Week 11 NEWSLETTER

We are a school that believes heavily in play and making, being of real benefit to children as people, and as learners. Children are natural learners...from birth until the time they join us at school they’ve gone through some of the most rapid development possible...and they learn this stuff through play, exploration and copying others (parents and siblings usually). I read an article when my eldest child, (who has just started with us at DPS) was much younger, that described babies and toddlers as Earth's first scientists. As a parent it made me feel a lot better about things...the article describes a child tipping their bowl or cup off the high chair onto the ground, then when you pick it up for them...doing it again (and again, and again!). This was a fairly common thing for us...but the article didn’t describe a ‘naughty child’, but rather a scientist with a hypothesis about gravity and the effect it might have on a bowl of food. The young scientist feels a deep need to test this theory multiple times until the theory is proven...yes when I tip my bowl off, every time gravity will make it hit the ground in a mess. This scientific drive...this curiosity...comes with them to school. How high can I make this tower of blocks, I wonder what happens when these letters go in this sequence, if I mix this colour with that, what colour comes out, how do I join these two pieces of cardboard most effectively, what is the effect of going down the slide backwards, why do these numbers add to 18?????...children are naturally curious, and this ‘playful thinking’ is something we aim to keep alive in them across their time at DPS (some scary research shows that primary school education is normally very good at destroying this curiosity...as kids learn to ‘conform’ to get the ‘right answer’). A lot of neuroscience supports play as a vehicle that develops learners, and strengthens brain development...it builds the brain (creates new synapses quicker) and fosters/keeps alive that natural creativity and curiosity in children.

Short clip below of Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about observing Earth’s First Scientist wanting to splash in a puddle...and the real science that sits behind this kind of curious play.

One more week!

Almost at the end of Week 11 Term 2, and one more week away from completing a 12 week term (a first for me in my career). It is starting to feel like a long term now and the children (and staff) are noticeably tired. It has been a massive thing working our way through the rise of COVID, the lockdown, the decreasing alert levels and the return to ‘normal’. I’ll take the chance once again to celebrate how awesome our wider school community is...as parents you’ve done an amazing job across all of this, the staff are superstars...but the real unsung heroes are the kids. They’ve gone through the largest health event in over a century, one of the most disruptive times in living memory...and have come through the other side smiling and happy! Their worlds were rocked...no school, no seeing your mates, only playing with whānau inside the property, not being able to see loved ones and for some, the knowledge that work for Mum and/or Dad had been negatively affected. I’m proud of the resilience shown by them, and by our community in general.

Teacher Only Days! Add to your Calendar!

Next term we'll be having two teacher only days. One is on Friday August 28th, and is a town wide teacher only day for the Primary schools, and MIS. I’m one of the organisers for this day, and the educators in town are lucky to be working with 3 leading NZ experts in Dr Ann Milne, Derek Wenmoth and Carolyn Stuart.

The other day is Monday 3rd August and this one is just for DPS. The focus for us here will be on reviewing progress in our teaching goals and further development of our school app HERO. This app will be launched during our Learning Conversations in Week 4 of the term, Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th August.

As always, we appreciate your support for these days, they aren’t something we do very often (although fair warning...we possibly will have another in Term 4) but when we do use them they are extremely beneficial to staff...which flows onto the children.

Teacher Only Days: Monday 3rd August & Friday 28th August - Teacher Only Days: Monday 3rd August & Friday 28th August

Mufti Day

Our School Councillors are running a mufti day & ice block fundraiser on Friday. Bring along a gold coin for the mufti day, and the ice blocks will be for sale $1 each.

I am a pirate so I can go under water.

Nikora Potaka-Rennie

I was playing soccer and I was eating my waffles. I love it.

Lilith Bodle

I am going to Levi’s house next weekend.

Harlem Thomson

Crash, crash went the waves on the beach.

Sophie Ewington

I went to the dairy.

Lily Morris

We are having waffles for golden time. Yummy in my tummy.

Thea Courtney

I am going to ride a unicorn.

Luca Mason

I like the waffles because I like the taste of them.

Caiden Nicholls

I am going to eat the pill.

Aliza McCormick

I am on a horse.

Indiana Cameron-Whale

I am going to a different doctor and they are going to look in my ears. They are going to suck out the earwax in my sore ears.

Aza Hart

I went to the park. I pushed my dad on the swing. Swoosh went my dad.

Meeia Buchanan

I am in my base. I am sleeping in there.

Levi Holmes

I have a pet wolf at home.

Micaiah Wilkin

2020 Yr 5/6 Netball Season

The fee needs to be paid to the DPS office by Wednesday 1st July.

The Yr 5/6 netball season will take place over term 3 this year. Games will be on Tuesday night at the Wairarapa Trust House Netball Centre (Colombo Rd). The season will start on Tuesday 21st July and finish on Tuesday 22nd September. A detailed notice about the upcoming season has been sent home.

A Health and Safety Plan will be circulated with the latest Covid information no later than one week before the competition starts.

2020 Yr 1-4 Netball Program

Due to Covid-19 the Yr 1-4 netball program only got through 4/8 sessions in term 1. In response to the feedback from delegates, the Yr 1-4 netball program will be completed in term 4, ending with a fun festival day!

- New players are welcome in term 4

- Players who paid the fee in term 1 are covered in term 4

More information will come out about this program in term 3.

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

Winter Hockey Season

The Winter hockey season will take place over Term 3. Start dates are below...

When: 6 a side mini sticks (Year ¾): Tuesday 21st July

6 aside kiwi sticks (Year ⅚) no goalkeeper: Friday 24th July

6 aside kiwi sticks (Year ⅚) with goalkeeper: Saturday 25th July

Fees: $25 per player for all teams. This needs to be paid to the office before next Wednesday. Students will not be guaranteed a place in a team until their fees are paid.

Yr 3/4 and Yr 5/6 Miniball

The Miniball competition run by the YMCA will take place in term 3 - there is no fee to play Miniball this year. Games are played on Wednesday afternoons at the YMCA.

A notice will come home next week and the permission slip needs to be in by Friday 3rd July - no late permission slips will be accepted.

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

Starts - Wednesday 29th July

Finishes - Wednesday 23rd September