Newsletter – 23 March 2020

We have been updating our school website and there are now links to learning websites that support your child’s learning.

Go to www.pakurangaheights.school.nz and click on the “Our Learning” section the click on the “Kids Zone ”  then select your child’s team e.g. Junior School and you will see a range of educational based websites. For those that require logins you will find them in your child’s communication/home learning book.

Behaviour Management
Have you ever wondered how behaviour is managed at Pakuranga Heights?

Here is some information about behaviour management at our school.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING – SCHOOLWIDE. 

PB4L-SW

For the past two years we have been part of a Ministry of Education programme that looks at  behaviour and learning from a whole-of-school perspective, as well as from an individual child perspective. The framework is based on international evidence and was developed at the University of Oregon, USA.

The Positive Behaviour for Learning School-Wide framework, otherwise known as PB4L School-Wide, is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life.

In 2018 Pakuranga Heights School started the PB4L journey because we want to ensure our students are happy, confident and empowered learners who can make good choices in any situation. PB4L-SW at our school runs alongside our values and dispositions and programs such as ‘Cool Schools’ and includes strategies that we already use such as ‘pink values slips’, ‘bucket fillers’ and reward points.

We support students by teaching them expected behaviour in all contexts just as we support their learning by teaching maths, reading or writing.

There are times when we experience behaviour incidents and have to re-teach the expected behaviour to further support some students. This is done in a fair and positive way that includes restorative conversations and calm down time.

Behaviour incidents are tracked on our school management system and we regularly check the data for trends. We can then discuss the trends and re-teach certain behaviours or take steps to monitor areas of the school more closely.

All of this is done as quickly as possible following the recommended programme guidelines.

If you would like to know more about how behaviour is managed at Pakuranga Heights or about PB4L-SW at Pakuranga Heights please contact Margaret Walker (SENCo).

Here is a link to PB4L-SW

https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/About-PB4L

Regards
Margaret Walker SENCo
margaretw@pakurangaheights.school.nz

Removing cash fares on buses and at service centres From Monday 23 March

From Monday 23 March 2020, Auckland Transport will be suspending cash fares on all buses.

We are doing this to minimise physical contact between customers, Auckland Transport staff and people who work on buses during Covid-19.

Customers will be expected to pay their fare using AT HOP cards only. This will eliminate cash handling on buses and at depots to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus through touching money and interacting with customers.

Our priority is to protect our customers and staff to ensure we can continue to deliver public transport.

FAQs

Why are we removing cash payments from buses?

Eliminating cash handling reduces the risk of potential transmission of COVID-19. Further measures will be put in place should instruction be given to Auckland Transport by the Ministry of Health.

The customer/student only has cash. Will they still be able to catch the bus?

• Under no circumstances will school students be refused travel. If they have not got a HOP card, they will be provided with the information leaflet as they board.
• We will still let people travel but will let customers know they will need a AT HOP card to travel next time.
• There will be a leaflet given to customers who do not have a HOP card to explain why we are not accepting cash payments during Covid-19 and where they can get an AT HOP card.