Kaurihohore School Week Eight, Term One News 2022
Manaaki te katoa - be kind to all.
Respect - Empathy - Kindness
He whakatauki. Ehara tāku toa i te toa takitahi. Engari, he toa takitini.
Success is not the work of one but the work of many.
Kia ora koutou,
In the last couple of weeks COVID has really hit our families and our staff. We have had six staff impacted so far, with currently four away. In a school our size, that does have a significant impact and with relievers very light on the ground, we are doing our best to cover the classes impacted. The next three weeks are likely to be more of the same, so like you, we will continue to do our best, but please be mindful that we are stretched. We appreciate your patience, kindness and respect.
In the event that we could not cover a class, we would have no option but to switch that class to home learning. This would mean that just children of critical workers could attend school from that class, but would be placed in another class for that period of time.
Critical services include:
food production and its supply chain
key public services like health and emergency services
lifeline utilities such as power and water supplies
transport
critical financial services
news media
social welfare
human and animal health and welfare.
We are very hopeful that we will not get to this stage, but please be prepared. In the event that this did happen, it would mean that the classroom teacher was sick themselves, whānau would need to access home learning links via the school blog as the teacher can not be expected to support home learning when they are unwell themselves.
In the event that your child has to be isolated as they are either sick, or a household contact, please do not expect lots of home learning to be supplied, as the teacher will still be providing for their class at school. If your child is sick, please don’t expect them to do any learning, if they are a household contact, make use of the ideas provided by the link on our school blog site.
http://kaurihohoreschool.blogspot.com/ the link is in the bottom box, top line, in the right corner. Unfortunately this format will not work on a phone.
If in doubt, stick to working on your child’s learning goals that will have been provided by your child’s teacher, encourage them to read and encourage them to write.
It is also worth noting that throughout this time our support staff have been hardest hit so far. We have felt the significant impact of this as they do so much for us and our children. We can not wait to have them back!
With all that said, our school continues to be a happy place to be, with children benefiting from a learning rich environment.
I am grateful for the support you have shown us in following COVID guidelines, we understand that this is a tough time for everyone.
Mā te ngākau
aroha koe e ārahi
Let a loving heart guide your decisions
Updated Guidelines From MOH
The Ministry of Health has provided further clarity on when household contacts should be isolated.
What does it mean if I am a household contact? – Ministry of Health
For households where someone has COVID-19, the Ministry of Health recommends you apply the following guidance.
If someone becomes a confirmed COVID-19 case, then that case and all other people in their household must be isolated for seven days.
If someone else in the household then tests positive for COVID-19 during those seven days:
the isolation period for that person only re-sets – that person must isolate for an additional seven days from the day they test positive or symptoms begin
Other household contacts who do not test positive are still able to leave isolation after the original case has completed their seven days isolation.
For the next 10 days after a household completes seven days isolation, evidence shows that due to their exposure to COVID-19 they are less likely to catch or transmit the virus. This means:
if someone else in the household tests positive within those 10 days, the whole household will not have to re-isolate, only the positive case
If someone else in the household tests positive and it has been more than 10 days since the household completed isolation, household contacts should re-isolate along with the new case for seven days.
Any person who has had COVID-19 within the last 90 days/three months will not need to be isolated as a household contact unless they become symptomatic and test positive again. This is because reinfection rates for people who have had COVID-19 are low for the three months after they have the virus.
Remember, Day 0 for isolation is the day symptoms began or the day the positive test was taken (whichever came first). You should then count your seven days from there.
Honey - Still Available For Purchase
There are still 500g tubs of Kaurihohore Bee Friends honey available at the school office! $10 a tub.
Ngā mihi for your support!
Easter Raffle
Raffle tickets have gone home with your child.
We are requesting that every family in the school sell 15 tickets at $2 each. Please also send in an item that can be put into the raffle. This does not have to be Easter themed, it can simply be a grocery item (not expired please) that can be added to the hamper. There will be multiple draws dependent on the amount of hampers we are able to make up.
As you are probably very aware, fundraising has been tough for everyone. As a school we are running on a significant shortfall given that we rely heavily on all fundraising efforts to simply cover our day to day costs. Our community fundraising this year needs to raise
$26 000 just to cover day to day expenses.
If you do not want to sell these tickets, or are unable to, please send them back to the office ASAP. All sold tickets and money needs to be back by the 1st of April and the raffle will be drawn on the 11th of April.
See Dianne if you have any questions, or email reception@kaurihohoreschool.co.nz
Moosies and Juicies
Friday Moosies and Juicies $2 each
For the next 8 weeks we will be selling moosies and juices. Orders to the office - please put cash in an envelope with the child's name, room number/name and preference. Orders will be given out on a Friday, except for the last week of this term.
Please get your orders in each week by Wednesday afternoon. Pay per week or prepay for 8 weeks, cash only sorry.
Fundraising
Historically the school has operated two approaches to fundraising, the PSG and local school, staff led fundraising. After discussions we decided this was not the best approach any longer, for one it is confusing (is it PSG or school account?) as well as not inclusive of our whole community. Leaving it to a few to do the mahi in a world where we all work now is just not a feasible approach.
So Friends of Kaurihohore was launched. You can find the facebook group from our school page and give it a like, so you can keep up with what is going on and find out how you can help.
Currently we are asking you to choose the logo that you prefer, so we can adopt this.
The purpose of this group is to make use of everyone in our community, so people can help where they can. Many hands make light work.
It is no longer about being on a committee, coming to meetings or managing a separate group. It is about putting your hand up to be part of groups that are running specific fundraising approaches when you can.
This is about our school, our children and our community.
Currently our goal this year is $26 000, that is what the PSG and the school fundraise each year just to keep our school ticking. Each year we rely on this amount to keep our budget viable. Even with this, at times the budget we set is in deficit.
Every large and small fundraiser over the terms contributes to this overall amount, so please support where you can and if you have an idea for a fundraiser that you are happy to organise, please let Dianne know.
On top of this $26 000 we usually have projects we are trying to raise money for. Currently this is the canopy, and after that it will be for the turf.
As you can see, fundraising to keep a school ticking is no small feat and every past PSG member is to be applauded for doing just that!
Empty Classroom Day
We will be having our empty classroom day on the last day of term. Thursday the 14th of April. On this day, children play outside. Given the weather, it is likely they will get wet and muddy, so several changes of clothes, a bag to put them in and a towel are musts on this day!
Children are welcome to bring along tools (no knives) or other items they would like to use. Some children choose to bring tents etc that they can easily put up and down. They come set up for a great day with their friends.
Others like to bring along items to play games with…whatever they do bring, remember it is their responsibility to look after it at school.
You may like to come along on the day, especially if there is a project your child would like help with, I know some are really into building huts at the moment, so it is a good opportunity to get a bit of adult input.
We will have sausages and baking available for sale on this day too.
Term One- Known Dates
14th of April - Last day of the school term, empty classroom day!
School Bank Account Details
Account 12-3093-0200709-00
Kaurihohore school board of Trustees
Food for thought...
Noho ora mai - stay well, look after yourself and look out for others!
Leslee Allen
