Message from the Principal
Pippa Wright
Happy New year & Welcome back for 2023
Nga mihi nui kia koutou katoa,
I would like to extend a warm welcome to new whanau to Hamilton East School .
We also welcome 4 new teaching staff
Zee Shamail- Room 17 teacher in Tōtara Team
Brooke Buysman- Room 9 teacher in Kauri Team
Trace May- Associate Principal and leader of Kowhai Team
Claire Cameron- SENCO . Special Needs Coordinator.
We also welcome our new caretaker Steve O'Brien.
We welcomed these staff members and new ākonga (students) with a Mihi Whakatau on Friday.
Thank you to teachers and support staff who worked during January in preparation for the school year.
The year had started positively with keen learners and settled classrooms.
Unfortunately Cyclone Gabrielle has interrupted this great start, however as soon as we feel sure that the Cyclone risk is passed we will return with renewed vigour!
This newsletter is published fortnightly on a Tuesday. Newsletters consist of everything you will need to know for upcoming events and dates.
We have postponed the planned Whanau Hākari -Family Picnic, until next week. Date to be confirmed
Newsletters are posted to our community notice board via our school app HERO. If you have the app downloaded and are logged in you will receive a notification of new notices from the school. But, if you do not have HERO downloaded or logged in, you will receive an email saying that there are new notices. Here you will have to open the link via a browser. If you do not receive anything at all, this means we have an incorrect email address in our system.
Alternatively, you can collect a hard copy from the office. You can also view the newsletter on our website Hamilton East School or our school Facebook page after 2pm. You can also opt to receive this newsletter by email if you wish. Email office@hameast.school.nz and ask to be added to the list!
Students are welcome at school from 8:25 am. The sKids Before School Care Programme operates for those who need to bring their child earlier than this.
Teachers are in their classrooms from 8:30 to 9:00 am. You are welcome to visit classrooms before 9:00am.
Key Personnel 2023
Associate Principal, Kowhai Team Leader - Trace May
Associate Principal , Totara Team Leader- Lynda McKenzie
Associate Principal , Kauri Team Leader- Jude O’Neil
Special Needs Coordinator- SENCO- Claire Cameron
There are many ways to engage with our school community
The FUNdraising Team meets in the staffroom (upstairs from the office), on a week evening at 7.30pm, about twice a term to support special projects in the school. Please join us. Meetings are always over by 9:00, and often earlier.
All parents/caregivers welcome.
Friend us on Facebook We are currently using Facebook for copies of Community Notices only
Visit our school website Hamilton East School This will soon be upgraded and photo albums previously on Facebook will be here.
Have the HERO app downloaded/or access to HERO to keep track of your child's learning progress and all school notices. Please visit the office if you do not know how to access HERO.
Seesaw
Seesaw is a digital student portfolio used by the whole school, it gives parents a window into what's going on in their child's classroom and to showcase student learning. Families get notified when there are new posts in their child's journal. Seesaw is used as a main means of communication between teacher and parents. Families of new student's will receive an invite to the class from their child's teacher. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions.
Join the team who work on Te Ara o Te Ngahere the path of the bush track (our school bush track). Please let the office know if you are interested.
Access the school Library
All teachers bring their classes to Dawson Street Field each day at 3pm, so they are available for a quick ‘catch up’ if you need them.
Please note that the Grey St crossing is electronic and does NOT have teachers in attendance in the morning.
In the afternoon children crossing Grey St walk with a teacher, to be crossed at 3:05pm.
The Dawson St crossing is patrolled from 8:30-8:50 am and 3:00-3:15 pm.
Please set a good example to the children by using the crossing at all times.
Parking is challenging, however it is worse if cars park on yellow lines.
Attendance
At Hamilton East School we expect full attendance (5 days a week, 9:00-3:00) to be of extreme importance for your child’s learning.
We hold high expectations for your child’s learning, and to fulfill this commitment it is essential that your child is at school consistently and continuously.
That way, the sequences of learning can be followed and built upon, giving your child the best possible chance of success. The only official reasons that students are exempt from this are: for illness, or close family bereavement.
Similarly, lateness interrupts the early morning learning programmes for your child, and picking them up early interrupts their afternoon programmes. Please ensure your child is at school before 9:00, and is not picked up until the end of the day. Many thanks for your support in this important requirement.
Stationery
Your child has been issued with stationery. We encourage you to organise payment as soon as possible. Please remember the office can help you to stagger payments if this works best for you.
New Entrants
Welcome to all of our 5 year olds and their families, starting out their schooling experience for the first time. It is lovely to see excited tamariki enjoying new challenges and environments; learning through play and developing new friendships.
Turangawaewae…. Our Unit of Learning:
At this time of year our focus is on developing a feeling of belonging; building new connections; developing routines and setting the stage for quality learning programmes throughout the school.
Our context of learning is through our unit, called Turangawawe. This runs through the school for the whole term. We start off exploring Who are we? Ko wai tātou?..what is special about us all.
Update for School Closure
Our school trees are on a regular maintenance cycle and any works that are carried out are usually done with minimal disruption to the school day. However, the emergency works undertaken by the arborists today is a direct result of the extreme weather event caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. As damage was done to several trees across the school grounds the decision to close the school, and undertake these emergency works, was made due to safety concerns for our children and staff. We understand this is not ideal but we are sure you can appreciate your children’s safety is paramount to this decision.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to new whanau to Hamilton East School .
