Welcome back to Term 2! HECC Panui – June 2020

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Tena koutou, Hello, Talofa lahi atu, Kia orana, Malo e lelei, Ni hau ma, Priviet, Jambo, Ola, Xin chào, As-salām ‘alaykum, Bula venaka, Namaste, Halo, Sawasdee Kha and Mingalarbar!

Welcome back to Homai Early Childhood Centre! We hope you have enjoyed our virtual music sessions while we have been away.

To ensure the safety of you, your child and staff please read the following important information:

HECC is following Ministry of Health guidelines for Alert Level 2, which means:

  • Please keep any sick children at home, even if they have only a “sniffle”. We will be having wellness and temperature checks for all ākonga and adults as they arrive. If a sick child/adult comes to the centre, we will send them home.
  • We are practising social distancing. Our centre is working separately from the rest of the Homai campus and we are avoiding having any other visitors at this time.
  • We ask that food is only shared between family members.
  • We are using the playground and outdoor equipment but this is being thoroughly cleaned by staff before and after each session.
  • We are following good hygiene practices and regularly cleaning commonly touched surfaces. We will be limiting the number/amount of resources we are putting out at each session.
  • We have hand sanitiser at the entrance and around the centre. Please wash and dry your hands regularly, including before eating, after using the bathroom and when you move between the outside and inside activities.

Please contact us on the numbers provided if there is anything you would like to discuss.

 

Phone numbers:

Please note the following phone numbers are the ones to use to contact us at HECC:

Centre 09 2683212                   Yin Yin 021 565 031

If you are not attending HECC, we would appreciate a call, email or text to let us know.  If you usually travel by United Taxi, please contact us as early as possible.

 

Highlights and happenings in Terms 1 / 2:

Trips in the community: There are no scheduled trips this term at present.

Visitors from the community: We are asking visitors to stay away from our centre under Level 2.

 

2020 Term Dates:

Looking ahead with dates:

End of term 2:       Friday 3rd July

Start of term 3:      Monday 20th July     End of term 3:  Friday 25th September

Start of term 4:      Monday 12th October    End of term 4:  Thursday 10th December

 

Coronavirus update:

https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

Tips for parents:

http://education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/COVID19-files/Tips-for-parents-in-Alert-Level-2.pdf

 

We are happy to have everyone back at the centre!

Yin Yin, Soong, Jane, Caitlin, Catalina, Christy, Fiona, and Rachel

 

Update on HECCET meetings

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Board Meeting dates and times:

All HECCET meetings are held on the Homai Campus on a Friday from 12.30pm

April 1, June 24, October 28, December 9

 

HECCET BOT Members and roles

Janny Cooke – Board Secretary (09) 266-7109 Extension: 2000

Chairperson: Nathaniel Louwrens and Parent Trustee Visual Resource Centres

Principal: Karen Stobbs

Homai Campus School Parent Trustee: Mitch Harris

Parent Trustees: Visual Resource Centres:

Nathaniel Robson

Letitia Patete

Gretchen Good

Staff Elected Trustee:  Jane Cox

Appointed Trustees:

  • Jonathan Godfrey – Blind Citizen
  • Neil Jarvis – Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind –     Known as Blind Foundation
  • Nigel Ngahiwi – Tangata Whenua
  • Sharon Duncan
  • Mere Baker – Parent Elect
  • Jo Walker – Parent Elect

Rylee’s painting

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Rylee loves to paint. She paints with beads, balls and paint brushes. She never hesitates to get her fingers into wet paint as well. Recently, I have noticed that she has started to explore the texture of the paper she has been using in her painting activity.

She looks for the corner of the paper she is using for her painting. Then, she feels it, crunches it and tears it apart to get a piece of paper to hold and crunch in her hand. I wondered it would be more interesting for Rylee to paint on a textured paper? I found some corrugated card board durable enough to paint and tear. We tested it out last week!

When I stuck it to the easel and presented her with her favourite painting brush, Rylee gave me a smile. She started by feeling the corrugated paper on the easel and listening to the sound that came from her fingers scratching.  She then felt the brush with wet paint, took it closer to her eyes for better look and continued her painting. She worked very hard with the colour green on that day.

rylee

Today, we revisited the painting and Rylee chose to add some red paint on to it. This brightened up her painting.

