Week 4 NEWSLETTER

From the Principal

DPS Kid - Poi Porotiti and Nga Tama Toa

Two great opportunities for some of our young leaders have come to a close for the year. Poi Porotiti and Nga Tama Toa are leadership programs within a Te Ao Māori context and have proven to be amazing experiences for all involved. Our girls had their last session at Te Papa and got to perform to the patrons that day. Poi has a steep learning curve and requires a tremendous amount of coordination and determination, qualities our girls had all over. The lads finished their program this week, their last session at Fernridge. Special mention of Theo, chosen to be part of the front row and to use a rakau with a special heritage, coming from the Central Plateau (the wood grows straight and true). Proud of all our young leaders and look forward to hearing of the great things they achieve in the future.

Book Character Day

Looking forward to this tomorrow as part of the Book Fair running at the moment. A chance to creatively bring words from the page to life, to choose a favourite character and get to be them for the day. While in character, a great chance to visit our library before or after school to pick up a bargain at the Fair. Miss West has done another awesome job and the kids are excited already. Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow dressed up!

Who you gonna call (or email)?

Just a reminder about the process for complaints or concerns. First port of call is always the classroom teacher. They are all readily available through email, a call to the school or best...a face to face chat before or after school. While it may be tempting to call or email me, the first thing I will do is redirect things back to the classroom. That is the best place for issues to be resolved, teachers are the ones with all the right information, knowledge of the children and are in the right place to action any solutions. Team Leaders would be the next port of call: Jane Macdonald (Rimu), Amanda Mitchell (Kōwhai), Sophie Macdonald (Rata) and Amy Williams (Kahikatea). Again, they will have firsthand knowledge of the situation and the ability to put a solution into action.

Teachers Strike Action

As you may have heard, teachers and principals across the country have overwhelmingly voted in favour to strike again.

So, why are we striking for a second time?

The NZEI Teachers Union rejected the latest offer from the Ministry of Education and believed that the latest offer did not meet the years of underfunding and under resourcing that schools have faced over the past decade.

Just what are teachers and the NZEI Union seeking?

Teacher members and the Union are seeking improvements to some core aspects:

- A pay jolt to lift the status of the teaching profession and to attract and retain teachers in the profession. It is getting harder and harder for schools to attract and find staff as less people enter or stay in the profession.

- Additional resourcing to support those children who have learning and/or behavioural needs.

- Improved workload conditions.

As almost all of our teachers are Union members, The Douglas Park School Board of Trustees have agreed to close the school for supervision and instruction (strike closure) on Friday 16th November, while the teachers are on strike. The school would be unable to provide adequate cover for the day.

Therefore, on Friday 16th November, parents and caregivers will need to find alternative arrangements for their children for that day. The Board and our staff recognise the inconvenience of this, but sincerely hope that you support our cause as we make a stand for better conditions for your children.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Kids korero

what's happening at DPS?

2nd hand Uniform Shop @ DPS:

We have good stock of polar fleeces at the moment. Other items are available in various sizes. Shop is open on Wednesdays 8 - 9 am and 2.15 - 3 pm

Writing

Awesome writing from RIMU kids...

My Dad and Anthony took some bees down in a box. My Dad put the bees in the orchard.

Rosali Ross

I have a soft toy. It is a lamb. He is cute. I like him.

Mack Courtney

I am a mouse and the cat saw me. The cat tried to get me with claws.

Marley Mason

I am going to play netball with Mila-Kay. When you have the ball, you can’t move!

Carter Heberley

I am skateboarding at the skatepark. I went down the bowl.

Joe Mason

I saw a meerkat on top of my house. It was peach and it was jumping very high. My house was shaking! I didn’t want to go back inside because everything was braking. My Mum ran out of the house, she was wondering what it was. She was very shocked when she saw a meerkat. She wondered how the meerkat got up there.

Charlotte Monaghan

I was an army man. One day I hopped into my dark green and light green army tank. I drove it around to see if there was some bad people. I saw one hundred people that were bad. BOOM, CRASH, BANG! I got them! I nearly put the world on fire! I pressed the water button and shot water out. I saw one more bad man and I squirted him. The water was so strong that he fell and his head broke. The end.

Perrie Hart

I saw a phoenix. He was in a volcano. He had red flaming beady eyes. His feathers were flaming lava. We fought everyone and ruled the world. “It’s time to go home!” said the Phoenix. “Bye!” I said to the phoenix.

Xander Hunter

I was happily riding on my motorbike through the jungle and I heard a scratching noise. It sounded terrifying. It zoomed across my room. I hopped out of bed and I crept down the hallway. When I got into the lounge I saw the speedy creature. It was an Indoraptor.

Roman Maxwell

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