Week 2 NEWSLETTER

2021 Staffing Update

One further change to announce...last term I wrote about Claire Blomgren’s retirement, as well as the maternity leave for Martha Brienza, Amanda Mitchell and Hannah Moore...and the last announcement to make is that Amy Williams has won a team leader position at Fernridge School.

Amy is one of the foundation staff members at DPS, and worked at Masterton West and Greytown School prior to that. A very dedicated and capable practitioner, she has contributed a lot to the development of this school in her time...school council, house competitions and has taken us from a school of a couple of sport teams back in 2004 to being the only school to win Primary School of the Year twice, & go back to back to back National Championships for Rippa as well as providing opportunities to countless amounts of children over the years in sports and Kapahaka. Amy will be missed, and we wish her all the best for this new chapter in her career!

Juliet Bridges and Renée Oakly have been confirmed for 2021 after both being so awesome for us this year. They have made amazing relationships, and contribute so much to the life of our school. Congrats!

We have advertised, interviewed and appointed an awesome selection of new teachers for next year. We have made all of our appointments for 2021 and have a full complement of amazing staff for 2021. I will announce these in the newsletter next week.

Who ate all the pies?

Hats off to the FoDPS crew for running another awesome fundraiser for the school...over $4000 raised! A lot of mahi goes in behind the scenes to make something like this so successful...the meetings, organisation, collation and distribution...on behalf of the school community thank you for being so giving of your time. FoDPS support a lot at DPS and this term some very visible events are happening with this support...our Year 5/6 Camp, and the trips the rest of the school will be taking...all coming with a contribution from our hard working FoDPS team. Cheers!

Teacher Only Day - Tuesday 27th October!

Teacher Only Day - Tuesday 27th October!

A further reminder about Tuesday...teacher only day. The staff are going to be working across the road at Te Rangimarie Marae...being welcomed on with a powhiri, listening to Gareth Winter speak about our local area and following on from that we are working on staff pepeha, and sharing that with each other. One of our strategic goals is Turangawaewae, and we have an aim of really getting to know our local space and place. Earlier in the year (pre-COVID...seems like a lifetime ago!) we had a half day with Joe Potangaroa touring around our local sites learning their significance, and this is our next step.

Thanks once again for your support for these days. They are few and far between...but absolute gold for us as a staff. Many thanks!

Out of Zone Enrolments

The Board has opened up places for 25 five year old students for the first half of 2021, Terms 1 & 2. If you live out of zone (even if you have children currently attending) and have a child you’d like to start with us in the first half of next year, please contact the Office, applications are now open.

Also...if you know of parents outside of the zone who would like their 5 year old to attend Douglas Park, please get them to contact the office as well. It happens every time...we complete the ballot process, then the following week people ask if they can attend (and they can’t).

Email the Office on office@douglaspark.school.nz for more information.

Board of Trustees - Calling for Nominations

We are fast approaching our mid-term election, and are looking for 2 Board members to join the team. Nomination forms have been sent out to all eligible people on the school roll. Nomination is easy...just check with the person first, fill out the form and return to the school office. Being on the Board is a rewarding experience...setting direction for the school, ensuring all our learners and staff are getting the best deal possible and just two meetings a term. If you are unsure about the process, come into the office and we can help you out.

A helicoprion is here. I want to pat it. Gulp! Bad idea.Oops, maybe next time I should not do that.

Taylor Malcolm

One day I was walking down the footpath then Godzilla came and ate someone frozen in ice. I screamed. Argh! Godzilla, I said.

Riley Tigerholm

I am playing on the playground but a meteor crashed down in the school.

Marley Addis-Fricker

We went to the zoo and we saw a lion at the zoo. It was golden and beautiful. It had a mane which meant it was a boy. It had fleas in it’s mane. It had rotten teeth. I think it is because it ate too many treats. It roared at the lion next door. It is a girl.

Alessandra Brienza

“Roar!” I saw a golden lion at the zoo. It was a boy and it was shaggy and it had sharp teeth.

Lucy Monaghan

A roaring lion came to my house. He had a golden back and he had shaggy fur all over it’s body. His tongue was slimy.

Lacey Collin

I am going to the moon and I played on the moon.

Corban Tomuri-Williams

Zing, Zing. I can bike with no training wheels. I can do it on the green grass but not on the very hard concrete.

Ivy Malote

Emma Dickon

I am a spider in the web.

Cooper Suckling

I am a dinosaur and I ate my Dad

Henry Sinton

I am building my Christmas lego.

James Ellis

I am on the moon.

Amaia Burt.

I am a monster and I am at the beach.

Milly Stark

I am a fairy queen and I can fly.

Douglas Park School Board of Trustees Election

Nominations are open for the election of 2 parent representatives to the board of trustees.

All eligible voters will receive a nomination form and a notice calling for nominations within the next week to 10 days. You can use this form to nominate yourself or someone in your community. If you do not receive a nomination notice via the post, please contact the school office.

If you need more nomination forms, contact the school office.

Nominations close at noon on Sunday, 1^st November 2020. You may provide a signed candidate statement and photograph with your nomination.

The electoral roll is held at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours.

As nominations are received, there will be a list of candidates’ names kept at the school up until election day, which you can view.

Voting closes at 4pm on Friday, 4^th December 2020. More information about voting will follow. Please make sure the school office has the correct address for you as this will be a postal vote.

Signed Hayley Sinton

Returning Officer

Subway lunches can be ordered for delivery to school every Friday. Order online or fill out a form at the office.