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Connect Communication
09 August 2023
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I am back on board this week after having a week in Hobart for the APPA Conference: Refreshing Leadership, Inspiring Futures. I attended with 12 other Canterbury principals and was also able to visit some schools in Hobart.
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Issues facing educators and children in Australia are very similar to what we are experiencing in New Zealand; access and inequity, major increases in mental health needs of students at the primary school level, and poorly organised or no significant resources to support schools and families with these needs.
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The complex work that principals do each day was top of mind for many presenters and we were reminded to 'prune' rather than 'add more', to ensure we have a 'self-care plan', and to 'let the children play', especially in the junior years. The content provided a great mix of challenge and affirmation for our practice at Ararira Springs.
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Thanks to the many of you that took the time to complete our survey. The responses were very positive. I will be sharing the results with our ERO strategic partner to analyse and look for trends. We will then share a more detailed breakdown of the results in a future email. We will also be seeking the thoughts and opinions of the staff and children.
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The board will use this feedback when drafting our strategic goals for 2024 and 2025. These, in combination with the documents and requirements from the Ministry will be shared for your consideration before the end of the term. The MOE has requested that schools next plan be two years and then return to three yearly from 2026.
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Te Kupu o te Wiki - This Week's Kupu:
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This week's kupu is hoa - friend
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Countdown to Māori Language Week, 11-17 September
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Those wishing to participate in Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori are urged to join the movement by signing up on reomaori.co.nz. There, people can upload their “moment”, and share why they’re learning te reo Māori. Users who signed up for previous Māori Language Moments can also head to Reo Māori to update their information in time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
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Mediators Big Day Out 2023
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Canterbury Schools came together on 27th July 2023, for the Canterbury Mediators Big Day Out. Hosted at Tai Tapu Primary school in Tai Tapu. After being disrupted last year and not being able to host a MBDO we had a strong turn out with 8 schools present 66 Mediators, 11 support adults and 2 Students from Burnside High School to support.
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We would also like to congratulate Jimmy (Teretere 3) on being awarded a certificate on the day for always being ready, always making sure others are on the right track and building good relationships with tamariki, especially the younger ones.
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We would also like to thank Mark for taking the mediators to Tai Tapu and supporting them throughout the day.
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Huarapa Trip to Ferrymead
The Huarapa team spent a day at Ferrymead as part of our inquiry topic of sustainability (Māku e whakatika - It starts with me). The tamariki:
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Experienced energy usage of the past, and explored wind, water and solar technology - hands on!
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Explored sustainable energy, resources and the impact on the environment and compared this to what we do today, to that in the past.
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Aotearoa NZ histories curriculum: Local history of our early settlers.
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The tamariki had a great day and learnt a lot.Thank you to our wonderful whānau for supporting the staff and learners on this day out.
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Welcome to Ararira Springs Primary!
This week we welcome Robbie, Elsa and Quinn to Huarapa. We hope you love Ararira Springs Primary as much as we do!
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If you know of families moving into the area or with preschoolers, please encourage them to fill out our online enrolment form soon as possible. This allows us to plan ahead and recruit the teachers we might need!
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Uniforms
A friendly reminder that all students need to be sent to school in the correct Ararira Springs Primary school uniform. Non-uniform items are not permitted. Full uniform requirements and where to order replacement new or second hand items are listed here.
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Please also ensure all items are named as we are finding many items in our lost property are un-named.
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Health Consultation
Health and physical education encompasses three different but related subjects: health education, physical education (and food technology for our senior students).
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By exploring health-related and movement contexts, ākonga learn:
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- that holistic wellbeing is a combination of the physical, mental and emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of people’s lives. Our schools wellbeing model is: Te Whare Tapa Whā.
- to think critically and make meaning of the world around them
- how to bring about sustainable health-enhancing change for individuals, communities, and society.
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Wednesday 16th August, 6-7pm in the staffroom.
