Welcome back!

Tēnā koutou e te whānau

Nau mai haere mai. Welcome back to the new school year. A special welcome to all of the new families that have started at Te Kura o te Tauawa Halswell School today. We will be formally welcoming these families at a mihi whakatau at 9.15am on Friday in the hall. 

We also have several new staff starting today; welcome to teachers Kirsty Hair (Ōrongomai Team Leader), Greta Parkes-Dolan (Huritini), Luke Blackie (Ōtūmatua) and Sam Bates (Music specialist). Danielle Ward will be returning following maternity leave in a new role as a dance specialist. Welcome also to support staff members Tiffany Hider (Teacher Aide) and Max Tyndall (Caretaker). We're delighted to have such high-quality people joining our team this year. Please visit our website for a full staff list. 

 It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces come through the school gates this morning. The beginning of a school year is always an exciting time, and we look forward to what I'm sure will be a very rewarding year ahead. Below are some requests and reminders to help us get the new school year off to a great start. 

Communication

The partnership between home and school is a vitally important one. If you have any questions or concerns about your child(ren)’s progress, your first port of call is always to contact your child’s teacher directly. If you feel that your concern needs further attention, a meeting will be arranged with the relevant Team Leader and beyond this a member of the Senior Management Team (Principal and Associate Principals).

School Uniform

Please ensure that your child comes to school in the correct uniform. Samples of the uniform are available for viewing at the Office. Additional information about the uniform requirements can be found by visiting the Argyle website.

Sun Safety

In Terms 1 and 4, every child is expected to wear a red wide-brimmed or bucket hat. This is part of our school uniform. Hats are available for purchase from the Office. Wearing sunblock is also encouraged while playing outside, particularly during break times. Sunblock is provided in Learning Centres, but it’s also a good idea for your child to bring it to school with them. Roll-on sunblocks are often a good option as they are much easier for younger children to apply themselves.

Scooter and Bike Stands

We very much encourage our students to walk and wheel to school each day if possible. Please note that if your child bikes or scooters to school, he/she needs to enter and exit via the main gate closest to Kennedys Bush Road. We recommend that all bikes and scooters are securely locked each day to avoid them going missing (whether this is intentional or through mistaken identity). We would also appreciate you reinforcing the importance of children walking their scooters and bikes in and out of school gates to avoid colliding with pedestrians.

Drop Off & Pick Up Zone

Our Drop Off and Pick Up zone will continue to be closed from 2.30-3.15 pm daily. This is to reduce the traffic congestion around the school and keep our children safe as they walk, bike and scooter home from school. Parents are welcome to use this zone at all other times of the day, but please remember that it is a no-parking area. 

Covid-19

Unfortunately, Covid-19 continues to be present within our community. Below are a few reminders to help keep everyone healthy this term:

Mask-wearing is optional at school. Each family is entitled to make their own decision about whether a child comes to school wearing a mask or not. Thank you for respecting this.

Each team will continue with the existing hand-washing procedure. This has become a regular routine during the school day and helps with general hygiene practices.

Learning Centres will continue to be well-ventilated throughout the day. We have Co2 monitors installed in each studio that allow teachers to keep track of Co2 levels and optimise the learning environment.

Finally and most importantly, please be vigilant about sickness. If your child displays any cold or flu-like symptoms, please keep them home. All schools in New Zealand reserve the right to send children home if they appear sick.

Thank you for your support and understanding with this.

I look forward to seeing you at tomorrow night's Welcome Back to School Picnic!

Ngā mihi nui

Stuart Cameron

Principal