We also welcome 4 new teaching staff
Zee Shamail- Room 17 teacher in Tōtara Team
Brooke Buysman- Room 9 teacher in Kauri Team
Trace May- Associate Principal and leader of Kowhai Team
Claire Cameron- SENCO . Special Needs Coordinator.
We also welcome our new caretaker Steve O'Brien.
We welcomed these staff members and new ākonga (students) with a Mihi Whakatau on Friday.
Thank you to teachers and support staff who worked during January in preparation for the school year.
The year had started positively with keen learners and settled classrooms.
Unfortunately Cyclone Gabrielle has interrupted this great start, however as soon as we feel sure that the Cyclone risk is passed we will return with renewed vigour!
This newsletter is published fortnightly on a Tuesday. Newsletters consist of everything you will need to know for upcoming events and dates.
We have postponed the planned Whanau Hākari -Family Picnic, until next week. Date to be confirmed
Newsletters are posted to our community notice board via our school app HERO. If you have the app downloaded and are logged in you will receive a notification of new notices from the school. But, if you do not have HERO downloaded or logged in, you will receive an email saying that there are new notices. Here you will have to open the link via a browser. If you do not receive anything at all, this means we have an incorrect email address in our system.
Alternatively, you can collect a hard copy from the office. You can also view the newsletter on our website Hamilton East School or our school Facebook page after 2pm. You can also opt to receive this newsletter by email if you wish. Email office@hameast.school.nz and ask to be added to the list!
Students are welcome at school from 8:25 am. The sKids Before School Care Programme operates for those who need to bring their child earlier than this.
Teachers are in their classrooms from 8:30 to 9:00 am. You are welcome to visit classrooms before 9:00am.
Key Personnel 2023
Associate Principal, Kowhai Team Leader - Trace May
Associate Principal , Totara Team Leader- Lynda McKenzie
Associate Principal , Kauri Team Leader- Jude O’Neil
Special Needs Coordinator- SENCO- Claire Cameron
There are many ways to engage with our school community
The FUNdraising Team meets in the staffroom (upstairs from the office), on a week evening at 7.30pm, about twice a term to support special projects in the school. Please join us. Meetings are always over by 9:00, and often earlier.
All parents/caregivers welcome.
Friend us on Facebook We are currently using Facebook for copies of Community Notices only
Visit our school website Hamilton East School This will soon be upgraded and photo albums previously on Facebook will be here.
Have the HERO app downloaded/or access to HERO to keep track of your child's learning progress and all school notices. Please visit the office if you do not know how to access HERO.
Seesaw
Seesaw is a digital student portfolio used by the whole school, it gives parents a window into what's going on in their child's classroom and to showcase student learning. Families get notified when there are new posts in their child's journal. Seesaw is used as a main means of communication between teacher and parents. Families of new student's will receive an invite to the class from their child's teacher. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions.
Join the team who work on Te Ara o Te Ngahere the path of the bush track (our school bush track). Please let the office know if you are interested.
Access the school Library
All teachers bring their classes to Dawson Street Field each day at 3pm, so they are available for a quick ‘catch up’ if you need them.
Please note that the Grey St crossing is electronic and does NOT have teachers in attendance in the morning.
In the afternoon children crossing Grey St walk with a teacher, to be crossed at 3:05pm.
The Dawson St crossing is patrolled from 8:30-8:50 am and 3:00-3:15 pm.
Please set a good example to the children by using the crossing at all times.
Parking is challenging, however it is worse if cars park on yellow lines.
Attendance
At Hamilton East School we expect full attendance (5 days a week, 9:00-3:00) to be of extreme importance for your child’s learning.
We hold high expectations for your child’s learning, and to fulfill this commitment it is essential that your child is at school consistently and continuously.
That way, the sequences of learning can be followed and built upon, giving your child the best possible chance of success. The only official reasons that students are exempt from this are: for illness, or close family bereavement.
Similarly, lateness interrupts the early morning learning programmes for your child, and picking them up early interrupts their afternoon programmes. Please ensure your child is at school before 9:00, and is not picked up until the end of the day. Many thanks for your support in this important requirement.
Stationery
Your child has been issued with stationery. We encourage you to organise payment as soon as possible. Please remember the office can help you to stagger payments if this works best for you.
New Entrants
Welcome to all of our 5 year olds and their families, starting out their schooling experience for the first time. It is lovely to see excited tamariki enjoying new challenges and environments; learning through play and developing new friendships.
Turangawaewae…. Our Unit of Learning:
At this time of year our focus is on developing a feeling of belonging; building new connections; developing routines and setting the stage for quality learning programmes throughout the school.
Our context of learning is through our unit, called Turangawawe. This runs through the school for the whole term. We start off exploring Who are we? Ko wai tātou?..what is special about us all.
Update for School Closure
Our school trees are on a regular maintenance cycle and any works that are carried out are usually done with minimal disruption to the school day. However, the emergency works undertaken by the arborists today is a direct result of the extreme weather event caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. As damage was done to several trees across the school grounds the decision to close the school, and undertake these emergency works, was made due to safety concerns for our children and staff. We understand this is not ideal but we are sure you can appreciate your children’s safety is paramount to this decision.
School will be open from Thursday, 16 February. Look forward to seeing everyone back, safe and well.
Ngā mihi,
Pippa Wright
Principal
