Newsletter No. 11, 1 July 2022
1 July 2022
Principal's Kōrero
Kia ora rā koe,
An extra special haere mai to Claudia C who joined Awaroa last week.
Many thanks to the (nearly) 500 members of our school whānau who attended our first Matariki Star Walk last night. After what has felt like a very long time, it was wonderful to welcome the community back to celebrate Matariki together. It was an incredible evening full of whanaungatanga and connection which left me feeling incredibly privileged to be the Principal of such a special school.
I am very aware that the organisation of these type of events does not happen by accident. Behind the scenes we had amazing support in the form of our community, whānau, PTA, School Board and of course our wonderful staff. I am incredibly grateful for all these relationships as they all work to bring our school curriculum and values to life - not to mention the fact that these will be the experiences that our children remember! Thank you to all of you who have volunteered time to support learning activities this term - we really wouldn’t be able to do all of this without you!
Spotlight on Assessment and Reporting… Over the last few weeks, we have also been busily completing mid year assessments. These assessments will support teachers in making their OTJs (Overall Teacher Judgements) as to whereabouts in the curriculum children are working. We use a range of assessment tools to enable us to make an OTJ of where your child’s attainment is sitting within the NZ National Curriculum. Depending on the age of the child, the tools will look a little different, but the method in determining an OTJ is the same. It is very important to note that no single assessment tool can accurately summarise a student’s achievement or progress. A range of approaches is necessary in order to compile a comprehensive picture of the areas of progress, areas requiring attention, and what a student’s progress looks like. This means before we share learning information with you, teachers will bring together a range of evidence (including formal testing, the work students complete during learning tasks and observations from within class) and form their Overall Teacher Judgement for discussion and moderation. More information on how we assess and report can be found here. Teachers OTJs have fed into our mid year reports which will be shared with parents via Hero next Thursday. Please note that parent access to reporting has been temporarily suspended to enable us to upload assessment data and report comments. You will be notified via the School App on Thursday when reports are ready to be viewed.
Spotlight on Learning Conferences… There will be an opportunity to meet teachers to discuss your child’s learning and the information contained within reports during our Term 3 Learning Conferences which are being held on 3 and 4 August (Week 2 of next term). More information about how these look and how to book your Learning Conference will be sent via the School App next week.
And finally, as this is the last newsletter for the term it is timely for a spot of gratitude! It has been a busy but very rewarding term. We have really enjoyed being able to welcome you all back onto site for assemblies, sports events, PTA fundraisers and to support learning. HUGE thanks to you all for all your continued support as we have continued to navigate our Covid-19 restrictions and other winter bugs. We have sincerely appreciated your support to look after the health of our children and staff.
If I don’t see you before the break, have a restful and healthy break from school with your whānau and we look forward to welcoming you back for Term 3 on Monday 25 July.
Have a wonderful weekend - stay warm!
Ngā mihi,
Anna Granger
Matariki Star Walk
Pots, Cookers & Lights
Thank you to all the families who brought in crock pots and other cooking equipment as well as lights for our Matariki Star Walk yesterday. These are now available for collection from the Office. Please stop by anytime between 8.30am-3.30pm.
Canterbury Cross Country - Mrs Vine's Sports Coordinator Report
On Tuesday the 22 June 15 students headed away to the Canterbury Cross Country held at Ngā Puna Wai in Wigram. It was a very cold morning with a brisk wind, but the students were ready to race. All of the students who participated in this event gave it all they could and it was an amazing day. Thank you to all of the parents who assisted with supervising, transport and supporting all of the runners. Also a huge thank you to Ms Lean who marshalled for the day.
Below are the results. Congratulations to all of the students who participated, all of the students achieved some fantastic placings.
2nd Place - Miriam L at the Canterbury Cross Country
Year 5 Boys at the Canterbury Cross Country - Week 8
Speaking 4 The Planet
Juno I, Finlay S and Lily R all submitted work towards the Speaking 4 The Planet competition recently and were shortlisted for the finals where they will be speaking live at Tūranga today. This is a huge achievement and we are all so proud of them! The theme for their speeches is Only One Earth: Make Peace with Nature. Congratulations to these amazing ākonga.
40 Hour Famine
World Vision's 40Hr Famine will take place this weekend and we wish the students who signed up for this fantastic challenge all the best over the coming few days.
Young Writers
On Friday 17 June as part of the Enrichment Programme, a group of Year 7-8 writers (Miriam, Gus, Angus, Etta and Zoe N) took part in a day long writing workshop with School for Young Writers at Tūranga.
This was a great opportunity for our ākonga to develop their skills and passion for writing.
Below is some of the wonderful work produced.
Night Skiing - with the stars
Skiing down an icy slope
When something catches my sight
Shimmering, shining, sparkly
Stars glitter in the dark night sky.
One star, two stars, many more
Reflecting on the icy floor.
The milky way shines so bright
as the cluster of stars sleep at night.
Zoe N, Year 7
Star Watching
Stars stand out like
snowflakes on black fur,
Their eyes gleam with
mischief in the darkness.
Even when the sun goes down
they don't go away,
they are all still there,
Watching
Etta J, Year 7
I Made It
I made it.
