Kauri Whānau: Term 2 Week 3 in Lockdown Update

Posted on by
Kia ora everyone,

This week has seen a greater uptake with video-conferencing across our Kauri learners. 

  • It was fabulous to see so may faces at our 'camp concert' yesterday afternoon. Despite a few tech issues, with lagging, there was a great vibe during the concert and we loved watching so much talent on show. 
  • Our daily social Zooms will now always be at 11am. The numbers are growing and we are enjoying a variety of games.
  • Writing and maths Zooms are also growing. It was interesting reading the children's feedback from the survey we put out today and hearing that video-conferencing can bring so much clarity and understanding when previously there may have been some confusion. 
  • In order to join one of these Zooms, the process is: 1. Watch the daily video to see what Zooms are happening that day, there are also listed on the Learning at Home page. 2 Email a teacher - Nicky, Hannah or Megan and say you would like to join a Zoom meeting. 3. We will sign you up to the Zoom and you will get an email with the code, just before the meeting is scheduled to start. 4. At the start time, click on the code and you are in. 
Each day we are in and out of children's work checking on progress. Today we noticed a number of children had yet to start their writing. After sending out a quick email to those learners, copied in to parents, there was a flurry of activity! We will keep sending out these prompts when we see the need. 

We are keen to see more children interact with our maths problem solving and hotspots. Attending a maths Zoom meeting might be helpful for a number of children. If you think this would help your child, please encourage them to attend on Monday. 

There has been a lot of impressive work happening and we are thrilled to see the progress that a large number of children are making. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need some support with your child's learning or motivation.


Assembly

Here is our welcome assembly for term 2 in a slightly different format than usual. Please go to full screen to watch it.



Cyber Safety (when using school Google Logins)

As you may be aware from the school cyber safety agreement, Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto has various cyber safety systems in place in order to keep students safe. We have one system called “Highlights” that we would like you to be particularly mindful of during lockdown. 

This system allows teachers to see Chromebook screens and/or Chrome browser tabs whenever that device or browser is signed into a school Google account during school hours. This is an important tool that teachers use to keep students safe and to offer support while students are learning. It also has privacy implications and is one of the main reasons we always ask and remind students to only use their school account for learning purposes. If you want your child to use their personal device/browser for other purposes or without the school cyber safety systems in place, then it is important that students sign out of their school account and sign into a personal account created by you. If your child has borrowed a school Chromebook, they should only be using this with their school login and for learning purposes.

We also utilise a specialised web filtering system to help keep our students safe online. This filter automatically alerts staff whenever a student account is potentially being used to access unsafe content on the internet. Like Highlights, this filter system is active whenever a student is signed into their school account, even if they are at home. If we receive a concerning filter alert during lockdown, we will contact you via email.

It is important to note that teachers never rely on just the filtering system. We work hard to actively monitor students’ screens and always ask students to work in a place where their screens are visible. We strongly encourage you to adopt a similar approach at home by making sure children only use devices in a family area where they can be easily seen. We also encourage you to actively check that your child/children are using the device in a safe and positive manner.

Junior Neighbourhood Support Canterbury challenges you to…
Make a Stop Motion Lego Movie!

You can use lego or other toys to share one part of your Covid-19 isolation time. Some ideas for experience to share include (but are not limited to):
Keeping 2m away
Going to the supermarket
Staying at home
Leaving the house for exercise
Easter or ANZAC Day 2020

Send your entries to jns@canterburyns.net before Level 2 ends and we’ll put them into a movie that everyone can watch.

If you need some help getting started with Stop Motion, have a look at https://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-Motion-Animation-for-Kids/ 

Stop Motion Studio is a popular Apple and Android app to use to film and you should only need the free version. If you are using a Chromebook, you may like to try Stop Motion Animator (from the Chrome Web Store).



Pōhutukawa Term Two 2020 So Far

Posted on by
Kia ora whānau,

Well done everyone for making it through Level Four and also working through the first week of distance learning at Level Three.  By now we are all settled into our home learning / distance learning routines.  Thank you for all of the positive feedback on our Pōhutukawa Hub Website.  We hope that you are continuing to enjoy the variety of learning challenges that we offer each day.

