Te Totara Primary School - Growing and Learning Together

Kia ora o Te Totara whaanau

It has been quite a challenging week with Cyclone Gabrielle impacting on families, community and our country. It seems in Hamilton we were spared the worst of the weather and despite a sleepless night on Monday we all got through. Our thoughts are with those in the badly affected parts of our country and to those of you worried about family members who are dealing with the effects of the cyclone.

A big ‘thank you’ for your response to the School App and Facebook messages we sent keeping you up-to-date with what was happening at school. 

We were able to remain open during Monday and Tuesday with close supervision of our students who felt safe and cared for by our staff. We continued teaching and learning as usual. With the more extreme wind and rain coming in mid afternoon on Monday I was able to send a message allowing an earlier pick-up time just after 2.00pm onwards. That certainly managed the school pick up very well and the school site (apart from After School Care) was totally cleared by 3:20pm.  A fantastic response. Thank you so much to our wonderful staff, students and families for the calm and caring response to the situation. We certainly have a ‘Community of Care’ at Te Totara.

Anne Fraser

Principal

***  I M P O R T A N T      N O T I C E  ***

WEDNESDAY 1ST MARCH, 2023

SCHOOL CLOSES AT 12.30pm

TEACHERS UNION MEETING

On Wednesday 1st March, Teachers have a Union Meeting which they are required to attend if they are part of the Teachers Union. 

Due to the large number of staff involved in this meeting we will not be able to operate as usual. Therefore, children will need to be collected at 12.30pm on this day.

After School Care will be available for those children who are normally enrolled from 12.30pm until 5.30pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.  Most of Hamilton’s Primary and Intermediate schools are taking this action. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me on (07) 853-0039

 Anne Fraser (on behalf of Te Totara Primary School Board)

TRANSPORT WEEK

Next week our classes will be focusing on Transport Week. The Hamilton City Council staff will be working in the school for the week. 

Our Year 6’s will be learning about bike safety skills through the Kids on Bikes Programme. Reuben the Road Safety Bear will be visiting our Year 0-4 children and there will be a Walk or Wheels Wednesday on 22nd February. Children who are spotted walking, biking, skating or scootering to or from school on that day will receive a ticket to enter the spot prize draws. Please make sure that your child  wears the correct safety gear, i.e. helmets etc.

Prizes in the draw include:

1 x $40 Torpedo7 Gift Card                      5 x Pak n Save gift cards

2 x Family Hamilton Zoo passes              3 x Single Zoo passes

Ice cream vouchers                            Popcorn and Ice Blocks at the end of the day.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDER - ISSUE NO. 1 CLOSES TOMORROW

Just a reminder that the  Scholastic Book Club Orders close tomorrow at 9.15am on Friday 17th February, 2023.

Please Note: We DO NOT ACCEPT CASH at all.  This means you will have three options to order your scholastic books:

1. Through the Scholastic Book Club website - scholastic.co.nz/LOOP.

2. Through the Scholastic LOOP app

3. In person using EFTPOS at the school office.  

SPARE ITEMS OF CLOTHING/SCHOOL UNIFORM FOR OUR SICK BAY

Can you please help…. we are desperately in need of some clean spare uniform for our sick bay.  In particular, we need girls and boys underwear, Te Totara skorts and black shorts. If you are happy to donate any of these items of clothes, especially Te Totara shorts, we would really appreciate it.  Please drop them into the School Office.  

Over the past few weeks we have handed out quite a lot of our spare uniform clothing, we would really appreciate those items being returned to the School Office as soon as possible after they have been washed.  Many thanks. 

SUMMER SCHOOL UNIFORM - TERM 1     

ALL students are expected to arrive at school and leave from school in their correct Te Totara Primary School Uniform, including footwear.    

• Uniforms are to be worn clean, neat and tidy. Please clearly name your uniform items.

• Students are encouraged to take pride in their school uniform and to wear it well.

• Hair is to be off the face, tied back if longer than the bottom of the collar, and be the natural hair colour.

• Nail polish and cosmetics are not permitted. 

• Second hand uniforms may be available.  Please see the School Office for details.

• Variations in relation to the Human Rights Act may be negotiated with the Principal.

