ECS Update Term 2, Week 3 – Friday 12th May 2023

ECS Update Term 2, Week 3 – Friday 12th May 2023

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to the Term 2, Week 3 Newsletter.

It was great to see so many of you at our School Production of Esther last week.  I would like to congratulate all the students involved for the way they gave of themselves to tell this story of God’s faithfulness, ongoing works of miracles and of hope.

These sorts of events do not happen without the significant support of parents and staff so again thank you.  I would like to particularly thank Mrs Naomi Langford and Mr Mark Dowers for their work in leading this team. 

For all parents who come into the Papanui Club car park can you please take particular note of the message below re safety.  Sawyers Arms Road has lots of pedestrian traffic and it is really important we all take care as we exit and enter the carpark areas.  Thank you

This newsletter contains information on the following:

• Important Dates
• Principal’s Sabbatical Leave Term 3 2023
• Traffic Safety – Papanui Club Carpark
• School App
• Sausage Sizzle 
• Pink Shirt Day
• Student Accounts and Donation Receipts
• Piano needed 
• Scholastic Book Orders 

Important Dates

Friday 19th May – Sausage Sizzle and Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday 28th June – Final Day of classes for Term 2 

Principal’s Sabbatical Leave Term 3 2023

Dear Parents and Caregivers 

Last year the board supported Mr McKinnon in successfully applying for sabbatical leave, which is now planned to happen in Term 3.

To quote from his application:

This sabbatical will allow me to visit research institutions and schools involved in indigenous education both in the NZ context and within Ontario, Canada. The sabbatical will involve further study into meeting the needs of indigenous people within schools.  In New Zealand this includes the critical place of tiriti o Waitangi and the need to understand the impact and challenges from New Zealand’s past.  The sabbatical will include a visit to the London District Catholic School Board (Ontario, Canada) and associated schools, learning from the work they have been undertaking in indigenous education and building reconciliation in their context. Within New Zealand, I intend to spend time visiting schools and the local iwi to build relationship and gain a greater understanding of our bicultural responsibilities.

My major goal is to further my understanding of bicultural and indigenous practice within education, and how we can better meet the needs of all ākonga and especially our Māori learners.

 As part of this application there is no financial cost to the Board or School, and we also receive staffing funding to enable the release of senior staff to maintain the running of the school. 

Tom Littlejohn will take on the role of Acting Principal in Term 3 and we will welcome John van der Brink known to many, in a fixed term teaching role within the Middle School.  

The senior management team and board fully support Mr McKinnon’s sabbatical and it’s our hope and prayer it will be a great blessing for him personally and Emmanuel.

Blessings,
John van Ameyde
Emmanuel Board of Trustees

Traffic Safety – Papanui Club Carpark

If you use the Papanui Club carpark to drop off and pick up your children we urge you to be mindful when exiting the carpark driveway onto Sawyers Arms Road.

Vehicles must give way to pedestrians on the footpath before pulling up to Sawyers Arms Road and exiting the driveway.
Also please bear in mind that a lot of children walk and scooter along this path to and from their schools (not just Emmanuel but Cotswold and others) and the footpath to the left of the driveway is partially obscured by bushes so it can be hard to see children coming until they are suddently on the footpath crossing the driveway so please advance slowly to the footpath and pause before continuing across the footpath and out onto Sawyers Arms Road.
Thank you.

School App

Sausage Sizzle

On Friday 19th of May there will be a Sausage Sizzle run by the Fundraising Committee.

Order forms went home this week and they must be returned to the Office with payment
by Tuesday 16th May.

Pink Shirt Day

Friday 19th of May is a day where many schools and organisations in New Zealand will be making a visual stand against bullying.
At Emmanuel we want to ensure that our school is a place wehre everyone feels safe, we work hard to achieve this every day.

On Friday 19th of May students can choose to wear something pink.  This could be a shirt or just socks for example.  If they do wear something pink, the rest of their outfit can be mufti.

If students are not wearing pink, we ask that they come in normal school uniform.

There is no cost associated with this event.

Student Accounts and Donation Receipts

A ‘Record of Donations Statement’ was emailed out this week for all donations (including camp contributions) made to the school in the 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 financial year.
This is a new statement that has just been made available through our system to make things a little easier with collating all your donations on one statement.  
We will aim to get the statement for the current financial year to you in early April 2024.

Our system generates a receipt for each payment you make and these are emailed immediately upon receipt of payment.  The Record of Donations Statement will show all of these payments together so if you have made multiple payments the statement will show this.  

Requests for Payment were also emailed out this week.  If you have any questions relating to the charges on your child’s school account please email the Office:
office@emmanuelchristian.school.nz

If you have any queries relating to Attendance Dues and the Special Character Donation which are paid to the Emmanuel Proprietor Trust (EPT) please email: bursar@emmanuelchristian.school.nz

Piano needed – can you help?

Our piano in the hall is needing to be replaced.  We have owned this piano for well over 20 years and it’s had a lot of use and the time has come for us to replace it.

Do you know of a family member or friend who is downsizing and would like to donate their piano?  The piano would need to be in very good condition (not needing any work to be done as otherwise we will just be in the same position we are in now with the current piano).

Or perhaps you have a great fundraising idea and would be willing to run a fundraiser to help to raise funds for a new piano?  We would love to hear from you!

Scholastic Book Orders – Last Day for Orders Today!

Once per term each student will receive a brochure for the book club to bring home. 
If you would like to order any of the books, this can be done online on LOOP.  For your first time you will need to register in order to make a Book Club LOOP login. 

We cannot take orders/payment via the Office so please order online.  Instructions are on the back of the brocure.  You will have approximately two weeks to place your order.

Once orders close, they will be sent to school and will come home with your child.
On all orders the school earns 15% in scholastic rewards which benefits our school library.

Emmanuel Christian School does not endorse all material that is available for purchase from Scholastic Book Club.  Please use your discernment when picking reading material for your child.

Issue 3 orders close: Friday 12th May 6pm (TODAY)
If you didn’t receive a brochure we have some at the Office and they are also available online on LOOP.