Kia ora whānau

We are almost there. The end of Term 1. To many this will feel like the strangest school term our tamariki have ever encountered and certainly it has been a huge strain on our wonderful teaching staff, along with many parents and families. The ‘togetherness’ and community minded nature of Te Ao Marama has been challenged the most during this time as necessary public health measures severely impact the important people interaction that our school has become so well known for.

By far the most uplifting part of this term has been the fact that (by and large) school has been able to continue and from what I have seen the experience of the children has not been compromised. They are resilient, and they just get on with it and keep those amazing Te Ao Mārama smiles on their faces!

I want to take this moment to thank all our team at Te Ao Mārama. From the fabulous Facebook posts and wonderful communication, to having your amazing templates shared and processes sought after by schools in other parts of the country, you guys have done a fantastic job keeping us all as safe as possible whilst continuing to care for our tamariki. The board is just so proud of you all!

To all of you reading this, I hope you’re heading into the holidays in a good headspace and that your whānau is safe and well despite the lingering presence of a pandemic. Noho ora mai!

To finish, here’s a wonderful wee summary from parent Fiona Dowling who has been taking a lead role as part of the Roy Hilton Drive walking school bus. Please get in touch with school if you would like to be a part of this (https://www.xn--teaomrama-9bb.school.nz/13/pages/52-walking-school-bus)

Walking School (and often daycare!) Bus – Roy Hilton Drive and surrounds (Fiona Dowling)

We help the children in our area get to school with the use of the Walking School Bus. We collect them from their door and deliver them to the school gate and follow up with a picture to the parents so they know they got to school safe. Some of the children are confident enough to walk on the bus without their parents, but lots of parents walk on the bus too, as it’s a great way to start the day!

Community-Minded, it’s a great way to meet people in your neighbourhood. The children also get to do fun things along the way some mornings, watching the hot air balloons, the recent construction of the park, picture by the Ukraine flag, catching up with friends.

Each Child has their own ticket which gets clicked each time they catch the Bus. They get Rewards for reaching certain milestones. We already have 3 children that have reached 100 walks.