2024 Newsletter - Week 6, Term 1
Greenmeadows School, 8th March 2024
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou kātoa,
It was heartening to have such high engagement at our Meet the Teacher Interviews last week. It's a couple of long days for our teaching staff, but it is really insightful to hear about your priorities for your child's learning in 2024.
Our Strategic Plan has been published on our website and should reflect the collective feedback that you provided to us over the past year. One area we probably need to keep working on is updating our school vision. More details below!
The PTA met earlier this week. They are a small crew of very dedicated parents who are invested in providing the best possible opportunities for your child. The senior playground is just one example of their tremendous fundraising efforts, and they have now shifted their energy to supporting the construction of a new junior playground development. How can you help?
- Become a Friend of the PTA - perhaps you are unable to commit to regular meetings but you might be able to donate an hour of your time to help out at a disco (for example)?
- Donate a prize (e.g. an Easter egg) for the Easter raffle.
- Help out at one of our junior playground working bees (details below).
Your children are the direct beneficiaries of any time or resources that you can offer.
We have another group of invested parents who are keen to see our waharoa completed. The present structure is a blank canvas that we need to develop to ensure that it captures our identity and tells our story. This project is another example where we need help from our community, so please do get in touch with me if you'd like to be involved.
Ka kite anō,
Darren Holloway
Principal
WELCOME TO GREENMEADOWS SCHOOL
We welcome Tamarua McLennan, Mace Allison & Lillie van der Westhuizen.
Our roll is currently sitting at 444.
We wish every one of you, all the very best for your time at Greenmeadows School.
DEVELOPING OUR VISION
Over 2023 we gathered feedback from a number of sources, much of which has contributed to our strategic plan for the next 2 years. During the unpacking of that feedback, it became clear that our vision statement probably needed a refresh as priorities can change over time, particularly having recently endured the effects of a pandemic and more recently, the cyclone.
Common themes that came through around your aspirations for your children included: connection, inclusivity, confidence, curiosity, academic success, happiness, engagement, pride, identity, friendliness, kindness, empathy, a love for learning and a sense of community.
More recently, you told us at the Meet the Teacher interviews about an area that was immediately important for us to work on with your child. There were varied responses, but some most common themes were:
- Support with literacy , including: reading, writing, handwriting or oracy.
- Developing confidence, accepting challenge and taking risks.
- Support in mathematics.
- Social skills - managing friendships and self management.
- Making good progress academically, in general.
It's become a hugely complex task to try and draft a simple statement that incorporates all of that, but I have recently been drawn to a whakatauki that I think captures the essence of what we are trying to achieve:
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu .
Adorn the bird with feathers so it may soar.
The feathers that adorn our learners may change, over time, according to the aspirations of our community, but the essence of the statement remains the same. We would perhaps need to consider combining this with a closer look at our values, and there would be a responsibility to remain in touch with your aspirations over time (for example, at our parent teacher interviews).
Please let me know what you think of this concept by completing this super quick, two-question survey.
PLAYGROUND WORKING BEE(S)
Our new sandpit looks fabulous with it's own shade sail. Unfortunately, that shade sail now presents an additional climbing risk to our existing junior playground, so we need to make some amendments so that children will not be tempted to mount the sail. Yes, we will eventually have an entirely new junior playground, but it would be nice if we could have something for our youngest children to access in the interim.
This Saturday morning, I will hold a scoping exercise to give an overview of the mahi that needs to be done, for example:
- filling the void adjacent to the footpath with top soil
- reduction in height of some structures with a grinder and capping the shortened posts
- complete removal of some of the higher structures that are closest to the shade sail
- removal of overgrowth
- relocating structures that have come down
Some of these tasks may be able to be undertaken on the day. Others may require completion over future weekends. Please get in touch if you think you can donate some time or tools for these tasks!
First session: 9:30 am Saturday 9th March for one hour. Future dates TBC.
GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN SUPPORT GROUP
We will be holding a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support group get together on 13 March in the staff room. This is simply an opportunity to get to know one another, provide some support, friendship, and a safe space to talk and exchange ideas. Everyone is welcome. Come to the staff room at 9am after dropping the children off. See you then!
PHONES AWAY
This is an issue that has been in the media lately. How do we plan to meet this government directive?
Our present guidelines with regard to mobile devices (policy available via our website) requests that any mobile devices that are brought to school are left at the office for the day. Under those guidelines, children do not have access to their devices during the day so their phones are effectively, already "away".
Our learners should not need access to mobile devices at school. If there is a need to establish contact (in an emergency, for example) between home and your child, you can phone our office.
Please get in touch wtih Mr Holloway if you have any feedback in this area.
2024 TEACHER ONLY DAYS
We have two teacher only days coming up this year aimed at improving teacher cultural competency; the first one being Friday 23rd August and the second one is Friday 27th September. Mark your diaries now but we will be giving plenty of reminders closer to the time.
There are also two teacher only days that will support the curriculum refresh. Dates that we have set aside for this are Friday 31st May and Thursday 24th October.
PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION
If you choose to allow your child to play on our playground outside of normal school hours (e.g. during cricket matches on Saturday morning or after school during the week) then please ensure that they are supervised by an adult. When the gates are locked, we expect that people do not enter our grounds.
TRAFFIC WOES
Vehicles taking a right turn into the church car park on Osier Road continue to create issues for our crossing at congested times. Please avoid this turn by planning ahead and taking a route that brings you in from the opposite end of Osier Road to make a left turn into the church car park. This will avoid the situation of cars queuing across our crossing point.
ABSENT NOTIFICATIONS
If your child is going to be absent from school, please let the school know before 9.00am on that morning.
To report your child being away please use the school app. Find the absence "button" then select the "email" button.
If we cannot make contact with you or receive notification, truancy will be called.
SCHOLASTIC LUCKY BOOK CLUB
The Lucky Book Club brochures were sent home yesterday. Lucky Book Club orders are to be completed online, no cash orders accepted. Orders close on Friday 22nd March at 9am sharp.
KEEPING OURSELVES SAFE
A reminder that next week, we will be delivering the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme in school. Please follow the link to see the session content and resources that will be used. There has been no demand for a parent meeting, but please feel free to contact your class teacher if you have any queries regarding the programme.
OSCAR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
OSCAR are holding their Annual General Meeting on Monday 6th May 2024 at 5.30pm. Anybody is welcome to attend.
PTA NEWS - YUMMY APPLE STICKERS
Please keep collecting the Yummy Apple Stickers in 2024.
Shop at your local New World, Pak’n Save and participating Four Square stores. Purchase Yummy apples, either bags with cut-out labels or individual apples with Yummy stickers. One cut-out label is worth 10 apple stickers.
Send the stickers into school to be placed on collection sheets in each class. However, if you would like your own collection sheet for home please collect one from the school office. Competition runs until the end of Term 3 2024.
GMS SCHOOL APP LINK
This is how we communicate with the school community any importmant messages or reminders.
Contact Us
Email: admin@gms.school.nz
Website: http://www.gms.school.nz/
Location: Greenmeadows School 45 Osier Road, Greenmeadows, Napier, New Zealand
Phone: +64 06-844 7024
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmsnapier