November 2021 Newsletter
In today’s newsletter we have the following:
● News from the Principal and DP’s
● A message from our Team Leaders
● House Points Update
● Psychologist and Counsellor Spot
● Events Status for November/December
NEWS from the PRINCIPAL and DPs
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Tēnā koutou i ngā whānau o te kura.
Generation Grit- that’s our students
The last few weeks of term have certainly signalled that COVID-19 has got in the way of plans for our end of year activities and celebrations. For many of our young people they will have the feeling of missing out, being deprived of sports events, pool days, graduations, prize giving and other friendship activities. While these milestones do define the end of the year for our students and the end of primary schooling for our Year 8’s, we know that through difficult times there is always a silver lining as we become more resilient and our character strengthens. Learning to manage and deal with disappointment will help our young people deal with some of the other hardships they are going to face later in life. COVID-19 may actually have a galvanising effect on today’s youngsters and even though the pandemic may have stopped them just as they felt they were getting going, they will emerge stronger. Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity- the only way you become resilient is by going through things and coming out the other side. We’ve got this ANI!
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder. Be curious.” – Stephen Hawking
On site learning and vaccination registers
We have lots to be excited about as we start our planning for a return to school (subject to events closer to the time) on or around 15 November. Over the next week we hope to get additional detail and information from the Ministry of Education on what the organisation will look like, how many people are permitted on site and how staggered days and start times will be structured. While we can’t give you the exact information of what this looks like quite yet, what we can share are the following Alert Level 3 requirements. We will have these in place with more added once we know how our site will be organised.
Alert level 3 requirements
There are an extensive range of health requirements and measures at Alert Level 3 that we will put in place prior to the return of our young people.- Students (and staff) who are unwell must stay at home and get tested for COVID-19.
- Students at higher risk of severe illness, we ask they remain at home if possible. Mask wearing for our students is not mandatory but will be recommended and encouraged.
- Visitors will be limited and only essential people permitted onsite and the QR code posters for COVID app must be used.
- All visitors will be required to wear a face covering.
- The contact tracing register system we have in place for students and staff, is through our attendance registers and timetables.
- Good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette will be reinforced with all students by their teachers.
- Hand sanitiser is available at the entrance to classrooms.
- Classrooms will be well ventilated and aired ( doors and windows open for cross breeze).
- High touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected each day
- Appropriate physical distancing for all persons on site is observed as far as is reasonably practicable.
- Entry and exit points to the school, classrooms and other facilities will be staggered so there is no congregation.
- Time outdoors for students and staff will be maximised where possible, including breaks, lunchtime, before and after school (unless the weather does not allow), and rooms will be aired during breaks.
- Exercising and singing will take place outdoors.
- Assemblies, team picnics, pool days, will not take place.
- There will be no staff meetings held and staff will not be on duty after school.
Vaccination registers (staff and students)
As you are aware all staff must return one negative test and have received one dose of the vaccination before they return onsite. Staff also need to be tested weekly until they are double dosed. There is mandatory vaccination for all staff by 1 January 2022. We are pleased to report that the vaccination uptake by staff has been extremely positive and they will be available onsite when required. We realise a number of them will also need to offer online learning programmes and work from home to reduce numbers on site. For students who are 12 years and over we will be sending parents/caregivers an email asking you to advise us of your child’s immunisation status by filling in a form. The form will ask if your child is immunised for COVID-19 ( Yes/No) sign and return. If you answer yes we will require the dates of immunisation and a copy of the letter you would have received as proof of vaccination. Once received we will update our student management system Edge under the immunisation tick box in the Medical section. This will be done in strictest privacy meeting the requirements of the new Act.
End of year reports
As mentioned in the Friday Flyer last week (29 October) we shared information about the end of year report and what it will look like. Here are a few more details and a screenshot of what to expect.
The end of year report will look slightly different to previous ones as it will reflect the online nature of our learning programmes over the past 10 weeks – the major adjustment is the specialist programmes are solely assessed using the HERO platform.
Two important learning areas Literacy and Numeracy have been given a NZ curriculum level and a comment.These levels and comments have been provided using evidence from classwork, conversations and interactions with students and online work outcomes while in level 3 lockdown.
Teachers have also evaluated how well each young person is managing the five Key Competencies and assigned a grade. This is based on the learning happening at home as well as the work that was completed and submitted to the teacher prior to lockdown. Attending class/group zoom meetings and online progress has been a highlight for our learners and teachers – well done on this mahi.
Leadership Interviews
Thanks to all our amazing year 7 leadership applicants who put their name forward to carry out a leadership position in 2022. We were, once again, blown away by the sheer volume of applicants as well as the calibre of up and coming leaders we have at our school – the future is in good hands. Over the next week or so we will continue interviewing for the various leadership positions at ANI and will commence the leadership induction and training programme for our new leaders once they are appointed. Announcement of these positions we hope to do on or about 26 November.