 

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We will revisit the painting again next week and add some more beautiful colours on it. Exciting work Rylee…….

 

Rylee’s masterpiece (23.08.2016)

Rylee revisited her painting again and again during the second term. She chose to add only one colour in each visit. Her chosen colours were red, purple and yellow. She explored many types tools when she was creating the painting. She was fully engaged in the whole painting process since we started from the green paint till we added our bright yellow on the final day.

screen-shot-2016-10-11-at-3-52-20-pm

When I handed Rylee’s finished piece of work to her mother and grandmother, Rylee’s face lit up and had a long conversation with us. Yes, Rylee, I know how hard she tried and how much fun we had in creating this master piece of yours. I am so proud of you!

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Children experience an environment where: there are equitable opportunities for learning, irrespective of gender, ability, age, ethnicity,
or background (Strand 3, Goal 1 of Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum).

Vestibular System: Your Child’s Internal GPS System for Motor Planning and Attention – Integrated Learning Strategies

Link

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Thanks Jacqui for sharing this interesting and very readable article about the Vestibular System: Your Child’s Internal GPS System for Motor Planning and Attention. This article provides information about your child’s internal GPS system or vestibular system. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Whenever I need to travel to a new place, I pull out my smart phone, open up my GPS app and type in the address. Almost instantly, the guide’s voice chimes in on… Click to Read More

A diagram map of the Vestibular System and how it impacts on other body systems.

Source: Vestibular System: Your Child’s Internal GPS System for Motor Planning and Attention – Integrated Learning Strategies

HECC staff

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There have been a few staff changes this year.  We are very pleased to welcome new ESW’S to the HECC staff this term: Jane and Bronwyn are working every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and will also be escorting the children transported by taxi.

New teacher Yin Yin Htay will be teaching full-time alongside Christy (ESW). For the rest of term 2 Sarah will be teaching on Mondays and Lai Yee on Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri. Please join with us to welcome our new staff!

 

Welcome to 2016!

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Staff started the 2016 year off with some exciting professional development.  We joined other BLENNZ staff from around the country for 2 days of learning together on a wide range of topics at the Homai Campus.  Here are photos of Mary Fisher, an inspiring athlete and former student at BLENNZ Wellington and Nettie Cullen, a former HECC parent.

Mary Fisher spoke at the BLENNZ Conference. Mary is an inspiring athlete who will be competing as a swimmer in the upcoming Paralympic Games in Brazil.Nettie Cullen, a former HECC parent, speaking at the BLENNZ Conference.

 

For your information: Applications open for Kindred Trust grants

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The Kindred-Sharp Trust is associated with the Blind Foundation.  It was set up in 1997 by a Kapiti couple. The purpose of this trust is to provide grants and/or equipment to help enhance the quality of life in the formative years of children who are blind or have severe vision loss.
Grants will be made to, or for the benefit of children under the age of 12 years. The child must be a registered member of the Blind Foundation at the time of making this application.
The maximum grant that the Trust will consider is $500.00 including GST.
Decisions about who will receive grants are made by the Blind Foundation Chief Executive with advice from Blind Foundation staff. Distributions will be made in early July 2015.
Whilst leaving the discretion as to grants entirely in the hands of the Blind Foundation, it is not intended that the same children receive grants year after year. It is also the hope of the Trustees that recipients be selected from different parts of the country.
Applications should be presented in writing or email using the form below:
Kindred Sharp Children’s Trust application form (28kb, .docx).
Please ensure you answer all questions on the form and provide details of how the requested funding will benefit the child.
Quotes, including GST, need to be presented with the application. The purpose of this is so suppliers can be paid direct once approval is given.
Applications must be received by the close of business on Thursday, 25 June 2015 and should be sent to:
Murray Peat
Fund and Trust Administrator
Blind Foundation
Private Bag 99941
Newmarket
Auckland
Phone: 0800 24 33 33 or 09 355 6861
Email: mpeat@blindfoundation.org.nz