Newsletter 11 17.08.22

Kiaora Koutou

Term 3 is flying by. The days are noticeably longer, and it won’t be long before the weather starts to improve.

Last week I had the opportunity to talk with several school principals and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that schools have faced over the past two years or so.

I came away from the discussion boosted and proud with what we have at Puketapu School.

Students – We have happy students who want to come to school. They are resilient and want to join in. They are active, fun and caring.

Staff – We have excellent teachers. All teachers work hard at Puketapu School. They are dedicated to their job. They are all able to adapt their practice as necessary to bring out the best in your children. Our support staff are dedicated to making Puketapu School function efficiently and safely. They work hard to provide an environment where students come first, and everyone is welcomed.

Parents – The Night Run was a great example of how Puketapu School parents support the school and pull together to make things happen. The parental support for our school is fantastic.

Wider Community – our neighbours, Mary at the Puketapu Hotel, the Alexander family, tangata whenua at our local maraes, help us all connect and support one another for the benefit of providing the children with a great start to their education.

Sometimes we need to go beyond our own boundaries to appreciate what we have. The benefits of our supportive community can be seen in the tamariki who attend our school.

Our school has a healthy, beating heart at the centre of a great community. We are privileged to be a part of it.

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Parent League and Fundraising - Last night we held our termly Parent League Meeting. It was great to see people there. Thanks to the parents who have indicated that they would like to be involved in the future.

Amy Bowkett resigned as chair after 5years on the Parent League. During her time Amy has introduced new fundraising initiatives and has ensured that the Parent League has a beating heart, a great accomplishment during a couple of difficult years. We would like to thank her for all of her work.

The results on the Puketapu Ledlenser Night Run event have been released.

342 registered competitors

Over 180 participants for the Fun Run

An increase in sponsorship

Money raised – a fantastic $21k

Thank you to the hard working committee members but in particular Simon Rutherford for his tenacity, hard work and fantastic organizational skills in order to make this happen.

Being involved in events like the Night Run are really rewarding. You get to know people, make friends, have a bit of fun and make a difference in giving back. They create memories and contribute to community. Please volunteer for our next events you will be welcomed with open arms.

Message from the Ministry of Health

Most healthy young tamariki have at least 8 viral infections, like coughs or colds, each year and these are a normal part of childhood.

Sometimes you may feel unsure of when to keep your child home to get well and when it’s OK for them to return to preschool or school. Here are some tips:

- If their symptoms have just started e.g., a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or a rash, keep them home until they’re feeling better.
- Do a RAT if your child or someone at home has COVID-19 symptoms. If anyone has a positive result, everyone living at your home will need to self-isolate for at least 7 days.
- Call your GP or ring Healthline free on 0800 611 116 for advice if your child has ongoing fever, is getting worse or won't eat and drink – even if they have already been assessed by a health professional.
- If the illness wasn't COVID-19 and your child has felt well for the past 24 hours and is eating and drinking normally, they can go back to school or preschool.
- If they still have a slight dry cough or runny nose after having an illness, but they’re otherwise feeling well, they're unlikely to be contagious and can be with others again.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the guidance for returning to schools following vomiting or diarrhoea has not changed. If a child is free of those symptoms for 48 hours, they can attend school again. We have updated the winter wellness guidance for parents, caregivers and whānau to reflect the following points:

If a child has been unwell with a respiratory illness other than COVID-19, they can return to school 24 hours after they have significantly improved and are behaving/eating normally.
Following vomiting or diarrhoea, a child should be symptom free for 48 hours before they can return.
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.
In general, a doctor’s certificate or clearance should not have to be provided for a child to go back to school after being unwell.

Under the framework, when at Orange traffic light setting, masks must be worn by children aged 12 and above on school and public transport.

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Illnesses
We have a number of bugs circulating around school at the moment. Please do not send your child to school if they are feeling unwell. Please phone or email the Office by 9.00am with an explanation of your child's absence. To keep children and staff safe, masks are still being encouraged for Yr 4-8.

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School start time

The bell for the start of the school day goes at 8.50am. If your child arrives after this time it is important that they let the School Office know that they are here.

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Good Caps
Keep up the great work with sending your caps along to school for the Good Caps collection. This runs for the whole term.
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PhotoLife
PhotoLife will be here on Tuesday 23rd August to take individual, family, sibling and class photo's. If you would like a sibling photo taken please request an order form from the School Office. A shoot key with instructions will be sent home in the following weeks for you to order your class or individual photo's.