Newsletter Week 3 Level 2 2 June 2020

From the Principal

June already! How can it  be that we are half way through the year. I hope that you are all safe and well after the storm on the weekend. Winter is definitely here, and I expect the farmers were dancing in the rain.

Just about everyone is back on board at school now which is fantastic. The children have coped well with the extra precautions, and are moving into a semblance of normality. We have decided that we will do an interim report at the end of this term about how the children have settled back into school, focusing more on the Key Competencies & our Values ( especially Growth & Respect). Next term we will do some assessments and provide an interim report on where the children sit against the Curriculum levels. The last thing we wanted to do was stress children out on their return to school with testing!

You may wonder what the Key Competencies are. They form part of the New Zealand Curriculum, and are basically life skills that we want to develop in our children. There are 5 of them: Thinking; Using Languages, Symbols & Texts; Managing Self; Relating to Others; Participating & Contributing. These fit nicely alongside our new GROW Values. Hopefully by reading the meanings below you will have a better understanding of the K.C’s ( as we teachers call them), and why they are so important. They could be part of discussions you have at home, and  areas/ actions that you can model for your children.

Thinking is about using creative, critical processes to make sense of the world, information, experiences and ideas. It is about problem solving by seeking and using the knowledge that you have gained. It is about reflecting; asking questions and challenging assumptions. It’s working out how to fix the skateboard wheel that’s fallen off. Using language, symbols and texts is basically about reading, speaking and writing. Learning all the different codes that we humans use for our phones, computers and talking to each other. Language and symbols communicate information and ideas. Information can be mathematical, scientific, technological or just plain fun. It’s recognising what the Golden Arches mean! Managing self is about having a can-do, independent attitude and children seeing themselves as competent learners. It’s about being resourceful, resilient and reliable. Children and adults who can manage themselves have goals, make plans, manage projects and set strategies. It’s getting up, getting dressed and getting to school on time by themselves! Relating to others is about interacting with your peers, friends, strangers, and adults in an appropriate way. It’s the ability to listen actively, recognise different points of view, negotiate, share ideas and work together.It’s about being aware of how their words and actions can affect others. It’s being able to sort out conflicts at school on their own. Lastly participating and contributing is about being actively involved in a variety of groups, communities and activities. These can be school, families, sports groups or clubs.  These groups can be for learning, work, celebration or recreation. They may be local, global or national. They provide a sense of belonging and confidence to contribute in a variety of ways. It’s being part of kapa haka or a soccer team .

For those of you in the Schools That Deliver teams expect an email or phone call soon to get together. Now that we are all ZOOM experts it will probably be the easiest way to get everyone together . I look forward to the questions for the community coming out soon. We do have a vacancy or 2 for the team working on Ownership of our actions. If you are at all interested in joining the team please contact Robyn Sibtsen robyn@tomarata.school.nz or Betsy Tipping betsytipping.trustee@tomarata.school.nz.

Lastly I want to say a HUGE thanks to the Mahurangi Community Charity Trust for their very generous donation. The House Captains are over the moon , as the money will fund the remembrance garden they are constructing for a past family. We appreciate your support! Have a great short week, and get those winter woollies out of the back of the drawer!

Reminders

Please remember to bring any cardboard you have at home we need alot more for our chicken coop.

Lost Property.  We have alot of items that have been left at school could you please ask your children to check they must belong to someone!

GUITAR LESSONS DRUMKIT LESSONS 

Stephen has been teaching guitar and drum lessons at Tomarata school for the last 5 years. In that time, many students have enjoyed the benefits of their journey through music. If you are interested in taking  lessons at Tomarata School please contact Stephen Fulford:

022-190-7218 or email:

fulfordstephen@gmail.com

Community Notices

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We would like to thank Bayleys Wellsford for their sponsorship