Newsletter
Week 6 NEWSLETTER
from the principal
Welcome Back!
It has been great to welcome everyone back to school this week! So many happy, smiling faces...parents, staff and children. Last Friday we gathered as a staff to reopen and reconnect with karakia, waiata and kai & the children went through this same process on Monday. Coming back together as one whanau, connecting with friends and being part of a larger whole is what we are all about this week. Teachers have been leading classes through group activities, sharing circles, art, and a heap of playing and making. Wellbeing comes before learning, so ensuring that we’ve transitioned back to school well after such a big event is important. This article here sums up a lot of our thinking, and you can also listen to this short Radio New Zealand clip that explains a bit further. One important aspect is empowering children within this larger event, giving them something to do. We have been talking a lot about gratitude and are working on a schoolwide video to give thanks for all that we have been grateful for across lockdown, and the return to school. A sense of action is a sense of control, and that can be comforting during a time of worry.
The Ministry has put together an excellent summary for parents to help discuss COVID-19 and the return to school here. It is well worth a read if you or your child/ren are feeling a bit worried or nervous.
School Council - An Attitude of Gratitude
Many thanks to our amazing school councillors (and their whanau!) who put on morning tea for the staff yesterday, each of us got a personalised invitation, and as we walked into the hall the children had formed a ‘guard of honour’ and clapped each staff member in. The food was delicious, but the more nourishing part of the morning tea was the speech from the councillors, and the fact that they wanted to acknowledge their school family. Many thanks guys.
Contact Details
A note will be coming home with all the children today that we need returned to school. One thing that the lockdown highlighted was that a bunch of the contact information we have on file for whanau was incorrect. The notice will show you the information we have for your child...and you can write on new numbers, new address, new emergency contacts etc. Even if the information is correct can you please return to school so we know that you’ve seen it and checked. Many thanks for this.
Where to Next?
Douglas Park has been on a journey of Innovation over the last several years...we’ve seen the rise of play-based learning, the development of our Maker/Creator culture, the focus of learning widen away from just Reading/Writing/Maths, and the redevelopment of the entire school into four award winning Flexible Learning Environments. But, this worldwide COVID event has given us a chance to pause...to reflect, and consider where to next on our journey. We’ve had the privilege of working with our school mentor, Mark Osborne, for the last 3 years and our next step is to redevelop our school vision. We want DPS to be at the cutting edge of learning, and alongside Mark this is what we will be doing over the rest of Term 2 and 3. We will be thinking big and casting the net wide to ensure our focus is on producing something unique here at school. The video below has been shared with staff as a primer, a challenge to our thinking and the first step towards thinking about what is important for our school to be like. You might like to have a look as well. Feel free to flick me your thoughts: principal@douglaspark.school.nz
Staff Profiles
We are so lucky here at DPS to have such an awesome group of people working with our learners! Each week we will have a korero with some of our staff to help you learn more about us! Feel free to stop for a chat when you see us around school.
Second hand uniform shop
- Our second hand uniform shop is open on Wednesdays from 8-9am and 2-3pm.
- We sell on behalf...cash to the seller or donations welcome!
- Please ensure any items you wish to sell, are clean and then drop into the office at any time.
DPS Sport
2020 Yr 5/6 Netball Season
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 will be sent home next week.
To prepare for the upcoming season we will be running the following pre-season program at DPS. All sessions will be during lunchtime and players need to bring sneakers and a drink bottle.
Wk 8 & 9 - Skills, drills and fitness
Wk 10 - Trials
Wk 11 & 12 - Teams will practise
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
This year there are some changes to school hockey. These are explained below. The changes mean we will no longer have a DPS 11 aside team.
We are excited to work with our players in this new format and believe a focus on skill development and increased ball touches will set them up well for their future of hockey.
Students will need normal hockey gear and school sports uniform. All students must wear a mouthguard. DPS hockey socks are available at the uniform shop.
2020 Wairarapa Primary Competition – Grades will be more in line with the Hockey NZ “small sticks” specifications above. Below are how the grades will look in 2020.
Years 1 &2 – Will remain as Fun Sticks (8 week programme)
Years 3 & 4 – Mini Sticks
C & D Grade – 1/6 field Tuesday night (6 a side)
A & B Grade – 1/4 field Tuesday night (6 a side)
Years 5 & 6 –Kiwi Sticks
A, B, C, D Grade – 1/2 field Friday night (6 a side, No Goalies)
(Or Saturday Morning 7 a side, including Goalies)
If you have any questions you can check out the Hockey Wairarapa website.
http://www.hockeywairarapa.org.nz/
We will start hockey practises next week. Students need to come to school prepared with their hockey stick, shin pads and mouthguard.
Tuesday: Year 1/2
Wednesday: Year 3/4
Thursday: Year 5/6
Community notices
