Principal's News Week 7, Term 3, 2017

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards

I have asked the whole school to think about this.

From: Khan Academy

Our values of respect, reverence, resilience and good relationships and trying to act Just like Jesus help us to keep good at the forefront of what we do and help our children to be good Christians and good citizens.

Some of our children are giving others what they may think are minor put-downs.  We never hear them.  That shows they know its not right.  I'm addressing it.  Little put downs like, "dumb" or "gay" are not acceptable and they can deeply hurt other children.  If you hear them at home, please put a stop to them.

We are also not into brands or signs of wealth or superiority.

Policy for review - Students with special needs
Community input is requested for this policy review.  The community login for our policies site is at schooldocs.co.nz. To login, click the link and enter the following details when prompted:

username: stjosephsoamaru, password: veritas

Click on the "Current Review" tab and follow instructions.  Note we no longer have a "Special Needs Management Committee" - we now have a "Wellbeing Team" which also includes behaviour and pastoral care.  The Wellbeing Team is the principal, deputy principal and SENCO, using the expertise of our Pasifika Coordinator and English Language Learning Coordinator as required.

Scarlet Fever
We have a suspected case of Scarlet Fever.  There is a factsheet about it at this link.  The main thing is to ensure children and staff wash their hands with warm soapy water and cough/sneeze into their arm (not hand).

Dates to Note
School is closed on Friday 22nd September for professional development.  We have advertised this for some time.
The last day of school is Monday 18 December at 12.30pm.  Our final prize-giving mass is Thursday 14th December at 6.00pm in the Basilica.  All children are expected to attend.
Singing Cup is Wednesday 20th September at 6.00pm.  All children in year 4-8 will be needed for the house choirs.  Its a great evening of entertainment for families.  The Home and School will be selling iceblocks and "Trumpets."

Uniform
A little reminder of our longstanding uniform policy:

1.    Children wear the full uniform, without any visible exceptions.

2.    Jewellery is not permitted to be worn with uniform.  Exceptions

-       wrist watch, and a maximum of 1 plain ear stud in each earlobe. 

3.    Hair ties should be plain and in keeping with school colours.  Hair is to be tied or cut to ensure vision is not impeded.

4.    Hair colouring, pattern shaving or growth/shape trends are only accepted if a very good reason exists and after Principal agreement is gained.

5.    Variation to any of the above will be considered after contact and consultation with the Principal e.g. medic alert bracelets, items of cultural significance etc.

Wearing the uniform correctly is a sign of respect - one of our values that we work very hard on.  There are some children who consistently wear different jackets or tops.  Please let us know if you need help as we have some second hand tops and jackets that we can source if needed.  We can also help to provide uniform to any family in financial need.

Learning about Church
We are presently learning about Church in RE.  Here is a link to the blog with tips and explanations to help parents support learning: Church for parents

God bless and aroha
Lorraine Frances-Rees