Newsletter Term 3 Week 10

Windy Ridge School Newsletter
23rd September 2020
Term 3 Week 10
www.windyridge.school.nz
KINDO: online school shop (click on KINDO to register)

Respect, Resilience, Kindness, Integrity
Kia ora, Hello, Kamusta, Hola a todos, As-salāmu, alaykum, Kumusta, Annyeonghaseyo, Ni Hao, Konichiwa, Namaste, Zdravstvuyte, Ciao, Cześć, Szia, Hallo, Bonjour, Salut, Shalom, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Talofa Lava, Malo e Leilei, Kia Orana, Kia Ora Koutou

News from the Principal

“Te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga nōna te ao”.

The bird who eats the miro berry is from the forest; the bird who feasts on education is of the world.”

Tēnā koutou katoa, Nǐ hǎo – 你好

Chinese Language Week

Dàjiā wènhòu 大家问候– greetings to everyone. In this week’s newsletter I celebrate Chinese Language week. We are privileged to have Chinese students at WRS who help add to the rich diversity of our learning community. China’s national languages of Mandarin and Cantonese are shared around our playground and I love hearing the pride in which some of our students share their rich language together. In my last school I enjoyed a strong relationship with schools in the city of Ningbo, one of whom became a sister school. I welcomed Nigboian students each year to NZ and lead tours of Year 6 students to China in return. The experiences that we all shared with each other were invaluable for developing deeper understandings around culture and trust and respect for diversity.

I am always staggered by the linguist skills of Chinese speakers who have to master 2,000-3,000 characters to be able to have a simple conversation. The whole language has upwards of 50,000 characters. This puts our Roman alphabet of 26 letters into context. To our Chinese families: Wǒ hóngyáng nǐ de– I celebrate your culture – Dàjiā wènhòu 大家问候

NZ Sign Language Week

This week is also NZ Sign Language week. NZ Sign is our nations’ 3rd Language after Te Reo Māori and English.

Perhaps in the future we might be able to bring some sign language experts into our School to teach the students some of the basics. Certainly as we go forward, I’d like to see us respecting our deaf community by learning to sign our National Anthem at Assemblies. Here are some basic signs in the NZ sign alphabet:

This Week’s Lockdown Drill

This week we held a Lockdown drill in School, as part of our scheduled evacuation and safety drills. This is a practice that is mandated in all NZ Schools. As is standard advice and practice, drills are not advertised to students and community ahead of time to ensure that the children respond authentically.

At Monday’s drill, we used the drill as a teaching moment and Julia our expert from Harrison Tew who audited our drill briefed the children in the Hall just before. The children were given a non-threatening scenario – “Mr Upton’s dog had got out and followed him to school accompanied by her friends, and so we thought we should practice going into lock down until all of the dogs were safely rounded up.” What I can report is that the children all responded brilliantly and no one was stressed or frightened, rather they really enjoyed the adventure.

I know that we are living in anxious times, but we also have a duty of care to our children to teach them the correct responses to danger and emergencies. Obviously, if any parents have concerns around our emergency procedures, I would be more than happy to discuss them with them.

Our next drill will be as part of the National Shakeout in Term 4, and will be focused around teaching our students what we need to do in an earthquake.

So It’s Nearly Time for the School Holidays

I’d like to congratulate our wonderful students for showing amazing resilience and fortitude during what has been another disrupted term due to Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns. Thankfully we will be able to finish our term together and celebrate our achievements and successes. We will also be able to farewell Mrs. Huppler who is leaving us on Friday. We will miss you Sarah, but wish you every success for the future and thank you for all that you have done for our school as both a dedicated teacher and BOT member.

To our students and whānau, I wish you a restful break. Enjoy the improving weather and cherish your time together.

Keep safe and stay well everyone.

Gàobié  告别 - Farewell

Ka kite anō au i a koutou

Jonathan Lambert

Principal

Sir Peter Blake – Red Socks Day

Sir Peter Blake is one of New Zealand’s great heroes. He was a world famous sailor, adventurer and environmentalist who never gave up on his dreams. His style of leadership was to build a great team and empower them to be strong individually, but work together to succeed. Through hard work and self belief, he said you can achieve your dreams.

This Friday we remember Sir Peter Blake and ask the children at Windy Ridge to wear red socks or something red and to bring a gold coin donation which will go to the Sir Peter Blake foundation to inspire young leaders in New Zealand.

From the Board of Trustees

A school board of trustees is responsible for the overall governance of the school, setting goals, monitoring progress, and representing the community, so that our school reflects who we are.

Our current board members are Marie Cheeseman (Chairperson), Stacey Anderson and Susan Andrews, and we also welcomed Mei Anderson as a selected board member at our August meeting.

