Tena koutou katoa. Happy Diwali/Deepavali to you all. This festival, which is also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of good over evil, of hope over dispair, and of knowledge over ignorance. This seems very apt right now as we keep hopeful and informed in the changing world we live in.

I know many of you are wondering when school will return, and I will keep you updated when I know more. What I can tell you is that we are planning for when schools return, as it is a matter of when, not if. We may be able to reopen this year but if not then it will be in February, and we do need to consider how to reopen while mitigating risk. Covid will most likely still be with us next year, so the plans we put in place will be well thought out.

As we move into another week of distance learning, the teachers have asked that you remind your child that their zoom meeting is a class interaction time. This means that normal classroom etiquette needs to apply. Etiquette such as ensuring that your child is dressed, not still in bed, not eating their breakfast, and with their camera turned on. The main reason for having zoom meetings with the class is around connection, and it is hard to connect to just a name on the screen. Thank you for your help with this.

We have mentioned this previously, but this year we are trialling a programme called Pluto to sort the children into classes for next year. Other schools use it and highly recommend it. To ensure the programme works as it is intended, we are not taking any parent requests for friendships etc. We know it is important for the children to mix with different children each year, and our classes within the year group do lots of learning engagements between the classes. Within our supportive and relatively small learning environment is the best time for making different friends, before they leave our school for the bigger intermediate school settings.

It has become apparent that some of our children have watched the Squid Game series on Netflix. Please know that the experts recommend that it should not be viewed by children under 16 as it is “gratuitously violent and these images have the potential to desentitise people to violence, and children are particularly vulnerable” (Korb, Center for Developing Minds). Some of our students are wanting to talk about it in their zoom meetings which is being actively discouraged. It is not suitable for a primary school setting.

I wanted to pass on some information from the Ministry of Social Development as I know some of our families are really struggling financially at present. If any of you need help with putting food on the table or paying an overdue bill, support may be available from the Ministry of Social Development. There is an online check what you might get guide, which will have the new income limits for hardship assistance which have been increased.

Take care everyone.

Kia pai tō rā whakatā (Have a nice weekend)

Sue