Distance Learning
We are really enjoying receiving work that the children have been creating. It's great to see photos and videos of their learning too - they help us feel connected with you! Please also remind your child(ren) to click the submit button on any work that they have completed in Google classroom - that way we get a notification and know that the work requires our attention and feedback. We continue to strive to offer a variety of learning activities that will suit each family and their different circumstances. We are very happy to see that the majority of our learners are completing at least one learning challenge from our site each day, as well as using the site (and other resources) to complete numeracy and literacy learning daily. Remember to check the Sharing Our Learning section in our Pōhutukawa Google Classroom stream so that you can see what everyone has been up to! Keep up the great work everyone, and remember we are here to help if you or your child need support with their learning.

If you feel it would be beneficial for us to call you or use Zoom to connect with you and your child about their learning, please email you child's home group teacher and we will set up a time in the school day that suits. Please keep in mind that Steve will be on site at school next Tuesday and Thursday and Anna will be on site on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On these particular days they are busy working with children at school, and so will contact you on the days that they are working from home.

Using Zoom for Learning meetings with students
Last week we opened up Zoom to our Google Suite for students. Our teachers have been using Zoom for their meetings, and find this platform to be far superior to the similar option of Google Meet which some teachers had been using with the children.

Please be aware that your child's security is a top priority for us. To that end, we have the following procedures in place, and we ask you to monitor (as always) what your child is using their school account for at home.

  • All Zoom meetings with staff and students will be recorded by the staff member.
  • Staff have enabled Zoom 'waiting rooms' meaning that students cannot begin a meeting without the teacher who created the meeting being in the room.
  • Students should ideally be in a room where you can at least see them, when they are in a zoom conference. (Bedrooms and bathrooms are not appropriate places for children to be when using social / meeting platforms.)
  • Please remind your child that their Google accounts are for school and learning use only. This means that they should not be using their student accounts to engage in Zoom or Google Meets with one another for social purposes. 

We are, however, aware that the children are missing the social connection with their friends that being at school usually provides. With this in mind, we will be holding a Zoom session on Wednesday May 6th at 11am so that any learners who are missing that social connection with their teachers and friends can connect with us. If your child is interested in attending the Zoom (with your support) please email your child's home group teacher and we will send you the login and password. Please click on the link below for some helpful tips on Zoom Protocol.


Celebration Assembly
We have a Celebration Assembly video to share with you - please have a look below! The video is best viewed in full screen.





Cybersafety at Home When Using School Google Log ins

As you may be aware from the school cyber safety agreement, Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto has various cyber safety systems in place in order to keep students safe. We have one system called “Highlights” that we would like you to be particularly mindful of during lockdown.

This system allows teachers to see Chromebook screens and/or Chrome browser tabs whenever that device or browser is signed into a school Google account during school hours. This is an important tool that teachers use to keep students safe and to offer support while students are learning. It also has privacy implications and is one of the main reasons we always ask and remind students to only use their school account for learning purposes. If you want your child to use their personal device/browser for other purposes or without the school cyber safety systems in place, then it is important that students sign out of their school account and sign into a personal account created by you. If your child has borrowed a school Chromebook, they should only be using this with their school login and for learning purposes.

We also utilise a specialised web filtering system to help keep our students safe online. This filter automatically alerts staff whenever a student account is potentially being used to access unsafe content on the internet. Like Highlights, this filter system is active whenever a student is signed into their school account, even if they are at home. If we receive a concerning filter alert during lockdown, we will contact you via email.

It is important to note that teachers never rely on just the filtering system. We work hard to actively monitor students’ screens and always ask students to work in a place where their screens are visible. We strongly encourage you to adopt a similar approach at home by making sure children only use devices in a family area where they can be easily seen. We also encourage you to actively check that your child/children are using the device in a safe and positive manner.

Junior Neighbourhood Support Canterbury challenges you to…

Make a Stop Motion Lego Movie!
You can use lego or other toys to share one part of your Covid-19 isolation time. Some ideas for experience to share include (but are not limited to):
  • Keeping 2m away
  • Going to the supermarket
  • Staying at home
  • Leaving the house for exercise
  • Easter or ANZAC Day 2020
Send your entries to jns@canterburyns.net before Level 2 ends and we’ll put them into a movie that everyone can watch. If you need some help getting started with Stop Motion, have a look at https://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-Motion-Animation-for-Kids/
Stop Motion Studio is a popular Apple and Android app to use to film and you should only need the free version. If you are using a Chromebook, you may like to try Stop Motion Animator (from the Chrome Web Store).


Thanks again whānau for your support and collaboration in these times. Have a great weekend everyone!




Kahikatea Term 2 Newsletter

Posted on by

Warm Autumn Greetings from our Bubble to Yours

Firstly, our team would like to express how incredibly grateful we are for the amazing support you are giving to this new model of learning.
It is an absolute pleasure to see tamariki and their whānau engaging with the daily challenges on our Kahikatea Learning@Home webpage and Seesaw.
These platforms are dynamic and change each day. We love getting your feedback on the types of tasks and activities. Your feedback is incredibly helpful, so thank you. 
Many of you have developed your daily routines to include a balance of 'school learning' and other activities.
If you need any support or guidance with this please make contact with your child's homegroup teacher, we are here to help.

ZOOM Meetings (OPTIONAL)

Our team is very familiar with the video conferencing app Zoom.
If you and your child/children are feeling the need for some face to face time with your teacher via a zoom (video) meeting we are really happy for that to happen. You may want to simply say hi, or to ask questions or get clarification on some of the tasks. 
Please email your child's homegroup teacher to let them know you'd like to do this and let them know what times you can't zoom.
Your teachers can email the invite to you once a time is arranged. (You will need to have Zoom App set up on your device).  
We will continue to maintain regular contact with families via email and/or phone calls. 

A fun Friday Zoom team meeting


Here is our Welcome Assembly for Term 2 




Junior Neighbourhood Support Challenge


Sharing Our Learning 

         
Zach's Jam Sandwich Writing      Sandwich Making - Yum!


Cyber Safety (when using school Google Logins)

As you may be aware from the school cyber safety agreement, Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto has various cyber safety systems in place in order to keep students safe. We have one system called “Highlights” that we would like you to be particularly mindful of during lockdown. 

This system allows teachers to see Chromebook screens and/or Chrome browser tabs whenever that device or browser is signed into a school Google account during school hours. This is an important tool that teachers use to keep students safe and to offer support while students are learning. It also has privacy implications and is one of the main reasons we always ask and remind students to only use their school account for learning purposes. If you want your child to use their personal device/browser for other purposes or without the school cyber safety systems in place, then it is important that students sign out of their school account and sign into a personal account created by you. If your child has borrowed a school Chromebook, they should only be using this with their school login and for learning purposes.

We also utilise a specialised web filtering system to help keep our students safe online. This filter automatically alerts staff whenever a student account is potentially being used to access unsafe content on the internet. Like Highlights, this filter system is active whenever a student is signed into their school account, even if they are at home. If we receive a concerning filter alert during lockdown, we will contact you via email.

It is important to note that teachers never rely on just the filtering system. We work hard to actively monitor students’ screens and always ask students to work in a place where their screens are visible. We strongly encourage you to adopt a similar approach at home by making sure children only use devices in a family area where they can be easily seen. We also encourage you to actively check that your child/children are using the device in a safe and positive manner.


Quick update – moving to Level 3

Posted on by

Kia ora e te whānau

We hope you all had a lovely weekend and managed to get out in the fabulous weather that we are currently having.

Please do not come into the school grounds between 9am and 3pm, Mon-Fri, during Alert Level 3

As we re-open school tomorrow, for the small number of children who need to attend, please can I remind everyone that the school grounds will be off-limits for everyone else between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday. This is important to keep the integrity of the bubbles we have created here at school for our school attendees.

Using Zoom for Learning meetings with students

We have today opened up Zoom to our Google Suite for students. Our teachers have been using Zoom for their meetings, and find this platform to be far superior to the similar option of Google Meet which they have been using with the children.

Please be aware that your child's security is a top priority for us. To that end, we have the following procedures in place, and we ask you to monitor (as always) what your child is using their school account for at home.
  • All Zoom meetings with staff and students will be recorded by the staff member. 
  • Staff have enabled Zoom 'waiting rooms' meaning that students cannot begin a meeting without the teacher who created the meeting being in the room.
  • Students should ideally be in a room where you can at least see them, when they are in a zoom conference. (Bedrooms and bathrooms are not appropriate places for children to be when using social / meeting platforms.
  • Please remind your child that their google accounts are for school and learning use only. This means that they should not be using their student accounts to engage in Zoom or Google Meets with one another for social purposes. 