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Cohort Entry
At Ararira Springs - Te Puna o Ararira, we will be starting our tamariki two times a term, rather than on a child's fifth birthday. This will begin from Term 1, 2024. This means that tamariki will start school in cohorts (small groups) after they have turned five. There will be two entry points or start dates per term as set by the Ministry of Education:
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one on the first day of term
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one at a mid-point during a term.
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The following information is from the Ministry of Education website:
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*The mid-point of each term will be the Monday nearest to half way between the first and the last day of the term. If the Monday falls on a public holiday the next working day will be used as the mid-term date.
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**The date used for the first term is the latest possible term start date. Even if your school uses an earlier start date than the day after Waitangi Day, or finishes before the latest possible end date for Term 4, the mid-term dates will apply for the purposes of a cohort entry policy.
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IMPORTANT DATES 2023
- 09 August (tonight) - THT meeting, 7pm in the staffroom
- 10 August - NZ Maths Parent/Child Evening, 5.15-6.15pm at Prebbleton School
- 16 August - Health Consultation, 6-7pm in the Staffroom (see above)
- 18 August - Hui (Whaea Lesley, H2), 9.15am in the hall
- 06 September - School Board meeting, 6.30pm in the staffroom
- 08 September - Quiz Night (tickets on sale now - see below)
- 11-12 September - School photos
- 22 September - Term 3 ends
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School Board
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Te Whatu Ora (the Ministry of Health) has published guidance on managing winter illnesses in schools here.
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We support our staff to stay at home when they are unwell, and we ask you to keep your children home if they show symptoms such as new onset of a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, they are off their food and drink or show signs of feeling miserable.
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Healthy young children can have 8 to 12 colds or upper respiratory tract infections each year and these are a normal part of childhood.
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The isolation period for Covid-19 remains 7 days.
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Following vomiting or diarrhoea, a child must be symptom free for 48 hours before they can return to school.
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For other illnesses, your child can return to school 24 hours after they have significantly improved and are behaving/eating normally. If they still have a runny nose or dry cough without any other symptoms such as a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, then they are unlikely to be infectious and can be considered well enough to attend school.
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The school board met on Wednesday 2 August. As well as discussing the ongoing development of our updated strategic plan, we reviewed progress on the design of our new building.
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This term we seek your input on our policies on Learning Support Coordination, Identify Learning Support, Gifted Learners, Learning Support, Inclusive Education and Māori Educational Success; the board will be focussing on the last three of these.
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If you'd like to review the policy and comment on it, please visit our SchoolDocs site at https://ararira.schooldocs.co.nz. Our username is "ararira" and password "russdrive". Comments can be anonymous, and all comments will be reviewed by the board at the next meeting on 06 September 2023.
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We have regular meetings with the project team to monitor the progress of the design, which is not as far advanced as we would like; but we have little ability to influence this as the Ministry of Education is responsible for engaging the design team and builder. We're happy with the design proposed, which makes use of the vacant space on the fourth side of the courtyard.
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Following our notification of the vacant board position for a parent representative, there were no requests for an election and therefore we will directly appoint the new member. We have received expressions of interest and are considering these in accordance with the criteria set out in the Education Act (here).
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Finally, we considered the mid year reporting on student achievement from the senior leadership team. This shows that in general, satisfactory progress is being made; and that where needed, appropriate action plans are in place to support all our children in achieving their potential.
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NEXT MEETING - 06 September, 6.30 pm in the Staffroom
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THT - Te Hapori Tautoko - providing opportunities to tautoko (support) and connect our school community and fundraising for school initiatives and resources.
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Quiz Tickets
Quiz tickets are now on sale via Kindo! Gather your team of 6 and be quick to grab a ticket for a table in Kindo.
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Remember, the number of tickets are limited, so act fast!
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For those seeking fantastic costumes, Rolleston Costume Hire is an excellent option to explore. Get your team-themed outfits ready to stand out and make the night even more memorable!
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NEXT MEETING - 09 August (tonight), 7.00pm in the Staffroom. All welcome.
