Week 3 NEWSLETTER

Scooters, Shoes, Jerseys and ‘Stolen’ Stuff!

Always an issue in schools...339 children coming in each day with a raft of uniform, toys, scooters, bikes...and occasionally these things don’t make it back home at 3pm.

Often stuff isn’t stolen, but merely misplaced. We collect up a lot at the end of the day...and 99% of named items end up back with their owners. Daily we collect the left behind scooters and bikes (yes, they get left behind)...return the polar fleeces and hats to the office and put the leftover toys, shoes and ‘stuff’ in the lost property.

When gear is missing, please let us know...Mr Blue can check his collection of abandoned scooters, the office can check the named fleeces and hats and you can have a look through our lost property. When stuff is ‘stolen’, we do take it seriously, investigate and take action. Classes are informed via email, or the daily notices...and we also send kids for a hunt around the school (gear seriously ends up in the weirdest spots). We aren’t always successful and acknowledge that this isn’t ideal for you as whanau.

Part of our PRIDE teaching always revolves back to Respect and Independence with our own gear. Kids get hot playing on the field...take off their shoes and polar fleece, then when the bell goes at the end of break head back to class. The field, turf, courts, playground, wheels area always contain left behind items. Our biggest issue is unnamed, or unmarked items. Each DPS hat is virtually identical, each fleece is pretty much the same...telling them apart with no extra sewn labels, no permanent vivid markings, no extra stitching...without something that clearly labels it as yours, is difficult.

Our aim (our dream) is that gear coming to school is clearly named/labelled, and items are returned to sensible places before/during/after break times. This would make our job easier, make the kids more responsible people and save an endless headache for many of you...asking that dreaded question “where are your shoes”?

The photos below illustrate what I mean: scooters strewn nearby a stand...with a treasured teddy, a stray scooter left after school one day, and a shoe rack at 4.30pm (some nice shoes there...Sketchers and Nike)

Industrial Action

The big news is that both the Primary teachers Union and the Secondary teachers Union are heading on strike together in a fortnight. This show of solidarity is the largest industrial action taken in decades, and hopefully sends a message that this isn’t trivial...this is a big deal and we need help as a sector.

Negotiations have dragged on for nearly 12 months with the government and we haven’t really gone anywhere. To me it has always been simple maths:

• 40% less people are willing to train to be teachers (no one wants to be a teacher? That’s a sad indictment on the system)
• 40% of new graduates leave the profession within their first 5 years (despite amazing support given by schools...new teachers give up on the profession...hours, pay, work conditions, behaviour, lack of Ministry support...the list goes on
• 40% of the teaching force are ‘close’ to retirement (and with them leaving we lose an amazing wealth of experience, expertise and insight)

Do the math, and the sum isn’t looking flash.

This article gives a teacher perspective, and is worth your time to have a skim.

We appreciate the support you have already shown to us over the last 12 moinths of negotiation, the support given when the latest strike was announced, and the support we know we will get as we go forward.

Are teachers worth it? Are our amazing DPS teachers worth it? Is the future education of your young people, our learners, worth it? ...you betcha!

Here is the link to purchase tickets:

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/the-developing-brain-masterton/wairarapa

Xander Grant (Kowhai)

One day I met a dragon named Zygarde. He can shoot green flames from any part of his body. You will never believe what his wings can do! They can turn into a protective shield!

Madi Watene (Kowhai)

I moved to candy world. There was candy everywhere. I went into a hot air balloon to see the whole of candy world but I fell off and I landed on the ground. My hot air balloon went into space. The end.

Mark Simpson (Kahikatea)

My favourite food is … CHIPS. I like my chips with chicken salt. My absolute favourite shop to get chips is Master Fried Chicken. I love chips because they are delicious. Not food is more yummy than a chip. I don’t eat meat and veges. I only eat chips!

Willow Matthews (Kowhai)

One day I was walking down the road and I saw a bunny. A robber was right behind me and he stole the bunny. He liked that she was a rainbow bunny. Luckily the police found her and gave her back to me.

Conrad Dickon (Kahikatea)

I was as nervous as the crowd goes wild! I was thinking about remembering the drum beat. I was hot and sweaty and I felt like fire. I was shaking with nerves. I was annoyed, like my little sister. But I was still having fun with the power of the drum beat…. Boom! I am drumming loud! Im rocking out until the power goes out!

Kia Ora

We are a youth outreach team from Soulway Church.

Since 2009 the youth outreach team known as 'Souled Owt Kids Club' has been operating like an after school program. We engage the tamariki in activities that teach good morals, values and life lessons that will give them the skills to build healthy relationships. We also have fun playing sports and listen to good music with healthy food and everything is free. We usually only advertise this to the local neighbourhood that surround the Margaret street park but this year with the influx of children showing up with parents donating time and food we decided to send out a invite to the entire community to share our blessings. attached is a poster with all the info.

Kids, are you looking for fun on a Friday night?

Then come along to Kids' Club, 5.30 till 7.30pm on Fridays at the Baptist Church. We provide a safe, family atmosphere with table tennis, computer games, craft, a kid-friendly light tea, Bible stories and organised games. The cost is just $2.50 per child. Phone Liz on 0272233100 for more details or just come along and have a look. We're on the corner of Renall and Chapel Streets; entrance off Renall St.