Calls for nominations

We now have 2 casual vacancies on our Board of Trustees, which we need to fill by having a by-election. Last week we posted nomination forms to all eligible parents and caregivers. If you wish to nominate a person who is interested in standing for the Board of Trustees please complete the form and return to school by noon on the 2nd October 2020, either by post, email or hand delivered. You can nominate another person to stand as a candidate or you can nominate yourself.

Once nominations have closed, the returning officer will determine if we have enough nominations to hold an election, if we do have enough to hold an election, voting forms will be sent out to families by the 7th October. Please contact Suzanne Boyce sboyce@windyridge.school.nz if you have any questions.

It’s Still Not Too Late To Have Your Say

As was mentioned in last week’s Newsletter, parents have the opportunity to review the learning support policy for our school. If you would like to participate in the review:

Visit the website https://windyridge.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
Enter the username (windyridge) and password (WRS0629).
Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
Read the policy.
Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
Select the reviewer type “Parent”.
Enter your name (optional).
Submit your ratings and comments.
If you don’t have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

On the first day of term 4 we have PhotoLife Studios at school taking class, individual and sibling photos in the hall. We will send a reminder out in the last week of the holidays. If you would like a sibling photo including preschoolers please send an email to the office, these photos will be taken in the morning from 9am.

Health & Well-being

Dental service during the Covid-19 Level 2 lockdown – ARDS letter to our community – 1 September 2020 Auckland Regional Dental Service I Waitemata DHB, 144 Chivalry Road, Glenfield, 0629, p: 0800 TALK TEETH (Option 1) | 09 444 6160

Sports Update

Rippa Rugby We have received confirmation that we will have a one day Rippa Tournament on Thursday October 27th. Unfortunately this date coincides with our Team Tui camp. This means we will only be able to take our year 3/4 students. Team Tui students will be reimbursed for this event. You MUST register your child as a player at Windy Ridge School. Please follow this link; https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/102528 Please email me if you are available to attend on the day to supervise the teams. sturner@windyridge.school.nz

Basketball has plans to resume play in Week 1 of Term 4. Please keep an eye on your emails closer to the start of Term 4 for the draw. You can also check out

https://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-2857-0-0-0&a=COMPS#Tuesday

The Pukeko and Falcon students have just concluded their 16 Tennis lessons with Gavin Hill from Glenfield Tennis Club. They have a school holiday programme available for Mon-Wed. IF you would like to enquire you can contact Gavin on 027 4 TENNIS

The Tui Team will be having a Softball Day tomorrow. This is to replace the interschool competition that was cancelled due to extended restrictions on gatherings. This will be a fun day for all Tui students to have a go. We ask that the students bring their water bottles and wear a hat.

Touch Rugby Registration is open for Touch Rugby for Term 4. Please log on to Kindo and look under Sports Registrations for more information. Games will be played on Wednesdays at Kaipātiki Park. Game times will be at 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, and 5:30 pm – younger players generally play the earlier games and the older players play the later games. Fees are $40 for the season. There will be 7 games beginning on November 4th. Teams are open to year 1 -6 boys and girls.

Shore to Shore Fun Run The shore to shore run which had been postponed due to lock down back in March has been rescheduled for November 8th. A large portion of your entry fee goes to Windy Ridge School to support purchasing PE gear. Please register your families for this awesome event.

School Happenings – Dates for your Diaries

Please check the school calendar for term dates and information and on our website and the Skool Loop. Here are a few important dates for you:

PhotoLife – Class & students photos – Monday 12th October
Team Tui Camp 21-23 October
School Fun Run/Colour Run 3rd November (New Date)

My Kindo Android & iPhone App now available

myKindo app is now available for iPhone and Android phones. If you like the flexibility of ordering anywhere, anytime then go ahead and download the app! Access via the app store, searching “mykindo” or by using the links below – Android Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.tgcl.mykindo iPhone App Store: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/mykindo/id1445622107

Skool Loop App

Upcoming Events and Trips

**** School Notices are available on the school website. ****

Team Tui Camp – In term 4 from the 21st to 23rd October the year 5 & 6 students will be attending camp at Carey Park. We are holding the parent information evening tonight via zoom, an email with your zoom invitation was sent on Monday. On Monday we sent home these important notices for you to read, complete, and return to school. Camp payment, Medical and Detail Form– 2020 Camp Gear List – Camp payment and permission slip – EOTC-HealthProfileandMedicalConsent.docx – Please contact your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.
Team Pukeko Zoo Trip – We have been advised by the Zoo that due to the continued level 2 restrictions this trip has now been postponed until term 4.
Term 3 Team Newsletters – Team Falcon Term 3 Newsletter – 2020, Team Pukeko Term 3 Newsletter – 2020 Team Fantail Term 3 Newsletter 2020 Team Tui Term 3 Newsletter 2020
School Fun Run/Colour Run – We will be holding a School Fundraiser through Fun Run. The school will be participating in a colour run obstacle course on November 3rd. Fundraising information will be coming out soon. All children who raise over $10 will be eligible for a prize.

