Newsletter - W/E 12/06/20

Tēnā Koutou

The frosty mornings have most certainly arrived and we are still seeing a number of students arriving at school without sufficient warm clothing.  A thermal base layer is a great place to start and we have warm jerseys, the black jackets, woollen hats and scarves available at the office, to keep your child warm and well.

Last Thursday night I went out to the back field to coach football and saw a wonderful sight.  The netball courts, the rugby club, the hockey turf and the football field all buzzing with the sounds of training and anticipation of a season to come!  Well done to all the local clubs, coaches and volunteers for getting up and running again so quickly.  If you are using the turf, can I please ask that you do not take food onto the pitch at any time.

This week we were also able to once again welcome parents back into the school grounds and remove the contact tracing requirements.  Visitors will still need to sign in as they always have however, it is another step on the road to normality.  The move to Level One means that on Wednesday the 24th June we will be running our cross-country event as normal and we would love to see you all here for a 2pm start.

This week I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our support staff here at Amuri. We are truly fortunate to have such a great team of classroom assistants, administrative and maintenance personnel and it is true to say things would come unglued fairly quickly without them in an organisation with many moving parts. This week is Support Staff Appreciation week and on behalf of our entire teaching team, I would like to thank them for all they do to make Amuri such a great place to learn.

Kia Kitea Toikaka

James Griggs
Principal

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Senior School News

There has certainly been a great deal happening in the last couple of weeks. Mr Cate and his PE and Outdoor Education classes have been on some amazing adventures completing the practical components of their courses. Not long ago this almost seemed to be a lost opportunity with lockdown and restrictions, but our return to nearly ‘normal’ allowing these activities to proceed reminds us that NZ has achieved what many in the world have not yet. Long may it last! 

This week I have spent time in the Year 10 Aspire class with Mrs Wilson explaining what NCEA is and how it works. I must say they were a fantastic audience for a topic that is extremely important but not the most exciting and asked really insightful questions. It is very important that students and parents understand the importance of NCEA and the flexibility that it allows for individual learners – being well informed and asking questions helps students make conscious and informed decisions about their education. I will have said often before but it is worth repeating, NCEA, particularly Level 1, must be actively failed. To put this simply, if a child has high absence rates and/or does not attempt, complete or hand work in, then that pretty well guarantees failure. This comment might sound brutal, but it is also sadly a reality for a very small number of students and this is a problem for many schools – a school cannot fail to meet the needs of a student they do not see or feedback on work they will not do. 

Good learning foundations are laid well before Year 11 as every year of a student’s learning builds strong knowledge and skill foundations for the future. In our current economic climate with trending high unemployment, the need to be well prepared is more urgent and very relevant. 

In the next couple of weeks we will have visits from Otago University and the Defence Force for senior students, Year 11-13, as part of their research into life and opportunities beyond school. 

As we move into Week 10 of a 12 week term we are aware that this is a ‘long run’ so keeping on track and focused on the right thing could become challenging for some. We need everyone to be mindful of self-discipline, self-management and consideration of others in order to get foundation learning done in a timely manner. 

NCEA exam timetables have been issued to students this week – please check with your child when their external exams are so that no conflicting arrangements are made. 

Penny Mossman 

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School Buses

Thank you to all the wonderful bus drivers who drove the buses to allow students to come to school during alert Level 3. They are some of the unsung heroes of this Pandemic.

Level One

Sanitiser is still available on the buses until the end of Term 2.

Seats are sanitised after each run until the end of Term 2.

We can now operate with only one roll in the afternoon. Thank you to those monitors who did the extra rolls each morning.

You are now able to use the buses for netball practices etc. But this must be on written request the day before. All notes will be held. Requests on the day will be declined.

The bus drivers have asked that students are out in time for all buses. The accepted time is 5 minutes before departure.

The other area where we can help the drivers is in the afternoon. If your child is not on the bus, please let the bus driver or the office know. An email to Janine so she can put a note on the rolls is so helpful. If you are a senior and have sports, please let the driver know in the morning.

Our drivers do a great service and enjoy their contact with both students and their parents. I appreciate their dedication and enthusiasm for their job. Its more than just a wage cheque for them - it’s a community service.  

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