Greetings to you all.  

Today’s newsletter contains news and updates about COVID-19 as well as the rich learning that continues to be provided at Holy Cross School.  We will continue to communicate any news or developments with you.

I invite us all to be mindful of the fact that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. If adults seem overly worried, children’s anxiety may rise. Parents should reassure children that health and education leaders are working hard to ensure that people throughout the country stay healthy. However, our children also need factual, age appropriate information about the potential seriousness of the situation alongside concrete instruction about how to avoid infections and the spread of these.  Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears and giving them a sense of some control over the risk of infection can help reduce anxiety.

Key Guidelines for parents:

Remain calm and reassuring

Make yourself available - your child may need extra attention at this time.

Monitor television viewing and social media

Be honest and accurate

Know the symptoms of COVID-19

Review and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection

Discuss new rules and practices in place at Holy Cross

Communicate with school and keep up-to-date with any school communications.

This week I have been reflecting on the meaning of a word of great significance; Community.  I shared with our students my definition of this concept which is: 

                                          Community -  Coming together in Unity

I invite us all to think about how we might reach out to others? Let us be especially mindful of those around us, ensuring kindness is at the heart of all of our words and actions.  Let’s actively find ways to show kindness.  

1 Peter 4: 8-11

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Update COVID-19 Coronavirus 20 March 2020                

Kia ora koutou

With so much information and misinformation around about COVID-19, I wanted to share with you what will happen if we were to have a case in our school community. We have been planning for this and are in a position to respond quickly.

• As soon as a case is confirmed in our immediate school community (eg. a student, staff member, or member of their household), the Medical Officer of Health and Ministry of Education will inform me about this, and we will work together to get quick and clear messaging out to you.
• If there was a case confirmed of someone in our school, we will likely be asked to close temporarily by the Medical Officer of Health. This will allow time for close contacts to be traced, appropriate testing to be undertaken, and a careful clean of the school to be undertaken.
• If our school does need to close temporarily, we have a plan in place to support student’s learning.

We know COVID-19 feels scary and of course people are concerned for the wellbeing of our children. Please be assured that with no case confirmed in our school, your children are safe here.

Good hygiene is a priority at our school, and we are reinforcing this regularly with all students and staff. We know that practicing good hygiene is still the best thing we can all do to prevent illness.

We are getting the most up to date advice and guidance s

o that we can confidently make informed decision

s about the safety and wellbeing of our school community.  

Ngā mihi

Celeste Hastings

Principal

Today we raised the first flags on our new flagpoles.  The New Zealand and the Assyrian flags fly proudly and have caught the attention of students walking past.  

We were to have hosted the Assyrian New Year,  1 April, with a festival here next weekend but this has now been cancelled. We look forward to sharing more information about Assyrian New Year in next week’s newsletter. 

These are the comments made by some of our students.

“These are our flags; I love the Assyrian flag and I love the NZ flag too; I’m so happy today”! AJ

“ Look, look, that’s me - there’s the Assyrian flag".   Gabby

“ There are different flags for special days. We will change them to help us learn about important days and celebrate these”.  Alexia 

“The flags tell a story, we are going to learn about them and become the story tellers.” Ashwrina

The flagpoles and flags gifted  to the school:

“We believe in diversity and live in harmony. We have received much from this land and live in dignity in it. No matter how much we do, we can never pay back”. Ameera and Ashoor

“ We  thank the Holy Cross Community for the kindness shown to our family last year. Our mother Pauline Hastings was a great traveller,  with a genuine interest in people and places, so gifting a flagpole with a number of relevant flags seemed like a positive way to acknowledge this”. Thank you, Hastings family.

Thanks once again to Matthew Blair who continues to provide support and guidance; this is greatly appreciated.

In today’s session in the kitchen we made Salad of the Imagination with Aleksandra. Something I think went well was chopping the spring onion. Something that we need to be careful of was using a knife because we don’t want to chop our hands. An idea for next time is that I would add cheese.
Daniel Room 6

At garden to table in the morning we were drawing pictures of what we could see in the garden. After that we were writing about why we need to do gardening. Once we had done that we collected seeds from out of the seed pods. I love gardening with my friends and family.
Leya Room 6

It's great to see the students filling up their passports and earning rewards for Movin' March.
Here’s a quick run down of the competitions you can take part in to win prizes as a family-

• Parents can win heaps of prizes by taking part in:

o    Parent Photo Competition:  Daily prizes to fun Wellington destinations plus a Favourite Friday draw where we give away an adult or kids Micro scooter!)

o    Share your Story competition:  Whānau are in to win weekly fun Wellington destination prizes as well as a Bluebridge Family + vehicle pass on a return Cook Straight sailing. 

• Studentscan win heaps of prizes by taking part in:

o    WOW Passport Challenge – Years 0-8

o    Art Challenge – for Years 0-6

o    Movin’Minds Competition – for Years 4-8

Movin’ March is organised by Greater Wellington Regional Council and supported by Wellington City Council.