News

CREATIVE CORNER NEWSLETTER
19 July 2022

TENA KOUTOU KATOA
HELLO EVERYBODY

In the past few years, COVID-19-related restrictions resulted in a lower than usual flu season. With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted more recently the flu season has hit us quite hard. Natural infection fighting responses (immunity) to flu is lower than usual, potentially putting more vulnerable people at risk of serious illness.
Because the flu is easy to catch through coughs and sneezes, we encourage you to monitor your tamariki regularly and ask that you keep them at home should they have any symptoms of the flu. This will help prevent the spread through the Centre. Thanks

FAREWELL – KA KITE
We recently farewelled Rosalee Leslie from the Pukeko room.

WELCOME – NAU MAI
I am pleased to announce the end of our period vacant positions is nearing an end. On 8 August Cheryl Young our new Kaka head teacher and centre 2IC will be starting at the centre. This will free up Miranda to take over her permanent 3-day position in the Pukekos.
The end of this month also sees the end of Di’s recovery time in the Pukekos as she returns to the Kaka room. A big thank you to Soph and Jen for helping us in the kakas.
These staff vacancies and movements coupled with Covid, and sickness have been a struggle for all to manage but I am hopeful that we will be able to achieve a little more consistency within centre moving forward.
Thank you to those parents that have added their input to the board at the front door regarding what we do well and what are our challenges. I hope to be able to share our new strategic direction in the coming weeks.
Sickness continues to remain with us, and I thank you all for your support in keeping your children at home when they are unwell. We know that this is difficult with short staffing within your industries and challenges on the leave balances front. We are keeping an eye on the local COVID cases and if it creeps close to our community again, we will return to pick up and drop offs outside. For now, we continue business as usual and cross our fingers for a speedy end to our winter bugs.

PUKEKO ROOM NEWS
The school holidays often means we are fewer in numbers. This provides us with opportunities to go exploring a little more than usual.
So, last Friday groups of children accompanied the teachers for a walk to see the sheep that live across the road. The sheep were keen to see if we had any food to share but unfortunately, we hadn’t even considered this. Therefore, we walked along the fence line collecting the greener grass and then hand fed it to a sheep or two.
The group of children that went in the morning were upset to see people had littered in the sheep paddock and on the footpath. They thought it wasn’t very nice for the sheep and that people should remember to put their rubbish in the bin. This led to a discussion about wanting to go on a walk around our neighbourhood to collect any rubbish people may have forgotten to bin, so we are looking after our local plants and animals.
The children that went later in the day got to have some fun running and chasing Michael around the park.
We can’t wait to do this again and share more with whānau about our outings and adventures!!!

KEEP THIS DATE FREE:

CASINO FUNDRAISING NIGHT
Saturday, 17 September 2022
At the Oxford Restaurant
Theme – Outrageous Fortune
Gambling, Music, and Auctions

It’s that time again to organise this successful evening of fun.
All proceeds go back into the centre for children’s resources, etc.
We would really appreciate sourcing an auction package from parents for the following:
WINTER FAMILY SURVIVAL KIT
Products needed for this package:
• Beer/wine for mum and dad
• Rainy Day – games and goodies for the kids
• A spot of tea – variety of teas, crackers, tea towel, cup, and tea pot
• Chocolate celebration
• Supermarket vouchers

Please let Kate/Amy know if you can help with any of the above products. Thanks in advance!

TENA KOUTOU KATOA

HELLO EVERYBODY

We continue to monitor our COVID situation, but thankfully we now find ourselves ‘relatively’ back to normal after the COVID influx, with both families
and staff being affected. However, just to add to this, we are currently experiencing normal flu and colds, and a stomach bug in the Centre. Please be vigilant around keeping your children at home if any of these symptoms appear.
It is lovely to hear the laughter and see the happy faces of our Creative Corner whānau being back together.
Once again, our massive thanks to everyone for their support during this time. We really appreciate it!

FAREWELL – KA KITE
Katy Jackson
We farewelled our lovely Katy on 25 May, after seven years in Creative Corner’s Kaka room.
Katy is spreading her wings and pursuing a new start in Australia with work and play!
We will miss Katy’s smiley face, enthusiasm, and care for our whānau.
Good lucky Katy and enjoy your time over the ditch.

We will also farewell Isabella Adams from the Pukeko room – happy school days Bella!

CONGRATULATIONS
Kate our front of house has been with Creative Corner for 10 years.
Great effort Kate!

PUKEKO ROOM NEWS
Kia Ora Whanau

There has been quite a bit of interest in dinosaurs and digging for fossils throughout the past couple of months or so. The children have enjoyed using a range of tools to scrape away the earth as they search for fossils or treasure. With teacher direction they have made fossil replicas of dinosaurs and now they are in the process of working with Jen to create a scale sized dinosaur. This is a long-term project that allows the children to be involved at their leisure and we look forward to sharing the result with you.

We would also like to share that we have some rock stars in the making!!! During the past week or so as we work with the children on beat and sound, we have discovered their familiarity and passion for the song “We will Rock you”, by Queen. The children request it as a group time experience throughout our daily mat time and it is outstanding to see the enthusiasm, delight, and joy they achieve through singing and performing to a song that I am sure you are all familiar.

WATCH THIS SPACE. AS WE WILL BE ROCKING YOU OUT WITH ONE OF THEIR MIGHTY PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS!!!
(Kerry - Head Teacher Kākā Room)

PHOTOS
Class and portrait photos of tamariki are available to collect from your child’s classroom. Please return order with money by 30 June. Thanks

KEEP THIS DATE FREE
CASINO NIGHT
Saturday, 17 September 2022
This is our annual major fundraiser for Creative Corner –
we need to raise $10,000 per year.
The money raised is reinvested in the Centre to purchase resources and equipment to ensure we are providing the best environment for our tamariki and families.
We will be asking families for support in the form of donations, sponsorship or help with set-up or running of a game on the evening. You are also welcome to purchase tickets closer to the time and attend – it’s a fantastic night out!

CREATIVE CORNER NEWSLETTER
11 May 2022

TENA KOUTOU KATOA
HELLO EVERYBODY

A massive thanks again to all our families and staff for their ongoing support during the past few weeks to help us to remain open where we have been able to. It has been a tough time, but we really do appreciate your sacrifice.

“We're all in this together and want to do everything we can to help get us all through
these challenging times."

TEACHER ONLY DAY
Friday, 27 May
CENTRE IS CLOSED

FAREWELL – KA KITE
Farewell to Maggie Wilson and MacKenzie Heywood, who leave the Pukeko room. Happy school days girls!

WELCOME – NAU MAI
Welcome to Alvie Hancock, Matilda Mills and Parker Beeby who join us in the Kākā Room.

CHARITY BIKE RIDE
We are super excited to share that we were one of the lucky recipients of the funds from the Charity Bike Ride this year.
A massive thank you to the crew and riders who put in a massive effort and a big thanks to the staff and parents who supported the riders on the practice rides. Thanks to Charlotte for being our last-minute poster girl.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2022
Elections were held at the AGM recently and the following parents have willingly agreed to continue to be our Board of Trustees:
Sam Wilson (Chairperson), Andrew Darling (Deputy Chair), Maggie Harvey (Treasurer), Ange Lumsden (Secretary), Jess Bacon, Eamon Haggart, Pip Reihana and Charlotte O’Brien.
Our new teacher rep is Jen Barnes.
A big thanks to Katy Jackson who has been our teacher rep for the past few years.

STAFFING
As you are aware Katy is leaving us for the sunny shores of Australia. Her final day is the 25 May.
I haven’t at this point been able to secure a suitable candidate to replace her, so we are readvertising the role. In the meantime, I am in the process of organising cover for Katy’s teaching hours and I will take over the Head teacher role in the nursery. Once I have finalised plans, and signed contracts I will put a notice out to families. I am hopeful that we will be able to manage a relatively seamless transition.

As we adjust to differences in our lives that have been brought on by COVID, many of us may be feeling anxious or losing sleep. The uncertainties that this pandemic has brought can be stressful, annoying, tough, frustrating, and even scary at times. So, it’s important to look after our mental health to make sure we are equipped to deal with the changes to our lives.

FEELING STRESSED? TAKE A MINUTE TO TRY THESE THREE TIPS:
1. TAKE A BREATH
Pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths in and out. Find a comfortable space, try to relax, and take in the world around you. Taking a breath is one of the best ways to reduce stress, and it’s a free stress-relieving activity available anytime, anywhere.
Being honest about your emotions can help you prioritise your mental health and give you permission to say no to things that will only add to your stress. Be gentle with yourself—it’s ok to feel overwhelmed with the things that are going on in the world.

2. TAKE A BREAK
It’s easy to get overloaded right now, so take a break from your regular work, study, or news intake by feeding your mind with small, joyful activities. Find some time to sit in the fresh air and look up at the sky or to listen to some music.
Progressive muscle relaxation exercises can also help your body to take a break from stress. Start by finding a quiet, comfortable place, and then tighten or tense particular muscle groups in your body, such as your neck and shoulders. Hold the tension for a few seconds, release, and notice how your muscles feel when you relax them. This exercise can help you relax when you are feeling anxious.
3. TAKE CARE
Take care of yourself by paying attention to your own needs and feelings—treat yourself with the same kindness you would show a friend. Try to ensure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and doing some exercise to help you deal with the stresses of this time. Moving your body helps improve mental health by reducing anxiety and depression, as well as being good for overall health.
When you’re in a safe mental space, it’s also important to take care of those around you. Check in with friends and family to see how they’re going—assisting each other can make us stronger as a community. When physical distance is necessary, you can keep in touch with your loved ones by phone.

TENA KOUTOU KATOA
HELLO EVERYBODY

It continues to be a challenging and stressful time for us all. Ten weeks now of the Red Setting and we have tried really hard to manage and mitigate the risk of spread. We would like to say a big thank you to all our families for supporting us ‘to do what we need to’ at CCELC, and our staff for working tirelessly on the frontline to care for our little people’s needs.

Here are some acts of kindness we can reflect upon during these uncertain times:

 Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while
 Tell a family member how much you love and appreciate them
 Make a cup of tea for someone
 Arrange to have a cup of tea and virtual or in real life catch up with someone you know
 Help with a household chore at home
 Arrange to watch a film at the same time as a friend on a video call or arrange to go to the cinema with a friend
 Tell someone you know that you are proud of them
 Tell someone you know why you are thankful for them
 Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling
 Send someone you know a joke to cheer them up
 Send someone you know a picture of a cute animal
 Send an inspirational quote to a friend
 Send an interesting article to a friend
 Contact someone you haven’t seen in a while and arrange a phone catch up or in-person catch-up
 Spend time playing with your pet
 Reach out to call a friend, family member or neighbour who is experiencing loneliness or self-isolation
 Donate to a charity
 Lend your ear – call a colleague and ask how they’re finding the change in routine
 Give praise to your colleague for something they’ve done well
 Arrange to have a video lunch with a colleague/or a lunch in real life
 Donate to foodbanks

HAPPY EASTER WHANAU
Wishing all our families a happy and relaxing break. May you enjoy this Easter surrounded by friends, family, and plenty of chocolate!

SCHOOL HOLIDAY
NON¬ ATTENDANCE FORMS
Please fill in an absence form ASAP for the upcoming school holidays and email or drop to Kate. This enables us to sort staff requirements over the two week period. Thanks

FAREWELL – KA KITE
Farewell to April Doran who leaves the Pukeko room later this month. Happy school days April!

KĀKĀ ROOM NEWS
Kia Ora Whanau
Over the last few weeks with children away we have had lower numbers in the classroom, which has enabled us to do more messy play! Messy play gives tamāriki the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensory experiences, it also gives tamāriki the opportunity to learn about different textures and materials. While the tamāriki are exploring the messy play, they are developing hand-eye coordination, mathematic skills such as measuring and counting, etc. They are also able to be a part of a group which helps with working alongside their peers. Check out some of the great snaps we captured.
(Katy - Head Teacher Kākā Room)

PUKEKO ROOM NEWS
Kia Ora Whanau
EXPLORING WITH OUR SENSORS
The children have missed the range of sensory experiences that we usually have on offer. This became evident as the children started to find any excuse to cover their faces and bodies in paint, many times from head to toe. So, over the past couple of weeks the children have enjoyed reengaging with playdough, bubbles and water, cloud dough, gloop, and slime. They have especially enjoyed exploring what nature brings to us at the moment – a fair bit of rain. They have loved returning to splashing in the puddles, driving their bikes and toy cars through the mud and it has even provided our bug hunters with opportunities to look for worms and use them to scare many of the teachers.
(Kerry – Head Teacher Pukeko Room)