Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,
As you are no doubt aware, Auckland will remain in Level 4 lockdown until least September 14, with the government due to consider an alert level change from next week Monday. The Teacher Only Day that was planned for Monday September 13 has been cancelled. We will likely hold this during term 4 and keep you informed of the proposed date once confirmed.
It's wonderful to see the rich and wide array of distance learning through padlets, SchoolTalk evidence and popping into workshops. Within this challenging time there are many silver linings!
Other Learning Opportunities blog
A reminder that Other Learning Opportunity activities are added each week. Check out the latest Visual Arts challenge 3D art sculpture @ home from Mrs Allen, and the new Music Challenge from Mr Imboden - why not be part of the virtual band School anthem. Miss K is super pleased to see the creative ways that learners are continuing to be active and healthy at home. Her latest challenge can be found here - can you do a Gymnastic cartwheel and handstand at home? Coding for Juniors is fun too - Have a look at Mr Brunton's Scratch challenge.
Maori Language Week
Next week is Maori language week. Mr Stirling has some fun Te Reo @ home challenges you can try out too! Have a go at the string games.
Tupu Mātauranga | Knowledge Builders - Practising the basics in partnership with you
We are observing some super progress in children learning key sight and spelling words and basic facts. Little and often is key to equipping children with instant recall and automaticity. Remember these flashcards can be downloaded from the Resource page on the COVID site for whānau. Check out the new supporting activities designed to help you with ideas on how they can be used at home.
SchoolTalk Calendar Colours
As distance learning continues, just a quick note to clarify what the SchoolTalk calendar colours mean for your child/children's learning:
Red - stop and come to this teacher workshop
Green - further learning designed for the children
Orange - a teacher/staff member will be present, child’s choice if they want to attend
In preparation for a move into Alert Level 3, we have put together a short survey to determine how many learners are likely to be on site during Level 3.
We will have a very small number of staff on site under Level 3, with the majority of children continuing to learn from home. While we know how difficult it is trying to work from home as well as support your child’s learning, please keep your child at home if there is an appropriate carer available.
Children who will need to be onsite during Level 3
Under Level 3 the only children who will be able to be onsite are those few children whose parents and carers must go to work at Alert Level 3, and there is no appropriate caregiver at home. Please note that if your child is attending learning onsite during Level 3 and feeling unwell, they will need to remain at home.
If you have to attend work, have no alternative carer at home, and are intending sending your child to school under Level 3, please complete this short form by Friday 10th September.
We hope that those who attended last week's cyber safety session with Andrew from NetSafe found it valuable! NetSafe has kindly shared with us their presentation and their Parent Toolkit - click here to access these resources. These are intended for our school community only, and we ask that you do not share them beyond that.
Below are a number of other useful links, mentioned in the presentation:
Terms of Service; Didn’t read - a project started in June 2012 to help fix the “biggest lie on the web” - almost no one really reads the terms of service we agree to all the time.
Switch On Safety - help/ ideas on how to set the filters at home to mirror filters at school
Kiddle - a safe search engine for kids
NetSafe Digital Parenting - digital parenting strategies of parents in NZ
Andrew also recommended that children use KidsTube instead of YouTube at home, and that subtitles are turned on so that children are practicing their reading while browsing on KidsTube!
The wonderful Lynn Kilpatrick (a.k.a Miss K) will be taking extended leave for 5 terms to pursue a role with Sport Auckland. This is a wonderful opportunity for Lynn to share her significant knowledge and passion working across 10 primary and Intermediate schools in Tāmaki Makaurau. As Healthy Active Learning Advisor, she will be supporting schools to develop their curriculum and environments to ensure all tamariki have access to quality play, sport and physical education experiences. Lynn will be wrapping up at Stonefields at the end of term 3 to embark on this new adventure, and intends to return at the beginning of 2023. We wish her all the very best!
We're pleased to also share that Nardia Turner will be taking over the PE & Health Coordinator aspect of Lynn’s role from the start of term 4 so that all sport activities will continue as normal. Nardia will continue in the role in 2022 and will be working 3 days per week; 2 days alongside and supporting staff, and one administrative day as sport PE co-ordinator. We look forward to welcoming back Mrs Turner in the new term.
Tēnā koutou katoa / Greetings all
We would like to share our appreciation and gratitude to all of our school staff who are not only working remotely to keep our children learning online, but also have their own lockdown challenges (i.e. child care). They are going above and beyond to ensure that our children are still making fantastic progress, while feeling included and cared for. Thank you all for your continued commitment to our school in challenging times.
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Nga mihi nui
Matt, Amanda, Bryan, Jai, Margaret, Marie and Sarah
Stonefields School Board
Board meetings are published on the school website.
All members of the community are welcome to attend the Board meetings in a non-speaking capacity for the general section of the meeting.
“In Committee” sections are confidential and held in private.
Should you wish to attend a meeting, please contact the Board Secretary, Sarah Fürst-Jaeger in the school office who will note your intended attendance. (sarah.fj@stonefields.school.nz)
Board members can be contacted on board@stonefields.school.nz