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Newsletter 22 September 2021

Thu Sep 23 08:59am

 

Newsletter 22 September 2021

Level 3 – 20 September 2021 Update

Mon Sep 20 07:33pm

20th September 2021

Kia ora koutou,

I hope you are all doing well with your families at home.  A big thank you to you all for your support during this time.  At the 4pm announcement today,  the Prime Minister confirmed we will move into alert Level 3 from Tuesday 21st September at 11:59pm.  Level 3 school will open on Wednesday 22nd September at 8:45am.  We have planned for staff and students on site in level 3 from your survey responses. 

A reminder that children should remain at home in Level 3. In Level 3, schools will be a place for children whose parents/caregivers cannot work from home during Alert Level 3 and have no one else to supervise their children. Online learning continues whether your child is supervised at home or onsite. 

We will have a small staff at school in Level 3,  with two bubble classes of approximately 10 students.  With this in mind, if your circumstances have changed and you  are required to work and there is no one at home to supervise your child/ren during Level 3 lockdown please notify me via email – [email protected]

Students can not turn up without email notification as we have to plan for staff to come on site for the number of students registered. 

In Level 3, the school looks very different.  I have attached theLevel 3 bubble class logistics. 

Please discuss this with your children, so they know what school looks like on Wednesday.  Click here

Key points moving into Level 3

– The school site is closed to all except for Level 3 staff and registered Level 3 students only
– The school playground remains closed to everyone in Level 3.
– Physical distancing is required inside (1 metre) and outside (2 metres) at school, 
– Before and after school care is NOT operational in Level 3.
– No non-essential visitors
– If your survey response has changed, notify the principal by mid day Tuesday 21st September, if you are required to work and have no supervision for your child at home [email protected]
– Contact tracing remains a priority through our visitor register, SchoolApp check-in, timetable and attendance register. Displaying the QR code posters are displayed in the office for the NZ COVID Tracer App.

Kia Kotahitanga tātau

We are all in this together.

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal

Level 3 – 20 September 2021 Update

Mon Sep 20 07:18pm

20th September 2021

Kia ora koutou,

I hope you are all doing well with your families at home.  A big thank you to you all for your support during this time.  At the 4pm announcement today,  the Prime Minister confirmed we will move into alert Level 3 from Tuesday 21st September at 11:59pm.  Level 3 school will open on Wednesday 22nd September at 8:45am.  We have planned for staff and students on site in level 3 from your survey responses. 

A reminder that children should remain at home in Level 3. In Level 3, schools will be a place for children whose parents/caregivers cannot work from home during Alert Level 3 and have no one else to supervise their children. Online learning continues whether your child is supervised at home or onsite. 

We will have a small staff at school in Level 3,  with two bubble classes of approximately 10 students.  With this in mind, if your circumstances have changed and you  are required to work and there is no one at home to supervise your child/ren during Level 3 lockdown please notify me via email – [email protected]

Students can not turn up without email notification as we have to plan for staff to come on site for the number of students registered. 

In Level 3, the school looks very different.  I have attached the Level 3 bubble class logistics. 

Please discuss this with your children, so they know what school looks like on Wednesday.  Click here

Key points moving into Level 3

– The school site is closed to all except for Level 3 staff and registered Level 3 students only
– The school playground remains closed to everyone in Level 3.
– Physical distancing is required inside (1 metre) and outside (2 metres) at school, 
– Before and after school care is NOT operational in Level 3.
– No non-essential visitors
– If your survey response has changed, notify the principal by mid day Tuesday 21st September, if you are required to work and have no supervision for your child at home [email protected]
Contact tracing remains a priority through our visitor register, SchoolApp check-in, timetable and attendance register. Displaying the QR code posters are displayed in the office for the NZ COVID Tracer App.

Kia Kotahitanga tātau

We are all in this together.

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal

The Resilience Project Webinar

Wed Sep 15 01:56pm

During the recent ‘learning check-ins’, many parents expressed an interest in finding out more information about The Resilience Project. It is very timely and exciting that we have just found out about a live webinar.

The webinar will be run by Hugh Van Cuylenburg, founder of The Resilience Project and is for parents and carers. Through this webinar, Hugh is aiming to provide support and information for Parents and Carers. If this is something you are interested in attending, it only takes a minute to register. Details are below.

