Kia ora taatau and welcome back to DPS for 2017.

We were delighted to welcome both returning and new students, staff and parents to school this morning, and had our first whole school assembly after interval.

A special and very warm welcome to the 19 new students and their families who started with us today. We are delighted to have you join our learning community and look forward to getting to know you further in the coming weeks.

Another special welcome to the new staff who started with us today.

Mrs Barbara Henderson in room 13, Miss Fiona Webb in room 5, Miss Helen Jaworski in room 6, Miss Nicole Shin in room 10/11 and Mrs Caroline Smith who is a new learning assistant. I thoroughly enjoyed the week I spent with our new teachers inducting them onto the staff at DPS and am very confident that the students who will be taught by these new staff this year will have a very wonderful year.

As we all settle back into the routine of school there are bound to be lots of reminders from us, so here are a few to begin with:

School starts at 8.55am.  Children are welcome in classrooms anytime after 8.30am and my recommendation is that they arrive in plenty of time to get prepared for the day and be in class ready to learn by 8.55. Unfortunately teachers are not able to supervise students before 8.30am as they are preparing their lessons for the day. Classrooms will be unlocked for students at 8.30am.

If your child is late to school please come to the office and let us know. Students who are not present when the roll is marked at 8.55 are automatically added to a list of students who we need to locate and check on - if we don't know that your child has arrived late we will spend valuable time trying to contact you and locate them.

Similarly, if you need to pick up your child for an appointment, or drop them back to school afterwards - please sign them in and out at the office.  It is very important that at all times we know exactly who is and isn't on the site.

And just in time for school to go back, it seems that summer has arrived. Please apply sunscreen on your child before they come to school and ensure they have a suitable hat.

It was lovely catching up with those of you that I spoke to in the playground today and I look forward to touching base with more of you as the year begins.

Aroha nui

Melinda