‘E ako ana, ā, e tipu tahi ana tātou’ - Learning and growing together. (Covid-19 Update and information for 2023 included below.)

Kia ora Koutou

What a fantastic week our Year 6 students had at Camp Columba last week. It was great to see them having a go at really challenging activities, persevering, encouraging and suppporting one another, all showing our school values. A big thank you to parent helpers for giving up their time to provide support at camp.

The Junior Cross Country was a great success and it was so good to be able to have parents and whanau on site again, supporting their children and enjoying the sunshine. (See article later in newletter.)

Congratulations to competitors in both the Otago Schools' Triathlon Champs and the Otago Schools' Swimming Champs where our East Taieri athletes had some outstanding achievements - see results later in newsletter.

Good luck to our students who have qualified for the Otago Primary Schools' Athletics Champs to be held tomorrow.

STAFFING CHANGES FOR NEXT YEAR

Congratulations to Mel Cruickshank who is taking a year's maternity leave next year, as she and her partner are expecting a baby in January.

Janine Clague has been granted a term's sabbatical leave for Term One next year. Staffing for both positions is yet to be confirmed.

CLASSES FOR NEXT YEAR

As stated in last week's newsletter, the Leadership Team will shortly be looking at composition of classes for next year. Should you wish to discuss placement of your child/children for next year regarding academic, social issues, etc, please contact me by phone or email by this WEDNESDAY 16 NOVEMBER.

SCHOOL STRUCTURE FOR 2023:

Because of year level numbers and to enable us to organise the school within our staffing entitlement, this means that for 2023 approximately 24 Year 4s will move to the Senior School and 22 Year 2s will move to the Middle School. We have only 34 Year 6s next compared with 56 this year. This will mean that the school structure will be very different next year.

Kohekohe/R1 Yr 5/6

Nīkau/R2 Yr 5/6

Pohutakawa/R3 Yr 4/5

Kahikitea/Room4 Yr 4/5

Kawakawa/Room7 Y3/4

Totara/Room 8 Y3/4

Kānuka/Room 5 Yr 2/3

Kōwhai/Room 6 Yr 2/3

Mataī/Room 11 Yr 1/2

Mānuka/Room 12 Yr 1/2

Rata/Room 9 Yr 0/1

Rimu/Room 10 Yr 0/1

Kauri/Room 13 Yr 0/1 ( to start late Term One)

Staffing is yet to be confirmed.

COVID - 19 UPDATE

A staff members and several Year 6 students tested positive for Covid -19 after camp last week. Another staff member is away with covid. It appears that there is another wave of covid in the community. There are also two Junior students who have tested positive.

Ministry Guidines are:

Isolation and testing

• If you develop COVID-19 symptoms get tested immediately.
• Only people who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate for seven days.
• Household contacts are recommended to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) every day for five days and avoid contact with the person who has had COVID-19 and vulnerable people.

Please notify the school if your child tests positive for Covid - 19. There were 43 students absent today, so there are other illnesses around as well as Covid -19.

Ngā mihi nui

Jennifer