Koru Team – Week 3

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Kia ora ki te whanau,

We have welcomed 7 new children into the Koru hub since week 1. A very warm welcome to the new children and their whanau. Our 'Golden Oldies' are enjoying making new friendships and showing our school values 'We get there together' and 'We care' to help our newbies get to know the routines and settle into the hub.

Last week all our children showed another one of our school values 'We love Challenge' when they competed in the school Cross Country. We were so proud of their efforts in running the course. They certainly displayed our school values. 

All lined up at the start.



We were lucky to have lots of senior students supporting our runners.





Feeling happy to have finished our first cross country.



Rocketship numbers

Look at our amazing writing in our structured literacy group.





Working together with a buddy to solve maths problems.





We're going on a bear hunt


Reminders...
Please make sure that literacy folders are coming to school every day with the letters and heart words inside along with any books. It is important they are sent every day as teachers might need to update the letters and heart words throughout the week. For those children who are reading the decodable texts, these books are needed at group time every day.

Thank you to those parents who are waiting in the courtyard each afternoon for their children to come to them. This really does make a difference to the end of our day and easier for children to find their whanau.

For all our new families, and as a refresher as the children are bringing home new letters, here is the link to the video which demonstrates how to make the pure sound for each letter. 

Heads up...
Please keep your eyes peeled for information about our exciting Art Gallery outing on Friday, June the 4th. We'll be seeking parent help for this outing, so look out for further details!

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Elizabeth, Jo, Stacey, Chelsea and Nicola


















Kahikatea Newsletter Term 2 Week 3

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Keeping Everyone Healthy 

To help everyone keep healthy, we would appreciate if you can please:

  • Keep children home if they are coughing, sneezing or have runny noses or other sicknesses
  • Encourage hand washing with soap and water
  • Please ensure your child comes with warm footwear 
  • Please send jumpers to school every day
Our Trip to the Park and Museum

We are looking forward to our trip next week! Amber and Charlotte's groups will go on Mon 24th May. Katie and Lisa's groups will go on Tues 25th May. 
PLEASE NOTE: 
Because Charlotte is still recovering and there will be a lot of walking, Katie McFarlane will take Charlotte's homegroup. 

We would appreciate if you can go over our Trip Social Story at home. We will also view it in class and discuss with the students. 

On the day of your child's trip, please ensure your child is/has:
  • Wearing school uniform 
  • A named jumper, on or in their bag
  • A light jacket if weather feels cooler
  • Covered walking shoes, e.g. sneakers
  • An ample lunch and extra snacks
  • A named water bottle
  • If wetting / soiling may be an issue, please also pack a spare pair of underwear/pants
  • Their school bag, ideally named 
  • Any medications required (please contact your home room teacher regarding this, prior to the trip day).
Library Days 
We have NEW library days!
Lisa and Katie's groups go on Tuesday. 
Amber and Charlotte's groups go on Thursday.

Fidget Toys 
We are noticing that some children are bringing in fidget toys from home. We would like to remind everyone that all toys, including fidget toys, are to stay at home. If parents feel that their child needs a fidget toy, please talk with your home room teacher. 


Learning in Action








We are enjoying working with Ferndale students in some of our Discovery sessions. 











 

Thank you for the new paint shirts Nuttall whanau! 


Stacey, our Teaching Assistant 






Drop offs and pick ups

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Kia ora, whanau,

We are noticing some impressive independent behaviour in many of the children at drop off and pick up times each day. Some of the things that you can do to support your children's growing independence are:

  • encourage your children to help to pack their own bags at home before school
  • ensure that your children carry their own bags to and from school
  • give your children verbal reminders, once they're at school and unpacking their belongings, but allow them to be responsible for this part of their daily routine.
It is extremely helpful for us all if parents remain on the deck or even at the bottom of the steps at the start of each day. There is a teacher rostered each day on the veranda to welcome the children and this person will also be available for any parents who may need to speak to a teacher eg someone different is picking your child up that day. We find that the children happily sort out their belongings and settle to a quiet activity much more readily, if goodbyes take place well before the bell goes at 8:55 a.m., and outside the learning spaces. This also allows them time, once in the learning spaces, to quietly check in with teachers and their friends, have a chat and settle into Learning Through Play.

Similarly, it is much easier for teachers and children to focus on the learning right up to the end of the day, if parents and caregivers wait out in the courtyard for the children to be released from class. It can be very distracting and unsettling for children when they know that there are parents at the windows or on the veranda. We thank you for your support with this, as we work together on developing the children's independence in these early days at school.

You are more than welcome to come into the learning spaces after all of the children have been released, if your child would like to show you something, or if you have something you'd like to discuss with your child's Home Group teacher. Teachers will also come out on to the veranda at the end of each day to catch up with parents. 

If you have anything in particular you wish to discuss in more detail, please make contact with your child's Home Group teacher to make a time to meet.

Ngā mihi,
Koru team teachers

Further update about the Chickenpox vaccination

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Kia ora e te whānau

A bit more information about the chickenpox vaccine:
Unless you have paid to have your child vaccinated against chickenpox, it appears that the addition of the chickenpox vaccine to the register will not have provided vaccination for all but the very newest of our current school-aged children:


The vaccine for chickenpox was added to the National Immunisation Schedule on 1 July 2017.

Immunisation
One dose of chickenpox vaccine is free for children aged 15 months. It is also free for children turning 11 years of age who have never been infected with or previously immunised against chickenpox.

BirthDate / Eligibility

From 1 April 2016 onwards
All children are eligible for one free dose when they turn 15 months of age.

From 1 July 2006 to 31 March 2016
Those who haven't been infected or previously immunised against chickenpox are eligible for one free dose when they turn 11 years of age.

Those with medical conditions that put them at high risk of chickenpox, such as patients before organ transplant or after chemotherapy, are eligible for two free doses of chickenpox vaccine, regardless of age.

For everyone else, chickenpox immunisation is available in New Zealand at a cost. Talk to your doctor if you’d like the chickenpox vaccination for you or your child.

Health notice – we have a case of chickenpox at school

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Kia ora e te whānau

One of our students in Kahikatea has been confirmed as having chickenpox.

This email is just to give you a heads up, particularly if your child hasn't been vaccinated for whatever reason, including if they have come to New Zealand after living overseas.

All children in New Zealand can have chickenpox immunisation at 15 months of age. It is part of the National Immunisation Schedule. Most people who have this vaccine will not get chickenpox. If an immunised person does get chickenpox, it is usually mild.

I have taken some key points about chickenpox from the KidsHealth website, and you can read more information here if you need it: KidsHealth: Chickenpox

Key Points to Know about Chickenpox:

  • chickenpox is a common childhood illness caused by a virus
  • it is very easy to catch
  • most cases of chickenpox are mild and children get better completely
  • your child needs to see a doctor if they have a very high fever or are very ill, particularly if they become very drowsy, or are breathing fast or vomiting a lot
  • children with chickenpox need to stay home from school and daycare
  • chickenpox can sometimes cause serious complications

Early symptoms:

Chickenpox can often start with the following symptoms:
  • a fever
  • a headache
  • a runny nose
  • a cough
  • loss of appetite
  • feeling tired