Tena Koutou Katoa,
Welcome back to school for the 2021 year. I hope you all managed to have an enjoyable break, get lots of rest and recovery and fill your buckets with whanau time and getting into nature!
Wellbeing in Schools Partnership
Throughout January I have been working alongside the Wellbeing in Schools Partnership (WISP) team to further develop the relationships and work we have been doing alongside health to further support our rangatahi and tamariki. We have been meeting with LSC's and the appropriate staff within schools already this year to develop plans for individual teachers who require support. If you have concerns that you think we may be able to assist with please let your LSC and/or SENCo know that you would like to make an appointment.
A sample of some concerns we have discussed through our process include:
High Health Needs applications
Direct contact with paediatrician or other health personnel
Student soiling or wetting
Plans for managing behaviour prior to Child Development Team appointments
Assistance with knowing where a referral might need to be sent
Advice and guidance around health issues - to further develop adult workforce understanding
Involvement of Social Worker with whanau to ensure their needs and views are heard
We are happy to advise whether the WISP is the right process for addressing your needs. Feel free to make contact with your LSC, SENCo, RTLB and Debbie Holmes holmesd@kaitao.school.nz or register on our website wisprotorua.com (using your school email).
Kahui Ako - Across School Teacher Roles - Hauora
Kahui Ako Principals revised and reprioritised the Achievement Challenges for Te Maru o Ngongotahā late in 2020. While overall the main ideas remain the same there will be more emphasis placed on Hauora. The advertisement for the remaining 2 ASL positions reflect this change in priorities.
The advertisement and application package for the ASL roles is available from your principal and attached using these links.
Emergency Housing and Transport
There are a couple of different inquiries into providing transport to school for some of our tamariki who are in emergency housing and therefore some distance from the school they are enrolled in. I will keep principals up to date with information as I hear more. Thnak you to Brent Griffin, who has initiated work with MSD and Merle Ramsay who is working within MOE to find a solution for these whanau.
Trauma Informed Practice
I have been informed that there will be more professional learning through the Werry Workforce about Trauma Informed Practice coming before the middle of this year. There is likely to be a repeat of the session held last year as well as ongoing training which will offer practical solutions for schools and classroom teachers. I will send out the information for registration to these days when it is made available.
Online Safety Information Evening
Thanks to Ben McFarlane (Western Heights Primary) who prompted the booking below for parents and staff of all our Kahui Ako schools to attend. Please promote this within your schools, add to your newsletter and encourage parents to come so we can keep more of our students and their families safe from some of online harms they face.
Each principal will have made the decision about how the cost of the evening will be covered by your school and will let you know through your school systems and notices how much entry will be.
Noho Marae, Camps and EOTC
Our staff started the year with a 3 day Noho Marae at Poihakena Marae in Raglan. Our teachers are in full swing planning our Whole School Noho Marae, which takes place on a rolling basis over 10 days in weeks 4&5. We hold our Noho early in the year at our school to ensure relationship building, whanaungatanga and sense of belonging happen quickly.
Intermediate, as with any transition can be difficult for students (and adults), so this intensive time together helps to bond groups, classes and teams together for the year.
We became really aware during the staff Noho juts how important this time together is and how being together on the Marae builds whanaungatanga in a way that nothing else does. These shared experiences do something that the sometimes artificial construct of team bonding cannot achieve.
While camps, Noho and EOTC can be scary with all the health and safety and RAMs needed to organise them, they are well and truly worthwhile in building class, team and school culture. Kia kaha!
As you settle into Term 1 and the holiday becomes a distant memory, take care of yourself -schedule your downtime and remember to acknowledge the good that you do every day!
Debbie Holmes
Deputy Principal - Kaitao Intermediate
Kahui Ako Lead Principal
Kaiwhakahaere - WISP