Newsletter
Week 2 NEWSLETTER
from the principal
Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future
Last Friday we held our termly powhiri for new students, and again it was such a magic event to be a part of. A special time for our new whānau, the manuhiri, to be welcomed into our school community. We had one grandparent who came to this school (when it was Masterton West) many years ago, and he spoke to me about walking from Akura through the paddocks to get to school…no houses outside that side of town then! This will be the 4th generation of his whānau to attend school on this site, very special. We also welcomed back Anne Kershaw as well, our recently retired long serving Office Administrator, as her granddaughter has started with us.
Shane spoke for the manuhiri, and it was an awesome reminder of two things that we value here at DPS:
The importance of people. As he spoke it became clear the high value he places on relationships…between school and home, and between school and student. He acknowledged that sending children to school is a big deal for parents, and a high level of trust is placed on us. It was great to hear that Lottie loves it here at school, and Shane spoke highly about the quality of our staff.
The importance of a wider view of learning. Shane mentioned how vital he sees it that children learn to be good people, to have strong values, to be creative, to be able to problem solve and to be able to work well together with others. These are all things that we hold highly here at school, and have designed our school and programmes around. I couldn’t agree more with him…if children leave schooling literate and numerate but without those other qualities, we have missed the mark in education.
A big welcome to all our new students and whānau, and we look forward to working alongside you to meet your hopes, dreams and aspirations for your children.
Many Thanks!
A few wonderful examples of generosity that have happened recently:
At the end of the term we received another donation from Te Hepara Pai, the Anglican Church across the road from school. Donations like this are very generous, and make a big difference for some of our children. We’ve used it in the past to help with some uniform costs, helping a refugee family get set up with school supplies and with some camp fees. Much thanks to the Vestry!
On Tuesday Matt from Equippers dropped off a box of treats for the staff. Unannounced, and no strings attached, it was so nice to feel recognised in that way. Especially after Matt spent the week at camp with us…it should’ve been us supplying him!
We also had some families donate a bit extra on top of their own camp fees to go towards others. Some even paid double what they needed. Even with the Board subsidising the camp heavily, the cost is still large and not in reach of everyone.
For the Calendar
We have one confirmed half day this term.
Monday 28th November: School closes at 1pm. Staff are heading out with Joseph Potangaroa to look at local sites significant to the area
The Teachers Union are also going to be holding a Paid Union Meeting and last week I indicated we might close to allow this to happen. Instead, we are going to internally cover and release teachers…so we won’t need to close.
Mr Four Eyes
Ravi Dass, registered optometrist and Chief Executive of the Mr. Four Eyes Charity, has
offered DPS the opportunity for students to have their vision checked with a mobile
PlusOptix screener. This takes a few seconds per child and will be carried out by our
Learning Support Coordinator, Erena McCann.
The screening information is analysed by Ravi and parents will only be sent a letter if your
child requires further testing. Mr Four Eyes Charity is able to offer free eye sight checks and
free glasses should they be required. When Ravi is in Masterton, he works out of Whaiora in
Queen Street.
The PlusOptix screener is available during weeks 3 & 4, 31 st October- 10th November. It will
be quite a task to screen all of our students. If you DO NOT wish your child to be screened
then please let our school office know and your child will be removed from the list.
Should you wish to discuss the process further, feel free to contact Erena McCann at school or at lsc@douglaspark.school.nz
Information on the screener itself can be found online
https://www.plusoptix.com/products/vision-screener/vision-screening
Writing - Miss choat
Grandparents day tomorrow
ORDER SUBWAY FOR DELIVERY TO SCHOOL EVERY FRIDAY - ONLINE OR AT THE OFFICE
SPORT
Check out the Term 4 sports teams here:
Teeball - free
Mod Softball - free
Touch - $5
Summer Hockey - $10
Netball - $15
Fees are due tomorrow. These can be paid at the office or via internet banking:
Douglas Park School
12-3290-0064275-00
Use your child's name and the sport as the reference.
Athletics Day
Our DPS Athletics Day will be held on Friday 4th November (PP date: 11th Nov) at the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl.
Pupils need to bring
DPS sports uniform or their house coloured top (optional, and they can wear these to school)
DPS sunhat
Sneakers - these must be worn on the track, no exceptions.
Medication they require (sunblock, inhalers etc)
A full packed lunch
All pupils MUST have a water bottle
DPS polar fleece for warmth. Track pants (optional)
Please ensure everything named
The year 2-6s head down at 9am and their events start at 9.30am and the Rimu team heads down at 11am and their events start at 11.30am. We would love to see you there!
Community notices
Mental Health and Resilience for your Whanau workshop
We know that this time has been hard in so many ways for everyone, and so we're wanting to help, by bringing Jordan Smith to Masterton as part of a nationwide series of events designed to put practical tools into the hands of whanau in the areas of Mental Health and Resilience.
Some of the challenges in the mental health space are super complex - which is why there are experts. But, there are some simple things that we can all understand that can give us, and our whanau, a real boost.
This 2 hour workshop is designed to be practical, useful, and down to earth.
This will be held in the school hall at MIS (38 Intermediate St, Masterton), from 7-9pm on Tuesday, 8th November.
Tickets are $10 per person or $15 for 2 people registering together. A light supper is included in registration.
For more info and to register, click the link below: https://equipperschurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1484985
Any questions, please ask.
Kawana Gaunt
027 842 5055
Kia Ora School community whanau,
OnBoard Skate Inc have been doing some wonderful mahi around the new Masterton Skatepark and are looking into some research and ways around building in this.
I am teaming up with them on ways we can share safety and training around skateboards and would really appreciate if you could spare a few minutes share in your school newsletters for students to fill out their survey.
Here is the link to the students survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTtK_xTv2twDTYnYUnKn61sK48bf31qRiveIMvW-mf81vjug/viewform?usp=sf_link that we are conducting as part of a wider research project on the Masterton skatepark development.
If you want more info on OnBoard Skate Inc, get in touch with them direct:
Steve Hodges
CEO
OnBoard Skate Inc
Mob: 021 283 2777
