He mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa - Warm greetings to all.

Like many of you I have watched with horror as Cyclone Gabrielle has battered our wee country and caused havoc across so many of our communities. It is a nerve wracking time as like some of you, I am still waiting to hear from some family in the Hawkes Bay area.

I have spoken to many principals affected as they mop our their schools, their homes and help their communities who struggle with the cleanup. Each of them has spoken about how grateful they have been to the many services and people who have provided support as well as the community effort.

As a Cantab who has lead through earthquakes, shootings, fires and a pandemic what they are experiencing feels sadly, all too familiar! As so many communities experience a loss of homes, livelihoods, lives in some cases and loss of crops and stock, I'd like to show my gratitude to all those who are helping them. I am grateful to the emergencies services - firemen, paramedics, medicos as well as helicopter pilots involved with the many rescues. A huge thank you to the lines people getting the power and connectivity going - essential for all of us, crews of Waka Kōtahi mending roads and bridges. Thank you to all those who are manning the evacuation centres and who provide comfort to so many scared and shocked people. A shout out to those keeping the supply chains open to ensure communities get food and water. I am grateful to the principals and staff who were able to open their schools and get tamariki back to some sense of normal which we know is essential to wellbeing.

It's times like these that we are reminded that community is essential, a lesson we learned in 2011 and 2012.

Although we were hoping to get together as a school community and have our Whānau Picnic tomorrow night, the tail end of Cyclone Gabrielle has other ideas. We are going to have to move this until the end of the year as the very wet weather over the past couple of days and the predicted rain early tomorrow and then a southerly have ensured something other than picnic weather. There is predicted rain later next week so we'll have a go in Term 4!

Sharing Food

At Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo we have always had the rule that we don't share food. Due to the increasing number of children with allergies we need this message reinforced at home as well as at school. Thank you.

Pack in and Pack Out

We also have a Pack in and Pack out rule for morning tea and lunch. This means all rubbish and packaging that is part of your child's morning tea and lunch will come home for you to dispose of.

Reporting Absences

Please use the APP to inform us of any absences. Please give your child's name, space and reason. We have to report reasons for absences so please add this in as well. If you or your child or family member have COVID please tell us the date of Day 0. Please let us know by 8:30am. Thanks for your help with this.

Curriculum Refresh Teacher Only Days

Late last year the Ministry of Education announced four additional Teacher- Only Days across 2023 and 2024 to support schools and kura to prepare for upcoming curriculum and assessment changes. These days are aimed to provide staff with dedicated time to understand, prepare for, and engage with the changes across the New Zealand Curriculum refresh.

The Kahukura cluster, of which we are part of, and Cashmere High School will hold this Teachers Only Day on Monday 24 April. This does affect the end of year dates as this date was counted as a holiday for our legal requirements.
The second TOD this year will not affect the new end of year date of Tuesday, 19 December.

Somerfield Kids Shine 

Please check out this link https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/131207488/banks-peninsula-farmland-to-return-to-native-forest-bringing-carbon-credit-income-and-healing-for-mana-whenua?fbclid=IwAR0yMI4ulJ-qgyNeKzmmFCi8NYh1zAGVOLIPofxskHHvTIvnwANDFBSFYtI

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