Newsletters & New Information

Kia ora whānau,

Hope you are all safe and well.

Well Term 2 officially started today, it is definitely going to be a very different term than anything we have ever experienced before, but we hope that we can make the most of this unique opportunity. It has been very cool to see some of our tamariki catching up with their class online. We hope that everyone has managed to navigate the school website and find all the online learning resources. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your child’s teacher if you have any issues accessing the materials or resources, or the google hangouts.

The latest update from the Ministry of Education has some important messages, which are summarised below:

Wellbeing for all:

The wellbeing of students and whānau is front of mind. http://education.govt.nz/school/health-safety-and-wellbeing/pastoral-care-and-wellbeing/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-coronavirus/ is a great resource for supporting conversations with children about COVID-19, and is focused on supporting a child’s learning at home for parents, caregivers and whānau.

From overseas, this 25 Mental Health Wellness Tips during Quarantine from Eileen M Feliciano, Psy.D. is a good list and highlights some things particularly important for children. Remember the rules of New Zealand’s level 4 lockdown still apply.

Free internet safety filter for parents:

While children are learning from home, they are away from the online safety and security services provided by Network for Learning (N4L) at school. So together with N4L and Netsafe, we have launched http://www.switchonsafety.co.nz- a free way to block the worst of the web for students and teachers. Please visit the website to see instructions on how to set this up on a range of devices.

Netsafe:

Netsafe provides comprehensive support and information to support everyone to stay safe as they work, learn and play online. Netsafe has new and updated resources for parents, whānau and students at https://www.netsafe.org.nz/advice/staying-safe/

The Connected Learning Advisory:

Help desk support is available for teachers, kaiako, leaders, tumuaki, parents and whānau from early learning through to secondary in English medium and Māori medium settings. You can phone the Learning from Home helpdesk on 0800 700 401 and Ki Te Ao Marama on 0508 294 462 between 8 am and 5 pm on business days.

Home Learning | Papa Kāinga TV:

• Home Learning | Papa Kāinga TV will start education broadcasting for early learners and students in Years 1–10 from 9am on Wednesday 15 April.

• Home Learning | Papa Kāinga TV will be free to air, on TVNZ channel 2+1 and on TVNZ on Demand, as well as on Sky Channel 502.

• It will run from 9am to 3pm on schooldays with programming for children and young people, as well as for parents.

• Content will be grouped for early learners and students by age range, and will include play, literacy, mathematics, science, te reo Māori, physical education and wellbeing.

• All of the programmes will feature highly experienced teachers and presenters, along with wellbeing and movement experts.

• The presenters and programme schedules will be published at https://learningfromhome.govt.nz/supporting-learning/home-learning-tv. Check the updates page of the site for daily programming information.

• Home Learning | Papa Kāinga TV will be on air for one month with provision to extend beyond that if needed.

Te reo Māori, kura and Māori medium learning:

We are working to provide a range of distance learning options for ākonga and whānau in reo Māori and Maori medium education settings.

Keeping te reo Māori flowing in our kainga during times where we can’t connect as usual is paramount.

The distance learning package we are providing aims to offer many options to engage in te reo Māori educational content using online material, hardcopy resources and live tv.

Online learning – Ki te Ao Mārama:

· Ki te Ao Mārama is a new online space on kauwhatareo.govt.nz that provides whānau with practical advice, guidance and resources to use with their tamariki.

· It’s also intended to support the learning plan that kaiako may have prepared for their ākonga.

· The site is available in both te reo Māori and English, and has a range of learning materials to cover ākonga in kōhungahunga, kura, wharekura, and te reo Māori immersion settings.

· The content includes activity templates, planning guides, links to helpful resources and access to storybooks, all conveniently arranged by age group.

· You can also visit Ki te Ao Mārama to check out news items and get information about other aspects of our distance learning package for reo Māori learners.

Live TV – Mauri Reo, Mauri Ora:

· We are committed to making distance learning accessible for all ākonga and whānau including those who may not have ready access to devices or the internet.

· We have partnered with Māori Television to provide educational te reo Māori programmes to ensure that learning in and through te reo Māori continues from home.

· ‘Mauri Reo Mauri Ora’, will broadcast via the Te Reo Channel on SkyTV and Vodafone TV Channel 52, Free view channel 15 and Māori TV website https://www.teaomaori.news/its-kura-your-own-home-mauri-reo-mauri-ora from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am-3pm for the next 10 weeks, starting on the 15th of April.

· The programmes will be aligned to the curriculum and contain age appropriate content that tamariki can do on their own, with their siblings or together as a whānau.

· The programmes on Māori television are for reo Māori learners of all ages, with a focus on those who are aged 0-18, covering ākonga in kōhungahunga (early learning), kura tuatahi (primary) and wharekura (secondary).

Talanoa Ako:

· Talanoa Ako (to talk and discuss education and learning) is a Pacific responsive education programme that builds Pacific families knowledge about education and learning.

· The 10 week programme builds the confidence and capability of parents to support their children’s learning and have equitable partnerships with their children’s schools.

· As the Talanoa Ako programme cannot be delivered face-to-face, the 10 sessions will be provided via radio and an app.

· This ensures Pacific families have access to the advice and guidance they need at home to support their children’s education in their own languages.

Pacific Media Network radio station and language programmes:

· Over 10 weeks, there will be ten 30 minute Talanoa Ako sessions per week beginning 20 April.

· They will be delivered on the English (531pi), and Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Tuvalu and Tokelau language programmes in full immersion by one primary and one secondary teacher.

· Talanoa Ako digital app – is due to be released in late May

· The 10 sessions and Talanoa Ako resources will also be made available on an interactive and immersive Digital app with iOS, Android capability so that the content is accessible on mobile phones and tablets.

· The app will include up to 20 App Screen pages for each language; Swipe to Read, Touch to Hear, Tap to Pronounce functions in English and seven Pacific languages; visually impaired functionality; songs and prayers with interactive audio; user editable notes with full screen, high res and exportable, import/export and share functionality; app analytics and reporting; and a Tutorial on how to use the App.

That’s the summary of the latest information from the Ministry of Education. If you have read this far, congratulations, you are fantastic!

Take care whānau and we hope you enjoy the next few days trying some of the many activities we have made available on line.

Ngā mihi

Kaingaroa School