Dear Parents

Who did you help today? That’s a question that can catch us unawares. If asked on the spur of the moment, I would say, um, I don’t know.

We normally ask each other ‘how are you’ but asking ‘who did you help’ can be a little confronting because it is outside the norms of social interaction. But what a great question! It makes us think of others and their needs. Taking the time to help others takes effort. We tend not make time to think about what we do, our busy lives get in the way.

Stacey Shortall was a category winner of Community & Not For Profit Women of Influence in 2015. She has started a ‘Who Did You Help Today?” campaign  and says the simplicity of the ‘Who did you help today?’ message is important. “Because it’s simple,” she says. “Life is busy and finding time to reflect on how what we do is helping others requires effort. Let’s minimise the effort. Keep the question short and simple. Make it a question we can all ask ourselves at whatever age and in whatever walk of life. She adds that “If enough of us get on board, I believe we can make a big difference to the lives of all New Zealanders!” We just have to choose to do so.

The reason this resonated with me is because children naturally seem to want to help each other. At school I see children helping each other all the time. You just have to see the huge group of children who accompany an injured child to the sick bay! Children help each other with their work. As adults though, we have such busy lives we can get caught up. She says help another New Zealander. It doesn’t need to be a big gesture. It could be as simple as asking your neighbour if she is ok, or letting another car into the queue ahead of you in traffic.

I was moved to write about this campaign because a year 6 boy came to me this week and pitched his proposal to me. He asked if we could take part in the ‘Give a Kid a Blanket’ campaign to provide families who are homeless with blankets. This is not the first time he has thought about helping other; his altruism is such that he is definitely a young philanthropist.

Now, as I go around the school talking with children, I will include the question ‘who did you help today?’ and share and spread the message which reinforces our value of ‘we care’.

VAS Vegas

What a fun night! Fabulous hall decoration, great food, lots of laughter and fun, dancing and of course very generous people bidding fiercely for the auction items. Huge thanks to Shelley Cunningham, Julia Donald, Annick Larkin,  Clare Crosby, Amanda Dick , Abby Maire. One of our wonderful parents, Khaltar Bayardelger who runs the circus school Flip ‘n Fly performed an aerial act which added to the Vegas theme. Thanks to everyone for their amazing generosity.

Education Review Officers

We are delighted to welcome two reviewers Christine Smith and Carleen Blucher into the school next Tuesday – Friday. We are welcoming them with a powhiri on Tuesday at 9am and parents are invited for this welcome.

MUFTI DAY AND “GIVE  A KID A BLANKET ” ~ JULY 8

Come along to school on 8 July in your favourite street clothes and bring a blanket!! The blanket can be some warm bedding to keep a kiddie warm … even old and tatty ones can be donated to keep a pet warm! Below is a bit of information about this project.

Give a Kid a Blanket is an Art Project, in response to the cold and damp housing issues. West Auckland artists Bernie Harfleet and Donna Turtle Sarten will be collecting blankets and giving them away to kids to keep warm.
The aim is to collect as many blankets as we can and to give them out to kids who are cold.

Along the way we will be photographing the people that donate a blanket (this is optional).
Photographs will be used in a photography exhibition.

Also if you have a blanket that you think is a bit tatty or old, we are going to collect these too and give to a dog rescue and a cat rescue.