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Second-Hand Uniforms - THT has a small selection of second-hand uniform items available for purchase. Click here to view a list of the items we currently have available. If you have uniform items to donate please contact Charlotte via charlotte.mcmenamin@ararira.school.nz
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Maths Week
Week 4 brings the excitement of MATHS WEEK to New Zealand Schools. This year, the tamariki will be participating in some pretty cool whole-school maths challenges; we will be sure to keep you posted on what we get up to, via Facebook. ASP, along with other schools in our Kahui Ako, has been working with the maths guru, Rob Profitt-White this year.
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We would love you to come to a maths information evening, hosted by Rob, on Thursday 10th August; this will be held in the Prebbleton School Hall, from 5:15-6:15pm. Please see below for further details.
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Southlands iLT Masters Darts Competition - Cooper (Teretere 3)
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Cooper, Year 8, will be taking part in the Southlands iLT Masters Darts competition on the 26th of August in Christchurch. He is part of a mixed team who are representing the Canterbury Combined Chartered Darts Club. We would like to wish him all the best in his upcoming competition.
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City of Sails - Cameron (Hikuwai 5)
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Cameron competed at the City of Sails Championship this weekend in Auckland. Not only did he win his age group, he also received the trophy for the junior Champion of Champion. This is where the judges select their top dancer out of all the winners in the below 13 yrs age groups. This was a huge achievement for Cam and as you can see from his smile he was delighted with his wins. Congratulations Cameron, we are proud of you!
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Canterbury Junior Gymnastics Champs - Addyson (Hikuwai 3)
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Addyson competed last Sunday in the Canterbury Junior Gymnastics Championships and scored an excellent 14.15 on her beam. Well done, Addyson!
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Upcoming Sports Events for Term 3
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PLEASE NOTE: These are Lincoln Zones (LZ) and Primary Schools Canterbury(PSC) tournaments and competitions.
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Dates for Ararira Springs Primary (ASP) sporting events are also included. Reminders will be sent out individually
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Please click on the buttons below for highlights and more information.
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All orders will be delivered to school in batches and distributed to the classrooms as they arrive. Any orders marked as gifts, we will put to one side and contact you when they are ready to be collected.
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Spend $70+ and 3 FREE books
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Spend $50+ and get 2 FREE books
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Spend $30+ and get 1 FREE book
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Digital Complications and Applications What is digital addiction? Digital addiction among students in New Zealand is a growing concern in the modern era, as technology and digital devices have become an integral part of daily life. While technology offers numerous benefits, excessive and uncontrolled use can lead to addiction and negatively impact students' academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. …
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Coaching is an important part of Ararira learning for our teachers and our older ākonga. We see coaching as an opportunity to sit with a colleague or support person and in the first instance, check in. Secondly, it provides the coachee with the chance to be listened to and supported. The coachee might share an issue, concern or goal. The …
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The Importance of Attendance We all recognise that education is the pathway to the future. The key to educational success relies on being present at school. Consistent routines and mileage is a big component of learning. Neurological pathways in our brains require repetitive exposure to strengthen and cement learning and develop mastery. We also develop these neural pathways for resilience, …
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Neurodiverse Learners Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the range of neurological differences among individuals, including conditions such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and others. From a school's perspective, it is essential to acknowledge the diversity in the learning abilities within students and provide support which is reflective of their needs. Children who are neurodivergent can face a number of …
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Peer Mediation Ararira Springs has adopted the peer mediation programme as it fits so strongly with our values of being caring, curious and capable. Peer mediators, selected from Year 7/8 classes, undergo a period of training based on the 'Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme' prior to being on duty in the playground. Peer mediation is an approach to conflict resolution …
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The curriculum taught in New Zealand schools is currently undergoing a refresh and changes to the eight curriculum learning areas will be phased in over the next three years (2023-2026). The first area to be redesigned and introduced into schools across the country is the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum. This forms the cornerstone of the Social Sciences learning area …
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