Week 4 NEWSLETTER

HERO: Our new school app

Exciting times as we release HERO out to our community. Teachers have been using the app all year, and we have slowly built it up to be ready for you. While we got a lot of positive feedback on the night...we are keen to hear more from you. What do you like, what would you like to see, and what issues might you be having? Like anything new...we won’t have it perfect, but as a place of learning we are always looking to improve ourselves and systems. Let us know your thoughts.

The ‘Community Notices’ section is starting to be used...we are posting our newsletter here, our COVID updates, as well as sports information. Anything in this section is relevant to your child (we have the ability to share notices with certain groups...eg. the Hockey information has gone out to the hockey children only).

Today you should all receive an email with the welcome letter and a helpsheet to get you started. If you are already in...just ignore. We are having a hit on it as we need all our parents to be active with the app, it will, over time, become our one-stop shop for all things.

You can find the helpsheet here

Please let us know if you need some help, we are happy to assist you...we want everyone to have access to the app, and to the information it contains.

Social Media...do you know what your children can access?

While we don’t really have an issue at DPS with the above, occasionally something will happen and it presents a timely chance to remind us all about these things. Technology is everywhere, unavoidable. Modern social lives exist digitally now, as well as ‘old school’ face to face interactions. The danger is when someone acts in a way online that they wouldn’t in a face to face situation. Kids who have access to technology often have access to Apps/Social Media that they shouldn’t...virtually every platform has a 13 year old age restriction, or parent consent, or parent supervision requirement. However...a simple click, and they are in. The apps have these restrictions as they can access some pretty inappropriate content, have access to people in an unrestricted way, and allow conversations to happen online away from parent eyes. A side issue is that many of these interactions are permanent...they leave a digital footprint. Perhaps not an issue now, but employers are certainly using social media to get a view on potential employees...are our kids learning to present the best of themselves, as a person, online?

At school, the learners have no access to these things (facebook, snapchat, instagram, tik tok etc), but we are aware that at home some do. While this isn’t school business, if issues arise outside of school that come into our gates, we will address these. My message here is more about raising awareness...do you know what social media platforms your child is active on, the terms and conditions of these (some allow extensive access to kids contacts, images, conversations...) how they are acting, and what content they are interacting with? This NZ site has excellent advice and is worth looking at.

Our Roxy!

Local radio Arrow FM interviewed Roxy and her mum Nikki about Escobar Syndrome, and living with a disability. A great story of challenge and strength, very awesome that you’ve shared this. You can have a listen (download and listen) to the interview here. After making her way into the Newshub article I shared last week, this week it is the radio. Next week Roxy?

COVID-19: Alert Level 2

The below information went out on HERO yesterday, a reminder to get signed up to make sure you don’t miss out on key messages. At the moment we have re-activated all the processes we had in place when NZ was last in Alert level 2...they served us (and the country) well then, and are working well once again. We pay close attention to the messages from the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, as well as the daily press briefings to keep ourselves well informed with best practice.

The key message for Level 2 is ‘Play it Safe’ and here are some of the systems that we will all have to adhere to in order to Play it Safe at Douglas Park School.

General:

• Physical distancing for parents is the standard 2m distance. Student to student - they can’t be close enough to ‘smell someone's breath’ and no touching of anyone.

• Hygiene is paramount at the moment. This includes coughing into their elbows, handwashing and drying and regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.

For whānau/caregivers:

• Drop off and pickup will be different. We are required to keep a register of ALL people who come into school. Hands will be sanitised on entry.

• Entry to school will only be through our main driveway gates and exit via the smaller driveway gate.

• Children can also enter via the Kummer Crescent gate, but not adults.

• Access to school for drop off time is from 8.15am and pickup from 2.45pm.

• The Office will be open, but if you can call or email that would be better.

For children:

• Students are to stay at home if they are sick and we will send anyone home immediately if they show any symptoms. Please, keep your children home if unwell and let the office know.

• Each classroom has sanitiser and children will use this as they enter/exit classes.

• Water fountains at school are off, so each child will need a named water bottle

For more information about the public health measures at Alert Level 2, you can visit the official COVID-19 website: https://covid19.govt.nz/

I am going to the beach with my cousins. We were watching the eels.

Izzy

I am defeating a monster.

Chloe

I saw a dragon. It tried to blow fire at me.

Lachlan

I am going to halloween with Mum. I was a vampire.

Mason

I woke up and bit a piece of chocolate.

Kaelan

Me and my Dad went to the zoo. I saw a deer.

Miika

I am going to the pool. We went on the purple slide.

Rivva

My tooth is wiggly. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, my tooth went. “Ouch!” I said. The tooth fairy came to my house.

Meeia

At night I woke up and I was a zombie. I crept into my Mum’s room. I shouted, “I am a zombie!” Mum woke up. “Why are you a zombie?”

“Because I ate a lot of dinner!”

“Oh!”

Thea

I have a plant and I watered it. I was so excited because it was growing.

Caiden

I saw a cockroach. Ewww! I saw two. It was ewww!

Aliza

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

Term 3 Sport - DRAWS

We will load the draws into this folder for Netball, Hockey and Miniball. Make sure you check it every week!

2020 Yr 5/6 Netball Season

A reminder to check the draw in Team 3 Sport - DRAWS folder or the Netball Wairarapa website. We really appreciate you having players at the courts on time and 'netball ready'. This means long hair tied up, nails cut, correct uniform/sneakers and NO jewellery to be worn.

It is very unlikely games will be cancelled, but if they are it will be posted on the DPS FB page or the Netball Wairarapa FB page.

The season draw and format will be out by the end of the week...best of luck for the season!

Any questions...please contact Amy Williams on amywilliams@douglaspark.school.nz

Winter Hockey Season

REMINDER: draws can be found in this folder.

Friday 14th August

GAMES CANCELLED

Saturday 15th August

GAMES CANCELLED

Yr 3/4 and Yr 5/6 Miniball

We have kicked off our Miniball season this week!

The Miniball draw will be in this folder each week, or on the Masterton YMCA website.

All players need to wear the DPS sports uniform (available from The Uniform Shop by McDonalds or the DPS second-hand uniform shop) and sneakers to their game.

Starts - Wednesday 29th July

Finishes - Wednesday 23rd September

Rail safety week 10-16 August - Cross with Care | Kia tūpato te whakawhiti

Rail Safety Week aims to reduce near miss collisions on level crossings. Every near miss is a traumatic event and has a very real impact on the locomotive engineers, the witnesses involved and on those who nearly lost their lives. Never cross when bells or lights are activated and always look carefully in both directions before crossing. Be especially careful to look for a second train. If one train has stopped at a station another one could be coming. For those families interested, have a look at this Rail Safety Virtual Field trip information that was shared with participating schools in 2019. Visit the Tracksafe website for more information.