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

It is hard to believe we are over the halfway point. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the swimming sports this week. At OIS we provide many opportunities for students to participate in winter sports through hockey, netball and basketball. Our local clubs provide football and rugby.

I am a firm believer that students who participate in a team sport get to experience more opportunities. Engaging in sports is important for more than just physical fitness. Playing sport often means being part of a team and this allows for building skills in a whole range of areas. As well as learning all of the techniques involved in the sport, children can also develop their life skills. Playing team sports encourages cooperation and sharing, resilience, goal setting and building relationships. Learning to lose is also an important skill that’s often uncovered through playing sports.

Cyber Safety

Over the last two weeks, both Belinda and I have had many conversations with students and parents about their online presence. At O.I.S. each child signs a Digital Citizenship Student and Parent Agreement on their enrolment, which gives them their own log-in. While they are logged into their O.I.S account, all activity is logged and tracked by the O.I.S filtering system. If your child has access to an online platform such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Discord or any other platform, it is important that we take an active role in our children’s online presence, and take notice of who they are talking to and friending online.

Please have a conversation about the importance of not giving out personal information and sharing passwords. We also strongly discourage students from joining big group chats, where more than five students are involved. We know that our students are engaging online, and I believe the best approach is to educate students and as parents, ensure that we have measures in place to keep our children safe.

Next week, Constable Jay Morris will be at school working in all of our year 7 classrooms discussing cyber safety. He will also be running a parent workshop at 6.00 pm on Monday 18 March. Every family who comes along to our cyber safety discussion will go in the draw for two $50 New World Vouchers that will be drawn on the night.

Attendance Matters

Regular school attendance is pivotal for academic success and overall development. We know that consistency of attendance ensures an uninterrupted flow of learning, offering new opportunities to expand knowledge, engage with peers, and interact with teachers. In addition, by being present consistently, students establish strong foundations, build habits, and set themselves up for success in high school. As a parent the biggest way we can support our student's education is by ensuring that they are attending school every day, please make school a priority for your child.

If you require any support with getting your child to school please make contact with your child’s teacher. The Public Health Nurse, Youthline Counsellor, Truancy Officer, and Learning Support Coordinators are only too happy to support our tamariki regularly attending school.

If your child is sick you must contact the school office. If your child is going to be late for any reason they must sign in at the office when they get to school. A reminder school starts at 8.45 am each morning.

School Documents Reviews

Please log into our school documents website to review this term's policies.

Community username:           oamaruint

Community password:             oispolicy

Opportunity for your child to speak with a counsellor

Is your child experiencing problems, worries or troubles related to big feelings?

Do they need support getting along with people, navigating friendships or things just making you unhappy or scared?

We have a new school Counsellor, Amy Sinclair, working in the school on a Thursday or Friday.

Amy is there to find ways to make worries smaller and more manageable and help fill children’s toolbox with many strategies that may make life a little easier.

If you would like to know more about this or you would like your child to connect with Amy, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.

Rebecca Meek

Tumuaki