Kia ora whānau

What a wonderful day we all had on Monday for our 2022 school cross country event. The children had fun and the sun shone down on us. Thank you to all those volunteer parents, aunties and uncles who supported our event by offering to help out. These types of events are not possible without parent help. Special thanks also to the staff - especially Sarah, for being so well organised!

Uniform Update

We are all excitedly waiting for stock to be ready for us to open orders for the new uniform items. I’m sure you will appreciate that this transition will take time and is logistically challenging, due to the number of orders that need to be filled.

We want to have the system set up to make your life easier (and ours!). Orders will be made through Kindo. Once up and running, the orders will be filled once a week (not every day).

Our uniform team are volunteers - and our Office Staff need to juggle uniforms along with their other responsibilities.

Please be patient and do not expect your questions to be responded to immediately as might be the case in a retail store. Thank you for your support.

SFDS Reporting (to families about their child’s progress and achievement)

A reminder that we are reviewing reporting at SFDS. We have now received 22 responses to our reporting consultation. Here are some comments that parents / caregivers have made so far about what is important for them to read / hear about their child:

• “...to know what we should be doing at home to support learning, and what the areas our children need support with.”
• “...growth as a person throughout the year not just academically but confidence, skills, socially, dealing with challenges, resilience.”
• “...to see what the Unit of Inquiry is for the term and what they work on for this - maybe just them posting their work on SeeSaw.”
• “...how they contribute in the wider school e.g., responsibilities and role in the senior school”
• “...to know where he sits within the NZ learning structure & in the classroom - is he at a comfortable level or behind? Where does he need support?”
• “...I like the concept of Learning conferences, but they would be more beneficial if they actually did talk about the child’s goals”
• “...How they are doing socially, I feel that this is just as important and should be alongside their academic achievements”
• “...If there was a meeting with the teacher for 30 minutes midway through the year it might be more beneficial.”

Please take the chance to share your perspective. We have extended the closing date until this Friday 3 June: https://forms.gle/U4aMPjZj6FXMZde9A Thank you.

School planning and reporting - consultation by the Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education is also consulting with whanau around New Zealand about the way schools plan and report. Here are the survey links: Whānau and community survey.

Your feedback will help the Ministry of Education know what the law (regulations) should say for schools and kura to work best with you to:

• plan - so that school/kura know what needs to happen, and when to make school/kura work better for all students, including your child
• report - so whānau and community are involved with regularly checking on progress and improving results.

Congratulations to the following students who received a values certificate at our school hui on Friday for their display of the value of Joy:

Freddie M, Meba M, Raffaele DG, Gelila E, Jack C, Eva S, Lucia M, Preshil P, Gabriele C, Cielo Q, Mahlee HB, Gabriella DG.

Congratulations also to Sienna who won the house cup for the most values cards earned for the last two weeks, and to Harlem TK who won the values card draw.

Take care and God bless

Ngā mihi nui

Mary-Angela Tombs

Principal

Kāore he mutunga o te Aroha. The measure of love is love without measure.

As part of the Board of Trustees' ongoing focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of all our teaching staff and learners, and in line with NZ Government guidelines on Covid-19, the Board regularly reviews the school's Covid Business Continuity Plan and related policies. At a recent Board meeting, the Board passed the following motions:

• “That mask wearing is recommended but not required up to and including stage 1 of the SFDS Covid Business Plan“
• “That mask wearing is required for Year 4 – 8 and all workers, inside, from stage 2 of the SFDS Covid Business Plan”
• “That all new employee applicants are encouraged to be fully vaccinated for Covid 19.”

We appreciate all of your ongoing support as we balance the health and safety of our staff and learners with minimising the disruption to learning from the pandemic.

Peter Chew

Board Chair

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students who received a certificate at Papatuanuku assembly on Friday:

Frankie HB, Joshua H, Harvey L, Honor TK, Harper M, Charlotte M, Lucas L, Enzo H, Lilly M, Thalia C, Taya B, Heidi J, Pippa R, Jackson B, Chiara Z, Paris C, Jacob F and Zane H.

SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

It was wonderful holding this event on Monday on such a beautiful, sunny day.

We were all really impressed with the effort that was put in by all runners and the way the kids supported each other - particularly our older students running with our younger students, supporting, and encouraging them along the way. A huge thank you to the parents who volunteered their time to help and be course marshals - we couldn't have held the event without you.

The top 6 runners for boys and girls in years 4 - 8 will go on and participate in the Southern Zone Cross Country on Wednesday 8 June at McAlister Park. Those runners will receive more information in the near future

WELCOME

To the following student who has started school this week:

Dylan S (Rm 2)

We hope that you have a successful and happy time at St Francis de Sales.

TEACHER ONLY DAY

We will be having a Teacher only day at the end of term 2 on Friday 8 July. School will be closed so you will need to make other arrangements for this day.

For information on how to get to KINDO Click here to view. From there you are able to pay your school donations, (there is an option to make part payments) uniform and any other school charges or sign ups for sports and extra actvities.

In term two, the focus is on the Healthcare and Behaviour Management sections.

Healthcare

• Medicines

• Managing Minor/Moderate Injury

• Managing Serious Injury and Illness

• Infectious Diseases

• Reporting and Recording Accidents and Incidents Board review

Behaviour Management Board review

• Bullying and Online Bullying

• Surrender and Retention of Property and Searches

Please feel free to have a look at this on the Schooldocs site and give us your feedback.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE

Island Bay After School Care has spaces available for both before and after school care. For enquries please call 0274-575-359 or just drop by and see what we do.

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IT’S TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER GREAT ESCAPE!

Welcome to another Summer Adventure Escape! We are off to Westport in the South Island.

First we will be crossing the Cook Strait on the Interislander ferry to Picton. On the way, the possibility of spotting dolphins and other marine creatures will be incredible and very exciting.

We will then drive to our accommodation at the Top 10 Holiday Park in Westport where we will settle in and explore our new surroundings as well as the beautiful beaches of the west coast.

From here we will visit our adventure locations which include: the local light house, beach, cinema and gymnasium, blackwater rafting in the caves of Charleston, bridge swing and gold panning at the Buller Gorge, Glass blowing in Hokitika and many more adventures.

Enrol now to get our 15% Early-Bird discount and get more savings from our 15% Wild Card concession card.

Pride Escape is MSD Approved and WINZ Subsidised. If you are eligible for WINZ Subsidy, we recommend you apply for it soon to avoid losing your spot when the payment deadline arrives.

Come on Wellingtonians, get out of Wellington and explore your country!

Thank you and see you then.