Star Board Term Three Week Two

Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

I want to say thank you for the supportive emails I have received from the community regarding the STAND programme which, if I may quote from the previous message is about introducing an anti- Bullying programme with restorative practices. The objective is not to PUNISH, it is to Call Out abusive behaviour and REPAIR harm. If it persists beyond that intervention then a disciplinary route is the only way forward. There is one more consultation with staff, and then students will be advised of the way forward, and then our community.

No school can say they are bully free (they are lying if they do) but a few schools across the land, and we are looking to join that collective, can boast having programmes which have a clear process that calls out bullying behaviours and addresses it in a no-blame way to begin with. The objective is stopping the negative behaviours before souls become eroded and resilience is compromised. I am passionate about this and the staff are supportive -so all bodes well.

Will “bullying” stop with this programme? Well, if I liken it to driving and ask ‘does a speed sign stop speeding?’ The safe drivers will always follow the rules and stick to the speed limit. Those who speed, if the right barriers are in place, will get caught and issue the appropriate consequences before harm is done. We are therefore with this approach: showing the speed code to all, having everyone aware of when and how to follow the code, making it clear what happens if you do not follow the code, and if needed how to put on the lights and sirens to pull them over in order to issue the appropriate penalty.

As a forerunner to the STAND programme’s actions and processes being shared, here are the principles: Support, Teach, Advocate, Nurture, and Defend in the context of an anti-bullying programme. I could not resist the temptation to use the STAND acronym to encapsulate the principles on which the programme will stand- I know right I have used stand again.

S - Support: Providing support to those who are bullied or affected by bullying.

T - Teach: Educating individuals about the impacts of bullying and how to prevent it.

A - Advocate: Being an advocate for kindness, empathy, and standing up against bullying.

N - Nurture: Creating a nurturing environment where everyone feels safe and valued.

D - Defend: Empowering individuals to defend themselves and others against bullying behaviour.

Measles – what you need to know

Not enough New Zealanders are immunised against measles, which means there is a very high risk of an outbreak.

The best protection against measles is two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine – free for all young people aged 18 and under in New Zealand and all adults over the age of 18 who are eligible for free New Zealand healthcare.

The first symptoms of measles are fever, cough, runny nose and sore red eyes, followed by a red or dark pink rash typically starting on the face or behind the ears three days after the first symptoms before moving down the body. If you observe these symptoms, I encourage you to contact your healthcare provider or Healthline on 0800 611 116 immediately.

Whooping Cough

Back in the day we routinely vaccinated for Whooping cough and recently you may have received information about this illness.

Whooping cough may start with a runny nose which then proceeds to prolonged bouts of coughing. Adults often do not have the classical whooping and vomiting after bouts of coughing. Treatment is usually a 5-day course of an antibiotic. Whooping cough can be very serious, especially for children under 1 year of age, people at risk of severe disease and complications (chronic respiratory conditions, congenital heart disease or immunodeficiency) and pregnant people.

Those in the business recommend the following actions:

• Anyone with a persistent cough should see their doctor and stay away from school/ work/social activities until the doctor is sure it is not whooping cough.
• Check all your tamariki/children are up to date with their whooping cough (pertussis) immunisations. The vaccine is given at six weeks, three months, five months and a booster at 4 and 11 years of age.

Hope that this helps.

House Chapels

The Batten House students and family have their Chapel Service this Sunday at 6:30pm. This is an opportunity for this student led (Chaplain assisted) event to celebrate and remind us that we attend a Anglican Special Character school.

I am generally impressed by how the House leaders and their people use this moment to consider the Christian values we uphold, so I look forward to what Batten will prepare and share with us on Sunday night. I will also need to select a blue garment in support of the house.

Quad August 11-12

Trish Thomson our Chair of Friends has reached out to parents who have young ones involved in the Quad to lend a hand with hosting morning tea on Sunday 11th August from 9am. If you have yet to offer please contact Trish Thomson phone or text: 0274605838.

Hokonui Fashion Awards

You will see later references to these awards in which our senior Fashion students participate. I have now attended this event two years running because this may come as a surprise but I am quite interested in fashion. It is a treat to be there and we are always supported by keen parents.

What I want to draw attention to are not the clothes per se but to Ruth Bucknell and to our students. Ruth organises a great programme for this event and her exacting nature to her curriculum matches her attention to EOTC. It was a well-orchestrated moment in time and our young women were impeccable ambassadors for our school. What this trip demonstrated was the real and authentic opportunity created in curriculums.

Just quietly there were a few wee gems on the runway which saw me commenting ‘I would definitely wear that’ . Frankie Shaw if you are reading this (I know you are) – How much for that coat my friend?

Well, that is me for now. Please drive safe and drive to the conditions.

Have a safe weekend.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School

Boarding Note

With all the fabulous Olympic sport on TV this week, we decided to hold our own Boarding Olympics. The opening event on Wednesday night was a Rhythmical Gymnastics/ Dance competition for Year 7-10 boarders, where each dorm in Main House chose a country to align with. Last night the Table Tennis Competition was held in the dining room and the various countries competed against each in a round robin tournament. It was fabulous to see the girls getting into the events and working together in the dorm groups for Term 3.

Yesterday I was fortunate to attend an event where Richie McCaw was speaking. At the end there was time to chat with Richie, so I took the opportunity to ask him what he took from his time boarding at Otago Boys in Dunedin. After taking a moment to reflect Richie commented that there were definitely times he wanted to be at home, but that it is the tough times that set you up in life.

A nice thought for the weekend for our boarders and their families.

Take care.

Jo

Hokonui Fashion Design Awards

Friday 26th July saw a small group leave for the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in Gore. Well done to the following students who were all finalists -

On the night Sophia Hallett was Runner Up in the Macca Lodge School Upcycled Award with her entry, Jordyn Bowden was the winner of the Regional Ford School Glamour Award, with Isabelle Judd awarded runner up and Stella Carrington receiving a School Merit Award in this section. A massive CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Year 8 Social Studies

The Year 8 girls have been brining in items of technology that are obsolete or now longer used as much. Over the unit we are exploring how people lived in ancient times as opposed to now, and some of the major inventions that changed people's lives. This week we feature:

• Elise McDonald and a past hairdryer
• Rose Lincoln using a dial telephone to make a call
• Tanisha Nathu with a portable DVD player
• Isla Smith with a hand powered egg beater
• Molly Jurlina with scales
• Alice Herrick using a camera