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the team

Kauri Whānau: Term 2 Week 2/3 in Lockdown Update

Posted on by
Kia ora everyone,

We are aware, from our phone calls with you over the past fortnight, that being in Level 4 is playing out in many different ways for our Kauri families. Some families are loving the opportunity to spend more time together and their children are thriving under the self-direction of learning at home and others are at their wit's end and can't wait for it to be a distant memory. And then there is everyone in-between.

We have enjoyed touching base with you and being able to do our bit to support the learning at home. This is looking different in different homes and that is just fine. The phone calls from us will taper off now, as we focus more on providing feedback and support so that our tamariki can get the most out of the learning we are putting on-line. This said, please do not hesitate to contact us (via email) if you have questions or need support with your child's learning. We can then give you a call as required. Keeping lines of communication open is very important to the success of this 'at home learning' approach.

Connecting

A number of children have been joining us at 11am each school day for a social catch-up. We now have a sizeable bunch of 'regulars', showing that this form of connecting is making a difference. If your child would like to join the fun, they just need to send Hannah an email sometime between 8am and 10:45 to join with 11am catch-up.



Show-time

We are looking forward to our 'camp' concert via Zoom on this coming Thursday at 4pm. Entries for items are dribbling in. We know there is lots of great talent out there. If your child would like to perform (and anyone in your bubble is welcome to join them) please encourage them to fill in the form on the Kauri Google Classroom by the end of Tuesday. 

Level 3 Changes

A small group of Kauri children will be part of the two school 'bubbles' when we hit Level 3 on Tuesday. Those families will be getting information from Sandy. Jenny is one of the 'bubble' teachers. This will mean that some of the children in Te Tai home-group will be getting learning feedback and support from either Hannah, Megan or Nicky, instead of Jenny. We will be sorting this out on Tuesday, our teacher only day, and letting you know of any changes in arrangements. 

Daily Routines for Learning at Home

In order to be getting the most out of our learning at home programme, your children should be:

  • Going to our 'learning at home' page (via school website or google classroom) each morning to view the daily video and scan through any page updates
  • Checking their emails every day
  • Accessing learning via Google Classroom
  • Emailing their teacher if they have questions about anything

Video Conferencing

We are using video conferencing to connect with children socially (11am each school day) and to support individuals and small groups with their learning. We have found these learning conferences can make a big difference and we are more than happy to arrange these. Please email us (or your child can) if you think your child needs a video conference to support their learning. We are currently using a mix of Google Meet and Zoom. 

A different way of giving feedback

One of the gems that we have uncovered over the past fortnight is using screencasts to give students feedback. The students get their feedback in the form of a video of their work on screen, with the teacher giving feedback and suggestions. This is proving to be much more powerful than feedback that is typed. If a child has difficulty opening the link to their screencast, they need to email us. Not every child will have got a screencast, yet. This is definitely something we will continue to do when we get back to school.

Dave, our 24/7 youth worker, is keen to make contact with any children who would like to chat.

Blogging about our school values 

A number of our children are reflecting on how our school values are being lived at the moment and writing about this on their blogs. Below is a lovely example of 'We get there together' from Zara M.

Finding Bears

Lots of people around the Beckenham neighbourhood are putting teddy bears on their balcony, in their windows or in their garden. So when people are going for a walk they can look for bears. People love this and when they're walking they can sing "we're going on a bear hunt". This will encourage more people to go for walks and stay fit during lockdown. 

There is also a map you can put your teddy bear on. So when people are walking around the neighbourhood they can see that you have one at your house. People are walking around competing against people see who can find the most bears. We put one at our house and I got some chalk and wrote look for the bear. It was fantastic seeing people walk past and read it and smile when they saw our bear in the living room window with hippy sunglasses on. 

One person wrote 'look for the beers' and they had 2 beer bottles in their window.  

I think this is an awesome idea as it will encourage people to go for more walks. But just remember if you're doing for a walk, run, like or scooter stay local so no one spreads Covid 19. 

Thanks for reading and start searching for bears. Or even just put a teddy bear somewhere on your property that people will be able to see from street view. 



All the best for the next couple of weeks and please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if needed.