Wilson School, Term 1 Newsletter

1st February – Start of Term for Students – Term 1 Ends 12th April

Term 2: 29th April – 5th July

Term 3: 22nd July – 27th September

Term 4: 14th October – 17th December (1:00PM Finish)

Easter: School will be closed for Easter on the following dates 29th March, 1st April, 2nd April.

Staff Only Days: 4th June & 25th October – Curriculum Development Days

Kia ora koutou,

I hope the year has started well for you all! The weather has definitely been kinder to us than it was this time last year. I know several of you were impacted by the cyclone last year and are still working through repairs and insurance claims, I hope you have things sorted very soon.

It’s been wonderful welcoming all our students back to school after the break, everyone settled back into the routine quickly and there were lots of smiles seeing familiar faces again.

Our staff were back in school on the 30th and 31st of January for professional development. The time was used to welcome new staff to the team and focused on workshops to develop Maths skills, te reo Māori, and Tikanga.

To support the implementation of Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, the Ministry of Education is providing two staff-only days in 2024. This time will be used to support teachers to understand the changes and for us to interpret the curriculum in appropriate ways for our learners. The two days for Wilson School will be on 4th June and 25th October 2024.

We will be holding our whānau BBQ on Tuesday 27th February – save the date. This will be at our base school, I hope to see lots of you there.

Have a great term everyone,

Neil Kefford

It is with great sadness we inform you that Rosa and Laura both passed away during the summer break. Both young ladies brought so much happiness and joy to Room 6 and our wider base school community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to both families and everyone who loved and cared for Rosa and Laura. They will be missed dearly by our school, we will treasure the time we were able to spend together.

Memories Build a Special Bridge
Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part
to help us feel we're with them still and soothe a grieving heart.
Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind,
They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.

The Ministry of Education has provided refreshed resources to support attendance at school. Parents and caregivers are required to have their children attend school and to develop habits of regular attendance. Further details from the Ministry, including parents responsibilities, can be found here – Ministry of Education Site

We kindly ask parents to report student absence through the Base School Office, by calling 09 489 5648, emailing office@wilson.school.nz, or via our website here - https://www.wilson.school.nz/absence/

Please contact the Principal to discuss potential longer-term absences for non-medical reasons – principal@wilson.school.nz

The playground at Takapuna Beach has had a significant refresh including accessible facilities. This now includes a Changing Places accessible bathroom.

https://www.changingplaces.org.nz/

If we need to administer medication for your child in school, please make sure you send it in the full packaging it was provided in by the Pharmacist. This needs to include the child’s name and the dosage that needs to be provided.

From the start of 2023 Wilson School opted into the MOE School Donation Scheme. This means we won’t be asking for school fees, contributions towards trips/visits or towards classroom programmes. Our Board will be providing the money received from the MOE directly into classroom budgets for teachers to utilise towards their programmes and visits. Please note, this will not cover Riding for the Disabled, who will continue to invoice families directly should this be used. We will also still request stationary (where required) at the start of the year, lists will be sent out.

Should you wish to make a donation, you are welcome to at any point, this will be gratefully received and will go directly towards our students.

Donations can be made at any time: ASB – Wilson School – 12-3109-0011807-00

We use the services of School Docs who design policies for many New Zealand schools; updating them to reflect current legislation. Periodically parents are asked to review certain policies. This term parents are invited to have their say about the following policies.

· Parent Involvement

· Communicating with Parents

· Community Conduct Expectations

· School Character/Special Character

· Documentation and Self-Review Policy

· School Planning and Reporting

· Reporting to Parents on Student Progress and achievement

1. Visit the website https://wilson.schooldocs.co.nz
2. Enter the username and password
3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed or click ‘Current Review’
4. Read the policy.
5. Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
6. Select the reviewer type “Parent”.
7. Enter your name (optional).
8. Submit your ratings and comments.
9. If you don’t have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

What a great start to the school year! The tamariki were all excited to be back at school and have settled back in amazingly. We have loved seeing them explore their learning environment, and play with their friends and teachers. For this term, our topic focus is "Our people & Places'". Tamariki will learn more about themselves, their whānau, and places such as our local maunga (mountain), Marae, and significant places in our local community. Each class has planned some trips out in the community to support our students make those connections.

There are lots of opportunities planned to engage our children in fun learning activities and important celebrations throughout the term. In addition to establishing and maintaining routines, our senior classes continue to focus on life skills, encompassing activities like cooking, individual work tasks, and health and well-being. This term is all about learning and connecting whilst having a lot of fun along the way! We have some exciting outdoor activities taking place already with some classes going horse-riding and others starting Hunger Ball and Special Olympics this week!

It has been so wonderful to see all the happy faces after the break! This term our our theme is "Developing a sense of belonging through people and places" . We will be exploring, sharing, and learning about one another’s ahurea tuakiri (cultural identity), communicating our sense of belonging through our whānau (family), tauwahi (location) and whakanui (celebrations). We will also co-construct our pepeha (introduction of self). All classes are focusing on establishing routines and structure so that our tamariki thrive whilst getting to know the new students and teachers. We will be engaging with our local community to consolidate our learning and look forward to inviting you along to events (school and class). Participating in these events helps us to learn more about your child, whānau, and culture and most importantly to have fun with us! We all are looking forward to engaging, exploring, and enjoying the learning journey this year.

Karaka Syndicate have a focus this term on "Where we have come from and where we are now." We will explore what we bring from our cultures and who we are together. Beginning with a focus on Managing Self, starting with self-awareness and independence, learning about our families and the wider community.

There are lots of activities planned, including work experiences, gym visits, swimming, library, and outdoor pursuits. Often, we have in school visits from community experts. We are looking forward to discovering more about what we can achieve and challenging ourselves to push our boundaries.

Toe Toe syndicate are looking at Kaitiakitanga as part of the Local Histories Curriculum and the Living World for Science. We are exploring these ideas through the topic of our environment. Some classes are going to explore how plants change/grow and investigate the different animals that live in the world. Students will participate in a range of experiences using their senses to see, smell, taste, touch and hear about their environment. Some of our art will focus on Māori designs relating to protection and guardianship. The base classes are hoping to visit a local garden centre and others will utilise the Wilson Site grounds to explore the different elements of nature. Some classes are also planning to visit local places in their community including cafés, travel on the local ferry and also special visits to the Pumphouse and Butterfly Creek.

Spectrum Care run a school holiday programme for Wilson School students. For further details please contact -

Darryl Benge – 0272948892 - darryl.benge@spectrumcare.org.nz