Newsletter
Week 2 NEWSLETTER
from the principal
Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future
I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and spent time with family and friends. Waitangi Day is a special time of year, an acknowledgement of one of the pivotal points of the history of our nation. The echo of 1840 still reverberates loud today, affects today and impacts on tomorrow.
Our vision is driven by the idea of helping develop great kids who can make a positive difference to themselves, others and their world. The Better Future part might look forward to tomorrow, but it also means we need to look back, and consider where we have come from. Being informed about the past empowers us to create that Better Future.
In 2019 we invited Jay Ruka to speak to us as a staff...and he was excellent. His hope, his dream is that over time we come to honour the Treaty, Te Tiriti, to view it as a positive and be comfortable engaging with others in conversation about it. To bring Te Ao Māori and Western ways of being, thinking and working together. The video below is of Jay giving this presentation to a different audience...and while lengthy it is worth a watch.
We have done a bunch further development since, including a full day looking at Te Tiriti…the history, and the impact. I love Toby Morris’ graphic work for the Spinoff, and alongside the Ministry he produced an excellent graphic short novel on Te Tiriti often used in schools. Worth a read…and worth leaving you with the final page here…both this page, and Jay’s video above leave us with the challenge of using and seeing Te Tiriti as a positive vehicle to create a Better Future:
COVID
You’ve probably heard that COVID has struck pretty hard at another local school, and they’ve had to ask parents to keep children home this week. The virus is very much still active out in the community…and I’m proof of that, currently writing this at home isolating with COVID. Case numbers at school are very small…just three students and 2 staff members currently isolating. Timely then to remind you to keep children home who are unwell, particularly if they have COVID symptoms. Our classes are well ventilated, and children have been reminded around hand sanitiser use when they leave/enter the classrooms…so the environment at school is still set up nicely to combat the virus. While we aren’t expecting case numbers to jump, we do ask our school community to be vigilant.
Reminder: No students before 8.15am
Just a reminder, our gates are closed in the morning until 8.15am. A bell rings then, and after that students are welcome to come into school. But not prior. Before 8.15am staff are preparing for the day, and are scattered around the school and are unable to supervise students. After 8.15am teachers are in classes, and ready to welcome the children in. Thanks for your support with this.
Paid Union Meeting
I can now confirm that school will close at 1.30pm on Friday March 3rd to allow teachers to head to their Union meeting. I appreciate that this will be an inconvenience, so I thank you in advance for supporting us with it.
Summer Sports
Another season is almost upon us and as usual for DPS we have a massive amount of children wanting to take part in what we have to offer. Two quick things about this:
Our staff give up a lot of their own time to provide these opportunities for the children...Friday nights, saturday mornings and midweek games. This is not something they have to do, but here at DPS we recognise and value what sport brings...largely, an excellent vehicle to develop our core beliefs and develop relationships. This is Nurture in action
Signing up to a team is a commitment. If we have a team of 10 for softball,and 2/3 don’t turn up it spoils it for the other children in the team, as well as for the opposition. Commitment is to practices (once a week during lunchtimes), being on time and prepared for their games.
DPS Guitar and Piano Lessons
Is your student interested in learning Guitar or Piano?
Open to students from Year 3 to Year 6
Lessons will be once a week during school hours at $10.00 per session.
Aidan Blake holds a degree in Music and is very passionate about nurturing students' musical interests and overall confidence in themselves. She has been involved in various music programmes in schools, alongside private tutoring and continuing with her own personal musical career.
Please email Olivia Walsh, owalsh@douglaspark.school.nz if your child is interested.
Dental Bus
The wonderful people in the Dental Bus will only be here for another week or two. There are a number of forms that they have sent home that haven't been returned so please check your child's bag. If you think you might have missed one or have any concerns about your child's dental health please give the Dental Bus a ring on 027 2644319.
Stationery
Thank you to all those people who have paid for their child's stationery already this year. All stationery is $15 and can be paid online into our ASB account (details below). Please put your child's name and stationery as a reference. You can also pay by cash or eftpos at the school office.
ASB ACCOUNT - DOUGLAS PARK SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES 12-3290-0064275-00
Writing - Kahikatea
Rules: two of my sentences will be the truth and one will be the lie figure out which is the lie..
I had curly hair when I was young.
I went to the gold coast in the holidays of 2022.
I had a dog when I was three.
Lie: I had a dog when I was three
By: Roman Maxwell
Two truths and a lie!
This is how you play. There are two truths and one lie i am going to say and you have to guess what the lie is.
One: I am obsessed with koalas.
Two: I brush my teeth three times a day.
Three: I have finished the whole Harry Potter series over the holidays.
That was a good game… did you guess it? I will tell the answer in tiny letters if you want to know
Answer: I have finished the whole harry potter series over the holidays.
By Willow
Order Subway online or at the office for delivery to school friday
Every Friday we have Subway lunches delivered to school. If you would like to order your child a subway lunch, the easiest way is to order online. Please make sure you put your child's class (teachers name) on the order as it makes it much easier to sort our end. Subway can also be ordered by filling out a form at the school office before school on a Friday.
Community notices
⚽⚽⚽ WAIRARAPA UNITED FUN DAY ⚽⚽⚽
Lock it in your diaries - we're setting up some small sided games for our junior players to dust those boots off and stretch those legs!
Join us at Hullena Sports Ground (16A Te Whiti Road, Homebush) 5.30-6.30pm on Thursday 16th FEB, 23rd FEB and 2 MARCH where the sun will be shining, the footballs will be flying and the sausages will be sizzling!
A reminder this will be followed by our women's pre-season training!
All players welcome - don't be shy! 🟢🔴🟢