Please click on the following link to register for this online session on Wednesday 22nd September at 5.00pm:

The Resilience Project Registration

COVID Level 4 Update 14 September 2021

Tue Sep 14 01:01pm

 

14 September COVID Update

Moving to Level 3

Thu Sep 09 10:02am

9th September 2021

Kia ora koutou,

I hope you are all doing well in your bubbles.  A big thank you to you all for your support during this time and in particular the support you are giving your children with distance learning.

Alert Level Three

To help me with planning for when we go into alert level 3, I have a short survey form you can access on the blue link below determining whether or not you will be sending your child/ren to school. Your support in completing the survey form for your child/children and returning the survey as soon as possible is appreciated.  Please complete the form by midday,  Monday 13th September.

Link to the Level 3 Attendance Form – click here  

In Alert Level 3, most children will continue to learn from home, however schools are open for all children in years 0-10 whose parents or carers need to go to work and there is no alternative person who can supervise them.

A few reminders about alert level three:

– Schools are essentially closed at Alert Level 3 with the exception of those few children whose parents and carers must go to work at Alert Level 3, and there is no appropriate caregiver at home.
– Children should learn at home where possible.
– Children at school during Level 3 will be receiving the same online distance learning as their peers at home.
– At-risk students and staff should also stay at home, and they will be supported to do so. 
– Please note that your child’s regular teacher will not necessarily be on school site during Level 3 and not all classrooms will be open, so distance learning at school may take place in a different base classroom to where your child would normally be.
– Children will be in bubbles at school of 10 or less with two staff members supervising.
– Do not send your child/ren to school if they can be looked after at home.
– If you work from home please do not send your child/ren to school.
– The playground will remain closed.
– Before and after school care is not operational in Level 3.

It is extremely important that if you can look after your child/ren during alert level 3 that you do not send your child/ren to school. (See chart below to further support)

Kia Kotahitanga tātau

We are all in this together.

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal 

Alert L3 Flowchart

REMINDER – Strategic Plan Parent Plan closes tomorrow

Tue Sep 07 11:10am

Kia ora all,

Tomorrow is the cut off day to complete the Parent/Whanau survey. The survey doesn’t take long and your feedback will be valuable with supporting the board with its decision making and future planning.

If you haven’t already, We would greatly appreciate it if you could please complete the survey before midday tomorrow.
Thank you so much for your time and support!

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman 

Principal

Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Reminder – Strategic Plan Parent Survey closes Wednesday

Mon Sep 06 10:12am

 

Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Reminder – Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Thu Sep 02 10:02am

 

Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Reminder – Parent Learning Check-In and Strategic Plan Survey

Tue Aug 31 11:23am

Good morning

Just a reminder to read the attached letter sent yesterday on how to book your check-in time with your child’s teacher.

Also attached is the link to the Strategic Plan Survey.

Many thanks.

 

Parent Learning and 3WC update

Strategic Plan Survey

Parent Learning and 3WC update

Mon Aug 30 03:15pm

Hi

Please see the attached letter giving details on how to book your online 3 Way Conference scheduled for this week.

Reminder – Please complete the Strategic Plan Parent Survey before the end of the week, please.

Hope you are all well.

Parent Learning and 3WC update

Reminder – Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Thu Aug 26 05:02pm

Good afternoon

Reminder – Please complete the attached Parent Survey if you have not yet done so. 

This year the Board at Pinehill School is rewriting its Strategic Plan. The new plan will set the direction for developments within the school from 2022 – 2024.

This feedback will be used to assist the Board with its decision making and future planning.

This is an exciting opportunity to plan for the future of the school. As part of the exercise the Board is seeking input from parents, whānau, staff and students. It is important that every family’s views are included.

If there is a question you cannot answer, just leave it and move on to the next question. The survey should take you 10 – 15 minutes to complete. You are able to edit your responses whilst in the survey. However, once you have exited the survey you will be unable to re-enter it.

All responses will be summarised, affirming good practices and identifying key areas for growth and development.

The board has contracted an independent consultant, Roween Higgie from The Education Group, to design and oversee the parent consultation component of the process.

Your responses are anonymous, will be confidential to Roween Higgie and the Board, and will not be identifiable.

Most of the responses are ratings on a scale. There is an open-ended section at the end of the survey where you can make follow-up comments.

