Tēnā koutou e te whānau

Nau mai haere mai. Welcome back! We are super excited to start a new year at Te Kura o Te Tauawa Halswell School. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces at drop-off time this morning.

I want to extend a special welcome to all the new families that started with us today. We will formally acknowledge these families at a mihi whakatau at 9.15 am on Friday in the hall.

I also want to welcome the new teachers who have joined our team this year: Eve Davidson (Huritini), Lucy Doorey, Caleb Rossiter, Bryony Astall (Ōrongomai), Ryan Hakkaart, Sarah Dolan (Ōtāwhito) and Harriet Willis (Ōtūmatua). For a complete staff list, please visit the Our Staff page of our school website.

Our school-wide theme for 2024 is Ko te puāwaitanga o ngā moemoea, me whakamahi - Dreams become reality when we take action. This will be closely linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will surely provide rich learning opportunities for our students across the year. You can learn more about the SDGs by visiting the United Nations website.

To help us get the new school year off to a smooth start, please read the following requests and reminders:

Communication

The partnership between home and school is a vital 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.

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 encourage our students to walk and wheel to school each day. Please note that if your child bikes or scooters to school, they must 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 zones will continue to be closed daily from 2.30-3.15 pm. 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.

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

Ngā mihi nui

Stuart Cameron

Principal