Newsletter

Week 7 NEWSLETTER

from the principal

Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future

What do we want for our young people? What do we consider to be the purpose of education, the purpose of Douglas Park? Questions we have considered often over time, questions that led to our new vision last year. People describe it differently...better people make better All Blacks, leaving a Legacy, leaving the place ‘better’ than when you found it...all of these are reaching for the same answer. We want our young people to be better, to do better and to be able to make their world a better place. A lovely card arrived at school this week...the result of service day where one whānau class made cards/goody bags for our neighbours. This comes hot on the heels of some lovely feedback we got from the magician last week...he said our DPS Kids were the most polite and respectful that he had come across!. So...put these two things together...great kids, doing great things...making a difference for others. Great stuff DPS!

Well Done Zeke!

Here is a happy young man...a weekend of moto-cross racing, and he has come away with a 3rd place plaque! Zeke tells me it was an up and down event...he won a few, lost a few...but came away with a great result. Well done Zeke!

Final Celebration Time/COVID Info

Just as an update following the last three newsletters...we are still working through what our Final Celebration Time will look like, but I will confirm now that it will not be as it has in the past. We are no longer going to use Wairarapa College Hall as meeting the conditions necessary under Alert Level 2 isn’t possible for us.

We are going to host the event here at Douglas Park. Currently we are working through options for allowing SOME of our parents to attend. We will not be having the normal open invite that we would have in the past. COVID restrictions (Alert level 2...even though we will be in the traffic light system by then, those settings don’t come into effect for schools until the start of 2022) mean that we are considered a gathering when we invite parents in, and can only have a maximum of 100 adults come onsite. The maths is fairly easy...currently we have 386 students, so even inviting just 1 adult per student won’t work. The options we are working through are considering who we can invite...including the ideas of 1 adult for each Year 6 Leaver, or perhaps 1 adult for each award recipient. We appreciate your support as we get into this mahi.


Latest vaccine data for our region below...92% first dose now! Nearly 1400 doses given over the last 7 days (around 600 of those were first doses). I would urge those of you who have not yet had your first dose to head to the Book my Vaccine website and nab a time. If you are still looking for information I would also encourage you to get the information from those that know...head to your GP for firsthand medical advice/information, or head over to the Ministry of Health website and look through the wealth of information there.

If I can be of help in any way...please reach out to me: principal@douglaspark.school.nz.

2022 Start Date and Term 1

Children start back next year on Wednesday 2nd February. Waitangi Day is the following Monday which makes two shorter weeks to start the school year. Advance notice...Masterton primary schools are having another combined Teacher Only Day on Thursday 14th April. This is the day before Good Friday (Easter) and the holidays...so effectively Term 1 will end on Wednesday 13th April.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE DENTAL BUS ON SITE. A REMINDER TO CHECK YOUR CHILD'S BAG FOR ANY DENTAL FORMS THEY MAY HAVE BROUGHT HOME.


Writing - MRs bridge's homeclass


Sport

Click here for sports teams and here for the draws we have so far. Some draws will come out on Hero on a weekly basis.

All children must wear the Douglas Park School sports uniform.

Fees are now overdue. These can be paid at the office or online - bank a/c details - Westpac 03-0687-0310653-00

Community notices

ATTENTION TENNIS PLAYERS:

There is an opportunity for Masterton junior tennis players to be provided with extra coaching.


Boon Huxtable (Wairarapa Number 1 Senior player) would like to do 1hr coaching sessions on a Wednesday. Three time slots would be available with a focus on between 4-6 players per group, starting at 3.15pm. Cost to be $20 per player, per lesson. Only 18 spaces available for Wednesdays. Please contact Boon Huxtable on 02108370797 or via email: boon.huxtable@hotmail.com if you are interested.