The survey will run from Monday 23rd August, closing on Wednesday 8th September.

Many thanks for taking the time to complete this survey.

Roween Higgie
Director, The Education Group Ltd
www.educationgroup.co.nz

Strategic Plan Parent Survey

Level 4 Update 24 August 2021

Tue Aug 24 11:18am

Tuesday 24th August 2021

Kia ora tātou,  

I think we had all anticipated a further extension of Alert Level 4, and the Prime Minister has confirmed this. The Alert Level will be reviewed on Friday afternoon, but for now, in Auckland, Alert Level 4 will remain in place until 11:59 pm Tuesday 31 August.

Despite this news, it is really pleasing to see Alert Level 4 is having its impact on the number of confirmed cases, with numbers not dramatically increasing as they would likely have done if we had been at a lower Alert Level.

Our distance learning programme will continue! 

Please note our school grounds and school site is closed to everyone in Level 4. Please do not come to school, otherwise, you will be in breach of the COVID-19 Health Response Order.

The Delta variant is different, so has been New Zealand’s response.    

There is a lot we can all do to protect our whānau and community from COVID-19 including:

·   everyone must continue to stay home in their bubble

·   do not mix with other household bubbles – if they have COVID-19, it can easily spread to your household, and every other household they and you are connecting with

·   as new cases are identified, new locations of interest are added to the Ministry of Health website – please keep checking this. You can search by your location and they are sorted by date, so you only need to check the locations which have been added when you last checked

·   wash your hands regularly, especially when you have been out in public

·   stay home if you are feeling unwell and seek advice about whether you need to get a test

·   wear a face covering when out and about, and you MUST wear a face-covering in any businesses or services which are open at Alert Level 4 (unless you have specifically been exempted from doing so, which includes anyone aged under 12)

·   keep a two-metre distance from people outside your household bubble

·   check-in using the NZ COVID Tracer App wherever you go or keep a manual record (a reminder the App only stores information on your own phone – no one else will know who it is that checked in, or when)

You can go to the COVID19.govt.nz website if you would like more information on Alert Level 4 requirements.

We can also make sure we are passing on good information. There is a very helpful article by Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris in The Spinoff regarding misinformation and disinformation.

Their red flags for how to spot bad information are particularly well-summarised. Bad information will:

·   downplay COVID-19 and the pandemic

·   focus on survival rate

·   try to sell you something

·   push simple cures/treatments

·   make you feel fearful or angry.

“Good information put out to help you make an informed choice won’t make you feel scared or angry.        

It’ll make you feel empowered.”

Finally, we know some families in our community may be finding it difficult to access food and essential items such as medicine.  This information about how to access food or essential items summarises the supports that are available, including financial help to buy food.

Please do take care and let us know how we can best support you and your whānau.

Kia kaha!

 Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal 

Pinehill School – Parent/Whanau Survey

Mon Aug 23 10:07am

This year the Board at Pinehill School is rewriting its Strategic Plan. The new plan will set the direction for developments within the school from 2022 – 2024.

This feedback will be used to assist the Board with its decision making and future planning.

This is an exciting opportunity to plan for the future of the school. As part of the exercise, the Board is seeking input from parents, whānau, staff and students. It is important that every family’s views are included.

The board has contracted an independent consultant, Roween Higgie from The Education Group, to design and oversee the parent consultation component of the process.

Your responses are anonymous, will be confidential to Roween Higgie and the Board, and will not be identifiable.

The survey will run from Monday 23rd August, closing on Wednesday 8th September.

Please click on the link to start the survey.  

Parent/Whanau Survey 2021

L4 Update from Pinehill School – Sunday 22 August 2021

Mon Aug 23 09:01am

Sunday 22nd August 2021

 Kia ora tātou,  

Congratulations to everyone on a fabulous Thursday and Friday last week with distance learning from home.  Once again this has been a partnership effort involving teachers, students, families and technology.  There may have been a few technical or logging in issues for a few of our families, but we have managed to work through these together with success.  

Teachers are working hard on providing engaging and relevant teaching and learning programmes via Seesaw and Zoom.  If your child requires any support with the distance learning programme, please do email your child’s class teacher so we can put a plan in place to support.

You will notice our part time teachers and specialist teachers (Music and ESOL), as well as our learning assistants have all involved themselves in creative and supportive ways in our distance learning model and on Seesaw. Our office and support staff are also continuing on with work from home.  What a team! 