I made the vines that curl around trees
I made the snow, the sun and the breeze
I made the car that you ride in today
I made the money that you use to pay
Everything you see I guarantee I’ve made it
Creativity is my strength and it can’t be mistaken
I made this poem you are reading right now
I made every boat from stern down to bow
My mind is possessed with magical powers
This magic was gifted from a rare group of flowers
The red bergaloo plant is rare for its type
Be careful when eating if it is not ripe
For most other people it’s a delicious fruit
But for the academy of powers I was their first recruit
Gifting me powers and a pretty cool suit.
I made everything from spiders to bees
If you look outside, Yes, I made that tree
I made it.
I made it.
I made it.
Gus A, Year 8
Basketball Promotion
We are offering a 10% discount code that friends and family of the school can use to purchase tickets.The link to purchase tickets:
https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/Show.aspx?sh=RAMPOUK22
Discount passcode: Rams10
Dental Service over the Holidays
The Community Dental Service will be providing limited appointments during the school break at;
Woolston Community Dental Clinic, 11, Hopkins Street, Christchurch
Hornby Community Dental Clinic, 2 Hei Hei Road, Christchurch
You can access these appointments by calling our Contact Centre on 0800 846 983, noting that priority is given to children with immediate dental needs.
For any dental advice please call the Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 or email commdental@cdhb.health.nz
Mana Ake is available to Support families/Whānau
If you would like to meet with one of the Mana Ake team please talk to your child's teacher and they will book in a time for you.
Mana Ake encourage parents to visit https://manaake.health.nz/supporting-your-child/ and the Free Parent Helpline 0800 568 856. This is available from 9am to 9pm Monday to Sunday.
The Mana Ake website has a section on Big Worries - Mana Ake which is particularly relevant with what’s going on in the world currently.
Parents going to this site can be assured of finding up-to-date and quality information on wellbeing and parenting skills. Another useful link for families and parents. https://realparents.org/
School Docs Term 2 Policy Review
Instructions for reviewers:
1. Visit www.schooldocs.co.nz
2. Search for Sumner School (Username: Sumner, Password: Wakefield).
3. Search for the above policies in the search bar.
4. Read the policy.
5. Check the red Policy Review icon at the right-hand top corner of the page. a new screen will appear.
6. Select your role (Board member, staff member, or parent/caregiver) from the drop-down list.
7. Enter your name (optional).
8. Submit your ratings and comments.
Community Notices
Hagley College Applications Closing Soon
Enrolment applications for Hagley College Year 9 2023 close next week - Friday 8 July.
The close-off date is firm and they will not be able to receive any new applications after this date.
If any students and whānau are keen but haven't put an application in yet, please go to https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ and click the button to start a new enrolment application as soon as possible.
Stay Well - Message from Canterbury DHB
It’s already proving to be a tough winter for our communities - as we opened the door to international travel, all those winter bugs seem to have slipped through at the same time. Here are some top tips for staying well this winter: • Avoid getting sick: ▪ Eat well, stay active, mask-up! Keep up those healthy habits and make sure you have the best protection possible by getting vaccinated against COVID19, measles and the flu. ▪ Washing your hands well and often, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser is one of the most effective ways to stop flu-like illnesses and tummy bugs from spreading. • If you do get unwell: ▪ Stay away from work or school. ▪ Test for COVID-19 with a RAT. Follow COVID-19 isolation guidance if you or your whānau test positive. ▪ Seek help early by phoning Healthline on 0800 611 116, 24/7. ▪ In most cases flu or a tummy bug can be safely managed at home. Call ahead before visiting your health provider, rather than visiting in person, and stay away from hospital unless it’s an emergency Click these links for more information on coping with flu and staying well this winter.
Free flu jabs for tamariki aged 3 to 12
Children aged 3 to 12 years old can get a free flu vaccination from their GP, healthcare provider or at most pharmacies from this Friday 1 July.
Free flu jabs for tamariki – Ministry of Health
Most tamariki aged 9 years and over need one vaccination each year to get good protection against flu.
If you have a child under 9 years old, talk to your healthcare provider as they may need one or two vaccinations depending on whether they’ve had a flu vaccine before.
If tamariki have recently had COVID-19 they can have a flu jab as soon as they’ve recovered.
Message from Matuku Takotako Sumner Library Centre
From Friday 1st July through to Friday 2nd September Matuku Takotako Sumner Library has decided not to make the upstairs space available to school aged tamariki weekdays after school. Christchurch City Council facilities require customers over the age of 12 to wear masks. Everyone is welcome to use the downstairs library space and if over 12 years of age will be required to wear a mask. Covid 19 is still with us, there potentially could be other variants and coupled with winter sickness we have a responsibility to make our library space safe for everyone.
The library acknowledges it is hard for our tamariki aged 12 years and older as they are not required to wear masks at school.
The Stitchery
Hello, my name is Jo and I run The Stitchery, a sewing studio in Ferrymead that teaches sewing classes to both children and adults throughout the term.
I will also be offering School Holiday classes these July school holidays so please feel free to check out my website www.valleythreads.com to see what we offer.
So if you are looking to take up a new hobby or just want to give sewing a go, please feel free to contact me and have a chat about what you are after.