Reminders

Attendance – Please ensure that your children arrive at school on time and that we are aware of their absence by 9.00am each day. You can telephone the office and leave an absence message or go online to the school website and use the Report an absence tab or use the Skool Loop app. We do follow up lateness and absence as we are required to report on both to the Ministry of Education and the Board of Trustees. If you are planning a holiday in term time please advise your child’s teacher and the office.
Kindo – To avoid office queues please go online to make payments through your mykindo account. If you haven’t used Kindo before, click this link to get started (all you need is the email address we have on record) Kindo Shop Kindo_Parent_Flyer_CHINESE If you already have a mykindo account, go to www.mykindo.co.nz or via the link on our school website. www.facebook.com/kindo.co.nz This site also hosts our online lunch ordering system Ezlunch – All orders must be made before 9am. Ezlunch T3 Menu
WINDY RIDGE PARENTS Facebook – We have a closed Facebook page for Windy Ridge parents – you need to request to be part of this page, we are only able to accept parents and caregivers to this page. It is a valuable page for reminders, information, and general WRS ‘stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/windyridgeparents/
Walking School Bus – We have 2 Walking School Buses at WRS. They leave from Stephanie Close, Hiwihau Place. Most of them leave around 8.15am in the morning to get the students to school for 8.30am. If you would like your child(ren) to come on the Walking School Bus AND are able to help just one morning or afternoon a week, see Mrs Boyce in the office for a form and she will pass your details on to the right person. The Walking School Buses are solely run by awesome volunteers so your help is always appreciated.
Lost Property – Please remember to check our lost property bin on the hall deck for any lost items, please name all items of clothing, lunch boxes and drink bottles.
Spare Clothing – We recommend the students always have a change of clothes in their bags.
Head Lice – Please check your child’s hair weekly as unfortunately head lice are very common in the community. We have attached the link to the Ministry of Education parent information website with more information. https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/wellbeing/head-lice/ For advice on treatments: https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/h/head-lice/#Chemicalproducts Will my child have to stay away from school? No, the school will not exclude your child or ask you to keep them at home because they have lice. You don’t need to keep your child at home while you’re treating lice either. We have combs available in the office, but also your local chemist and supermarket will sell products.
Sunshine Online – www.sunshineonline.co.nz Free access to all families to use these books – Login – windyridge1 – Password – windyridge
Music Lessons – John Casson from MusiqHub is now offering music lessons in Guitar & Ukulele at our school, see the attached notice for more information. John Casson Flyer
Before & After-School Care – The sKids organisation provide this service from our school hall, please feel free to drop in and see them or register online through their website. www.skids.co.nz/locations/windy_ridge/

Term dates

School Terms 2020

Term 3 Monday 20/07 – Friday 25/09

Term 4 Monday 12/10 – Tuesday 15/12 (School Closed, 26th October – Labour Day, 27th & 28th October Teacher Only Days)

PTA News

Team Tui Sausage Sizzle – Friday 25th September Team Tui Sausage order form and ice block
Calendar Art Fundraiser – This term the students have been creating their calendar art pictures. This Friday we hope to send home order forms with a unique code for your child, these art works can be purchased in Calendar, Greeting Card, Mouse Pad, Sketch Pad or Diary format. Thanks for your support.
Yummy Stickers fundraiser – Hi everyone, please return any yummy fruit sticker/bag logo collections sheets (can be on any piece of paper!) by this Thursday 24th September. They will be counted and sent off to Yummy, but if everyone could do a page total on their own pages that would be a huge help. Yummy Sticker Sheet
Chocolate Fundraiser – Please to return all unsold boxes to school by this Friday. This is our Big Fundraiser and we aim to raise between $4,000 and $5,000 to pass on to school for projects.
Volunteers – We are always looking for more volunteers during school time to help with lunches. please email PTA@windyridge.school.nz

Community News

Glenfield Intermediate Newsletter

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M Sports Northshore Newsletter
Takapuna AFC Holiday Programme

Are the kids down that the football season is over? Get them having fun with our football holiday programme! Girls and boys from 5 to 13 are welcome. The week is full of exciting games and tournaments. Our team of highly qualified staff will ensure your kids have a ball in a positive and safe environment!

Holiday Camp Details – Venue: Takapuna AFC, Taharoto Park, Taharoto Rd, Takapuna, 0622

Dates: Week 1: Mon 28^th Sept to Thurs 1^st Oct – Week 2: Mon 5th to Thurs 8th Oct

Times/Costs: – 9am to 12pm $29 per day – 9am to 3pm $49 per day

Queries: Contact adminnorthshore@msports.co.nz

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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