A big thank you for taking the lockdown seriously and doing what we have been asked – we’ve seen before that staying at home will break the chain of transmission and save lives. It is even more important that we all follow the health advice because the Delta variant is very contagious.

Breaking the rules risks the health of those close to you, the wider community and could result in the lockdown period being extended.

Please remember that the school, playground and school grounds remain closed at Alert Level 4.

As always, please let us know if there is anything you need to support you and your tamariki during this time.

 He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.

What is the most important thing in the world?  It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal  
Pinehill School 

Newsletter 18 August 2021

Wed Aug 18 03:52pm

 

Newsletter 18 August 2021

SCHOOL CLOSURE NOTICE – COVID Level 4 Lockdown

Tue Aug 17 08:57pm

17th August 2021

Kia ora Tātou,

Following the  Prime Minister’s announcement of the Level 4 Covid Lockdown this evening, Pinehill School is now closed from 11.59pm Tuesday 17th August and for the next seven days.  Students are not to come to school to collect resources. The school site and school grounds are closed to everyone, until further notice.  As we receive further information from the Prime Minister and Ministry of Education we will communicate with our school community via School App and email.

Teachers will take the day tomorrow to Zoom meet in their teaching  teams and finalise the online distance learning programme for our children. Your child’s class teacher will be in contact with you later tomorrow with further information on the distance learning programme. In the meantime, for tomorrow,  please access distance learning for your child from our school website:

https://pinehill.school.nz/school-information/  Click on the home learning tab on the left hand side, then click on your child’s year level. 

Your child should also continue to access and use Reading Eggs and Mathletics daily. These websites align with the NZ curriculum and move with your child’s progress and level.

Look after yourselves and each other.  Kia kaha.  

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman / Principal  

Pinehill School 

Chicken Pox

Mon Aug 16 03:11pm

Dear Parents/Caregivers

We have been notified that a Pinehill School student has chickenpox. At this time of year it is not unusual for cases of chickenpox to be in the community. The information below is intended to help you recognise the symptoms to look for.

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a common childhood illness caused by the varicella virus. Fever and cold symptoms are often the first signs of illness and are followed by the appearance of the typical rash. The rash starts as small pink bumps, often around the face, neck, ears, back and stomach. These develop a little water blister, which in turn becomes yellow and oozy and ultimately crusty as it dries. People may have only a few spots or maybe virtually covered with them.

If your child is normally healthy, chickenpox is likely to be a relatively mild illness and no specific precautions are necessary. Symptoms usually develop 10 to 21 days after exposure. The infected person can spread the infection for up to three days before the rash appears and until the last pox is crusted and dry.

What should I do if I think my child has chickenpox?

If you suspect chickenpox, do not take or send your child into a crowded surgery waiting room, as this may only spread the infection further but do contact your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. Children with chickenpox should be excluded from school until scabs are dry; this is usually five to seven days after the appearance of the rash. Children with spots that are crusted and dried can safely attend school.

On rare occasions chickenpox could cause more severe illness so if your child developed chickenpox and you had concerns please call Healthline on freephone 0800 611 116 for advice or contact your doctor.

Further information can be found on https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/c/chickenpox/

If your child or someone in your household is diagnosed with chickenpox, please notify us via the SchoolApp or emailing: [email protected].

Ngā mihi nui,

Carla Veldman  

Principal  

Newsletter

Wed Aug 11 02:16pm

 

Newsletter, 11 August

Mindful Parenting Course – Mairangi Bay

Mon Aug 09 11:07am

Kia ora all,

Please see an up and coming opportunity to attend a Mindful Parenting Course which will be held at Murrays Bay Intermediate this term. Information is as follows:

Pinehill parents are invited and welcome to attend.  The Mindful Parenting Course is a 6 week practical course providing research-based psychological tools & techniques to help parents learn how to stay calm, connected and create deep lasting relationships with their children.  It offers particular relevance to parents in the tween/ teen years, to help parents maintain their calm and their connection with their children, as they explore their autonomy and start to push at the boundaries. 

