MAIDSTONE INTERMEDIATE Website: www.maidstone.school.nz Telephone: 04 528 3094

Email: admin@maidstone.school.nz

Absences: absences@maidstone.school.nz

6th May 2020 Newsletter # 4

In This Issue • A word from our Principal

• Music Tuition

• Hutt Science - Science at

home

• Library - Bored in your

Bubble?

• William Pike Challenge

Trip photos

• Maidstone’s Level 3

Learning Bubbles

Attached to this Email • Covid Alert Level 3

Information Sheet

• Level 3 Enrolment Form

Dear parents, caregivers, students and friends of the school Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa A lot has happened since the last newsletter! I hope you are all well and safe in your lockdown bubbles - not an easy time when you have children! With the move to Alert Level 3, Maidstone is open for students who are unable to continue with learning from home. We currently have a role of 19 but several are part-time depending on parent working hours. Circumstances will change for many of you as we move through the Alert Levels and if you need your child to return to school please complete the attached Enrolment Form. Also attached is an Information Sheet about how we are set up for the safety of students and staff during Alert Level 3 - please read this carefully prior to enrolling your child. Last Friday we farewelled Mrs Becky Owczarek who is expecting her second child next week. We wish her and her family all the very best. Ms Mary Winiata is now teaching Room 18 full-time. We welcome our new Learning Support Coordinator, Mrs Rachael Kneepkens, to Maidstone Intermediate. Mrs Kneepkens has worked at Maidstone Intermediate before and knows our community well so we are delighted to have her return in this role. The LSC role is a full-time role at Maidstone Intermediate and will be focused on students who are experiencing barriers to their learning. She will work with teachers, families and agencies to reduce these barriers so there are positive outcomes for the students. Earlier this year the government announced a ‘School Investment Package (SIP)’ that would provide a fund for schools to enhance their properties in ways that are not able to be funded from the normal property allocations. The board has been working with our Property Managers to put together a plan for the enhancement of the school’s playground and environment. Included in this plan is a new entrance way, fencing, shade sails and an adventure playground. We are very excited to be able to plan for this and while the Covid situation has put the plan out a little, it is hoped the work will be complete by Term 4. Stay safe and well Nga mihi nui Mary O’Regan Principal/Tumuaki

A word from our Principal

Music Tuition Students who are part of the Music Tuition programme and have their instruments at home, are asked to practice the pieces they’ve been learning. When they are ready to move onto another piece, they need to email Mrs Sanderson at myra.sanderson@maidstone.school.nz, and she will send the request through to Mr Hanify. If they’re able to show their talents by videoing their performance that would be very well received!

St Patrick’s

College

Enrolments

This is to let you know the

St Patrick's College Open

Day for 1 May 2020 was

cancelled due to COVID-

19. For more information

and advice families are

welcome to contact me on

clarkd@stream.school.nz.

Science at Home – Hutt Science are continuing to post experiments each day via Facebook that can easily be done with household items: www.facebook.com/huttscience so please share with your school communities. A list of those already posted are here: https://www.huttscience.co.nz/home-experiments/

Reading in

Your Bubble

Bored with Your

Bubble?

Why not float away into

another World?

You can borrow books

from the Maidstone Intermediate

Library

Just email Ms McCracken at liz.mccracken@maidstone.school.nz and let me know if you want a particular book/s. If you don’t know what you would like I can choose some books for you (based on what you like to read). The books can then be picked up from our contactless area at the entrance to the school office. Please return any Library books you have at home.

Library

William Pike Challenge

The William Pike Challenge is new to Maidstone. The programme teaches Intermediate students about leadership skills and outdoor activities. The WPC involves three different types of activities including outdoor adventures, community service, and passion project. For our first outdoor activity, we had a trip to the YMCA in Kaitoke where we did abseiling, raft building, and campfire cooking. We were going to stay the night and cook our own breakfast and dinner but it was called off because of COVID19. My favourite activity was abseiling. We lowered ourselves down a seven-metre wall in the main hall! We had to cook food in the bush - we cooked damper with chocolate chips on it. Damper is a Middle-Eastern food that’s made out of water and flour. We cooked over a fire. We also played a game called ‘Camouflage’, and our last challenge was raft building - which didn’t really go to plan! Our raft broke before it even got in the water! It was a super fun day, and we can't wait until our next William Pike trip! By Jack and Henry

Behind the scenes in Lockdown

Many schools spent time packing up devices to help families with

on-line learning at home.

Here is Ms O’Regan checking off Maidstone’s Chromebooks ready for the courier to

deliver to students.

“

GREEN BUBBLE FEEDBACK

It’s okay being at school but I miss my friends.

Mr Honey did ping pong challenges with us. That was cool.

I made a Mothers Day present in the HM Room. I made a

jigsaw and notebook for my Mum.

We have lots of short breaks – we do skipping sometimes,

or scooter around. It’s fun!

GOLD BUBBLE FEEDBACK

It is pretty cool having not many people in my class! There are just two students in our bubble.

When we enter our classroom, we have to wipe our bags, wash our hands, and put on hand sanitizer. We then sit at

our desks and start off doing activities!

RED BUBBLE FEEDBACK

We are enjoying being at school even if it is a bit strange with none of our friends here.

We are all going to be experts at skipping soon!

BLURPLE FEEDBACK

I'm happy in our bubble because I've been having fun here.

I like being able to go on the Chromebook and learn new things.

I feel good in our bubble. I think learning is easier - I think it's better because I can easily get one-on-one help from the teacher instead

of having to go on the mat with the whole class.