Week 1 NEWSLETTER

from the principal

Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future

Welcome back…Term 4 is here! It has been a great start back here at DPS…the sun is shining, and the children are happy.

I was lucky enough (along with Sophie and Emma) to go to Singapore in the holidays to work with Apple Education. The trip was focused on Innovation and digital technologies. We visited schools, a museum, the Bernina sewing machine factory and Apple headquarters as well. It was inspirational, and very timely as we start to consider ‘what next’ for DPS in 2026.

I might write in more detail about it next week, but one of the things I was reminded of over there…is that learning should generate a sense of ‘Wonder & Awe’, and it also should lead to students who are ‘proud’ of their mahi. Yesterday these two young men, Louis and Eli, came into the office absolutely beaming…super proud of the writing that they had done, proud to be seen as two young authors. The photo captures in part that sense of ‘PRIDE’ that is so important in good learning.

People Make the Place - and we have a couple of events to start the term celebrating our people. Tomorrow is our termly mihi whakatau, welcoming our new students and families into our school whānau. Always wholesome, and a great way to honour the ‘Together We’ part of the school vision. The second event is Grandparents Day on Friday next week. Again, wholesome…seeing our children interact with their elders, connect with other grandparents, share stories, have a cup of tea…a great time. Links to the ‘Better Future’ part of the vision…to know where you are headed, you have to know where you come from. Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua: ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’.

Teacher and Support Staff Strike

NZEI have indicated that Thursday 23rd October will be a strike day for primary school teachers and support staff. The date is locked in…but the formal notice of strike will happen closer to the time (unless a new and improved offer comes from the government I guess).

Due to the high numbers of NZEI members at DPS, we will be closed for the day. Please make childcare arrangements for your children.

I’ve written about this before…but no one wants to go out on strike, but negotiations haven’t yet thrown up anything that will address the concerns the sector has. While the discussions in the media will focus on the $$$ amounts…to me I have a couple of very simple ways of measuring how well things are going in the sector:

1. Do people want to become teachers anymore?
2. When we do get new teachers into the profession, are we able to keep them?

Sadly at the moment the answer to both of these questions is ‘No’ - while numbers of people training are up this year, they are still extremely low compared to the past…and, the dropout rate within the first 5 years in the job is pretty horrific. To me…the outcome has to at least start to address these questions…how can we make the job attractive, and how can we keep teachers in the job long term.

Staffing Update

With Maya finishing up with us at the end of the month, I’m pleased to say that we have another awesome teacher to go into Kahikatea…Niko Dahlberg. Niko is just finishing his teacher training, and during his study he spent time teaching in the Rimu team. He knows our school well…he attended Masterton West (what Douglas Park used to be called) back in the day, has had many other whānau come through the school…and his father Joe is one of our awesome teacher aides. Looking forward to having Niko join the team soon!

Dates for your Calendars

Friday 17th October: Grandparents Day, 11am - 12.30pm at school
Thursday 23rd October: Potential teacher strike, school closed
Monday 27th October: Labour Day, school closed
Tuesday 9th December: Final Celebration Time at Wairarapa College
Thursday 11th December: Last day of school, 12.30pm finish

what's happening at Douglas Park School

writing - rata

subway lunch available every friday - order online or at the school office

change of details

If you have recently moved house, had a change of phone number, or any other contact details of your child/children have changed, could you please let us know at the school office by calling in to see us, phoning us on (06) 370-0189, or sending an email to office@douglaspark.school.nz