Course composition:
Session 1:  Mindfulness  – what knocks us into a Red brain/ Stress state and how to change that.
Session 2:  Emotions – how to manage your emotional triggers and emotional responses.
Session 3:  Connection – how to build a connection with others, how to rebuild that connection.
Session 4:  Setting Boundaries – Setting rules and age appropriate boundaries.
Session 5:  Core Beliefs and thought patterns that are causing us ‘pain’ and how to change them.
Session 6:  Relationship Dramas & patterns we get stuck in and how to shift to healthy relationship dynamics.

The course content is applicable to children of all ages, as parents we need emotional regulation and stress management at every parenting stage.  We believe this course supports the mental well-being of families and in these times of economic uncertainty, heightened anxiety and increased waiting lists for counselling, we have kept the course cost to that of a single therapy session as we want to offer this course to as many families as possible to give them the tools to limit their stress and worries overflowing into their families and children.

The course has run for the past 4 years across Auckland at schools and The Parenting Place. The schools on the North Shore are Takapuna Grammar, Belmont Primary, Stanley Bay Primary, Sunnynook Primary, Devonport Primary.

Please find attached a flyer with information about the course.
Thursday 19th August
7.30pm – 9.15pm
Murrays Bay Intermediate

Murrays Bay Mindful Parenting

Newsletter 4 August 2021

Wed Aug 04 01:12pm

 

Newsletter 4 August 2021

Walking to School Week next week

Thu Jul 29 10:19am

Good morning

We will have a Walking to School Week in Week 2 (next week). Students can earn points by walking all of the way or part of the way to school. This means that even students who come in cars can earn house points and prizes as long as they get dropped off around a corner or on a side road and walk from there.

However, students who use the drop-off zone will not earn house points. So, if you are driving your children to school, please try dropping them off somewhere other than the drop-off zone so that they can participate. They will be met close to the gates by House Leaders who will give them stickers to add to their house chart.

Walking to school is a great way for students to get fit, talk with their friends and earn points for their houses. It will also free up the streets around the school by taking some cars off the road which will improve the environment for all of our regular walkers.

 

Newsletter 28 July 2021

Wed Jul 28 02:40pm

 

Newsletter 28 July 2021

REMINDER – Jesters Pie Day online orders close TODAY at 11.00am

Tue Jul 27 08:03am

SWIMMING REMINDER

Mon Jul 26 05:32pm

Good morning
Just a reminder that the swimming rotation starts this week.
Years 3 & 4 every Tuesday for 6 weeks starting tomorrow 27 July – 07 September (excluding 17 August).

Years 1, 2, 5 & 6 every Wednesday for 6 weeks starting on 28 July – 08 September (excluding 11 August).

Please ensure that your child has swim gear with them on their allocated swim day. The school will NOT be phoning parents for gear left at home.
Many thanks for your support.
Pinehill School

Jesters Pie Day – Wednesday 28 July

Mon Jul 26 05:04pm

Jesters Pie Day – Wednesday 28 July

Sorry for the short notice! Jesters Pie Day is this Wednesday 28th July. Online orders close Tuesday 27th July 11.00am.

Freshly baked and delivered warm on the day.

Thank you

FOPS 

Matariki Breakfast

Fri Jul 09 09:59am

Looking at the forecast today we have made the call to have our Matariki Breakfast in the hall. 

Reminder to sign in at the school office as a visitor before going through to the hall.

Matariki Morning Tea – Tomorrow (Friday)

Thu Jul 08 05:12pm

Our Matariki Morning Tea is this Friday 9th July from 10-11am. We welcome you to join us!

Please remember to sign in at the office.

As this is a shared morning tea we ask that your child brings along a small plate of food to share. You do not need to feed the whole class. Food can be handed in to your class teacher in the morning. In order to help us assist children with allergies we ask that you make sure there is a list of ingredients with the food your child brings.

Newsletter 7 July 2021

Wed Jul 07 12:16pm

 

Newsletter 7 July 2021

Matariki Morning Tea – Friday 9 July

Tue Jul 06 05:07pm

Our Matariki Morning Tea is this Friday 9th July from 10-11am. We welcome you to join us!

Please remember to sign in at the office.

As this is a shared morning tea we ask that your child brings along a small plate of food to share. You do not need to feed the whole class. Food can be handed in to your class teacher in the morning. In order to help us assist children with allergies we ask that you make sure there is a list of ingredients with the food your child brings.

Newsletter

Wed Jun 30 02:43pm

 

Newsletter, 30 June 2021