Term 3 Updates 8.9.22

Kia ora koutou,

The school has had a lovely buzz about it since the beginning of Spring. The daffodils are popping up and warmer days have meant we have been able to take off our sweatshirts and polar fleeces. It has been lovely watching tamariki play in different ways as the warm weather affords us time on the fields and in the sandpit. With the cooler mornings and the warmer afternoons, we find as a school that our lost property grows rapidly with many bringing sweatshirts to school and then taking them off during the day. Please name these as this improves the chances of them making it back to you.

A big thank you to Linda Ewen for organising the winter sports teams with our Year 5 &6 students. Winter sport is a great opportunity for our senior students to learn to work together as a team and to practise their sporting skills. A big thank you to the coaches who took the various sports teams over the past two terms. Without these wonderful coaches giving up their lunch breaks and Friday afternoons, we would not be able to provide these great opportunities for our senior tamariki. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe!

From Monday 19 September we will realign with the Orange Setting of the Covid Protection Framework in regards to mask wearing for our learners in Years 4-6. In the Orange Setting of the CPF mask wearing is strongly suggested.

We will continue to ask whānau to wear masks if they are entering the school grounds and classrooms. Thank you for your understanding and support.

A reminder that on Friday 16 September school is CLOSED for instruction. We have a Teacher Only Day planned. Thank you for making other arrangements for your tamariki on this day. We greatly appreciate your support.

Please note:

Finally, I have been made aware of a man in a white van approaching children and coming onto school grounds after school hours. While there is often staff around it will be important to talk to your child about 'stranger danger'. We will do the same at school. Over the coming weeks, it would be appreciated if children go directly home after school, or if playing at school that there is an adult with them. Your child's safety is very important to us and while we hope to keep an eye on them when they play at school this is not always possible.

Ngā mihi nui

Belinda Kennedy and the Ilam School Team

Please find the following information in this Update:

• Cohort Entry for 5-year-olds

• Wig Wednesday - 21 September

• Head Lice Information

• Book Return Amnesty

• Road Patrol - can you help out?

• Teachers Only Day

• Policy and Procedures Review

• Private Classes on offer

• Could the Safe and Sound protocol benefit your child?

• Term Dates

Cohort entry is when new entrants start school in groups throughout the year rather than on their fifth birthday. In schools that have adopted a policy of cohort entry, new entrants are able to start school in cohorts but only after they have turned five.

Te Kura o Waiutuutu Ilam School has surveyed the community about whether we move to the cohort entry system. Thank you to everyone who responded. The results of our community survey, which included junior school whanau, and local preschool whanau and staff, were resoundingly in favour of us adopting cohort entry. We will be moving to cohort entry in term 1 2023. The dates for each entry point are outlined below.

This year our school council is putting their support behind Wig Wednesday. Wig Wednesday will fall within Child Cancer Awareness month. This is a time to acknowledge the thousands of children and their families across the world who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, raise awareness about the reality of childhood cancer, and emphasize the importance of research. Tamariki can wear a funky wig or decorate their hair and wear their own clothes! A gold coin will be appreciated, all proceeds will go to The Child Cancer Society.

Our School Council members in action.

A great opportunity for a book sort!

At Ilam School, we love to read and we try to ensure we have lots of exciting books for children. Unfortunately, these books don't always make their way back to school. Particularly with book bags going home during lockdowns and illness over the last two years, readers and group novels have become quite depleted so - we're launching a book amnesty today!

What is a book return amnesty?

Return as many books as you can find, no questions asked. :)

We don't mind how long you've been in possession of a school book; we'd just love to have it back. Please look under the bed, behind the sofa etc and dig out any books that belong to school. No one will be counting how many you return - we'll just be delighted to get them back!

We would be very grateful for the return of any school books, as this means we can buy new resources rather than replacing lost items. Currently, the Junior School team are sometimes struggling to find enough books for everyone in their reading groups.

Where do I return all the books I’ve found?

There will be a box in the office or you can return them to teachers. We would be beyond grateful, thank you.

Our caretaker is away on the following dates:

• Friday 23 September 8.25am -8.55am

• Monday 26 September 8.25am -8.55am

• Wednesday 28 September 8.25am -8.55am

If you are able to help us out please drop an email to jocelyn.hollis@ilam.school.nz with Road Patrol Support in the subject line. Joce will then be in touch to discuss your availability. We are really appreciative of any support you can provide.

On Friday 16 September we will be CLOSED for instruction. These days together as Staff are invaluable. We thank you for your continued support by keeping your child at home on this day.

This term we have a number of policies up for review. Our login details are on our website. You can find the link here. To view, our school policies click on the link to the School Docs site. The 'current reviews' section is where to complete these.

Please check our Parent Calendar to keep up to date with events at our school. Find the link here

• PTA Meeting Tuesday 13 September 7.30pm Staffroom

• Teacher Only Day - Friday 16 September

• Last day of Term 3 - Friday 30 September -school closes at 3 pm

• Term 4 begins Monday 17 October

• Last day of Term 4 - Thursday 15 December