Kia ora koutou and welcome back to Woodlands School – Te Akatarere,
We are excited to announce that Woodlands School – Te Akatarere will be opening on Monday 18 May for all students. However, we do need to ensure we are providing a safe environment for students and staff. Our detailed procedures for Level 2 are attached (please read for more information). In summary, the main points are;
Hygiene
- Students will be required to sanitise their hands upon entry and exit to school and their classrooms
- Students who use the bus will sanitise hands entering and exiting the bus
- Daily cleans of high touch areas, including the playground in line with the Ministry of Health guidelines
- Students to be taught correct coughing and sneezing techniques
- Students and Staff will not attend if they are unwell, even if it is a sore throat or running nose, please notify the school if this is the case.
- Students and Staff who become unwell with symptoms of Covid 19 virus during the school day will be sent home and a Covid-19 swab and result will be required before they return to school (this is in line with National Guidelines).
- School drink fountains will be closed, students to bring their own named drink bottle
Tracing
- Under Alert Level 2 parents and caregivers are discouraged from coming on site unless absolutely necessary. Parents are asked to drop off and pick up students in our car park. Where possible there should be one person designated for pick up and drop off. Parents are to stay in their cars.
- If parents do need to come on site please complete the register in the main office and use the hand sanitiser provided. This is asked for by the Ministry of Health for possible contact tracing.
- Bus roll to be taken (normal practice)
- School site closed to the public during out of school hours e.g. after 3pm and over the weekend
- All visitors to school will need to complete the register in the main office
Social Distancing
- Children, young people and staff should be far enough away from each other so that they are not breathing on or touching each other
- Students desks to be separated
- Adults are expected to maintain a minimum of 1m physical distance from other adults
If you have any questions please email me at tumuaki@woodlands.school.nz
Nga mihi
Matua Glenn
Woodlands School – Te Akatarere Distance Learning Plan
Firstly, the most important thing is the hauora/well-being of our students, whanau and staff so we do not want to add to the pressure and stress some of us are feeling, so everything we have around distance learning is optional.
Teachers have provided online resources for students to complete and a list of non device activities that students can choose from. There is no pressure to complete or even participate in the work provided and some of the best learning students can undertake happens naturally around the home (e.g. helping cook, building, gardening) and take this opportunity to teach children some life skills (e.g. sewing, tying fishing knots, stacking/packing shelves).
We understand that a number of whanau are working off cell phones so limit the time students are on these devices and mix it up with some of the non device activities we have provided.
We have requested the Ministry of Education to provide our students with Chromebooks and internet if needed but as mentioned previously this may not happen as there is a great demand for devices nationally and globally. Instead you may receive a hard pack from the Ministry of Education, just do your best to complete the activities provided. The Ministry has also developed learning television channels that students watch and learn through. They are on TVNZ channel 2+1 and on TVNZ on Demand, as well as on Sky Channel 502. Māori Television will be broadcasting around 300 hours of educational content for ākonga and whānau between the ages of 0 and 18 over the next 10 weeks.
If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher, your child may even wish to share their mahi with their teacher to receive feedback. Teachers’ email addresses are:
Room 1 fgebert@woodlands.school.nz
Room 2 vphipps@woodlands.school.nz
Room 4 kshove@woodlands.school.nz
Room 6 nehu.gage@woodlands.school.nz
Room 7 lwiniata@woodlands.school.nz
Principal tumuaki@woodlands.school.nz
Teachers will do their best to respond to emails in a timely manner.
This a new experience for all of us, and all of our bubbles are different, including our staff. Our staff are here to support but honestly we are learning as we go, so please show some patience towards our staff as we work together to overcome this new situation.
Keep safe and we look forward to seeing everybody in the future!
Nga mihi,
Matua Glenn
Woodlands School Example Timetable
click hereNon Device Distance Learning Activities
click hereOnline Distance Learning Resources
click here
Woodlands School caters for children in Years 1 to 8. It is located in a beautiful rural area close to Opotiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty. We currently have around 100 students at our school.
The school is well supported by an active parent and whānau group that contributes generous resourcing through fundraising efforts, valued assistance and contributions to school programmes, events and activities.
If you are considering sending your child or children to Woodlands School please contact us so we can help with a successful transition in to our school.
Academic achievement above the national norm.
An individualised new entrant transition programme. We will work with parents/whanau to develop a transition programme that suits individual needs.
We are a Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L) school. This means we teach students social skills and our expectations around behaviour are clear and consistent.
- Restorative Practice is the approach we use to deal with conflict, such as teasing or fights between peers so students are held accountable for their actions and learn from their mistakes.
- A KiVA Anti – Bullying School, which means students have weekly lessons on how to be nice to others, prevent bullying, be an upstander and what to do when bullying occurs.
The school’s beautiful safe physical environment supports creative play at morning tea and lunch times.
The school’s beautiful safe physical environment supports creative play at morning tea and lunch times.
A specialist Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).
- Our new entrant classes are a combination of a play based approach and a more traditional approach.
A bicultural environment within the school.
We are well resourced with sports and outdoor education equipment.