During Term 3 we will be teaching the personal safety programme Keeping Ourselves Safe to our students.

Keeping Ourselves Safe is an MoE programme designed in conjunction with NZ Police, to give students the skills to cope in situations involving abuse. It has three overall aims:

• to develop and strengthen children’s skills to keep themselves safe with other people;

• to support and encourage abused children to get help from caring adults;

• to make teachers and parents/caregivers more aware of the need to keep children safe from abuse by adults or other children.

Keeping Ourselves Safe will be taught by your child’s teacher, with support from the local Police School Community Officer, Constable Carl Musto, as required.

To be successful, Keeping Ourselves Safe needs your help and support. Your child may have homework activities to work on with you.

It is important that you participate as much as possible and talk to your child about what they have been learning. This will help reinforce the messages the school is giving, and help your child to use his or her new skills with confidence.

A parent and caregiver meeting will be held as follows:

• Date: Thursday 29th July

• Time: 7pm

• Venue: School Staffroom

Please contact the school to RSVP or if you would like any more information about the programme please contact Nicola Pitcher (nicolap@geis.school.nz )

Regards

Nicola Pitcher

Curriculum Leader: Health