Kia ora e te whānau. As we finish our second full week of lockdown level 4 we trust you are all safe and well in your bubbles. One silver lining this week is the start of spring and the promise of warmth and sunshine.

Just prior to lock down some of us had the privilege of being able to attend a workshop facilitated by Kathryn Berkett.  Kathryn is an Educational Psychologist specialising in neuroscience and she has a real focus on how we can actively build resilience in our young people.  Which as a parent myself I know we all want to do.

As we continue to manage our way through these tricky Covid times, we again find ourselves with the opportunity to help build resilience in our tamariki.  Being in lockdown isn't ideal for anyone but it can be an experience of 'tolerable stress' in a safe family environment for our students.  Being in lockdown has its frustrations and I am sure at some point we will all get a little stressed and this, in turn, ignites our stress response and, following this, we calm down. 

In order for our tamariki to be resilient, they need to have experiences of stress, when they are in safe places with loving whanau relationships that help calm them down, when they react to this stress.  This allows them to build their skills of resilience, the skills they will need to work through adverse situations they may face in their teen and adult years. Here is a great clip by Kathryn that explains it further.

Kathryn has many other facts and tips on parenting and brain science in her podcast if you're interested in learning more.

During Level 3 Lockdown, the children of essential workers are allowed to come to school during the hours of 9am to 3pm. There will be staff supervising the students in their distance learning. If you are an essential worker and need your child to attend school in Level 3, it is essential you email Sara Baker.  Students are unable to attend if they are not registered.

It has been wonderful to hear about all the lovely learning activities that have been happening, please do keep sharing them with us.   It is a great way to keep our community connected and celebrate moments.

Have all a wonderful and restful weekend. 

Be kind, stay safe - kia haumaru te noho,

Ngā mihi nui,

Nicola Hewitt

Acting Principal