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
As we all know, education is a collaborative effort that extends beyond the walls of our school. Your involvement and engagement in your child's learning journey play a crucial role in their success. With that in mind, I have taken the time to reflect on what we can do as parents to support our children’s mental health and well-being.
Create a safe and supportive home environment: providing lots of opportunities to actively listen and encourage open communication, and providing emotional support when needed.
Encourage healthy habits: a balanced diet, regular exercise, digital free time, and adequate sleep can have a huge impact on your child’s well-being.
Model healthy coping strategies: we can model healthy coping strategies for our children by managing our stress in a healthy way. This can include practising self-care, seeking support from friends and family, or seeking professional help when needed. As adults our children take cues from us, they watch how we react and respond to different situations.
Take an interest in what your child is doing out of school, spend time with your child, and know who they are hanging out with and who they are talking to online.
Be aware of warning signs: it's important for us to be aware of warning signs that may indicate that our child is struggling. These signs can include changes in behaviour, academic performance, or social interactions. If you are worried about your child, then do reach out and get professional help. This can include talking to your child's doctor, Fiona - Public Health Nurse, Youthline, or a Mental Health professional. Early intervention can make a big difference in a child's mental health outcomes.
Remember that every child is unique and may require different approaches to maintain good mental health. At Oamaru Intermediate we have an open-door policy, where students and whānau are always welcome to speak with their teachers about any concerns they are having. If you have concerns or have noticed a change in your child, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher. They are only too willing to support and connect with you.
OIS is an extremely busy place, we have an incredible support staff team that helps keep the wheels ticking. I am super grateful for the support of Debbie and Kerry in the office, they go above and beyond to ensure OIS is the best place it can be. This term we welcome Ryan Clark to our Technology Department who is teaching in the Digitech classroom, and the students have already enjoyed his new opportunities.
Thank you for ensuring your child is wearing the correct school uniform. Your child is allowed to wear a jacket outside at break times as long as they have an OIS blue jersey or polar fleece underneath. We do have a school jacket at the school office however, this is not compulsory. Students are also able to wear long grey dress pants on cold days.
Our Out-of-Hours Music and Arts programme started this week, we are super lucky to have Ben Blair and Janice Joiner who are providing these programmes at OIS. If you want to know more about this opportunity then email Anneke Catto.
Winter sport
We have a number of students playing winter sports this term. A huge thank you to the parents who are managing and supporting our teams. At OIS our students uphold the IDEAL values at all times, and we also expect our parents to uphold the IDEAL values while spectating. We may not always agree with the decisions made during a game however, it is not our place to dispute this. Remember our students take the lead from our behaviour and we must role model fair play and sportsmanship.
Chocolates
Our PTA holds one fundraiser a year. Today each child has received a box of Whittaker's chocolates to sell. Thank you for supporting selling these. See two other articles in our newsletter for more information.
Duathlon
It is always great to see so many of our students participating in our school duathlon for many this is their first opportunity to participate in this type of event. Congratulations to all our participants today and a special shout out to those who competed individually.
1st - Rata
2nd - Kowhai
3rd - Nagio
4th - Konini
Have a great weekend!
Rebecca Meek, Principal