Newsletter No. 3 - WE 19/02/21

Thank you to all the parents and spectators who came along to our swimming sports this week. It was certainly worth waiting the extra day to allow our community to attend with the changing alert level. As a result of shifting the day, we have now reset our Senior Athletics for Friday 26th February. This will involve students in Year 7-13 and parents /spectators are welcome to attend.

Swimming results will be published in next weeks newsletter once the 100m and diving events are concluded.

Next week we also have the GETWISE team here from ASB working with students in Year 1-8 on financial literacy over a number of sessions. We also have students in Year 11 and 12 being trained up in using the MY mahi programme that allows them to create a secure online presence that showcases their skills and attributes for potential employers to access.
In case you missed it in Mrs Habgood’s newsletter piece two weeks ago, the Year 1-6 team are trying out something different this year instead of the usual Primary swimming display with a 1-6 triathlon. Look out for details to come. The first impressions of our no cellphone policy have been positive. As a staff we are already noticing significantly reduced disruptions in learning time and we are seeing our students engaging in conversation and activity rather than screen time over interval periods. We ask you continue to support us and should you need to contact your child during the day, please do so through the office. Next week is going to be HOT! Please remember to send sunhats, sunscreen and a water bottle each day. This week I wanted to talk about sleep! We often notice children who are struggling at school simply because they are tired. Late night device usage seems to be the primary factor for lack of sleep, however, we know many of our students are also working early or late too. The extract below outlines the recommend sleep for students at various ages. 3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 pm and 9 pm and wake up around 6 am and 8 am, just as they did when they were younger. At age 3, most children are still napping, while at age 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after age 3. 7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day At these ages, with social, school and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 pm. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 am to 10 pm, as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours. 12-18 Years Old: 8 - 9 hours per day Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. However, for many teenagers social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of sleep. Have a great weekend! Kia Kitea Toikaka James Griggs

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JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS

Dear Parents and Whanau

We’ve had a recent reminder about how fickle these times are with our recent change in alert levels. Thank you to all our parents and whanau for being so understanding of the change in conditions concerning our school when alert levels change. We appreciate your support as we try and continue with our work.We would all like to thank Ben Tily for our brand new mud kitchen. We know that hours of fun will be had using it, so thank you for your time and effort. It is much appreciated!Now that our senior swimming sports have been held we can start looking to our primary swimming event. We have decided to break away from our traditional primary sports and incorporate our swimming skills into a primary triathlon. This is timetabled to be held on March 5th. We will update you with more information when it comes to hand. A reminder that all families and whanau should have had a letter from your child’s classroom teacher regarding our online platform Seesaw. Please take the time to read through the instructions and get logged onto the classroom account. This is our main port of contact with you and all notices and communications will be put through this avenue, including if alert levels change and we go back into lockdown. Please check it frequently to stay in touch with your child’s class teacher.Thank you for ensuring that our Year 1-6 students are wearing their compulsory hat as part of our Cancer Society Sunsmart policy. This will be for all of Term 1 and Term 4 when the sun is at its strongest.Finally a plea. In the past, we have allowed a cake to be sent to school for sharing on a child’s birthday. We are starting to notice that this is turning into cake, lollies and food to share. This is putting considerable pressure on our classroom timetables as the class teacher has to donate time from teaching, to birthday celebrations. In future we ask that only a cake/cupcakes be sent for the children to eat during a breaktime. Please also check with the class teacher before sending anything to ensure we can be prepared. We do have children with lactose and gluten intolerances and allergies and we need all students to be catered for. Enjoy the warm weather in the coming week!Nga mihi nuiKylee Habgood 

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PTA MeetingMonday 1st March, 3.30pm at the school staff roomPlease come along and be part of our amazing team! It’s so rewarding and fun to hold a few fundraisers during the year to then donate it all to the school and their wish list! From sporting events to equipment and anything else the school may need! Any queries please contact Fiona on 0272602027Looking forward to seeing you there.