face meetings) will move to a phone call. We really want to share with you how proud we are of your child’s progress, and I thank staff for their dedication to keeping you informed as phone calls will take longer than the normal onsite parent meetings. May I suggest that if something discussed needs a further follow up, that both you and staff give each other permission to agree to catch up at another time so that staff can get through their phone calls and then arrange follow-ups as required. Many thanks.

The Board discussed the option of a community get-together as we have not had a chance to do that this term. We have agreed that when the transmission wave passes its peak in our district, then we will be better placed to safely get together and to have some catch ups!!

We are really proud of our students and how well they are coping with the changes (albeit, we have planned our programmes well so that the “external” requirements have not had a daily impact on our daily school programme. We still play, eat, learn, laugh, dance and sing (outside though for the singing!) A huge shout out to our staff – who are ready at a moment’s notice to move to a hybrid learning model (home and school) if needed. This takes some power of thought, and organisation and tiredness is creeping in, but Easter and the school holidays is nearly here. Chocolate and a sleep in!! Perfect.

Class Changes

As from next Friday – 1st April, we will no longer be able to operate Piwakawaka and Tui as separate classes (it is just how the staffing works for our school numbers). We will move to having CANOPY DAY on Fridays where all students will be together. This is a familiar organisation for our students and they look forward to all being together for a day of house events, shared learning and relationship building across the school. For the next two Fridays (as the school holidays start on Easter Friday) Miss Beynon will be taking the CANOPY class. We suggest that if possible, to make Friday the day, if needed, for those other appointments that students may need, so that as much as possible they have their main classroom programmes on Mon-Thurs. Friday is the preferred catch up day – but it is still a learning day – we just do different things altogether. We call it CANOPY DAY – as we have both Piwakawaka and Tui together and they enjoy time in the CANOPY of the trees!

Take care everyone and thank you for being such an awesome community. We all feel valued and supported. We thoroughly enjoy helping your children learn and we delight in their wonderful personalities. We laugh every day!

Regards

Donna Donnelly

Principal

Albury School

2022

March

• Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th, Thursday 31st: Term 1 Learning Conference (Phone)
• Thursday 31st: Sushi

April

• Sunday 3rd: Daylight savings ends
• Thursday 14th: Sushi
• Thursday 14th: End of Term 1

May

• Monday 2nd: Start Term 2

June

• Monday 6th: Queens Birthday - SCHOOL CLOSED
• Friday 24th: Matariki- SCHOOL CLOSED

July

• Friday 1st: Ice Skating Day Tekapo Springs
  
• Friday 8th: End of Term 2

• Monday 25th: Start of Term 3

August

• Wednesday 10th: Ski Day Roundhill

September

• Tuesday 6th: School Photos
• Friday 30th: End of Term 3

October

• Monday 17th: Start of Term 4
• Monday 24th: Labour Day- SCHOOL CLOSED

December

• Tuesday 13th: End of Term 4

We have been working hard during literacy and numeracy workshops. Lots of progress has been made and I am looking forward to telling all the parents how amazing we are during phone conferences next week.

We have been learning about life cycles of animals and have loved having monarch caterpillars in the classroom. Last week a butterfly emerged from a chrysalis which was amazing to watch. We were happy to let the butterfly free and watch it flutter away.

Our class bears Tia and Albert miss going home with children at the end of each day. They are so funny, and we find them doing all sorts of things in the morning when we get to school. Hopefully things will return to normal soon!

Everyone is starting to get tired with only 3 weeks to go until the Easter Break. Enjoy a long weekend everyone.

Some pics from the last two weeks.

Nga Mihi

Heather van der Heyden

The weeks are flying by, and we are all starting to get tired with a few snuffles going around. Please make sure your child can blow their nose correctly and are reinforcing that you cough or sneeze into your elbow.

We have been working hard the last two weeks and have been completing science experiments on Thursday for our writing. Last week we made popcorn dance up and down using vinegar and baking soda. This week we blew up a sandwich bag also using the same ingredients.

'I predict that the tissue will turn blue, then it will dissolve because of the white vinegar.

I observed that the bag filled with carbon dioxide because when we put the white vinegar and baking soda together it created air. The bag popped because it was filled with too much carbon dioxide.'

• Charli F

Tui were lucky to have Mrs. Simpson teaching them last Friday and they spent a block designing and making the Eiffel Tower using newspaper and tape. Mrs. Simpson was very impressed with the way groups worked together, developing roles within their groups and overcoming design issues. There were lots of thinking skills.

Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th, 4.00pm - 6.00 pm (PIWAKAWAKA)

Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th, 4.00 pm - 6.00pm and Thursday 31st 4.00pm - 5.00pm (TUI)

A google form has been emailed out, so you can indicate a time and your preferred phone number to contact you. If you have more than one child attending Albury School, please fill in a separate form for each of your children.

The annual payment of $40.00 per student will cover the full year.

It would be appreciated if this could be paid by the end of March if you haven't paid already.

Bank account: Albury School Board of Trustees, 12-3159-0137213-00 (Reference: Stationery 2022 and your last name).

THANK YOU.

To contact school during school hours please ring the office: phone number 03 685 5844.

If we are unable to take your call, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

To let us know that your child is away for the day, please ring the office or send an email to office@albury.school.nz and we will pass on the information to the classroom teacher.

Please be aware that if your child is away or if there are changes to their pick up routine we are required to collect this information from a caregiver -just give us a quick call or flick us an email.

Thank you!

Learning new skills and making new friends all players from year 1 to year 8 are welcome.

If your child would like to give netball a go please contact

Ang Habraken Ph 021 435448
Or
Sarah O’Leary ph 027 6854966

Also Mackenzie junior netball will be holding there AGM on Wednesday 30th if March 7pm at heartlands Fairlie, all welcome.

Health and Safety Management and Emergency, Disaster, and Crisis Management

Albury School Policies are located online at School Docs.

www.schooldocs.co.nz

User name: albury

Password: queen