• All pupils are encouraged to use sunscreen at home before school and expected to wear the regulation school hat while outdoors.  No hat – play in the shade (Terms 1 & 4).

• All uniform items should be clearly named.

• Extras for warmth such as polyprops or singlets, must be plain black.

• Plain black school sandals in summer (Terms 1&4) OR plain black school school shoes in the winter (Terms 2&3).  No other colours on the sandal or shoe, just plain black.

• Any hair accessory is to be plain and of a single school uniform colour – red, white, black, green.

JEWELLERY

Items of jewellery can be easily lost or damaged at school. They may also cause injury to the wearer or other students.  For safety reasons items of jewellery are not to be worn.  The school accepts no responsibility in the case of loss, damage or injury.

However, students may wear:

1. One small earring stud per ear. NO hoops or sleepers.

2. A watch.

3. A necklace of religious or cultural significance

 – to be worn underneath clothing.

4. A Medical Identification Tag (Medic Alert) if required

SENSE IN THE SUN

During the summer (Terms 1&4), all pupils are encouraged to put on sunscreen at home before school and expected to wear the regulation school hat while outdoors. 

Our Sun Sense Policy is:  No hat – play in the shade

CONGRATULATIONS TO KENZIE HUMPHREY

On Saturday the 4th of February, our Year 4 student, Kenzie Humphrey, represented Te Totara at the North Island Primary and Secondary Schools Dog Agility Championships in Cambridge. Kenzie had a very successful day coming away with 2nd place in the Primary Agility and 3rd in the Jumpers event with dog Kanye (pictured). A highlight for her was coming away with 3rd in the Open event which was also against the high school students. For this event they all were assigned a random and unfamiliar dog. Kenzie was given a super border collie called LimiT and she handled the dog so well to get a clear round and a place.

For those unfamiliar with the sport of dog agility, it involves a course of various obstacles such as jumps, tunnels, seesaw and weave poles. As a handler you have to run very quickly, give the correct commands at the right time and keep your dog's attention. It is lots of fun and you can do it with any size or breed of dog.

UNWELL CHILDREN WHO NEED TO GO HOME

Our Administration team and teaching staff act in the very best interests of your child and their well-being is paramount.  When children arrive at the School Office, and depending on the situation, most of the children are offered a rest in our Wellness Room and re-assessed before a phone call home; often they return to their classroom.

We understand many of our families have work commitments however, if you are phoned by the school to collect your child from school due to illness, it would be appreciated if you could arrange for their collection as soon as possible.   For the privacy of other students, the School Office staff will collect your child from the Wellness Room when you arrive.

If your child is sick, please keep them at home until they are well.  If your child has diarrhoea or vomiting we ask that they do not return to school unless they are well and have had no further diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours prior to returning – these bugs can be highly contagious.  

Thank you for your assistance.

ROUTINE VISION & HEARING CHECKS IN SCHOOL

Monday 20th February, 2023 @ 9.00am

Information Sheet on Vision and Hearing Checks in School

Vision Hearing Technicians from Community and Southern Rural Health will be visiting our school. The objective of the test is to identify previously undetected vision and hearing defects.

Which children are routinely checked?

• Children who have not completed vision and hearing checks as part of their B4 School Check 

• Children absent from previous visit, require retests or follow up In special circumstances, parents, teachers or others may request a vision or hearing check

If any parents/caregivers do not want their child to be checked, or their child is currently under specialist care for a vision or hearing defect, they should let the school know. 

DATES COMING UP

Thurs 16 Feb    Board Meeting at 6.30pm

Mon 20 Feb    Routine Vision & Hearing Checks by WaiKids (see above information)

Fri 24 Feb    PTA Ice Block Day - $2.00 per ice block

Wed 1 March    Teachers Union Meeting - SCHOOL CLOSES AT 12.30PM

Wed 15 March     PTA Meeting in Staff Lounge at 7.30pm (all welcome)

Fri 17 March    Ice Block Day

Wed 22 March    Learning Plan Discussions 

Thurs 23 March    Learning Plan Discussions 

Thurs 6 April    END OF TERM 1, 2023

Mon 24 April     TERM 2 BEGINS