Kia ngatahi ai te tu
E pakari ai te tuara
Together we are Strong
Jill Farquharson – Principal
Bryce Mills and Shane Devery – Deputy Principals
A Message from our Team Leaders
Matai Team ( Year 8)- Megan Hughes
Rimu Team ( Year 8) - Mr Edwards
Totara Team ( Year 7) - Mr Gleeson
Kauri Team (Year 7) - Mr Lawrence
Kowhai Team ( Specialist) - Mr Carlos
House Points Update
PSYCHOLOGIST & COUNSELLOR SPOT
Dealing with Disappointment
It’s fair to say 2021 hasn’t panned out the way anyone hoped. At present, our daily lives feel largely out of our control. A glance at the school calendar highlights a number of cancelled, postponed or restricted events. This has led to hordes of disappointed students.
So what exactly is disappointment and how can we help our young people navigate this feeling?
In children, the feeling of disappointment can look like anxiety, crying, sadness, frustration, anger or withdrawal. It can be a huge sigh, whining or thoughts of ‘why me?’.
If we anticipate something, and it doesn’t meet our expectations we feel disappointed. Sometimes that’s because of external events (Covid) or sometimes it’s our unrealistic expectations.
Disappointment teaches us that not everything is perfect, in our control or smooth sailing. And that’s ok. The real lesson is about moving forward and changing course. A good analogy for children is to think like a sailor at sea.
Sailors don’t get to where they’re going in a straight line. They have to read the winds and change tack. When the wind shifts, they shift. If they don’t, they could end up in the ocean or completely off course! We cannot control the weather but we pack a raincoat.
Listen and validate. Help your child to acknowledge, not suppress their feelings of disappointment. The urge to help them ‘look on the bright side’ too soon could backfire. So can minimising. You may not think missing the School Pool Day is a big deal but it may feel huge to your child. So name it to tame it as they say, before deciding on a new course of action. You might say something like…
‘’You’re feeling disappointed. Sorry about that. What do you think you might do next?’’
When in a funk, children really need your help to distinguish between what they can control vs what they can’t control. Hearing what can’t be changed nudges them to think differently. Disappointment causes change, which can be unsettling but can also create opportunities.
Finally, remember that all feelings are temporary and when it comes to disappointment, sometimes all you can do is ride the wave.
Gina Speedy & Robyn Stead
School Counsellor and Educational Psychologist
Where to get help
Need to Talk? — free call or text 1737 Youthline — call 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
Lifeline — 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP)
Depression and Anxiety Helpline — 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
EVENTS STATUS FOR NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
| Term 4 Events and Status 2021 | ||
| Event | Original Date | Status |
| PTA Halloween Social | Thursday 28th October | CANCELLED |
| Production level 4 | November | CANCELLED |
| PTA Meeting | Monday 1st November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Prospective Student School Tour #7 | Thursday 4th November | CANCELLED |
| Prospective Student Parent Information Evening #7 | Thursday 4th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| PTA Social (Tentative Date) | Thursday 4th November | CANCELLED |
| Production Term 4 | November | CANCELLED |
| 2022 Out of Zone Student Testing #1 | Monday 8th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| BOT Meeting | Wednesday 10th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| 2022 Out of Zone Student Testing #1 | Monday 15th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| PTA Chocolate Fundraiser Assembly | Monday 15h November | CANCELLED |
| 2022 Enrolment Interviews | Tuesday 16th – Wednesday 17th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Year 8 Exams/Preparations | Begin Monday 15th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Athletics Day at Mt Smart | November | CANCELLED |
| Central Zone Sports | November | CANCELLED |
| Team Trip (Totara) | November | CANCELLED |
| Queenstown Trip | November | CANCELLED |
| Exhibition | November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| HPV #2 Vaccine for Year 8 Students – Boostrix Year 7 Catch Up | Thursday 25th November | CANCELLED |
| PTA Meeting/2022 Planning | Monday 29th November | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| HPV #2 Vaccine for Year 8 Students – Boostrix Year 7 Catch Up | Thursday 2nd December | CANCELLED |
| BOT Meeting | Wednesday 8th December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Service Awards Assembly | Thursday 9th December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Head Student leadership interviews | December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Other Leadership Interviews | December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| ANI Pool and Picnic Day | Friday 10th December | CANCELLED |
| End of Year Prize Giving | Monday 13th December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Year 8 Graduation | Monday 13th December | CONTINUES VIRTUALLY |
| Term 4 ends | Tuesday 14th December | CONTINUES |