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It has been great to have a week of sunny days so we can use the field as well as putting everyone in a better mood. June, July and August are our official winter months, however, so far some days have been better than our previous summer.
School Beanies
These are available through the office for $14.50
Bringing Toys or Swap Cards to School
We do not encourage any toys or cards coming to school. The toys tend to get broken and arguments occur because of card swapping. The safest thing to do is to leave all valuables at home.
Student Sickness – To keep my child home or not?
At present, there are a lot of bugs and illnesses amongst children and schools are the perfect place for these to spread. Lately we have seen a number of children turning up to school unwell.
There are many reasons why parents drop their child off sick including work pressures, no immediate family or close friends able to help, worried their child will get behind etc. We have had instances of sick children dropped at school and we are unable to make contact with any parents or emergency contacts so they have to remain in sickbay all day. If your contact details change, please let us know straight away.
Below is some advice from kidshealth.org.
Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School?
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Knowing whether a child is well enough to go to school can be tough for any parent. It often comes down to whether a child can still participate at school. Having a sore throat, cough, or mild congestion does not always mean a child cannot handle class and other activities. For example, kids with strep throat need a dose or two of antibiotics first, which can mean staying home the day after diagnosis (or possibly longer).
Fever with no other symptoms usually is not reason enough for a child to stay home. But many schools or childcare centers request that a child not return until at least 24 hours after a fever has broken naturally (without fever-reducing medicines).
Chickenpox sores should be dry and crusted over before kids go back to school (usually this takes about 6 days). Other contagious infections — like rubella, whooping cough, mumps, measles, and hepatitis A — have specific guidelines for returning to school. Your doctor can help you figure this out.
Kids with colds, coughs, or pinkeye can go to school if they feel well enough, don’t have a fever, and don’t need so much care that they will burden the teachers.
Of course, never send a child to school who has a fever, has nausea or vomiting, or has diarrhea. Kids who lose their appetite, are clingy or lethargic, complain of pain, are drooling with mouth sores, or who just do not seem well should also take a sick day.
Children with diarrhea or vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.
If your child will need more care than the teacher can provide, it is only fair to the other kids and staff that your child stays home.
Most importantly, go with your gut. You know your kids best. If your child has the sniffles but has not slowed down at home, chances are they are well enough for the classroom. If they have been coughing all night and have a hard time getting up in the morning, he might need to take it easy at home.
The best way to help your child and us is to communicate with our office staff by phone or in person keeping them up to date with your child’s health and any concerns you may have.
Parking Reminders
Clearway and Yellow Lines
Please be respectful of the clearway areas on Udys Road and yellow lines on Cardiff Road. The council for several reasons designates these areas. Firstly, it stops the road becoming jammed up but most importantly it is about the safety of our school community, as it allows the children on crossing duty to see if cars are coming etc.
These areas are monitored by parking wardens and they will issue tickets.
Blocking Neighbour’s Driveways
The school often gets calls from angry local residents about a parent parking over their driveway. A reminder that the minimum distance you are allowed to park from a vehicle entrance is one meter. Any closer than this and it makes it difficult for people in larger vehicles to get in and out of the driveway, and you could obstruct emergency services. The residents are within their rights to call the local council and complain.
New Signs Coming
New signs for the car park outside the main entrance to limit parking for 15 minutes during peak times. Parents dropping or picking up their children are finding it increasingly difficult to find a park as some people are coming before 2 pm and waiting until 3pm for their child to come out of school.
I am away from tomorrow at the Auckland Primary Principals Conference so please contact Mrs Sue Kandasamy or Mrs Monique Browne.
Students Coaching Students
We currently have a group of 16 Year 5 and 6 students completing their training as Student Coaches. This programme, developed by Growth Coaching International (GCI), has been successfully used with primary, intermediate and secondary school students since 2016. Coaching is a life skill that develops confidence and builds resilience, both transferable skills into other areas of school and personal life. By the end of this term, students will be paired with other students across the Middle and Senior schools as peer coaches to support students in setting and achieving goals.
Digital Safety Evening – Free Event
We strongly encourage at least one parent from each family to attend our digital safety evening with Rob Copeland, producer of the documentary “Our Kids Online”.
During the evening Rob will discuss the dangers children face online and provide practical advice for ways you can keep your children safe in an online environment.
The talk will be held in our school hall on Thursday 22nd June from 7- 9 pm.
Please note, due to the nature of topics being discussed,
This event is not suitable for children to attend.
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Term 2 Cultural Events
We have celebrated Eid, Rotuman and Samoan Language Week this term. Students have embraced these celebrations by participating in lunchtime activities held during this time. It has been heartwarming seeing children feel proud of their own culture, along with their friend’s and classmates’ cultures.
A school-wide cultural group has also been formed with members ranging from years 1-6. Their first performance was at our full school assembly in Week 5, where they performed a Rotuman song.
We look forward to celebrating Matariki together in Week 10.
Term 3 Upcoming Cultural Events:
Week 3: Cook Island Language Week
Week 8: Tongan Language Week
Week 9: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Week 10: Chinese Language Week
Miss Narayan and Miss Howe
We are delighted to announce that the PHS Pod Squad had a remarkable achievement at the Howick Local Board Moth Plant and Waste Minimisation prize giving event held on Thursday, 1st June. The team has brought immense pride to our school by securing 1st prize for Primary Schools in the moth plant and waste collection category. They collected a staggering 20,774 moth plant pods and/or small vines with roots, demonstrating their unwavering dedication and hard work. Additionally, they earned 1st place for collecting the highest number of small vines, with an impressive tally of 12,373 vines pulled out by the roots. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the PHS Pod Squad team and their supportive whanau for their outstanding efforts.
In another notable accomplishment, Pakuranga Heights School secured the 2nd position in the Howick waste minimisation project. We have successfully diverted a substantial amount of waste from ending up in landfills, with a total of 7,201.65 kilograms being diverted. Through this initiative, we have effectively reduced 1,490.74 kilograms of carbon emissions (CO2e), making a significant impact on our carbon footprint. This impressive feat translates to an outstanding 83.96% reduction in our school’s waste. We would like to commend our dedicated Enviro Leaders for their tireless efforts in sorting through our school waste, as well as our students and families for their unwavering support in bringing waste-free lunches to school. Your commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship is truly commendable.
We are incredibly proud of our school’s achievements in both the moth plant and waste minimisation projects. These accomplishments serve as a testament to the hard work, dedication, and environmental consciousness of our students and the collective effort of our school community. Let us continue to build on these successes and make a positive impact on our environment.
Congratulations once again to the PHS Pod Squad and our outstanding enviro leaders!
Chelsey Waters
Enviro Leader
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