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Level 2...SBS Open For Business!

Lucy Naylor —

We are very excited to welcome the children back to school next week and we can't wait to fill the school with smiles, laughter and noise.

We know that many students will be excited to see their friends and getting back to their classroom, while some may be anxious or detached from their learning. 

As part of our planning to reopen, we have been working out how to balance 'hitting the ground running' with learning while making sure that we take a very deliberate approach to ensuring the wellbeing of our students. 

Your child's wellbeing is our priority. We know that unless children feel settled, comfortable and good about themselves they are not in a position to learn. The first few days back at school we will be re-establishing routines, outlining class expectations and teaching healthy hygiene habits, we will be talking about what social distance will look like at school, and how we need to be kind to each other. We are aware that many families have been adversely affected by COVID and our job is to provide stability, predictable routine, and structure to enable the children to explore our new normal. 

 A parent recently shared this article, it is well worth a read.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/416047/efforts-needed-to-help-children-avoid-mental-health-consequences-of-lockdown

The article states that "Racing back to catch up is about the worst thing that you can do. The research, the evidence, tells us that spending time there and then on children's wellbeing pays dividends much later and further down the track in terms of re-engaging children with learning." 

To support the transition back to school there are some user-friendly resources that you could explore with your child/ren -  https://sparklers.org.nz/parenting/

We are also acutely aware of the need to 'hit the ground running' and maximise face to face teaching time. This will be a key focus for the term and indeed the school year. Please be assured that our teachers will continue to work diligently to identify and address gaps and make sure that all students are on track as quickly as possible to achieve their personal best. We will focus on reading, writing, and maths in contexts that are engaging and relevant, we will re-establish the foundations for success. We are blessed with high-quality teaching staff, they are trained to do this, its what they do best....'we've got this'. 

Mid Year Reporting 

Once we are back at school our priority is to provide as much face-to-face teaching as possible. This means that teachers will have limited time to carry out the full range of assessments required to provide you with a written mid-year report. 

We will still be reporting on your child’s progress, it will just look different. We plan to share evidence of learning and invite you to come along to the Learner Conferences, to be scheduled for the end of the term. 

Term Dates and Teacher Only Days 

A few people have been asking about term dates. These have not changed and can be found on the website calendar and School App. The last day of Term 2 is Friday 3 July. 

This term we had scheduled two teacher only days, these have been canceled to allow us time to teach. 

and finally...

As we re-open I am sure you will have many questions, in this publication we have included a "Frequently Asked Questions' article. As we move through the next few weeks we will continue to add your questions and answers to this article. 

Thank you for your continued support, we are looking forward to seeing you all next week. Enjoy the Level 2 weekend!

Nga mihi 

Lucy Naylor
Principal/Tumuaki