Principal's Message...
Our Purpose: To prepare students to be active participants who will contribute to their community.
Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka
We have had another action packed week at O.I.S. The week kicked off with Constable Morris talking with us about our digital footprint and the importance of keeping ourselves safe online.
We have had a visit from North Otago Tennis and Cricket this week which I know the students have thoroughly enjoyed.
Congratulations to all our students who have represented our school with pride at a number of different events over the last week.
North Otago Tennis
Otago Athletics
Otago Swimming Championships
It's wonderful to see our students back competing in these events. We know that these opportunities are not possible without the help of our Sports Co-ordinator Sharon Wilson. Thank you for all the parents who have travelled and supported these teams.
Our students have been working hard writing and rehearsing their speeches. I have enjoyed moving around the classrooms listening to different students sharing their speeches. The teachers are well aware that delivering a speech in front of an audience is not everyones cup of tea, but the achievement students feel when finished is so rewarding.
If you have a child going on to high school, they may be getting a little nervous about next year. One way to help your child is to visit the school, perhaps on the weekend, and walk around, learning where the different classrooms and offices are located. It is really important that you support your child to attend the transition and orientation visits.
On Monday we welcome our first group of Year 6 students who will be joining us next year. We are excited to start the transition process with this group.
Finally, my thanks to all of you for supporting the teachers to have their union meeting. This meeting was to discuss the offer from the government for their new employment contract.
What the teachers are asking for and what the government offered are miles apart. Key elements the teachers were asking for are not pay related but relate to working conditions that would enable them to support your children get a better education. This includes smaller classes, extra resourcing for students with additional learning needs and a bit more time to plan effective programmes that meet more individualised needs. The teachers are also asking for similar school resourcing that the secondary schools already have. The pay offer in relation to current cost increases is effectively a pay cut, as it didn’t even match the cost-of-living increases. Your support is appreciated and we may call on you for further support if the government continues to undervalue our teachers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Often I get asked a number of questions about restrictions and platforms that students are using to communicate with others.
The minimum sign-up age for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube is 13. This is because a child’s social and emotional capability is still developing, which can make it more difficult to identify and manage challenges that occur on a platform designed for adults and teens. If your child is under 13 and keen to use social media, consider their capability to manage potential online challenges before setting up a profile. It is better if your child is honest with you so you can help them to stay safe online. We do not encourage students to be in big O.I.S group chats, room chats or chats where they may be connecting with a number of students who they wouldn’t normally talk to. Unfortunately, we are limited to what we can do when students are not behaving appropriately online outside of school time. If your child is receiving threatening or unsafe messages then it is important that you report to the appropriate organisation i.e social media platform or the police.
Meetings with staff
If you need to meet with a staff member, it is really important if you are coming to school to meet with a staff member that you sign in at the office. When you enter through the front gate, turn right and walk halfway down the car park area. There are signs to guide you. We also encourage you phone ahead and prearrange your meeting.
JR McKenzie Trust
If you have children coming to O.I.S or leaving to go to high school, you may be eligible to apply to the JR McKenzie Trust for uniform support. If you could benefit from this support, please see the separate article in the newsletter with the application form or call in to the office and collect one.
Touch
Thank you for your support at touch on Tuesday evening. It all ran very smoothly. Reminder for next week.... only touch players attend touch on a Tuesday night, they only need to be at the game 10 minutes before, and we do ask that they go straight after their game and don’t stay around. If your child bikes over to touch they need to lock their bikes to the fence and at Centennial Park, no one is allowed to ride their bike in the field area. Thank you for your support.
Show case
We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the Showcase on Wednesday 30 November at W.B.H.S. It promises to be a really vibrant evening of music, art, dance and drama.
Rebecca Meek